Mobile Wallets

Digital wallets provide a variety of benefits to consumers, including convenience speed, security, and record keeping, but they also pose risks for users and stand to be improved in several areas, says a study from Consumers Reports. Consumers Reports evaluated six wallets—Apple Pay, Cash App, Google Pay, PayPal, Samsung Pay, …

The payment-services unit of Discover Financial Services reported $96 billion in volume for the first quarter, a 4% drop year-over-year, though increased debit card activity lifted Pulse’s dollar volume 3%. Diners Club volume also increased, growing 18%, but the Network Partners unit recorded a 73% slide “reflecting the anticipated exit of a …

CompoSecure Inc., a provider of metal payment cards and security technology, is integrating its Arculus cold-storage wallet with MoneyGram Access, which allows digital-wallet users to convert cash into digital currencies. These include such media as USD Coin, a stablecoin backed by U.S. dollars and dollar-denominated assets. In addition, CompoSecure announced …

[Editor’s Note: Following Digital Transactions News publication Friday, a U.S. District Court judge temporarily halted the layoffs at the CFPB, according to the Associated Press. Judge Amy Berman Jackson has scheduled an April 28 hearing on the matter.] A dramatically reduced Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will still operate, but with …

Electronic Merchant Systems LLC said it acquired Peel Payments, marking a significant expansion into the petroleum and convenience store segment. Peel also brings familiarity with Fiserv Inc.’s platform, says Afshin Yazdian, EMS chairman and chief executive, “which aligns perfectly as we prepare to launch on that platform and integrate with Clover. …

CPI Card Group Inc. added Web push provisioning to give card issuers the capability to more easily issue credit and debit cards directly to a consumer’s digital wallet. Gateway Funnel Pros, a developer of payment-gateway technology, said it has launched processing services for marketing agencies facing restrictions or denials from other …

PayPal Holdings Inc. said it will work with TerraPay to let PayPal users make real-time money transfers throughout the Middle East and Africa. Cantaloupe Inc., a payments provider for self-service markets and vending, launched Go Micro, a compact kiosk for micro markets that features an integrated barcode scanner and 5-inch touchscreen. …

Block Inc. has been ordered to pay a $40-million fine to the state of New York for what the state’s regulator on Thursday called “significant failures in its Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering compliance program, which violated the [New York Department of Financial Services’ money transmitter and virtual currency regulations.”  The …

Sweeping regulation that would have impacted all major mobile-payment apps in the United States appears to be headed for the dustbin following action by the House of Representatives Wednesday to vote down a bill based on regulation from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The House action follows a Senate vote …

PayPal Holdings Inc. said will release a second wave of advertisements with actor Will Ferrell to promote its checkout services, PayPal Pay Later, its buy now, pay later service, and a sweepstakes that will cover, for 1,000 winners for 100 days, up to $100 of their transactions made with PayPal. PayPal launched the …