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A little-known maker of switching software with very well-known clients is counting on a major upgrade in memory horsepower it is helping to pioneer to drive down transaction-processing costs while dramatically boosting the amount of data networks can handle. San Rafael, Calif.-based Kabira Technologies Inc. may not have the immediate …
Read More »CheckFree Reports Double-Digit Growth Trend in E-Bill Delivery
The electronic delivery of bills to consumers grew 11% in the second quarter at CheckFree Corp., continuing a trend of double-digit growth in e-bill delivery for the Atlanta, Ga.-based bill-payment processor. The company distributed 41 million e-bills in the quarter, up from 36.8 million in the first quarter and 58% …
Read More »Some Experts Question Gartner’s $2.75 Billion Debit Fraud Estimate
A major research firm's estimate this week that fraud losses on debit cards in the U.S. hit an estimated $2.75 billion for the 12 months ending in May might have struck a nerve, especially in the absence of hard data on the problem, but it also has experts raising questions …
Read More »Wal-Mart’s Bank Creates Uncertainty for Banks As Well As Processors
The disclosure by Wal-Mart Stores Inc. in late July that it plans to charter an industrial bank in Utah to acquire its own payment transactions is creating more questions than answers about current relationships between the world's largest retailer and the payments entities with whom it currently works. Bentonville, Ark.-based …
Read More »Data-Breach Cases Begin to Spawn Legal and Regulatory Fallout
As the number of headlines about database breaches grows, so too does the number of lawsuits filed in response, as well as the amount of legislation aimed at better protecting consumer data. Several suits have already been filed in the wake of recent thefts of card data at Columbus, Ohio-based …
Read More »Fiserv Gains New Bill-Payment Assets in $350-Million BillMatrix Deal
Fiserv Inc. is buying electronic bill-payment processor BillMatrix Corp. in a $350-million deal expected to close by Sept. 30. Dallas-based BillMatrix processes payments on cards and through the automated clearing house for more than 120 clients, among them utilities, insurers, lenders, and phone carriers. It is a pioneer in the …
Read More »Hacking Incidents Are a Boon for Payment-Industry Gumshoes
The increase in thefts of personal and financial information from databases, highlighted by the recent security breach at payment processor CardSystems Solutions Inc., is causing other processing entities to enhance security efforts beyond just fortifying computers and telecommunications links. For instance, Vital Processing Services LLC, a big merchant processor based …
Read More »Plaintiffs’ Lawyers Argue Kendall Won’t Sink Their Interchange Cases
The lead attorney in a recently filed small-business class action against Visa, MasterCard, and a number of their member banks over interchange is optimistic his lawsuit will succeed even though a suit by some California small businesses challenging interchange on antitrust grounds was dismissed this week. In separate statements, Visa …
Read More »CyberSource Volume Jumps 47%, While Acquiring Expands Fast
CyberSource Corp., a publicly held Internet gateway for online merchants, reports it processed 147.2 million transactions in the second quarter, up 47% over the year-ago period and 7% over the first quarter. The Mountain View, Calif.-based company, which reported the transaction figures as part of its second-quarter earnings release last …
Read More »Rivals Look to Gain New Merchants in Fallout from CardSystems Case
The fallout from the largest data-security breach yet in the electronic payments business continues, with rival processors looking to pick up new merchants now that both Visa U.S.A. and American Express Co. have said they are terminating CardSystems Solutions Inc. as a processor on their networks. CardSystems' list of clients …
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