Digital Transactions Authoritative, insightful and timely information for payments professionals
By Digital Transactions News Staff Gemalto NV, one of the largest manufacturers of SIM cards for mobile phones and a key vendor for U.S. payment card producers as the nation converts to the EMV chip card standard, suddenly has found itself in the middle of a spy scandal involving the …
February, 2015
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23 February
With Its Softcard Deal, Google Cements Carrier Support And Turns up Heat on Apple Pay
When Google Inc. launched its Google Wallet mobile-payments service nearly four years ago, it quickly ran into a formidable obstacle: three major mobile carriers, including two of the nation’s largest, wouldn’t let Google Wallet work on their phones. Now Google has finally found a solution, and it’s one that could …
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23 February
While Many Decry Margin Compression, Report Paints Sunnier Picture of Acquirer Profit
Many merchant-services executives have complained for years about so-called margin compression, a relentless loss of profitability driven by competition on price per transaction. But now two researchers argue acquirer profitability, far from collapsing, is actually much better than widely thought. “There has been a lot of talk about margin compression, …
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20 February
Many Questions Hang Over Samsung’s LoopPay Deal And What Will Come Next
There’s a simple reason why Samsung Electronics America Inc. bought LoopPay Inc.: It wants a “truly digital wallet.” That’s the reason given by David Eun, Samsung executive vice president and head of the mega-corporation’s investment unit, Samsung Global Innovation Center. “We have a shared vision to inspire users to transition …
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19 February
Heartland Begins a ‘Trusted Dealer Program’ to Bolster Multiple Product Sales
Heartland Payment Systems Inc. is building a point-of-sale system reseller network in hopes it will increase the number of multiple products sold to a single merchant. Announced Friday, the program is part of Heartland Commerce, and signals a shift in Heartland’s selling strategy. The company will no longer use a …
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19 February
Visa Expands Checkout Availability; Says User Base Climbs to More Than 3 Million
Visa Inc. on Thursday said it is expanding the availability of its Visa Checkout online and mobile wallet to 13 more nations beyond the three original ones. Starting today, consumers in Argentina, Chile, Peru, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, and China can use Visa Checkout to pay for purchases on …
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19 February
AmEx Vows Appeal After Federal Court Deals T&E Giant a Loss Over Its Anti-Steering Rules
By Jim Daly and John Stewart Continuing its recent string of setbacks, American Express Co. Thursday lost a crucial federal court fight in which it defended policies banning merchants from steering AmEx cardholders to cheaper forms of payment. The U.S. Department of Justice and 17 state attorneys general challenged the …
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19 February
DoJ, Merchant Group Hail Judge’s Ruling Against AmEx Anti-Steering Rules
By Jim Daly The U.S. Department of Justice and a merchant group focused on payment card acceptance costs Thursday afternoon hailed a federal district judge’s ruling striking down American Express Co.’s rules banning its merchants from steering AmEx cardholders to lower-cost forms of payment. Earlier in the day, New York …
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18 February
Heartland’s Decision to Wind Down Leaf Throws Spotlight on Tablet Software
Merchants using Leaf, a tablet-based point-of-sale system that its owner Heartland Payment Systems Inc. is winding down, will continue to be supported, but there will be no further sales of the system, Leaf president Sarah McCrary tells Digital Transactions News. The expense and complication of supporting hardware to accept chip …
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18 February
Samsung Buys LoopPay, a Key Building Block for a Samsung M-Payments Service
LoopPay Inc., the mobile payments company that relies on magnetic fields to connect devices to point-of-sale terminals, has a new owner: Samsung Electronics America Inc. The deal, announced in an email to LoopPay users, all but confirms that smart-phone maker Samsung has plans to launch what has been a much-rumored …