Wednesday , January 21, 2026

Acquiring

Vending Machine Network Gives MasterCard Debit Cards the Boot

In a marked escalation of a conflict that began when MasterCard Inc. and Visa Inc. raised small-ticket debit card interchange rates, USA Technologies Inc. has stopped accepting MasterCard debit cards in its wireless network of 100,000-plus vending machines and other unattended card-accepting locations. The Malvern, Pa.-based operator turned off MasterCard …

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Having Started with Big Chains, Mobile Point of Sale Begins to Filter Down to Smaller Retailers

  With the increasing popularity of smart phones and other mobile gadgets, major brick-and-mortar retail chains like Home Depot and Nordstrom began adopting mobile point-of-sale systems this year. And now smaller chains have begun equipping floor personnel with mobile devices that can scan merchandise and help customers look up out-of-stock …

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Acquirers Can Expect a Very Merry Christmas If Trends Hold

If the best present for a merchant acquirer is more transactions to process, 2011’s Christmas has already arrived. Various reports from acquirers, payment processors, and research firms indicate that electronic transaction volumes are up sharply over 2010’s levels despite the gloom that still colors most economic news. Dallas-based Chase Paymentech, …

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Eye on Prepaid: Intuit’s GoPayment Card, Green Dot’s Bank

The prepaid card industry is marching to new frontiers as November heads toward a close. Intuit Inc. on Tuesday is expected to launch a prepaid Visa card for new merchants in its GoPayment smart-phone-based service, and the Federal Reserve Board approved prepaid card program manager Green Dot Corp.’s plan to …

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Chicago Transit Authority Places a $454 Million Bet on Open-Fare Payments

  Open-fare payments for public transportation got a big boost when the Chicago Transit Authority announced it had awarded a $454 million, 12-year contract to Cubic Transportation Systems to build and maintain a payment system that accepts contactless cards. The CTA, which provides about 500 million rides a year, thus …

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With Signs of an Improving IPO Market, Payment Processor Vantiv Preps To Go Public

Vantiv Inc. filed a registration statement on Thursday for a proposed initial public offering of common stock that, if successful, would have a business started by Fifth Third Bancorp join the thin ranks of publicly traded processors that get most of their revenues from merchant acquiring. Vantiv, formerly known as …

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USA Technologies a Strikes Small-Ticket Debit Interchange Deal With Visa

  Vending machine payment-services provider USA Technologies Inc. has struck a one-year interchange deal with Visa Inc. that allows machine owners to accept debit cards without higher costs. New interchange pricing that took effect Oct. 1 had threatened to raise card-acceptance costs for USA Technologies’ clients by more than 200%. …

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Awareness of PCI Remains “Shockingly Low” Among Small Merchants, Study Finds

Small merchants are not much more aware of—let alone compliant with—the Payment Card Industry data-security standard (PCI) than they were a year ago, according to a study released this week. Some 53% of small merchants are now at least aware of PCI, a small increase from the 47% a similar …

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