Transaction Processing

Interest among mainstream financial institutions and payments providers in the potential for cryptocurrency is heating up just as the top U.S. financial regulator is reportedly eyeing a crackdown on so-called initial coin offerings, or token sales used by digital-currency startups to raise capital. In the latest sign that processors and …

Sweden’s Klarna Bank AB enjoyed a good year in 2017, as documented by results the privately held online-checkout and financing specialist released on Wednesday. The firm, which was founded in 2005 and has operated a U.S. unit, Klarna Inc., since 2015, had already achieved distinction by ranking third among so-called …

The merger of payment processors Vantiv Inc. and London-based Worldpay Group plc was completed Jan. 16, and up next for leaders of the combined company is integration of operational platforms, selling products to a wider customer base, and achieving their goal of $200 million in cost savings in three years. …

ZipfWorks Inc., owner of online coupon code site Dealspotr.com, released the results of a mobile-payments survey that found that 15% of consumers between 18 and 35 years old used Apple Pay while shopping online. Ten percent of this age group used Apple Pay in a store. It also found that …

Square Inc. on Tuesday pulled back the curtain, at least a little bit, on its Cash App and the related Cash Card, a Visa-branded debit card. The app has 7 million active users, and cardholders spent $90 million using the card in December, good for annualized volume of $1 billion, …

Many merchants—98%—are looking to make investments in their checkout systems this year, finds the Merchant Credit Survey from Vyze Inc., a consumer financing provider. Investing in financing programs ranked high, with 97% saying they anticipate focusing on financing and credit options. Most merchants—92%—plan to make mobile app and mobile Web …

At a time when the payment card industry continues to struggle with the consequences of data breaches, the last thing acquirers and issuers need is a slowdown in merchant compliance with critical data-security rules. Yet that is what’s going on, warn the Merchant Acquirers Committee and ControlScan Inc. in survey …

Liberal members of the U.S. Supreme Court sharply questioned American Express Co.’s lawyer during oral arguments Monday for a major case involving a challenge to AmEx’s anti-steering rules for its merchants, Reuters reported. A group of 11 states led by Ohio alleges the rules violate antitrust laws and is challenging …

Discover Financial Services cardholders will be able to make point-of-sale contactless purchases with wearables and Internet of Things devices that use FitPay Inc.’s FitPay Payment Platform under an agreement announced Monday by the two companies. The new service will provision payment credentials using the Discover Digital Exchange, Riverwoods, Ill.-based Discover’s …

Point-of-sale equipment maker Ingenico Group said it has begun integrating Google Pay Smart Tap into its POS terminals in the United Kingdom, enabling Google Pay users to transmit their loyalty information, coupons, and offer redemptions in a single tap along with the payment. Ingenico said this is the first step …