Digital Transactions Authoritative, insightful and timely information for payments professionals
Armed with $9 million in new funding, mobile-payments startup LevelUp plans to use the capital infusion to expand its sales force and build out new solutions to improve the merchant experience. Boston-based LevelUp is launching a remote sales team that will sign and service merchants outside the company’s 10 primary …
August, 2012
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2 August
Aiming to Boost Conversions, Zappli Brings Two-Click Checkout to M-Commerce
With the influence of smart phones on in-store sales outpacing their influence on online sales, San Francisco-based Zappli Inc. is seeking to remedy that disparity through the introduction of InstaBuy, a mobile-checkout application that enables consumers to make a purchase through their smart phone in two clicks. Merchants can deploy …
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2 August
Google Wallet 2.0: Now Open to All Cards, But Can It Attract Users?
Google Inc. on Wednesday announced an overhaul of its struggling mobile wallet product that the online search giant hopes will make the product more attractive to consumers and banks alike. Indeed, a key feature of the new Google Wallet is that is now open to any credit or debit card …
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1 August
MasterCard Reports Gains from Durbin Rules, Comments on Interchange Settlement
MasterCard Inc. reported second-quarter results on Wednesday that indicate continuing gains in its debit card business, and in PIN debit in particular, in the wake of federal debit regulations that forced issuers to add new networks to the cards they issue. MasterCard’s gains in debit come in the wake of …
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1 August
Residual-Based Lending Emerges As Funding Alternative for ISOs
A recent string of deals with processors to offer funding to their independent sales organizations has expanded Arlington, Va.-based startup Super G Funding LLC’s reach as a lender. Super G, which was founded in 2009 and has made loans totaling $10 million to about 80 ISOs, is one of only …
July, 2012
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26 July
Global Payments Expects Its Data-Breach Tab Could Hit $120 Million
The data breach Global Payments Inc. reported earlier this year could cost the merchant processor nearly $120 million, company executives revealed Thursday. The expenses include an $84.4 million pre-tax charge in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012 ended May 31 that will cover fines from the payment card networks and …
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26 July
Virtual Gift Card Player Giftango Looks to Enter Broader Open-Loop Market
Giftango Corp., a major behind-the-scenes player in electronic gift cards, is preparing to move into the fast-growing world of open-loop prepaid cards. n A first step along that road was reached this week when Portland, Ore.-based Giftango achieved so-called Level 1 certification under the Payment Card Industry data-security standard (PCI). …
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25 July
Interlink Loses More Than Half Its Volume as Durbin Routing Provisions Take Effect
The Durbin debit numbers are out, and they aren’t pretty for Visa Inc., the leading debit card player in the U.S. Visa on Wednesday reported that U.S. debit payments volume plummeted 9.8% in the third quarter of fiscal 2012 ended June 30, hitting $266 billion versus $294 billion a year …
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24 July
As Big Chains Chafe at Settlement, Smaller Retailers Celebrate the Deal
With each passing day, the proposed settlement of the giant antitrust suit over credit card interchange and card network rules appears to unravel even more as big-box merchants increasingly express dissatisfaction with the $7-billion-plus deal. The latest is Wal-Mart Stores Inc., which issued a statement on Tuesday opposing the agreement …
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23 July
Target’s Scathing Criticism Casts a Cloud Over Interchange Settlement
More evidence of widespread merchant antipathy to the credit card interchange settlement announced July 13 emerged late Friday when big-box retailer Target Corp. came out against the plan. Industry observers expect more opposition from merchants to emerge, casting doubt on the settlement’s future. But a lobbying group for payment card …