Cardholders in Mexico, not the United States, report the highest incidents of card fraud, according to a new report from Boston-based Aite Group LLC and Elkhorn, Neb-based ACI Payment Systems. Of the credit, debit, and prepaid cardholders surveyed in Mexico, where EMV cards are rolling out, 44% reported an incident …

Despite just 10% of U.S. merchant terminals being capable of accepting EMV chip cards today, 60% of all terminals likely will be EMV-enabled by 2015, according to a new report from Javelin Strategy & Research. Javelin also expects U.S. issuers will convert the bulk of their credit, debit, and prepaid …

With a major chip card standard bearing down on U.S. merchants, acquirers, and issuers, small merchants in particular could face tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars in annual fraud losses they are currently protected from, a processor executive argues. Patty Walters, senior vice president for merchant products and …

Open-loop prepaid cards are slowly but steadily gaining market share and now account for nearly 40% of the market, but closed-loop prepaid cards, especially gift cards, remain highly popular with consumers. The 9th annual study of the prepaid card market by Mercator Advisory Group Inc., released in August, shows volumes …

Linda Punch New authentication tools and other technologies are dimming the once-bright line between card-present and card-not-present transactions. Will the card networks take note of that trend any time soon? In an era of mobile wallets, tap-and-go, and other alternative payments using devices other than traditional cards and card readers, …

Jane Adler Visa and some card issuers are pushing signature authentication for EMV chip cards, but merchants prefer PINs. So who will win? As financial institutions slowly roll out smart cards in the United States while processors struggle to meet looming deadlines for acceptance, a heated industry debate over authentication …

Even though merchants accepting mobile payments are in the minority and mobile-payment volume is low, losses from fraud incidents for those merchants are higher than for non-mobile-accepting merchants, according to the fourth annual “LexisNexis True Cost of Fraud” study sponsored by content provider LexisNexis Risk Solutions and conducted by Javelin …

Jane Adler With a growing array of digital wallets, retailers are testing multiple strategies—all at once. When it comes to digital wallets, retailers are like kids in a candy store. Lots of sweet offerings are on display. But instead of picking a favorite, some merchants take one of each to …

The prepaid card market closed in on half-a-trillion dollars in load volume last year, new data from Mercator Advisory Group Inc. show. Volumes on closed-loop cards grew 14% and loads on the newer open-loop cards increased 24%, according to Mercator’s ninth annual study of U.S. prepaid cards. In all, Maynard, …

The rapid insinuation of tablets into the retail point of sale took another big turn this week when Revel Systems Inc., a San Francisco-based startup, unveiled an iPad-based POS system designed for supermarkets. The new system has already been adopted by Marty’s Markets, a Pittsburgh grocery store, and another half …