Despite an apparent willingness by the new chief executive of Visa U.S.A. to meet with merchant representatives on such thorny issues as interchange pricing, some observers say the bank card association's basic position toward the retailer community is unlikely to change. John Philip Coghlan, who took over yesterday as president …

BitPass Inc., which has relied on prepaid accounts since it began processing micropayments less than two years ago, is exploring a number of new payment options, including one that would allow users to pay spontaneously rather than from previously funded Bitpass accounts. In an e-mail survey it distributed last week, …

Consumers generally prefer PIN-based debit to signature debit, and are less frequently subjected by banks and merchants to fees for PIN-debit usage, according to a recent survey. At the same time, the number of banks offering rewards incentives to consumers for PIN-debit usage, already a small minority, is declining, says …

The huge theft of card data at processor CardSystems Solutions Inc., revealed last week by MasterCard International, has prompted litigation and drawn the attention of most of the state attorneys general, but at least one network-security expert cautions that more such incidents are likely. Indeed, he says, little is likely …

PayPal Inc.'s new payment technology for small and medium-sized merchants, introduced last week (Digital Transactions News, June 20), is aimed at boosting the online payment processor's market share with these merchants both on auction sites and through their own Web sites, PayPal executives say. The San Jose, Calif.-based company, a …

Retail Decisions PLC says the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued what it calls a “preliminary decision” that supports ReD's position in a patent dispute between the company and Mountain View, Calif.-based CyberSource Corp. U.K.-based ReD includes its U.S. unit, Retail Decisions U.S.A., Hazlet, N.J. The USPTO statement, which …

United Bank Card Inc. is introducing two new weekly-payout bonus programs for independent sales organizations and increasing payment frequency on a third incentive program to weekly, as well. The Hampton, N.J.-based acquiring processor says it has begun paying an incremental $30 to $40 to ISOs and sales agents for each …

PIN-less debit may be gathering momentum for online bill payments, but not all potential billers are convinced they should offer the payment method, which depends on the same networks that switch PIN-based debit transactions at the point of sale and at ATMs. Because it carries lower acceptance costs than credit …

The major breach of credit card account data revealed over the weekend, the latest in a string of such incidents over the past six months, may lead to tougher enforcement of data-security standards by the card companies, experts say. The breach, which exposed cardholder names, account numbers, and card verification …

In a move that furthers its strategy to expand payment processing beyond auction activity, PayPal Inc. is rolling out a new transaction tool designed to allow small and medium-size Web-based merchants to accept all forms of payment entirely through PayPal, apparently eliminating the need for gateways or other third-party processors. …