Retailers

Increases in debit-network fees and favorable changes in foreign currency fueled a 5.4% increase in second-quarter revenue for First Data Corp., to $2.75 billion from $2.61 billion a year ago, the company reported Aug. 3.

Higher spending on its credit and debit cards boosted MasterCard Inc.’s second-quarter net revenue by 21.4% from a year earlier.

For a large international operation such as RBS' wholesale banking unit, drawing a mobile roadmap means scaling the knowledge curve posed by fast-developing new devices and technology to find the best match between innovation and client demand.

T-Mobile USA Inc. is the latest wireless carrier to allow its subscribers to charge purchases of online games, songs and videos to their phone bills.

Debit card issuers scrambling to ensure they have appropriate fraud-protection strategies in place before new debit-interchange rates kick in Oct. 1 are likely to confront some dilemmas, some analysts suggest.

The electronic-payments industry has come under unprecedented government scrutiny in the past 18 months, and it is unlikely to let up any time soon, contends a top official from the Electronic Transactions Association.

With 2.6 billion China UnionPay cardholders and 1.2 million Elavon Global Acquiring Solutions merchants worldwide, the math simply added up for an agreement that would enable Elavon merchants to accept UnionPay cards, an Elavon executive says.

One of the most significant challenges to widespread adoption of Near Field Communication-enabled mobile payments has been determining how the card brands, issuers, mobile operators and handset manufacturers will divvy up transaction revenues.

To help distribute its Serve digital payment and wallet service, American Express Co. on Aug. 1 announced a deal in which Verizon Wireless will integrate the platform into many of its mobile phones and tablets.

After years of discussion, the acquiring industry is preparing to offer a credentialing system that proponents say will certify a professional’s mastery of a defined standard of practice and “quantify expertise.”

American Express Co. and Verizon Wireless will integrate Serve, Amex’s digital payment and commerce platform, on many Verizon mobile phones and tablets, the companies announced Aug. 1.

State Bank of India Ltd. on July 28 became the first card issuer in the country to announce plans to convert its entire portfolio of magnetic stripe credit cards to EMV chip-and-PIN formats.

Visa Inc. is overhauling its pricing to spur merchants to route transactions its way and defend a dominant share of the U.S. debit card market, a position endangered by new regulations.

Helped by strong growth in purchase volume outside the U.S., Visa Inc. on July 27 reported healthy across-the-board fiscal third quarter transaction growth.

Despite a weak national economy and uncertainty over the debt ceiling, business apparently is booming for independent sales organizations.

Payments processor Heartland Payments System Inc. on July 28 said it expects its 2011 earnings to be higher than it previously forecasted after reporting a jump in second-quarter profit and sales.

American Express Co. has nabbed a former Google Inc. executive to run a joint venture with French e-commerce website vente-privee.com.

Hacking suspects may blame their arrests on having picked the wrong target.

Citing improving economic conditions, Total System Services Inc., or TSYS, on July 26 reported a 3.9% increase in second-quarter revenue, to $447.6 million from $430.8 million during the same period a year ago. Net income was $54.6 million, up 4% from $52.5 million.

Wedding bells are ringing again for technology vendors, but many bank executives do not know on which side of the aisle to sit for their immediate buying decisions.