With the aim of expanding the debit card's reach into the booming world of Web-based micropayments, the Star electronic funds transfer network plans to start testing PIN-less online debit payments within a few weeks. The test will run about four months and involves Solana Corp., which will act as an …

Rejected by many retailers, the point-of-purchase electronic-check code has one fan that really counts: Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer. Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart expects the last 300 of its approximately 3,400 U.S. Wal-Mart locations to go live with the automated clearing house payment option next Monday. Wal-Mart's push behind …

Electronic transactions using unique numerical identifiers to mask account and routing data are rising fast, and now the company behind the technology expects it will be commercially available for consumer payments in about a year. The Clearing House Payments Co. LLC says corporate users made 80,459 transactions in 2006 using …

Most banks report that their online-banking and bill-pay channels are experiencing no or only modest increases in fraud, according to a new survey from Boston-based research firm Aite Group LLC. But that's no reason to rest easy, says the researcher who oversaw the survey. Aite surveyed 21 of the top …

A survey released this week by a major trade association for corporate treasury officials raises an alarm about fraud in check and electronic payments and points to vulnerabilities in newer transaction channels, such as the Internet. “Payments fraud last year was pervasive and increasing,” says a report from the Association …

A well-financed startup company staffed by experienced card and marketing executives plans to launch in April an all-in-one, PIN-protected credit-debit-prepaid card with an acceptance cost that may resonate favorably these days with interchange-weary merchants: 0.50% of the sale. “One of our core tenets is to eliminate interchange altogether,” said Jason …

Two organizations that serve major U.S. banks are studying diverse mobile-payments projects around the world and hope to issue within the next 60 days recommendations for financial institutions to follow in this country. The effort, spearheaded by representatives of The Clearing House Payments Co. LLC and the Financial Services Technology …

The bank card networks are staking out major positions in the business of reloading prepaid debit cards, in a move that leverages their existing networks and could give a boost to efforts to bring electronic financial services to the underserved consumer market. At the same time, their entry into reloads …

Tempo Payments Inc., the PIN-debit alternative network for retailers, has signed another large gas-station/convenience-store chain to its issuing ranks. Tulsa, Okla.-based QuikTrip Corp. will offer a rewards card program in a phased rollout beginning in the second quarter involving 50 stores in an unspecified market, Tempo announced this week. Privately …

A startup processor on Monday launched a service intended to allow consumers to pay online merchants with cash. Retail Expansion Network Inc., Oakland, Calif., says its PaidByCash service will attract consumers who are reluctant to use credit cards online or who don't have bank accounts, and will be cheaper for …