A fresh report from Consumer Reports finds that two of the four peer-to-peer payments companies it evaluated have cleared up the definition of “unauthorized” transactions pertaining to fraud. The publication last reviewed Apple Cash, Cash App, Venmo, and Zelle in 2022. The issue of what is an unauthorized P2P transaction gained …

Acquirers and independent sales organizations wanting to improve their standing among merchants should take note of four trends affecting payments today, according to Bill Dobbins, head of acquiring and enablement at Visa Inc. Dobbins, speaking at the Western States Acquirers Association conference in Las Vegas this week, outlined why the …

Echelon Payment Solutions Group may be a new name in the acquiring industry, but its roots extend to 2006. Once affiliated with EVO Payments and known then as EVO Platinum Services Group (EPSG), Echelon is its own entity offering payment services and providing support for its sales partners. Melville, N.Y.-based …

Consumers with iPhones using the latest operating system now have access to Affirm Inc.’s installment-payments options when using Apple Pay at participating merchants. Released Monday as part of Apple Inc.’s iOS 18 update for its iPhones, the payment option works with any merchant that accepts Apple Pay. The merchant does …

Credit and debit cards from U.S. Bank are now ready to use with Paze, the online checkout platform, which comes preloaded with access to up to 150 million payment cards. Paze is in the midst of a national rollout as it seeks to give issuers an edge in e-commerce checkout. …

Airline payments powerhouse UATP says it will offer buy now, pay later services from Klarna AB. Meanwhile, CellPoint Digital has signed Arajet, a Dominican Republic startup airline as a payments-processing client. UATP, a Washington, D.C.-based  global payments network, says its new partnership with Klarna will enable airlines to offer Klarna’s …

The U.S. Department of Transportation is looking into airline rewards programs with an eye on protecting consumers from potential unfair, deceptive, or anticompetitive practices, the department says. Many consumers use cobranded airline credit cards to earn points in these programs, though the DOT’s focus is on rewards, not on card-issuing …

With cash back as a favored consumer reward, PayPal Holdings Inc. is broadening its use with the debut of PayPal Everywhere, a rewards program for consumers on the PayPal Debit Mastercard. Announced Thursday, the program includes stackable cash-back offers and personalized ways to manage spending. It enables PayPal Debit cardholders …

Electronic Merchant Systems LLC is teaming up with LegitScript to give its health-care merchants access to a certification tag, while InvoiceCloud says Western National Insurance Group picked it for a new digital-payment and policyholder-relations service. Cleveland-based EMS, which processes approximately $6 billion in annual volume for 25,000 merchants, says the …

Ria Money Transfer said it is now the exclusive money-transfer provider at more than 200 U.S. PLS Check Cashers locations, a move that could expose Ria’s services to more than 3 million monthly PLS customers. Announced Tuesday, the deal enables Chicago-based PLS Financial Services Inc. to offer Ria’s money-transfer service, …