Competitive Strategies

The proposed merger of Fiserv Inc. and mega-processor First Data Corp. has huge implications for many parts of the payments industry. But the deal, if consummated as planned, could have an especially large effect on the U.S. debit card market. First Data owns the Star electronic funds network, while Fiserv …

In a stunning announcement that surprised many observers, Fiserv Inc. said Wednesday morning it has struck a deal to acquire First Data Corp. with what the parties say will be the biggest ever such transaction in the payments and financial-technology businesses. The all-stock deal, expected to close in the third …

PenFed Credit Union announced Tuesday it will begin issuing contactless Visa-branded credit and debit cards this month. The move comes after a decision by Chase, a unit of JPMorgan Chase & Co., to issue dual-interface cards that will be in force this year. The cards are called dual interface because …

With the economy still humming along in 2018’s fourth quarter, a nearly 17% increase in merchant-processing volume by JPMorgan Chase & Co. augurs strong volume growth by Visa Inc. and Mastercard Inc. when the bank card networks report financial results later this month. New York City-based JPMorgan Chase operates the …

Processing giant Worldpay Inc. announced early Tuesday it forged a new agreement with Revel Systems to support Revel’s iPad-based smart terminals for restaurants and other merchant locations. The agreement comes days after Total System Services Inc. (TSYS) said it is launching a line of smart POS devices and follows other …

TD Ameritrade announced individual investors can instantly fund a brokerage account using Apple Pay through Apple Business Chat. The capability means investors can use a debit card to deposit up to $10,000 per day via Apple Pay, though the limit may vary by bank. The service is much quicker than …

With the rise of Chinese tourism, North American merchants have proved eager to accept Chinese mobile wallets like Alipay and WeChat Pay, and now they can add UnionPay cards to that mix. Citcon USA LLC said Monday it will enable merchants in the United States and Canada to accept quick-response …

Vending-machine payments provider USA Technologies Inc. has announced several senior-level management changes, including the departure of its chief financial officer and the creation of a new chief operating officer position, as well plans to improve its corporate governance in the wake of an investigation into its accounting practices. The probe …

Kabbage Inc., an online small-business financier, said it provides the Pay Later program for U.S. small-business buyers on Alibaba.com, an online marketplace. Payment-terminal maker Equinox Payments and payments-software provider Acceo Tender Retail announced the Equinox Luxe 8500i and Luxe 6200m terminals have achieved EMV end-to-end certification on First Data Corp.’s …

Discover Financial Services is on the verge of a major expansion of Discover, Diners Club, and Pulse acceptance across Europe and the Middle East following Friday’s announcement of a deal with a third-party provider. Riverwoods, Ill.-based Discover says it will work with 3C Payment, a Luxembourg-based payment service provider that …