Digital Transactions Authoritative, insightful and timely information for payments professionals
PayPal Inc. will roll out mobile payments at the point of sale with as many as 20 retailers next year following a pilot set to start later in 2011, the chief executive of eBay Inc., PayPal’s parent company, said late on Wednesday. Speaking to stock analysts as part of …
Read More »Hypercom Pulls Plug on SmartPayments Software Amid Security Flaws
Security weaknesses have caused Hypercom Corp. to pull the plug on a software system that enables gateways and merchants using personal computers as virtual terminals to connect to payment-processing services. Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Hypercom sent a notice on July 15 to users of its SmartPayments Savannah Server and related products that …
Read More »NCR Jockeys for POS Position with $1.2 Billion Deal for Radiant Systems
NCR Corp. bolstered its position at the point of sale this week by announcing a deal to buy Radiant Systems Inc. for $1.2 billion in cash. Alpharetta, Ga.-based Radiant Systems is a specialist in POS software and hardware for various merchant segments, especially the hospitality industry and specialty retailers. …
Read More »As Fed Debit Rule Sinks in, Merchant Class Action Grinds Toward Trial
Now that the Federal Reserve’s new debit card interchange regulations are finally out in the open, the profile of yet another payment card interchange and rules controversy is slowly rising. That’s the raft of merchant antitrust lawsuits pending in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn, N.Y., collectively known as “MDL 1720.” …
Read More »Why a Florist in Austin Could Portend a Rosy Outlook for Isis
n Mike Martinez, co-owner of Ben White Florist Inc. in Austin, Texas, says the lack of NFC-enabled smart phones in the U.S. is not an issue for him. He notes the rapid technological evolution of smart phones and the frequent upgrade cycles of consumers. “It will take some time, …
Read More »Congress Again Considers Legalizing Online Gambling
n U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, is drafting legislation that would legalize Internet poker, a spokesperson tells Digital Transactions News. “This is a poker-only bill,” the spokesperson says. “He [Barton] looks at poker as a game of skill, not a game of chance, and that’s why it should be …
Read More »Among Small Merchants, Acquirers Now Get 40% of Revenue from Fees, Study Shows
n Merchant processors, banks, and independent sales organizations that process transactions for merchants with annual sales of less than $10 million—the vast majority of U.S. retailers—have added on a wide array of fees in recent years for items ranging from statements to monthly minimums to chargeback processing and authorizations. …
Read More »DoJ Should Have Pushed Harder on Steering Settlements, Some Merchants Say
The U.S. Department of Justice filed court documents Tuesday that move toward completion its challenge of Visa and MasterCard network rules limiting merchants’ ability to steer customer payments toward their preferred forms. Tuesday’s action is largely procedural as Visa Inc. and MasterCard Inc. announced settlements when the DoJ and seven …
Read More »Unfazed by Latecomers Like Square And Intuit, Inner Fence Soldiers on
n n n n Inner Fence refers applicants to its ISO partner, Dublin, Ohio-based Merchant Focus Inc., for merchant accounts. The service uses the Authorize.net gateway for access to the payment networks. Merchants pay a $25 monthly fee, plus 24 cents and 1.74% to 3.79% of the sale, depending …
Read More »Forget PayPal And Google. Acquirers Are Most Worried About Visa, MasterCard
n n n The source of such fears is a fast-changing landscape in which all the payment card networks are looking for new revenues and markets. “Some of my clients are freaking out, without naming names,” says Adil Moussa, an analyst at Boston-based Aite. Card networks are already direct …
Read More »