Consumers spent 7% more on gift cards during the 2019 holiday shopping season than in the same period in 2018, doubling the 3.4% gain seen in 2018 over 2017, according to data from prepaid program manager Blackhawk Network Holdings Inc., which did not release absolute spending numbers.The U.S. Treasury Department’s Bureau …

MyPinPad, a provider of technology enabling PIN entry on off-the-shelf mobile devices, said it has been granted certification from the PCI Security Standards Council for its software-based PIN entry on a Commercial off-the-shelf (SPoC) product for iOS.Shift4 Payments Inc., which filed for a proposed public offering in December, said it completed certification …

An eBay Inc. executive said the online marketplace will not back down on the introduction of its Managed Payments program in the face of criticism from some sellers regarding the program’s costs and policies. The company introduced the new payments program, which relies on gateway services from Adyen N.V., last year after years …

PINs are past their prime. Signatures? Forget it. With criminals increasingly on the prowl, much more robust technology is needed. The good news is such tech is available. But will consumers tolerate it? Despite a now almost 3-year-old decision by the four major U.S. card brands to make signatures optional …

Upgrading gas pumps to accept EMV chip cards is a complex affair for convenience stores and gas stations that involves installing new card-reading hardware and software, testing, and certifications. Many fuel retailers are expected to miss next October’s automated fuel-dispenser liability shift, and software is proving to be one of …

Gas stations and convenience stores won’t be getting an extension of the upcoming October 2020 fuel-pump EMV liability shifts, according to a merchant trade group. Meanwhile, Visa is warning of malware-based attacks against fuel retailers that invade their point-of-sale systems.  The major networks have set next October for pumps to …

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, which serves the area in and around the nation’s capital, plans next year to start allowing users of Apple Inc. devices to pay at fare gates with their iPhones and Watches using a virtual version of the agency’s SmarTrip card, according to The Washington Post. Android …

Like their American cousins, Canadians are rapidly adopting newer payment methods. In fact, they’re doing so even faster than U.S. consumers in some respects. The report, “Canadian Payment Methods and Trends: 2019,” released last week by Payments Canada, says contactless payments grew 30% year-over-year in 2018. Card- and mobile-based contactless …

Payments provider Pineapple Payments said it has acquired a merchant portfolio from Paystri, an integrated-payments technology provider, and entered into a partnership with the firm. The size of the acquisition was not disclosed.Global e-commerce sales volume on Cyber Monday grew 21.5% in terms of value over Cyber Monday in 2018, outpacing sales …

Chip cards were supposed to make it harder to commit fraud at the point of sale and at ATMs, but card skimmers haven’t gotten the memo. If you think EMV cards have put a big dent in card skimming, think again. In October, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern …