Digital Transactions Authoritative, insightful and timely information for payments professionals
Online-payments provider Braintree says 2014 was a banner year for the Chicago-based unit of PayPal Inc., with total transactions growing to 2.8 times the 2013 tally. In a blog post, chief executive Bill Ready also said that Braintree’s mobile transactions in the fourth quarter increased to four times the number …
Read More »Bitcoin Mining Company CoinTerra Files for Bankruptcy
CoinTerra Inc., an Austin, Texas-based Bitcoin mining and services company, filed for Chapter 7 liquidation late last month, just weeks after one of its key vendors filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit against CoinTerra seeking $5.4 million. CoinTerra’s bankruptcy petition filed Jan. 24 estimates the company’s creditors range in number from 222 …
Read More »Multiple Waves of Upgrades Keep ATM ISO Dolphin Debit Busy As Growth Sizzles
The expense of managing multiple upgrades to fleets of ATMs has small banks and credit unions turning to companies like Houston-based Dolphin Debit for help. Dolphin Debit, which manages more than 1,000 ATMs for more than 200 financial institutions and at several Murphy USA locations in 10 states, says its …
Read More »As Apple Closes in on Samsung, the Rivals Get Set to Lock Horns in M-Payments
With Apple Inc.’s record results in the fourth quarter, the computer giant appears to be closing in on long-time rival Samsung for dominance in the crucial worldwide smart-phone market. Meanwhile, Samsung is working to catch up with Apple Pay, the highly publicized mobile-payments service Apple launched in October. For now, …
Read More »Observers Applaud Fed’s Payments Plan, But Lament Slow Pace of Progress
Now that the Federal Reserve has released its plan for faster payments in the United States, observers are applauding the effort while expressing some impatience with what they see as the central bank’s overly deliberate approach. “The Fed is indeed headed in the right direction, but it is a slow …
Read More »Apple CEO Pronounces Apple Pay’s ‘First Inning’ a Success, but Gives Few Details
Apple Inc. chief executive Tim Cook said Tuesday afternoon that Apple’s new Apple Pay mobile-payment service is doing well three months after its launch, but he gave few details during the company’s latest quarterly earnings call. “Apple Pay is off to a very strong start,” Cook said in his opening …
Read More »C-Store Chain Wawa Debuts a Mobile Payments And Rewards App
Starbucks Corp. has proven that consumer apps for buying coffee are becoming more popular, and now convenience stores have joined in with c-store chain Wawa Inc. launching its mobile-payments and rewards app. To use the payment function of the Wawa app, which is available for iOS and Android smart …
Read More »Inexperience Plus Product Restrictions Likely Killed Amazon Wallet, Analysts Say
The newness of mobile payments likely was a contributing factor to Amazon.com Inc.’s decision this week to pull the plug on its six-month-old Amazon Wallet. That’s the theory suggested by Brian Kilcourse, managing partner at RSR Research LLC, a Miami-based retail advisory firm. Amazon.com launched Amazon Wallet in July, selling …
Read More »AmEx Claims 400,000 Small Merchants Through Its ISO-Driven OptBlue Program
Some 400,000 small merchants now accept American Express Co. payment cards through the OptBlue program that AmEx announced nearly a year ago. OptBlue enables bank card merchant acquirers and independent sales organizations to offer AmEx acceptance to small businesses and set the pricing through a one-stop-shopping option when they sell …
Read More »EBay Announces It Will Cut 2,400 Jobs Globally As PayPal Posts Surging Growth
Last year was a rocky one for eBay Inc., and on Wednesday the company announced it will do some streamlining: In the first quarter, the PayPal Inc. parent company, which reported a $41 million net loss for 2014, will lop off 2,400 jobs across all of its operating units, or …
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