Consulting firm The Strawhecker Group is out with its 2016 rankings of U.S. merchant acquirers, and they show that 240 acquirers and independent sales organizations processed more than $5 trillion in payment volume. The 10 biggest acquirers accounted for 80% of that volume. Topping the list is JPMorgan Chase & …
Read More »Merchants Take Another Look at Decoupled Debit
Don’t look now, but decoupled-debit programs may be on the verge of a comeback as merchants look for ways to circumvent payment networks and spur loyalty among consumers. That’s the take from a new report, “Decoupled Debit: The Start of Mainstream Adoption?” issued by Maynard, Mass.-based Mercator Advisory Group Inc. …
Read More »First Data Agrees to Acquire Acculynk, a Pioneer in PIN Debit for Web-Based Transactions
The idea of allowing consumers to use PIN debit cards to pay online merchants has been a tough sell in the payments business, but observers hope a deal announced Thursday may give it a much-needed boost. Processing kingpin First Data Corp. said it will acquire Acculynk Inc., a 9-year-old Atlanta-based …
Read More »Decoupled Debit Could Have Prospects for New Growth As Merchants Take Another Look
Decoupled debit programs may yet yield rewards for merchants, especially as they look for ways to circumvent payment networks and spur loyalty among consumers. That’s the take from a new report, “Decoupled Debit: The Start of Mainstream Adoption?” issued by Mercator Advisory Group Inc. Decoupled debit is not a new …
Read More »A Ripening EMV Migration Catches up to Cardmaker CPI Card Group
Payment card maker CPI Card Group Inc. says it will focus on small and mid-size issuers migrating from magnetic stripe cards to cards bearing an EMV chip in 2017 as it contends with a saturating market for the advanced cards. As larger banks and credit unions complete their migration programs, …
Read More »U.S. Chip Card Saturation Helps Bring Global EMV Growth Nearly to a Standstill
By John Stewart @DTPaymentNews Big markets like the United States and China have been boosting EMV chip card shipments for years, but now those two growth engines are sputtering. Worldwide contactless EMV. Currently, most EMV cards in the U.S. market require users to insert the card into a chip reader …
Read More »With Its New Line of ATMs, NCR Hopes To Attract ‘Digital Natives’
By Jim Daly@DTPaymentNews ATM manufacturer NCR Corp. on Tuesday unveiled its line of SelfServ 80 Series, machines NCR says are designed for “today’s mobile-first, omni-channel consumers.” The line currently has 4 models, and several large banks and mid-sized credit unions have already begun deploying them. “There are in the thousands …
Read More »Visa’s Globetrotting New CEO Inherits a Solidly Profitable Company
By Jim Daly@DTPaymentNews As the new chief executive of Visa Inc., a company that is still digesting its former European franchisee, Alfred Kelly has had a busy couple of months. Since taking charge from former CEO Charles W. Scharf in December, Kelly has stopped by 12 Visa offices globally, met …
Read More »More Than 400 Million Visa Cards Bear EMV Chips As U.S. EMV Acceptance Grows
The total number of Visa Inc. credit and debit cards bearing an EMV chip numbered 408.1 million at the end of December, Visa announced Thursday. That’s a 2.1% increase from the 399.9 million tally at the end of November. Of the total, 219.4 million are debit cards and 188.7 million …
Read More »Retail ATM Operator Cardtronics Expands Its Business With Walgreens and Citibank
Leading retail ATM network owner and operator Cardtronics plc announced expanded agreements Tuesday with the big drug-store chain Walgreens and banking giant Citigroup Inc. that will put Citi’s brand on more than 1,000 Cardtronics ATMs in Walgreens and Duane Reade stores in some key markets, including New York City and …
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