Our list this year showcases some of the most interesting innovation going on in payments. As we put together this year’s Guide, we were struck by the sheer breadth of innovation the 37 entries that made this year’s list represent. Yes, much of this technology has to do with mobile …

Peer-to-peer payments are taking center stage as banks, processors, and tech companies roll out new ways to displace cash. But will providers cash in? The headlines mostly tell of the problem-plagued EMV chip card rollout in the U.S. or wishfully hope that mobile payments will finally catch on with consumers …

A handful of arcane mathematicians way back in the 18th and 19th centuries aspired to invent a useless mathematical theory that would shine for its beauty alone, unstained by practical applications. It was called number theory, and it stood useless and shining until late in the 20th Century, when this …

MasterCard Inc. in the three months ending March 31 posted its biggest increase in processed transactions in two-and-a-half years, thanks to strong U.S. volumes and growth in many, if not all, other markets. The No. 2 payment card network Thursday reported its processed transactions totaled 12.6 billion in the first …

As online shopping continues to grow, consumer anxiety about the security of the payment card credentials on e-commerce sites remains a top concern. Some 48% of consumers want more assurances about their online shopping security, finds a survey released Wednesday by Tender Armor. The survey of more than 1,000 consumers, …

With financial institutions, merchants, and software application developers all looking for better online security than that afforded by the traditional, static user name and password, the Fast IDentity Online (FIDO) Alliance’s brand of authentication products is starting to get traction. The Mountain View, Calif.-based industry consortium reported Monday that 150 …

Jolted by some shocking failures over the past several months, the mobile-acceptance market is fast shedding its early euphoria. What are the prospects for mPOS now? As boardroom dramas go, it seldom gets more compelling than this. In February, news suddenly emerged that Powa Technologies Ltd., a high-flying London-based startup …

Acquirers and financial institutions can put consumer and merchant affinity for smart phones to work for them when trying to comply with anti-money-laundering and know-your-customer regulations. Smart-phone activity, whether it’s purchasing behavior, location habits, or personally identifiable information associated with the wireless carrier account, can be used to vet the …

Online and mobile-authentication technology provider Jumio Inc. filed for bankruptcy protection and put itself up for sale Monday, but the Palo Alto, Calif.-based firm expects to live on thanks to support from Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin. Saverin, an early equity investor who has injected at least $23 million into Jumio …

Biometric security has gained enormous momentum since my first warnings on this subject several years ago in this column. By now, millions of us have surrendered our biological patterns, exposing our fingerprints, facial features, palm layouts, irises, ocular vein structures, even our heartbeat patterns. And once this information is out …