Its long-term prospects for success are unclear, but the investment and cross-border payments partnership struggling wire-transfer provider MoneyGram International Inc. announced late Monday with blockchain-services developer Ripple Labs Inc. certainly produced a short-term bang by doubling the value of MoneyGram’s beaten-down stock. As part of the deal, Ripple invested $30 …

A common assumption among merchant acquirers and retailers is that merchants are the ones who ultimately are liable for network fines after a merchant’s data breach. But a recent decision by a federal appellate court that ruled against First Data Corp., the nation’s largest payment processor, sends a message that …

Visa Inc. on Tuesday furthered its ambitions to expand beyond card payments with the commercial launch of a cross-border network that leverages blockchain technology to help manage business-to-business transfers. The network, called Visa B2B Connect, starts out with coverage of more than 30 so-called global trade corridors and plans to …

A data-security services firm says it has spotted approximately 200,000 payment card numbers in online fraudster marketplaces stolen from a collections firm serving diagnostic laboratories, but it expects more to come up for sale later. Secaucus, N.J.-based Quest Diagnostics Inc. reported Monday that financial and other data on some 11.9 …

Fast, frictionless credit at the point of purchase, delivered via mobile apps, threatens to sideline banks. It won’t—if they look upon new fintechs as friends rather than foes. We increasingly use smart phones to make contactless payments and apps to collect rewards. And now, we use new and fast-growing short-term …

The ducks are lining up for U.S. contactless payments with dual-interface cards, but they’re not all in a row yet. Outdated POS terminals and certification issues still stand in the way. Forget the swipe, and even the dip. Tapping plastic cards is the wave of the future, in the eyes …

Six big networks control EMVCo, which in turn controls the global EMV standards. But merchants have ways to wield some influence. Within the fraternity of commerce, merchants have at times taken issue with directives set out by payments organizations. The most common differences usually center on pricing, but disputes about …

Fitbit Inc. said its smart watches and trackers with Fitbit Pay can be used to pay for transportation on seven major transit systems globally, as well as on the contactless OMNY system set for launch May 31 by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York City. Multiple law firms are …

Facing major consolidation among rival processors. Global Payments Inc. and Total System Services Inc. (TSYS) made it official Tuesday they are merging in an all-stock deal that values TSYS at $21.5 billion and will leave Global with 52% of the combined entity. The acquisition is expected to close in the …

POSaBIT, a point-of-sale services provider for cannabis retailers, said an analysis of “hundreds of thousands” of transactions at more than 120 California, Washington, and Colorado stores found that consumers belonging to a cannabis retailer’s loyalty rewards program had a 28% higher average ticket value and visited the store more frequently …