It’s no wonder consumers are confused about debit cards these days, what with big banks discouraging use and merchants doing just the opposite. Influencing payments choices now calls for extra finesse, says Beth Robertson.   Javelin data shows that 70% of consumers believe that recent debit card regulations will actually …

In a move that could indicate a thaw in the long cold war between banks and wireless carriers in the mobile-payments business, the carrier-controlled Isis venture on Monday announced a trio of major banks are the first to sign on as issuers on its platform. Indeed, with the Isis wallet …

Virtual Currencies: Bust-Out Ahead? Witness the recent travails of the euro if you want proof of how hard it is for any new currency, even a physical currency backed by multiple governments, to attain and retain widespread usage and acceptance. The obstacles blocking the new breed of electronic currencies from …

The Fed’s lenient implementation of the Durbin Amendment’s debit rules has provoked a lawsuit by merchants. They’re right to sue, but their action may hasten the amendment’s repeal. by Eric Grover Merchants filed a righteous suit in November against the Federal Reserve, contending it didn’t implement the letter or the …

In the Age of Durbin, banks need a product to make them feel good about payments. Enter mobile remote deposit capture, a service with cool factor that could attract and retain customers and even generate new revenue streams. by Peter Lucas Is there anything a smart phone can’t do? It …

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The banks’ defeat on the Durbin Amendment—followed by their hamhanded efforts to recover lost revenue with explicit debit card fees—may have done more than tarnish their image with consumers. It may also have damaged their ability to deploy revenue-generating programs linked to debit cards, according to Beth Robertson, director of …

  Confirming its earlier signals that it does not want to be a direct U.S. merchant acquirer, at least not yet, Visa Inc. plans to sell its portfolio of just over 9,000 U.S. e-commerce merchants to merchant processor Global Payments Inc. within the next two months. Atlanta-based Global divulged the …

A Comeback for Credit Cards Online Thanks in part to debit card regulation, e-commerce shoppers in the next few years will reverse a recent trend away from credit, according to new research. General-purpose credit cards will capture 40% of online spending in 2011 and 2012, level with 2010, but that …

Bowing to feedback from small-business users, Intuit Inc. this week added the capability of accepting credit and signature debit cards to its QuickBooks Online product. The new capability allows users to accept Visa and MasterCard cards in addition to the existing ability to accept bank-account transfers through the automated clearing …