Retailers

Commuters in Dubai earlier this week became the first in the United Arab Emirates to be able to use one card across public transport systems and for retail purchases at stores, supermarkets and restaurants.

Acquirers representing merchants such as coffee shops and quick-service restaurants may be paying more in interchange for some small-ticket transactions under the Federal Reserve Board’s reduced debit rates than they are for cards exempt from the new rate cap, notes an attorney who frequently deals with clients in the payments industry.

A cybercrook attempting to purchase online products with fake credit cards or under a phony name likely would not be able to hide from a Retail Decisions Ltd. fraud-protection upgrade designed to enable merchants to know where their online shoppers are located, the fraud prevention consulting and payment processing firm announced Nov. 28.

Attention-to-detail skills have become an even more prominent part of a job description for a merchant acquirer or independent sales organization dealing with the most recent demands of a complex payments industry.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday were robust for retailers, which could translate into a profitable start to the holidays for cyber criminals as well, a data security expert suggests.

Starbucks Corp. plans to ride the U.S. success of its in-store mobile-payment method by introducing the application to customers in the United Kingdom and Ireland on Jan. 5, the Seattle-based company announced Nov. 24.

Air New Zealand has launched a smart prepaid card that supports MasterCard PayPass contactless functionality, the airline announced Nov. 22.

South Korea’s telecommunication regulator is partnering with mobile-phone operators and card networks in a pilot to test a Near Field Communication-based mobile-payment system on the country’s busiest shopping street.

Microsoft Corp. insists the online service associated with the Xbox 360 video-game console did not experience a security breach despite some United Kingdom consumers who say they fell victim to a phishing scam tied to the system.

Soon, even unbanked consumers can accept payment cards.

Consumers who travel overseas may present the best opportunity for U.S. card issuers to roll out EMV chip cards and remain competitive in that market, according to Randy Vanderhoof, executive director of the Smart Card Alliance.

Discover Financial Services continues to grow merchant acceptance of its various card brands internationally.

Retail shoppers who download a Shopkick Inc. mobile application on their smartphones to earn rewards points, or “kicks,” by walking into a store now may earn extra points by paying for purchases with a Visa-branded credit or debit card, Visa announced Nov. 21.

At least one merchant-funded rewards provider agrees the market is large enough to support two or three key players.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. is rolling out its third chip card, which also marks the first U.S.-issued airline card to use EMV technology, the company announced Nov. 21.

Isis has had a big week, as 45 partners of the GSM Association mobile operator trade group agreed to support the joint venture’s preferred payments model: Near Field Communication that uses SIM cards used in many mobile phones.

In light of recent Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council recommendations regarding advanced encryption, acquirers and processors are giving greater attention to the hardware-security module used to protect card data while transactions are processed, a technician who specializes in security devices suggests.

More consumers might try making mobile payments if more large merchants supported them, new survey data suggest.

Like a pop star who sells more records posthumously, the Google Checkout payment service may prove most beneficial to Google after it is phased out.

Visa Europe plans to develop more loyalty programs for card issuers and merchants through its investment in data-analytics firm Beyond Analysis, the company announced Nov. 15.