Transaction Processing

Capital One Financial Corp.’s proposal to acquire Discover Financial Services for $35.3-billion, announced in February, has been approved by the Office of the Delaware State Bank Commissioner. The proposal includes Discover Bank. Shareholders in both companies are set to vote on the transaction Feb. 18, 2025. Visa Inc. has closed on its offer to acquire …

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau early Wednesday released a circular to law-enforcement agencies warning that operators of credit card rewards may be violating a prohibition against unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts or practices by devaluing earned credit card points and airline miles. The CFPB issued the circular in part due …

Visa Inc. announced it dealt a significant setback to fraudsters hoping to cash in on Cyber Monday, the busiest online-shopping day of the year, by stopping about 85% more suspect transactions than it did a year earlier. The increase in fraud prevention is significant, as suspect transactions rose 200% globally …

Zelle, the peer-to-peer payments service from Early Warning Services LLC, will put the detective powers of its S.A.F.E. Squad to work again with the help of actor Christina Ricci in a new education campaign on fraud and scams. This is the second year of the campaign and Ricci’s participation. This …

Department-store chain Bealls Inc. is adding buy now, pay later as a payment option at its more than 650 stores nationwide. The provider is Minneapolis-based Sezzle Inc. The Bradenton, Fla.-based chain, which operates stores in 23 states, says it is adding the payment option to provide holiday shoppers more flexibility …

Bus riders in Indiana, Pa., can now use smart cards to pay their fares with the debut of the transit system’s IndiGO Mobile Pay. Boston-based Modeshift Inc. designed the fare-collection system in conjunction with the Indiana County Transit Authority. Riders can use a mobile app to find routes, buy tickets …

CargoSprint, a payments processor for the cargo industry, has acquired Advent Intermodal Solutions LLC, which provides technology for port operations, including payments. Terms were not disclosed. The payments network Modern Rails has begun using the FedLine Direct Solution to support connections to the Federal Reserve’s payment-settlement network for banks and credit unions. …

Ackroo Inc., a Canadian gift card and loyalty platform, announced early Friday it has reached a “definitive” agreement to be acquired by Paystone, a Canadian-based gift card and loyalty processor, in an all-cash deal for $21 million. Paystone will acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of Ackroo at …

The American Bankers Association on Thursday issued a long and detailed letter it has sent to the Federal Reserve Board to argue its case against a Fed proposal that would reduce a longstanding cap on the interchange banks can earn on debit card transactions. The ABA’s action follows an analysis …

So-called hidden costs—such as overdraft charges, late fees, and identity fraud—linked to bill payments amount to $196 billion on an annual basis, up 18% from last year, according to a study from bill-payment platform doxo. Mastercard Inc. released its 2025 payment trends forecast that discusses AI, small business, and contactless payments, which …