Retailers

Cash, not cards, remains the most widely used payment instrument in Australia for low-value payments, a recent Reserve Bank of Australia payments-use study reveals. Cards, however, are the dominant payment method for mid-value payments ranging from AU$50 (US$52 or 36 euros) and AU$500.

The opportunity to capitalize on the explosive growth in payments as the industry steadily moves to electronic and mobile platforms is attracting many new players and business models, but the winners ultimately will be those who can leverage payments on a massive scale, according to Citigroup Inc.’s top enterprise executive.

Visa Inc. has invested an undisclosed amount of money in Square Inc., the start-up company that lets merchants accept card payments through a small square-shaped device that plugs into smartphones.

Existing payments-industry giants are at risk of becoming obsolete if they do not begin experimenting soon with new payments technologies and finding innovative partnerships to meet the changing marketplace demands, according to Dan Schulman, group president for enterprise growth at American Express Co.

SunTrust Banks Inc. and MasterCard Inc. April 27 launched an open-loop reloadable prepaid card that doubles as a student ID card.

Amazon.com Inc. has launched its Checkout by Amazon payments service in Germany, the company announced April 27.

The rise of prepaid debit cards is helping payments processor Total System Services Inc., also known as TSYS, expand as it works to grow its payments volume.

Diebold Inc. announced April 27 that its income dropped 90% to $2.5 million in the first quarter from a year earlier.

There are more indications that card data was obtained by fraudsters after the data breach at Sony Corp.’s PlayStation Network.

USA Technologies Inc., a payments-service provider to vending machine operators, is aiming to get more merchants connected to its services through a partnership with Verizon Wireless.

Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC has warned its video-game console users that their credit card information might have been compromised in a recent security breach that has affected the PlayStation 3’s online network as well as the company’s streaming music and video service.

Improving economic conditions and organic growth helped processor Total System Services Inc., or TSYS, on April 26 to report a 3.8% rise in first quarter revenue, to $429.4 million from $413.5 million during the same period last year. Net income was $49.4 million, down 4.6% from $51.8 million.

A sign that international travel regained some of the momentum lost during the recession, new data from Visa Inc. show that travelers going to and from the U.S. boosted their spending significantly last year.

Two Russian immigrants on April 20 were charged in Fayetteville, N.C., with skimming credit and debit card data from members at four credit unions at three local ATMs.

WASHINGTON — While the banking industry clearly has momentum on its side in the fight to delay a rule that would limit debit interchange fees, time for Congress to act is rapidly running out.

American Express Co. is hitting the streets in Eugene, Ore., to promote Serve, its digital wallet for those consumers who are turned off by the elite branding of its main product line.

Visa Inc. is working with clothing retailer Gap Inc. to deliver discounts to cardholders via mobile phone SMS text messages.

Significant improvement in consumer credit helped Wells Fargo & Co. to cross-sell a record of combined products per household during the first quarter, the company announced April 20.

Payment-terminal software applications are poised to play a significant role in the Near Field Communication payment ecosystem.

The Republic of Botswana’s First National Bank has launched a mobile wallet for its customers in the African country, a spokesperson for the bank tells PaymentsSource.