Poynt Co., a startup supplier of intelligent payment devices, argues so-called smart terminals should have a common operating system like smart phones do. And in the course of announcing a $100-million funding round last month, the Palo Alto, Calif.-based company also argued it should be the one to provide that …

Poynt Co., a startup supplier of intelligent payment devices, argues so-called smart terminals should have a common operating system like smart phones do. And in announcing a $100 million funding round on Tuesday, the Palo Alto, Calif.-based company also argued it should be the one to provide that OS. Investors …

Mastercard Inc. president and chief executive Ajay Banga says he’s “very, very optimistic” about the Secure Remote Commerce initiative to reduce clutter on online checkout pages. Banga’s comments came Tuesday morning as he reviewed Mastercard’s results for the third quarter, a period in which U.S. purchase volume rose 10.7% year-over-year …

With each week that passes, the so-called unified buy button concept introduced by the major card networks last month takes on more definition, but despite all the discussion, the idea of an online checkout shared by multiple payment networks remains too vague—and too futuristic—to suit some expert observers. “I keep …

By Kevin Woodward@DTPaymentNews When it comes to actively testing sensitive data networks for problems, only 23% of companies consider themselves as “very proactive.” This finding from a new Osterman Research Inc. survey of 126 companies representing thousands of employees arrives as the onslaught of breaches and malware continues to wreak …

As I see it, there are three main areas of vulnerability for merchant cash-advance (MCA) providers: 1. Incorrectly assessing the risk. What systems do you have in place for being able to analyze and manage your risk? Many MCA funders come into the market with six months’ runway and then …

Prepaid cards may find favor among younger consumers, one survey finds, while another reports prepaid card programs sport a wide range of fees. Also, armored-car company Brink’s has jumped into the prepaid card mix. Fees on 31 prepaid card programs surveyed by Bankrate.com are scattershot, with the types and amounts …

Security Notes Its roots are old and its practice common: Whether gift cards, concert tickets, or a retainer paid to your lawyer, the idea of paying ahead of receiving the intended merchandise, or the agreed-upon service, is implemented with great versatility. What drives this practice? The service provider surely loves …

Law & Regulation By Jill M. Miller and Andrew T. Hayner No, it’s not the CFPB’s proposed prepaid rules, at least not yet. Instead, issuers are increasingly grappling with a much older concern: state and federal escheat law. Recent headlines related to gift cards, gift certificates, promotional cards, stored-value cards, …

Endpoint The proposal would do some useful things, but that advantage is outweighed by its—and the Bureau’s—disadvantages, says Eric Grover. Rule by regulatory mandarins is not only unconstitutional, it suppresses payments competition and innovation, and consequently consumer choice and value. On Nov. 13, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released its …