Hewlett Packard Co. thinks banks processing ATM, Web, branch, and other traffic in separate channels could benefit by switching all this volume through one common system. The company, which through its acquisition of Compaq Computer Corp. owns the Tandem unit whose computers drive so many payment data centers, is readying …

With fraud and identity-theft headlines appearing nearly every day, the pressure is on to offer more risk-management services at the point of sale, and this, some experts say, is leading to rising interest in POS terminals capable of operating on Internet Protocol connections. Such connections, they argue, make it easier …

The news that Visa USA Inc. and MasterCard International Inc. are negotiating new debit-card acceptance deals with big retail chains and their acquirers in which the chains will pay lower transaction fees than what is standard for other merchants has already fueled speculation that the giant, bank-owned card networks are …

Separate studies of online transaction fraud released this week cast new light on the problem of fraudulent Web transactions. The rate of online fraud is declining, according to a survey of online merchants conducted in October by CyberSource, Mountain View, Calif., a processor of online transactions. But indirect costs resulting …

A survey of more than 170 senior-level executives for electronic payments processors, networks, and online merchants at a micropayments conference held earlier this month indicates a majority of the online merchants in attendance will be selling content with a micropayments system within a year. The survey, whose results were released …

When President Bush signed the Check Clearing for the 21st Century (Check 21) Act into law last month, he unleashed a flurry of activity among financial institutions and vendors looking for ways to take advantage of the law, which allows banks to exchange electronic images of checks instead of the …

Visa may be offering its debit card issuers a little leeway with regard to its controversial service settlement fee by allowing them to switch their card portfolios to American Express or Discover without incurring any penalties. But some industry observers don't think the offer will make any practical difference to …

MasterCard announced today its test of contactless chip cards in Orlando, Fla., was encouraging enough for the card company to roll it out to all members as a feature on MasterCard credit, debit, and stored-value cards. The company expects the expansion to begin next summer with the addition of new …

A new survey indicates sharply higher popularity for gift cards. According to the survey, an estimated 97 million Americans, or 45% of the adult population, bought a gift card in the last 12 months, twice the number who bought one in 2002. The 2003 survey, which was conducted in August …

Duane Reade Inc., a chain of 241 drugstores in New York City, will on Monday become the fourth and so far the largest issuer of the Debitman card, a non-bank, national electronic payment system started last year by a group of payments veterans with roots in the retailing business. Duane …