n Merchant processors, banks, and independent sales organizations that process transactions for merchants with annual sales of less than $10 million—the vast majority of U.S. retailers—have added on a wide array of fees in recent years for items ranging from statements to monthly minimums to chargeback processing and authorizations. …

  n n n n n n n n n

  Bullish on the prospects of electronic wallets residing on smart phones equipped with near field communication (NFC) chips, leading point-of-sale terminal maker VeriFone Systems Inc. says that topline revenues from software, services, and equipment for NFC wallets could increase in the United States between $100 to $150 million, and …

  When news broke last month about a major card-data breach at Michaels Stores Inc., an arts-and-crafts chain, two things came to mind: 1) this type of fraud seems never to end, with Michael’s being just the latest in a long and somber line of retail and processor breaches; and …

  Linda Punch   So-called friendly fraud is hard to detect, hard to prove, and rising for some merchants. What are merchants, acquirers, and tech companies doing to reduce it?   It may be one of the most frustrating types of fraud encountered by a merchant. So-called friendly fraud—also known …

  Jim Daly   The odds may be growing that Internet poker and possibly other forms of online gambling will become legal. That would mean new transaction and revenue opportunities for payment processors.   Just say the words “online gambling” to payments-industry executives, and most run for cover. Next to …

  Kevin Barry   Finding another, unaffiliated PIN-debit network is now mandated by law, but it also makes sense strategically and tactically. Issuers must act quickly, though, to realize the full advantage of the move.   In the past, card issuers have largely partnered with debit networks and promoted authentication …

Google Inc.’s entry in mobile payments and marketing, which the online search titan unveiled last Thursday, swept many observers off their feet with its comprehensive roundup of key players but also left a number of crucial questions unanswered. Experts agree, though, that the uncertainty swirling around these questions only underscores …

  American Express Co. will step up marketing of its Serve digital payment system early in the third quarter, following encouraging results from a pilot in Eugene, Ore., says David Messenger, executive vice president of online and mobile, American Express. “We’ve done a market test in Eugene and got some …

Google Inc. on Thursday officially entered what is rapidly becoming a highly competitive sweepstakes for dominance in the nascent business of mobile wallets. The Web search giant announced it is working with four partner companies and some 16 retailers to offer consumers a payments-and-rewards system based on its Nexus S …