Law and Regulation

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s victory at the Supreme Court on Thursday answers for now the question of its constitutionality and may quiet the agency’s critics, who view it as a largely unnecessary agent of federal power operating with an overly aggressive agenda. But some payments experts fear the decision, …

Point-of-sale technology provider MagTek Inc. said it has worked with KwikPOS, a developer of POS systems for restaurants, to develop a handheld device that links to MagTek’s gateway and uses the company’s mobile card reader. Tassat Group Inc., a real-time settlement platform based on blockchain technology, announced it will work with cross-border …

The National Retail Federation and the Merchants Payments Coalition have lined up against the Federal Reserve, arguing that while a rate reduction on debit card transactions is welcome, the Fed’s proposed pricing does not go far enough. The two industry trade groups sent their respective letters to the Fed on …

Paysafe Ltd. wants to do more to sign merchants directly, and to that end it’s hiring salespeople—lots of them. The London-based merchant processor, which has a big operation in North America and aspirations for a larger one, hired 55 salespeople in the first quarter and plans to add 170 in …

Just 38 app developers have so far applied to Apple Inc. to enable payment processors outside of Apple’s proprietary payment system, the iPhone maker said. That’s out of 65,000 developers that were eligible to apply, according to Bloomberg. The report follows legal action that required Apple to make the alternatives available for apps. Ohio-based …

Open banking has been attracting the attention of bankers, merchants, and card networks. It’s also drawing notice from regulators. The concept of making a payment through a direct transfer from a bank account can appeal to consumers because it’s fast and easy, and to merchants because the transaction is reportedly …

Lightspeed Commerce Inc. announced it is supplying payments capability for the Myrtle Beach Area Golf Course Owners Association in South Carolina, which includes more than 70 golf courses. The Western Union Co. resumed service between the United States and Cuba after technical issues in January disrupted it. Payments provider Priority Technology Holdings Inc. reported $205.7 million …

Point-of-sale terminal company Pax Technology Inc. launched Vendall, a payments system for vending machines, minimarkets, and other unattended markets. Nacha, the automated clearing house governing body, noted the 50th anniversary of its formation, noting there were 31.5 billion ACH network payments made in 2023 valued at $80.1 trillion. In related news, Phixius, a …

Consumers and businesses are embracing instant-payment options for such transactions as bill payment, mobile-wallet funding and defunding, account-to-account transfers, and immediate payroll for employees, the Federal Reserve says. A pair of studies surveying businesses and consumers about instant payments and the payments landscape, released late Monday by the Fed, reveals …

The war over the proposed Credit Card Competition Act shows no signs of abating as combatants on both sides of the fence continue their efforts to sway legislators and public opinion on the matter of card-acceptance costs. The latest battle centers on data from payments consultancy CMSPI that says merchants …