Retailers

Western Union Co. is in early-stage talks to acquire smaller rival MoneyGram International Inc., people with knowledge of the matter said, as both companies contend with stiff competition from upstart money-transfer companies.

Instant card issuance builds immediate value in the eyes of the consumer, and also helps them feel like a valued customer, potentially increasing their card usage rate and extending the longevity of the business relationship.

Kwik Chek Food Stores' new technology for updating gas prices at the pump also pushes those price changes to motorists using its mobile payment app, a feature that gets customers engaged with the retailer long before they pull up to the pump.

Home Depot Inc. plans to enable Apple Inc.'s mobile-payment platform at its more than 2,000 stores, making it the largest retailer to accept Apple Pay.

Visa is providing merchants with an online information and resource center to prepare for their transition to using chip-enabled credit and debit cards.

The latest innovations that enable and secure mobile payments are adding so much complexity to the deployment process that they may exceed the expertise of the companies putting them in place.

A big problem holding back mobile payments is a "chicken-and-egg" issue that Apple Pay's U.S. rollout and pending debut in Europe can reverse.

MasterCard has launched the MasterCard Business Network 2.0, the latest version of its professional site for small businesses.

American Express has created a new cobrand credit card for consumers who shop through its Plenti loyalty program.

Financial services technology has dramatically improved payments for consumers. E-commerce connects buyers and sellers around the globe.

The Merchant Customer Exchange, backed by Walmart, Target and other mega-retailers, now operates in a market where Apple changed the ground rules. Though the initiative has yet to formally launch its CurrentC mobile wallet, MCX has already been forced to adapt many times.

The Costco cobrand card was a huge win for Visa, but nevertheless the card network's chief executive, Charlie Scharf, found himself defending the terms of the partnership.

Corporate payment cards usually have sophisticated restrictions or controls designed to make unauthorized use difficult, if not impossible.

Data security organizations have developed an EMV chip-card education program to help independent sales organizations and software vendors simplify testing and certification for their merchant clients.

Bindo is providing merchants using its iPad-based point of sale software an entry into e-commerce.

The line between in-store and in-app payments is blurring and the channels are not as distinct as they used to be.

Dekkers Davidson, called a "rock star" of mobile payments when he became head of the Merchant Customer Exchange two years ago, has left the building. But the show must go on for the merchant mobile wallet.

On Amazon.com, shoppers can spend hours browsing and buying products, watching movies and listening to music; on the Apple Watch, however, Amazon is challenged to complete all interactions in a matter of seconds.

Best Buy's move to accept Apple Pay in its stores is the clearest public sign yet that the Merchant Customer Exchange has radically altered its vision of and ambitions regarding a retailer mobile wallet.

MasterCard Inc. agreed to buy Applied Predictive Technologies Inc. for $600 million as it seeks to expand technology offerings for merchants.