In its annual report to Congress on the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), released last week (see story), the Federal Trade Commission's methodology for analysis paints an incomplete and inaccurate portrayal of consumer complaints against the third-party collection industry.

G-Xchange Inc., a wholly owned mobile-commerce subsidiary of Globe Telecom Ltd., is partnering with mobile-payments provider Boku Inc., an official from Manila-based telecommunication company Globe Telecom tells PaymentsSource.

To help small, independent retail chains gain more loyal customers, a United Kingdom-based electronic payments provider is introducing a loyalty scheme that involves a contactless card.

Investing in advanced consumer self-service technology and internal workflow applications can be critically important for companies working to manage the many treatment options available for financially troubled consumers. Each technology can play a key role in choosing the right treatment to keep consumers paying, many collection industry insiders say.

WOBURN, Mass. – Two multi-billion-dollar credit unions have expanded their remote deposit capture (RDC) services for members by launching the DeposZip Mobile program, including a suite of downloadable software applications for smartphones, from Vertifi Software, a subsidiary of Eastern Corporate FCU.

The Federal Trade Commission announced Friday that it has issued its annual report on the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act to Congress.

HARRISBURG, Penn. – PSECU has launched a new page at its website aimed at helping consumers make sound financial decisions.

A United Kingdom-based smart card software company has launched Branch in a Box, a proprietary chip card service designed to encourage local spending in the UK and to enable consumers to organize their finances through their credit unions.

VeriFone Holdings Inc. on Thursday named Chase Paymentech Solutions LLC as one of its preferred merchant processors for users of its mobile phone card reader.

Transaction Network Services Inc. and Blue Bamboo have entered into an agreement that enables independent sales organizations, acquirers and processors to sell a mobile-payment system, according to the companies.

Erste Bank Hungary plans to conduct a pilot during which customers may pay utility bills using ATMs, the Budapest-based bank announced April 1.

ERIE, Penn. – Erie General Electric FCU has begun offering its members Intuit Financial Services’ FinanceWorks, an online financial management solution aimed at providing members a more complete and easy way to budget, gain control over their spending, manage debt or student loans, and save.

Residents of the Indian city of Ahmedabad soon will be able to use contactless smart cards to pay their fares in the city’s bus and rapid-transit system, an official from the local transport authority Ahmedabad Janmarg Ltd. tells PaymentsSource.

Wall Street is hungry for risk management expertise and appears to be opening up the checkbook with recruiters to get it.

Visa Inc. has promoted Elizabeth Buse to group executive, international from global head of product. Jim McCarthy, previously senior sales executive for North America, succeeds Buse. Rupert Keeley, previously group president for several international regions, is leaving the company.

Ukash, a London-based firm that sells prepaid cash vouchers, has signed a deal with Transact Network Ltd. to issue a “virtual” prepaid MasterCard for Ukash customers in two countries, PaymentsSource has learned.

As many as 100,000 contactless key fobs could be in use this year in a new transit scheme launched in Rio de Janiero, according to Inside Contactless, a France-based contactless-technology firm.

An Indian technology vendor plans to launch a service later this year that will enable investors in India to buy and sell mutual funds using mobile phone text messages.

BROOKFIELD, Wis. – Fiserv has launched a bill payment widget that enables consumers to pay bills from within their online banking homepage.

ELKRIDGE, Md. – CRI Solutions has formed a new strategic partnership with Wycom Systems, Inc., a provider of solutions that improve check, receipt and document processing for businesses and financial institutions.