Loyalty systems, rapidly adaptable mobile and e-commerce technology, and data-security applications are attracting lots of venture capital. Here’s a look into the minds of investors. Hint: They’re not too keen on NFC. Peter Lucas If you want to know what the next hot new company in the payments industry will …

Lauri Giesen The big retail growth is online and in mobile commerce, but ISOs looking to crack this market must be willing to clear some high technological and operational hurdles. During times of overall sluggish retail sales and low profit margins on basic payment services, many independent sales organizations might …

It was only a matter of time before mobile payments came to the parking industry. And no, the latest application doesn’t depend on near-field communication (NFC), a contactless technology that has been ensnarled in endless disputes between banks and mobile operators and is reportedly being eyed by high-flying players like …

P2P Books a Fast Ride on EFT Rails Thanks to new agreements involving two major electronic funds transfer networks, person-to-person (P2P) electronic payments are poised to get a whole lot faster. Under a deal announced in February, NYCE Payments Network LLC will offer CashEdge Inc.’s Popmoney person-to-person payments service to …

Trends & Tactics Android’s Edge in the Smart-Phone Skirmish The splashy news in smart phones last month was Verizon Wireless’s announcement that it will start marketing the iPhone, breaking AT&T Mobility’s long-held exclusivity on Apple Inc.’s popular device. But there was quieter mobile news that will be of greater consequence …

Many financial institutions that have jumped into remote deposit capture to reap fee income, or have shied away from it out of fear of risk, may be missing the point, according to experts who spoke this week at a conference on the subject. Instead, banks and credit unions should focus …

When eBay Inc. late last month announced it will no longer allow so-called third-party checkout services after June 30, 2011, the San Jose, Calif.-based online auctioneer’s policy shift attracted plenty of attention. Less noted was a decision, announced at the same time, to allow payment gateways other than PayPal to …

Recognizing that sloppy payment-processing software installations can lead to data breaches, Visa Inc. on Tuesday issued what it calls the top 10 best practices for secure software management. Visa is aiming the guidance mostly at third-party software vendors, integrators, value-added resellers (VARs), and others that sell or license card-processing applications …

Pressure from the down economy is pushing more online merchants to seek out ways of selling to overseas customers, creating an opportunity for startups like Adyen Inc., a Netherlands-based online payments gateway that announced this week it has started operations in the U.S. Gateways funnel payments for online merchants to …

The 20-year sentence imposed last week on Albert Gonzalez of Miami, the computer hacker who led the attack on Heartland Payment Systems, TJX Cos., and other major retailers, won't deter future data breaches, a security expert says. Gonzalez, leader of the largest hacking and identity-theft ring ever prosecuted by the …