Retailers

Citigroup Inc. and Bank of America Corp. closed some of their card customers' accounts this week, citing data breaches at unidentified retailers.

Citigroup Inc. has launched a mobile-rewards application with Best Buy Co. Inc. that enables its cardholders to redeem ThankYou rewards, Citi announced Aug. 18.

A collaboration involving Digi Telecommunications Sdn. Bhd., Alliance Bank Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. and MasterCard Worldwide has led to the launch of Malaysia’s first telco-branded prepaid card, the companies announced Aug. 16.

Whether a merchant is struggling financially or not, the cost of transaction fees on credit card services may not be as big of an issue as the difficulty understanding the monthly merchant-account statement, an executive with the Michigan Retailers Association believes.

A service that lets consumers make electronic payments to online merchants without disclosing their bank account details is expanding into more financial institutions through a deal with the online banking software vendor Jwaala.

It made headlines in Europe, but this week’s announcement that three major telecommunication companies in Germany have joined forces to bypass supporting banks in handling Mpass mobile-payment transactions is a concept not likely to quickly take hold in other countries, one industry observer says.

Eager to exploit new growth opportunities in a sluggish economy, certain payments-industry technology suppliers already are positioning themselves to capitalize on opportunities Visa Inc.’s U.S. EMV chip card initiative may trigger as participants upgrade systems and equipment, observers say.

The recent turmoil in the financial markets has not yet altered banks’ immediate technology spending plans, Jack Henry & Associates Inc.’s top executive says.

Starbucks Corp. changed its mind about allowing a customer to share his prepaid card with the world.

Isis, the telecommunication consortium intent on offering a mobile-payment scheme, is building out a wider range of mobile-wallet capabilities to keep up with its aggressive rival, Google Inc.

Google Inc.’s Aug. 15 announcement of an agreement to acquire Motorola Mobility Holdings strengthens Google’s position in mobile payments, one observer says.

When Pago Mobile Inc. launched its mobile wallet with 53 merchants in Mountain View, Calif., last week, initial industry reaction focused on the smaller payments-application company venturing into turf more commonly associated with Google Inc. in northern California.

Closing out the tab in a busy restaurant or bar just got easier with the help of a mobile-payments application appropriately called “Tabbedout” from ATX Innovation Inc.

A former waiter at a TGI Friday’s restaurant in Maryland has been indicted on 16 counts of identity theft, theft and conspiracy to commit theft in a credit card skimming scheme that prosecutors say affected 73 individuals.

Payments-software provider Distra Pty. Ltd. of Sydney, Australia, is hiring a U.S.-based staff and has opened an office in Atlanta, the company announced recently.

With Google Inc.’s Aug. 15 announcement of an agreement to acquire Motorola Mobility Holdings, the search giant potentially has turbocharged its mobile-payment plans.

The Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council intends to clear up confusion regarding tokenization, a process designed to protect payment card security.

An Australian credit union in Illawarra is trying to recover after several hundred members were victimized by a card-skimming operation.

An owner of a new restaurant likely would not hesitate to buy a $300 fire extinguisher to comply with local fire codes, but he might put off spending about half that much to ensure compliance with standards designed to protect customers’ credit card data, a new report suggests.

An owner of a new restaurant likely would not hesitate to buy a $300 fire extinguisher to comply with local fire codes, but he might put off spending about half that much to ensure compliance with standards designed to protect customers’ credit card data, a new report suggests.