The big processor Worldline S.A. is working with Visa Inc. to launch a virtual business-to-business card-issuing facility for online travel agencies. The deal marks the first foray for Paris-based Worldline beyond payment processing.  The partnership will integrate Worldline’s Merchant Services Acceptance capabilities with its Financial Services Card issuing platform to …

The National Retail Federation and the Merchants Payments Coalition have lined up against the Federal Reserve, arguing that while a rate reduction on debit card transactions is welcome, the Fed’s proposed pricing does not go far enough. The two industry trade groups sent their respective letters to the Fed on …

As the effects of the economic stimulus pumped into the economy by the federal government during the pandemic wear off, consumers are having a harder time paying their recurring debts on time. A study released Monday by Achieve, a San Mateo, Calif.-based provider of debt-management programs for consumers, reveals that …

Text-to-pay technology received a boost late Thursday as San Francisco-based fintech EarnUp Inc. launched a text-to-pay app for mortgage lenders. The white-label app allows lenders to send text reminders of upcoming mortgage payments with an embedded link to make payments using a debit card. Consumers can initiate payment using Apple …

After months of speculation that Shift Payments Inc. was an acquisition target, company founder and chief executive and founder Jared Isaacman confirmed Thursday the company had indeed received multiple offers. The acknowledgment came at the outset of Shift4’s first quarter earnings call early Thursday. Despite the offers being “materially higher” …

Processors and service providers focused on restaurant point-of-sale systems are enjoying strong growth as restaurants remain one of the hottest markets in digital payments. Two companies reaping the fruits that growth are Toast Inc. and Olo Inc. Toast Inc. posted annual recurring revenue of $1.3 billion during the first quarter …

Consumers and businesses are embracing instant-payment options for such transactions as bill payment, mobile-wallet funding and defunding, account-to-account transfers, and immediate payroll for employees, the Federal Reserve says. A pair of studies surveying businesses and consumers about instant payments and the payments landscape, released late Monday by the Fed, reveals …

Real-time account-to-payment payments has received a big boost as J.P. Morgan Payments adds Visa Direct to its arsenal of payment options. The deal gives businesses using J.P. Morgan Payments’ platform an option to make payments, such as a rebate or refund, directly to a consumer’s debit card or bank account …

Block Inc. chief executive Jack Dorsey fired back at news reports that the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating the company for alleged compliance lapses at Block’s Square and Cash App units. The reports “lack full context,” Dorsey said during Block’s quarterly earnings call late Thursday. News of the investigation …

Buy now, pay later platform Sezzle Inc. has launched a loyalty program that rewards users for paying on time. The new offering, called Payment Streaks, is part of Sezzle’s free Loyalty Tiers program. The idea is that, with each on-time payment, Sezzle users begin a payment streak that moves them …