Karen Epper Hoffman After a major failure several years ago, biometrics is enjoying a renaissance in payments. As usual these days, mobile has a lot to do with it. So does the fear of fraud. Think of it as an authentication trinity—what you have, what you know, what you are. …

Elizabeth Whalen Tech companies and processors are transforming tablet computers, notably Apple’s iPad, into mobile electronic cash registers of the future that do a whole lot more than simply payments. Four years ago—before the introduction of the iPad—Jason Richelson was trying to find a better point-of-sale system for his three-location …

Linda Punch Proponents say EMV chip cards with dynamic authentication could take a real bite out of card fraud. But what does this new technology mean for PINs? As the card industry rolls out so-called EMV contact and contactless chip cards in the U.S., the technology known as dynamic data …

Some billers have dismissed virtual cards because they assume the added interchange fees will increase their overall costs. Not true. Billers looking for a way to take payments through a multitude of channels while also controlling costs need look no further than the existing card infrastructure, argues Blair Jeffery. Blair …

Jane Adler Facing pricing pressures from new competitors in their traditional business, the wire-transfer companies are seeking new growth opportunities. New technology is highly disruptive to established markets, and the payments business is no exception. Consider recent developments in the traditional wire-transfer business. As technology and consumer demand change the …

Peter Lucas With big banks like Chase and Citibank aggressively promoting remote deposit capture, consumer demand for the product is skyrocketing. As a result, more and more banks are using it as a tool to acquire and keep customers. It’s been a long time since banks have had a customer-acquisition …

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Historically, the payments industry has ignored the fact that not everyone who shops online has a credit or debit card. With a handful of startups providing cash processing for online transactions, that’s no longer the case. By Karen Epper Hoffman No matter how much credit and debit cards have come …

n Bowing to an outcry of opposition, telecommunications giant Verizon Wireless cancelled a controversial $2 fee for one-time telephone and online payments just one day after announcing it. The carrier’s reversal came less than two months after Bank of America Corp. cancelled its enormously unpopular plan to charge some customers …

  By Karen Epper Hoffman   Next year may be the year of NFC. Then again, it may not be. In the meantime, a slew of startups have some alternatives to think about. Ever hear of Starbucks?       Near-field communication technology (NFC) may have taken a few strides …