Mastercard Inc. has started processing card payments domestically in China, working with its partner NetsUnion Clearing Corp. (NUCC), China’s nationwide processing platform. Gift card and loyalty provider Factor4 completed an integration with commerce services provider Shopify Inc. that enables Shopify customers to sell and accept physical and digital gift cards in store and …

As banks and merchants fight over interchange regulation in Washington, the real struggle is in shoppers’ wallets, phones, and Web browsers. Last month, I wrote about how merchants use discounts, surcharges, and direct bank payments to influence consumer behavior. This month, we’ll look at another tool that merchants can use …

Payment technology provider Electronic Merchant Systems acquired PaymentCloud, an Encino, Calif.-based payment gateway provider. The acquisition will enable PaymentCloud to expand its merchant base while utilizing EMS’s technology services. The deal also solidifies the existing relationship between the two companies and positions Cleveland-based EMS to leverage PaymentCloud’s marketing and sales …

Buy now, pay later loans have become in a relatively short time a popular financing option for consumers, especially for holiday-season shopping. But now, that’s increasingly true not just for gifts, but for everyday purchases as well, according to data from payment-solutions and card-issuing platform provider Marqeta Inc. Based on …

Holiday sales were robust in November, giving merchants reason to be optimistic about overall spending for the holiday shopping season, according to the National Retail Federation. Total retail sales in November, excluding automobiles and gasoline, rose 0.77% month-over-month on a seasonally adjusted basis, and 4.24% on an unadjusted basis year-over-year,  …

Consumers’ concerns about incurring credit card debt this holiday season is pushing many shoppers to consider buy now, pay later loans as a budget-management option, according to a report from the payments firm Klarna AB. Some 53% of respondents expressed concern about incurring credit card debt during the holiday season. …

The Federal Reserve Board’s proposal Wednesday to make a 31% reduction in the main component of its debit card interchange ceiling for large issuers touches on a longstanding sore point among merchants and has already sparked a spirited debate in the payments industry. Merchant groups, long riled by debit card …

Mastercard Inc. posted strong third-quarter results of $6.5 billion in revenue, up 12% from $5.8 billion in the 2022 third quarter. The card giant’s net income of $3.2 billion increased 28% from $2.5 billion in the year-ago quarter. Mastercard cited cross-border payment volume growth of 21% in the quarter as one …

Debit cards are the most widely used form of payment, while credit cards rank a distant third, a new study from J.D. Power says. Some 78% of consumers use debit cards at the point of sale, followed by cash (74%) and credit cards (66%), according to the survey. Other forms …

Sending cash with birthday cards in the mail is risky, but now Hallmark Cards Inc.’s service with Venmo makes it easier and presumably safer. The new Hallmark + Venmo line of cards includes a QR code inside the card that recipients scan to receive the funds to their Venmo accounts. …