As a growing number of United Kingdom-based merchants adopt contactless payment technology as part of a broad regional effort leading up to the 2012 Olympic Games, specific retailers are seeing the technology’s benefits.

Expansion in C&I portfolios appears to have cooled a bit, but declines in other major loan categories moderated.

U.S. consumer bankruptcy filings totaled 709,303 nationwide during the first six months of 2011, an 8% decrease from the 770,117 total consumer filings during the same period a year ago, according to the American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI).

The total value of mobile payments for digital and physical goods as well as for money transfers and Near Field Communication-enabled transactions will grow to $670 billion by 2015, up from $240 billion in 2011, according to a new Juniper Research study.

The emerging U.S. mobile-payments market could face some resistance from consumers who are worried about fraud, new research suggests.

Consumer credit card growth, which has been on the decline for about three years, could be showing signs of life again, according to data Equifax Inc. released July 1.

Western Union Co. has struck a deal that will make it a competitor, but also a potential partner, for banks trying to capture a bigger chunk of the business payments market.

Fresh off moving its Citi Ventures unit to the Bay Area to get close to the latest payments tech buzz, Citi’s investing in mobile payments firm Billing Revolution.

To encourage online shopping, which faces resistance in India because of security concerns over using credit cards online, Axis Bank Ltd. has launched an e-Wallet card, the India-based announced June 29.

In its latest national, monthly report on consumer credit trends, Equifax reports that U.S. consumer credit continues to show signs of improvement as the recovery progresses, even with strong unemployment and housing headwinds.

The percentage of mortgages held by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that are 90 days past due or in foreclosure have fallen more than a point in the last year.

Boku Inc. is about to make it easier for consumers to purchase virtual items that might help them better conquer laughing pigs with different kinds of birds on their mobile phones.

Recent stock sales impacted bank issuers differently, depending on why they came to market. But nearly all of them outperformed the KBW Index in the ensuing month, even those suffering heavy dilution.

For most large companies, products and services are what cements a strong reputation. Not so for banks. At least since the crisis, consumers have cared more about the governance of banks. And even more than governance, what they care about now is performance.

Mobile-payment systems that mimic the capabilities of Near Field Communication chips often are categorized as a “bridge technology,” but they may ultimately turn out to be a bridge to nowhere.

Call it cash-back rewards for credit card lenders.

Call it cash-back rewards for credit card lenders.

Online and mobile-payment startup Dwolla Corp. has been building a payment network called Grid that company executives believe to be more secure than MasterCard Worldwide’s and Visa Inc.’s card networks.

CHANDLER, Ariz. – First CU said it is converting to a new Episys processing system provided by Symitar over the long July 4th weekend.

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. – Service CU has introduced its first mobile banking app and FinanceWorks, a free personal financial management system.