Online payment processor Payza announced Monday that its customers can now use funds in their Payza accounts buy alternatives to Bitcoin, the cryptocurrency market leader. The news comes six months after Payza launched a service enabling customers to sell so-called altcoins such as Ethereum, Ripple, Litecoin, Dash, Monero, and Zcash. …
Read More »With a Green Light From the CFTC, Three Trading Houses Get Set for Bitcoin Futures
CME Group Inc. said on Friday it will launch a futures contract for Bitcoin on Dec. 18, a move some expect will lend considerable stability to the market for the 8-year-old digital currency. Also on Friday, Chicago-based CME’s crosstown rival, Cboe Global Markets Inc., said it will announce “shortly” an …
Read More »First Data Completes BluePay Acquisition and other Digital Transactions News briefs from 12/1/17
Processor First Data Corp. completed its previously announced, $760 million acquisition of independent sales organization BluePay Holdings Inc. Payment-services provider Shift4 Corp. announced its EMV-certified services are now available to users of Posera Ltd.’s Maitre’D point-of-sale hospitality software. Infinite Peripherals launched the InfineaRetail Airline Edition point-of-sale suite of products. Mastercard …
Read More »Eye on M-Commerce: Tire Retailer on a Roll; Other Merchant Types Experience Increases
Holiday gifts and everyday products may garner much of the attention when it comes to mobile-commerce transactions, but a tire retailer is finding success with the technology, too. SimpleTire, a Trevose, Pa.-based online seller, found that consumers were in the mood to buy tires online on Cyber Monday. SimpleTire says …
Read More »Amazon Opening Voice-Command Payments To Outside Developers and Merchants
Amazon.com Inc. is recruiting outside software developers and merchants to create functions that work with its Alexa voice-command system and the Amazon Pay service so that consumers can make purchases using their Amazon payment credentials at both physical and online merchants. Seattle-based Amazon made the announcement at its big Amazon …
Read More »PayPal Restores Some TIO Service But Big Questions Linger Over TIO’s Security Issues
PayPal Holdings Inc. has restored some service in its TIO Networks bill-pay operation but pressing questions remain about the security vulnerability that spurred PayPal to shut down the service and about how TIO’s problems will affect PayPal chief executive Dan Schulman’s strategy to serve the underbanked population. The incident also …
Read More »BlueSnap Notes M-Payments Increase and other Digital Transactions News briefs from 11/30/17
B2 Processing Solutions launched the B2 PINPad Drivers, a product to help merchants migrate point-of-sale applications to EMV and contactless payments. Payments provider BlueSnap Inc. said its merchants experienced a 125% increase in mobile-wallet use on Thanksgiving, 124% increases on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, and a 79% increase …
Read More »Bitcoin Jumps Past $11,000, But That’s Making Some Square Analysts Nervous
Much as cryptocurrency skeptics would like to set aside Bitcoin, the currency keeps intruding into the payments world. On Wednesday, Bitcoin began trading above $11,000, only a day after it sailed past the $10,000 mark and just three days after pushing past $9,000. But Bitcoin bullishness isn’t helping Square Inc. …
Read More »Ensenta Acquisition Will Make Jack Henry a Major Player in Remote Deposit Capture
Processor Jack Henry & Associates Inc. announced late Tuesday that it has a deal to acquire Ensenta Corp., a Redwood Shores, Calif.-based provider of remote deposit capture and payment and risk-control services. Founded in 2001, Ensenta provides more than 1,100 financial institutions and government agencies with software-as-a-service products distributed via …
Read More »Fime Gets Discover Accreditation and other Digital Transactions News briefs from 11/29/17
Payment consulting and testing firm Fime obtained D-Payment Application Specification (D-PAS) accreditation from Discover Financial Services for the Pulse debit network, meaning Fime’s EMV chip card service for merchant acquirers is now available on all of Discover’s networks that include Discover and Diners Club International in addition to Pulse. SalePoint …
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