Digital Transactions Authoritative, insightful and timely information for payments professionals
Apple Inc. is selling a ton of its new iPhone 6 smart phones, but before launching the device earlier this month it had already attracted a much less desirable crowd of devotees: phishers. Among all brands targeted by these cybercriminals, Apple is now tops, and the company’s expected introduction next …
Read More »COMMENTARY: Make No Mistake, Apple Pay Is the Great Enabler of Mobile Payments
By Nate Stewart. Zing Apple Inc. has finally entered the mobile-payments game, and yes, it’s a big deal. The reaction, though, has been veering toward the negative aspects of Apple’s move and how it could hurt different industry players. The reality is quite the opposite. Apple has just become the …
Read More »Huge Softcard Coup with Subway Poses No Threat to Startup Paydiant, Top Exec Says
The telco-controlled mobile-wallet provider Softcard scored a major coup on Tuesday with the announcement that the massive Subway sandwich chain will start accepting its wallet Oct. 1 at its more than 26,000 U.S. locations. When complete, it will be the largest restaurant deployment yet for payments via near-field communication (NFC) …
Read More »Apple Pay: No Charge for Merchants, But Transaction-Security Fees for Issuers
Apple Inc.’s introduction of its new Apple Pay service for its soon-to-be released iPhone 6 and the Apple Watch raised a huge number of questions in the payments industry. One of the biggest topics of speculation is just how is Apple going to make money from the service, with combines …
Read More »Apple Pay Looks To Be a Boost for NFC, But Creates a Question Mark for HCE
Apple Inc.’s new mobile-payment system may be a long-awaited shot in the arm for near-field communication (NFC), but it could also cool off an NFC variant that has caught fire since it emerged only 10 months ago. Apple Pay, which the iconic computer giant unveiled to enthusiastic applause Tuesday, will …
Read More »Eye on Branding: As Wallets Struggle, MCX Dubs Its Scheme CurrentC While Isis Says It Is Now Softcard
The Merchant Customer Exchange, a retailer-controlled mobile payment scheme, has given its service a name. Dubbed CurrentC, the service will not be available outside of testing until 2015. First announced in 2012, the long-gestating scheme aims to give participating retailers their own mobile-wallet service that eschews the traditional payment …
Read More »Rumors Cast Apple’s Prospective Role as a Payments Provider as a Done Deal
In case you spent the entire Labor Day long weekend in a fishing boat on a remote lake, you could barely miss the stories moving over the business wires in recent days about Apple Inc. and electronic payments. In sum, the iconic computer maker and iTunes and App Store provider …
Read More »Don’t Expect Apple To Radically Remake Electronic Payments, Researcher Says
Apple Inc. is expected to release its iPhone 6 next month and, not surprisingly, speculation about the coming smart phone’s features is intense. But a new report from IDC Financial Insights cautions that Apple is not out to reshape the mobile-payments industry. Many of the rumors in payments circles center …
Read More »Deciding to Change the Isis Brand May Be the Easy Part Compared to Doing It
The decision by JVL Ventures LLC to rename its Isis mobile-payments company may have been the easy part. Actually scrapping the brand and replacing it with a new name and logo will be much more challenging, experts say. “It’s a huge rebranding exercise,” says Nick Holland, who follows mobile payments …
Read More »Opening Its Developer Platform, SimplyTapp Seeks to Ease Cloud-Based NFC for Issuers
The startup that popularized a cloud-based approach to mobile payments using near-field communication (NFC) on Monday opened to card issuers and mobile-application providers a developer platform that could make it cheaper and easier to include digital cards in mobile apps. The platform, from Austin, Texas-based SimplyTapp Inc., offers tools specific …
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