News

November, 2015

• 13 November

  Card Manufacturer CPI Card Group’s Chip Card Orders Boom During EMV Switchover

  As it has for other suppliers to the payment card industry, the conversion of U.S. card payments from security-challenged magnetic-stripe cards to the EMV chip card standard is providing a windfall for leading U.S.-based card manufacturer CPI Card Group Inc. In its first earnings report as a publicly traded company, …
• 12 November

  In a First for Debit Networks, Shazam Adds a Mobile Feature to Shut off Lost Or Stolen Cards

  By John Stewart In the wake of the arrival of EMV chip cards and ahead of the holiday shopping rush, the Shazam debit network has launched a mobile feature that lets cardholders disable their debit cards should they be lost or stolen. While networks like Discover Financial Services have advertised …
• 12 November

  Consumer Awareness of Mobile And E-Gift Cards Spikes Significantly in Just One Year

  Plastic gift cards remain king, but consumer awareness of mobile and electronic gift cards is increasing. That’s one result from the Retail Gift Card Association’s survey about gift card use. The survey canvassed more than 1,000 consumers. In the survey, fully 49.7% said they understand how to redeem a mobile …
• 12 November

  Blackstone Invests $820 Million in NCR, but Will the Deal Enhance NCR’s Competitiveness?

  Leading U.S.-based ATM manufacturer NCR Corp. announced Thursday that affiliates of private-equity firm The Blackstone Group L.P. will invest $820 million into the company for a 17% stake. NCR says it will use the investment to help fund a $1 billion share repurchase and speed its transformation into an integrated …
• 11 November

  Data About First Data Show Transaction Growth but Profitability Issues Remain

  A filing Tuesday by First Data Corp. in the wake of its recent initial public offering of stock paints a picture of a payment processor growing in many areas but still carrying a heavy debt load and challenged on profitability. The filing, Atlanta-based First Data’s quarterly report to the Securities …
• 11 November

  Credit Unions Prepping for Samsung Pay, Android Pay As Samsung Offers $50 to New Users

  By Kevin Woodward With no shortage of mobile-payments options available to users, backers of Android Pay and Samsung Pay are trying to entice consumers by making their services more broadly available and by offering rebates. Institutions using The Members Group, a credit-union service organization, soon will be able to enroll …
• 10 November

  Following Skrill Acquisition, Optimal Payments Changes Its Name to Paysafe

  Merchant processor Optimal Payments Plc announced it has changed its name to Paysafe Group Plc. The move reflects the company’s direction following the closing of its Skrill acquisition in August. The deal bolstered the company’s stake in digital wallets. “This was a major milestone for the company, and although we …
• 9 November

  With Holidays Nearing, EGift Cards Are Likely To Be More Popular Than Ever

  By John Stewart As the holidays approach, retailers and banks can expect to sell more electronic gift cards than ever, if research released Monday by Bankrate.com is any indication. The survey, which covers 60 general-purpose and proprietary gift cards, shows two-thirds are available as e-cards, up from 59% last year. …
• 8 November

  Square Will Soon Exit the Ranks of Unicorns, But Those Ranks Are Fast Expanding

  Square Inc.’s official filing to go public means it will soon exit an exclusive club that’s becoming less exclusive by the month: the so-called unicorns, or privately held companies that are worth $1 billion or more. There are 143 such companies now, up from 123 in early August. Indeed, more …
• 6 November

  After a Year in the Dumps, Bitcoin’s Price Stages a Rally As Usage Steadily Climbs

  After languishing in the $200s most of the year, the price of the Bitcoin digital currency rallied this week, briefly flirting with the $500 level on some exchanges before settling in the high $300s by Friday morning. At the same time, Bitcoin usage, though still relatively rare, is steadily rising. …