n A new report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, Washington, D.C., has found that about 20% of U.S. adults uses a smart phone to access a location-based service or a so-called geo-social site, or a social network in which the user “checks in” with his or …

  Startups and established companies alike are betting that consumers obsessed with daily deals could jump-start mobile payments. But it may take a while for that bet to pay off.   By Jane Adler       Rewards redemption with a mobile device at the point of sale isn’t a …

  The culture of ratings and reviews, so prevalent in the online world these days, has come to the business of merchant acquiring as a slew of sites has emerged to size up processors and independent sales organizations. Merchant Maverick, a 2-year-old site in Orange, Calif., takes the concept a …

  NCR Corp. bolstered its position at the point of sale this week by announcing a deal to buy Radiant Systems Inc. for $1.2 billion in cash. Alpharetta, Ga.-based Radiant Systems is a specialist in POS software and hardware for various merchant segments, especially the hospitality industry and specialty retailers. …

  While point-of-sale payments using near-field communication (NFC) technology appear to be drawing closer, systems that let consumers make mobile payments in stores without NFC are drawing investor interest. This week, Mobibucks, a Louisville, Ky.-based startup, announced a $5 million Series A funding round led by Acadia Woods Partners. The …

  Bullish on the prospects of electronic wallets residing on smart phones equipped with near field communication (NFC) chips, leading point-of-sale terminal maker VeriFone Systems Inc. says that topline revenues from software, services, and equipment for NFC wallets could increase in the United States between $100 to $150 million, and …

  Canada seems to have found a workable formula for rolling out EMV technology.   Can the U.S. learn from it?   By Peter Lucas   Payment card executives in the United States looking to follow a model for how to roll out EMV cards and terminals need look no …

  Take into consideration that, in today’s global e-marketplace, credit cards alone are no longer enough.   Getting consumers to part with their money online these days requires careful thought about checkout-page design and payment options, says Paul Bridgewater.   Paul Bridgewater is vice president of world payments for Digital …

  With bank opposition to the Durbin Amendment growing, the National Retail Federation on Wednesday launched what it calls a major, 60-day advocacy campaign to “preserve swipe-fee reform” for debit cards. The multipronged effort, according to an NRF news release, includes an “intensive grass-roots” campaign to mobilize retailers through NRF …

Marketing via social-network tools, long thought to be a feature primarily of e-commerce, is rapidly moving to the physical point of sale as merchants seek new ways to generate sales and independent sales organizations look for ways to differentiate themselves. This move to the point of sale, meanwhile, has been …