Digital Transactions Authoritative, insightful and timely information for payments professionals
Despite Bitcoin’s recent travails, the fledgling digital currency has begun to win support from some of the nation’s best-known merchants. This week came news that department-store chain Lord & Taylor will start accepting Bitcoin through a mobile app called Pounce. The news followed upbeat Bitcoin results released by online retailing …
Read More »Bowing to EMV’s Urgency, Accel Adopts MasterCard’s Common Debit Solution
Fiserv Inc. on Wednesday said its Accel debit network will license a critical EMV solution from MasterCard Inc. The move follows a decision by First Data Corp.’s Star network late last month to adopt similar technology from Visa Inc. and indicates the national-brand networks may be winning over the regional …
Read More »Now Hawking iPads for POS, NCR Silver Mulls a Purpose-Built Tablet with its Own Stamp
NCR Corp.’s announcement this week that it has updated its iPad-based point-of-sale system, which it sells as NCR Silver, to support loyalty programs shone a spotlight on one of the few tablet POS products that comes from a major corporation in a market that has attracted a raft of startups. …
Read More »Could VerifyValid’s Mobile Checkbook App Revive Prospects for All-Electronic Checks?
A concept that would do away with paper checks while retaining their payment advantages took a step closer to fruition this week with the introduction of a mobile app that lets users create and send check images. The app, called Mobile Checkbook, works with Apple Inc. iOS devices and comes …
Read More »Chirpify Reports Upbeat Results for Its New Action Tags for TV Commercials And Arenas
Consumers are responding enthusiastically to a new service that lets them buy goods from and otherwise interact with brands via social media in sports stadiums, through TV ads, and other venues, according to results released Monday by Chirpify, the Portland, Ore.-based company that announced the service in September. The service …
Read More »Mobile Photo Bill Pay Helps Bring in Younger, Higher-Income Customers, U.S. Bank Exec Says
By John Stewart Nearly a year after its launch, a service at U.S. Bank that lets customers enter biller details and pay bills by snapping photos of the bills with a smart phone is helping the banking giant make big gains with mobile users, a critical demographic group, a U.S. …
Read More »Lamassu Claims First U.S. Bitcoin ATM Deployment with Installation in New Mexico
What is said to be the first ATM for Bitcoins in the United States was announced on Tuesday by Lamassu Inc., which made the machine. The ATM is installed in a cigar bar and lounge near the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, according to a news release from Lamassu. …
Read More »As Key Chip Deadline Looms, Doubts Emerge About Small Merchants’ Readiness
With Visa Inc. and MasterCard Inc. digging in their heels on a key chip card deadline, payments executives are expressing doubts that all U.S. small businesses will be ready. “The short answer is no,” says Henry Helgeson, chief executive of Merchant Warehouse, a Boston-based merchant processor. “We still have a …
Read More »Revel Systems Adds Bitcoin Support to its iPad POS System
Revel Systems Inc. is the latest payments organization to support Bitcoin with the announcement Tuesday that consumers can use the digital currency with its iPad-based point-of-sale system. San Francisco-based Revel is working with Bitcoin wallet provider Coinbase to integrate acceptance. Revel added Bitcoin acceptance because of about 30 requests from …
Read More »MCX Takes Big Step Toward Launch With Deal To Use Paydiant Mobile Technology
Merchant Customer Exchange, the retailer-controlled mobile-payments network, took another step toward launch on Wednesday when it announced a deal with Paydiant Inc. to use the startup wallet provider’s technology at member merchant locations. Dallas-based MCX also said Wendy’s International LLC, the hamburger chain, and regional grocery chain Acme Fresh Market …
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