Despite the hype surrounding mobile applications for redeeming loyalty program points, consumers still would prefer one consolidated loyalty card they can attach to their keychain, according to a recent survey by ACI Worldwide Inc.

A government-appointed committee in India is proposing new mobile-banking guidelines to bring financial services to unbanked and underbanked individuals.

That Apple Inc. is targeting mobile payments is a foregone conclusion, but that doesn't mean banks must take a defensive approach.

A continued decline in credit card charge-offs indicates “the bleeding has stopped” from loans that went into default during the recession, but card lending is likely to remain sluggish in the near term, one analyst contends.

Various terminal makers have come out with their own devices and services designed to support payment card acceptance using mobile phones. But one independent sales organization has decided to do so on its own, and at least one observer says the company could succeed with the proper marketing.

Verizon Wireless is working with two mobile payment companies to allow its customers to charge digital content purchases to phone bills.

TMG Financial Services said it experienced credit card portfolio growth last year, both organically and through portfolio purchases.

Barclaycard and wireless-network operator Everything Everywhere Ltd. this summer plan to launch the United Kingdom’s first contactless mobile-payment system, the companies announced Jan. 27.

Mobile banking in rural India received a huge push this month with the country’s two biggest banks signing agreements with the two largest mobile-network operators in India for the launch of mobile platforms designed to bring banking services to more consumers.

A panel within the Reserve Bank of India formed in April has released recommendations for fighting ATM, POS and online fraud.

The percentage of outstanding balances that credit cardholders pay off each month surged last year — a favorable sign for loan performance that mirrored plummeting chargeoffs but that now stands as an obstacle to portfolio growth.

EMERYVILLE, Calif. – PinPoint Research on Wednesday announced the launch of MyCUsurvey.com, which it described as a new low-cost, web-based research tool designed specifically for the credit union industry.

A fresh round of Apple Inc. rumors indicates the technology giant will include Near Field Communication in the next versions of its iPhone and iPad. And while the technology continues to stay atop the leaderboard as the payments industry’s ideal mobile-payments method, at least one observer believes barcode technology ultimately will prevail.

Total consumer debt, including mortgages, auto loans, credit cards and personal loans, in November declined to $10.6 trillion from its peak of $11.5 trillion in October 2008, according to Equifax Inc.’s monthly Consumer Credit Trends Report released this week. Some 54 million American households owe issuers more than $800 billion in card debt.

Rep. Randy Neugebauer, the chairman of the House Financial Services Oversight Subcommittee, said it is time for the government to admit its foreclosure-prevention efforts are a failure and should be shut down.

MasterCard Worldwide and Spanish telecommunication company Telefonica SA are starting a joint venture to develop mobile payments services in 12 Latin American countries, the companies announced Jan. 25.

Citigroup Inc. has upgraded its WorldLink Payment Services technology to allow faster settlement of payments made in China’s currency, the renminbi, the New York-based banking company announced Jan. 25.

Despite consumer interest in alternative online payment products, credit cards still dominate the online-payments space. And they likely will continue to do so until merchants promote a broader array of alternative payment methods, according to Javelin Strategy and Research.

WARREN, Mich. – Extra CU said it signed with TRC Interactive to provide it with its First Line of Defense ~ Fraud Detection and Loss Prevention Challenge, an online interactive exercise that keeps staff alert about the latest scams.

NEW YORK – United Nations FCU has contracted with BMC Software to provide it with IT service management, automation and discovery services.