Digital Transactions Authoritative, insightful and timely information for payments professionals
It's the summer of change in the executive suites of some major payment-industry companies. Two days after No. 1 processor First Data Corp. named a new chief executive, struggling payment-terminal manufacturer Hypercom Corp. announced that William Keiper, its chief executive for not quite two years, would leave his post Aug …
Read More »LBO Firms Take Note: Acquiring Is Now a ‘Quite Cyclical’ Business
The fortunes of individual merchant acquirers not withstanding, the acquiring industry as a whole for decades has proffered an unofficial guarantee of recession-proof growth. But a new study by First Annapolis Consulting Inc. shows that changes in the acquiring industry's growth rates are increasingly correlated to retail sales growth. And …
Read More »An ISO Sees Tasty Potential in Online Ordering for Fast Food
An online-ordering system for fast food, introduced in January by a Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based independent sales organization, has been adopted by more than 1,200 locations so far, including small proprietors looking to compete with large chains. The system, which allows consumers to order and pay for pizzas, sandwiches, and other …
Read More »Theft of 2.3 Million Certegy Records Triggers Debate over Inside Jobs
Payment companies devote countless hours and millions of dollars to protecting sensitive customer and payment data from outside computer hackers, but the theft of 2.3 million customer records announced today by check and card processor Fidelity National Information Services Inc. (FIS) shows that employee theft remains a serious?and difficult?problem to …
Read More »With Coghlan Out, Will Merchant Focus Survive at Visa?
Now that the two top executives have been appointed to run Visa Inc., the massive entity that will emerge from a sweeping restructuring of the worldwide Visa organization, payments observers see more capability in place to deal with issues to come. But the departure of Visa USA head John Philip …
Read More »Litigation, Divergent Europe Among Risks Visa IPO Faces
Like MasterCard Inc. last year and Discover Financial Services LLC later this week, Visa Inc. is preparing to become the third standalone, publicly traded payment network. But a registration statement Visa filed Friday raises plenty of questions about the risks the world's largest card network faces in a litigious and …
Read More »Targeting eBay Ban, Google Checkout Plans Party to Reach Sellers
Looking to stir up support for its Checkout online payment system among sellers on eBay Inc.'s online marketplace, Google Inc. will throw a party Thursday night in Boston during a three-day convention eBay is hosting for its buyers and sellers. The party, themed “Let Freedom Ring” and to be held …
Read More »TJX Confronts Another Big Bill Linked to Card-Data Breach
The bills from the computer hacking at off-price retailer The TJX Cos. that compromised at least 45.7 million credit and debit cards keep rolling in. The Framingham, Mass.-based operator of the T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, and other chains took a pre-tax charge of $20 million ($12 million after-tax) to cover investigative, …
Read More »RBS Set to Compete in the U.S. Market with a Payments Gateway
A new transaction gateway backed by one of the largest processors in the world is gearing up to compete for U.S. e-commerce business. The Royal Bank of Scotland Group, which has been handling overseas transactions for U.S.-based online merchants, has unveiled a new service that will compete for transactions generated …
Read More »Could the Ceridian Deal Lead to a Comdata-Certegy Combo?
The move by Ceridian Corp., owner of fast-growing payment processor Comdata Corp., to go private in a deal involving Boston-based Thomas H. Lee Partners LLC and insurance-industry processor Fidelity National Financial Inc. represents the latest in a series of processor deals backed by private equity and could lead to yet …
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