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.

More than a year after it snapped back from the financial crisis, American Express Co. is ramping up investments for growth.

Visa Europe and Wireless Dynamics Inc. are teaming up to offer a mobile contactless-payment service for Apple Inc. iPhone users in the United Kingdom, the card association announced Jan. 25.

The Shazam electronic funds network has made a “strategic investment” in Adaptive Payments, a payment-authentication company that has developed technology that uses any mobile or landline phone to help verify Internet PIN-debit transactions conducted at participating merchant websites.

U.S. states with the greatest amount of outstanding consumer credit card debt roughly parallel those with the most population, but a few states buck that trend, according to new data Equifax Inc. released Jan. 24.

The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore has set up a wholly owned subsidiary, Assurity Trusted Solutions Pte. Ltd., to lead its initiative to increase the security of online transactions in Singapore, the organization announced Jan. 20.

MasterCard Inc. confirmed that it is hiring Mung-Ki Woo as group executive for its mobile business.

Several issuers in the United Kingdom and Ireland recently announced plans to issue contactless cards usable at several major merchants. And while one observer says few consumers see the benefit of contactless payment, more European merchants, especially quick-service restaurants, have begun to accept contactless cards.

ModaSolutions Corp. has adapted its eBillme online payment system to work with Magento Inc.’s e-commerce platform, the company announced Jan. 24.