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 …

  The pending acquisition of the processing business of NEBA (formerly the New England Bankcard Association), a Wakefield, Mass.-based bank card issuing and merchant-acquiring association, by processor Primax will mark the end of an era. Founded in 1969, NEBA is the last of the 12 original regional processing associations for …

The acquiring business has entered an age of disruptive change, but it will emerge all the stronger for it, argues Eric Grover. While individual acquirers and independent sales organizations are fragile, acquiring as a whole is anti-fragile. Eric Grover is principal at Intrepid Ventures, Minden, Nev. Reach him at eric.grover@intrepidventures.com. …

Peter Lucas The card networks’ gambit to rapidly accelerate EMV terminal rollout by waiving PCI compliance reporting for merchants is falling short. Sometimes what looks to be a great deal is not all it’s cracked up to be. Offers by the payment card networks to accelerate the U.S. deployment of …

How banks and credit unions handle card payments from mobile devices will determine whether they remain relevant in the battle for mobile payments, says Dave Keenan. Using integrated networks, banks can create a branded mobile-payments hub to enable consumers to make payments on their own terms across all channels and …

For even small businesses, a potential gold mine in customer information lies buried in the payments data that routinely flow in every day, says Rick Berry. Your customers may be shopping nearby or running errands in the vicinity, but when they suddenly receive your coupon or offer, they impulsively purchase …

The long war over interchange isn’t likely to end any time soon, which means its harmful effects will go on as well, says Eric Grover. The war over interchange will continue. Washington should stay out of it, playing the role of night watchman in payments, not central planner. Eric Grover …

They’ll gladly pay if financial institutions offer applications that allow them to generate new revenue, cut costs, and satisfy customers, says Sean Pennock. Being able to quickly create a significant return on investment for business customers is essential. This will give true meaning to the old adage, “Improve my business, …

Point-to-point encryption of card data has been a hot sell for merchant processors and vendors of security technology ever since the Payment Card Industry data-security standard (PCI) took effect in 2006 and especially after a spate of high-profile data breaches at merchants and processors not long afterward. Visa Inc., the …

PayPal Inc. on Wednesday said two more retail chains are rolling out PayPal acceptance in their stores. It also said its PayPal Here mobile-acceptance product, which it introduced in March, is now generally available to merchants in the U.S. and Hong Kong, markets where some 300,000 users have signed up …