Digital Transactions Authoritative, insightful and timely information for payments professionals
Law-enforcement agencies and government regulators may be skeptical of, if not outright hostile to, the Bitcoin virtual currency, but at least a few investors have a different attitude. Witness this week’s announcement by BitPay Inc., a processor that provides Bitcoin services to merchants. Atlanta-based BitPay said it had raised $30 …
Read More »Search Results for: virtual card
Cover Story: Annual Field Guide to Alternative Payments
Our Guide spotlights how mobile payments and digital currency drive payments innovation. by John Stewart, Jim Daly, and Kevin Woodward Alternative payment schemes are becoming almost too numerous to count. A few months back, one payments-industry veteran listed all the mobile wallets he knew of and came up with about …
Read More »With MintChip for Sale, Can Digital Currencies Outlast S&H Green Stamps?
In the wake of Bitcoin’s continuing problems with price volatility and unstable processors, the future of virtual currencies got even cloudier over the past week on news that the Royal Canadian Mint plans to sell its MintChip digital-currency system. Rumors that MintChip was on the block had been circulating …
Read More »Trends & Tactics
Online Alternatives Go Mainstream With millions of people now using PayPal, Amazon Payments, Google Wallet, and other so-called online alternative payments, observers are starting to say that the term is rapidly becoming outmoded. In a February report, Javelin Strategy & Research says eight in 10 online shoppers used an online …
Read More »Cover Story: The Googleization of the Traditional ISO
Once known for mainly hiring sales people, the most innovative ISOs nowadays are on a hiring binge for techies. What’s behind this shift? By Kevin Woodward and Jim Daly \”Disruptor” is one of the favorite nouns in American business nowadays, so much so that it’s almost a cliché. But the …
Read More »Endpoint: Why PCI Is Winning
Don’t let all the latest data-breach news distract you from one overriding fact: PCI is securing more and more card data from hackers, says Bob Russo. Some in the security business amplify these breach episodes to disparage their competitors and leverage fear to generate new sales pipelines. Bob Russo is …
Read More »Burger King Has Its Way With a New Mobile-Payments and Loyalty App
It may perennially trail McDonald’s Corp. among the leading U.S. hamburger chains, but Burger King Worldwide Inc. is on track to take the lead in mobile payments. Miami-based Burger King this week said it plans to roll out a smart phone app offering mobile payments and digital-coupons beginning in April. …
Read More »Report Documents the March of Online Alternatives to the Payments Mainstream
Alternative payments? So many people are now using services such as PayPal, Amazon Payments, Google Wallet and others that the term is becoming outmoded. In a new report, Javelin Strategy & Research says eight in 10 online shoppers have used an online alternative payment service in the past year, and …
Read More »Cover Story: Bitcoin’s Bid For Acceptance
Merchants are starting to accept the fast-rising digital currency, including big names like Overstock.com. But for now Bitcoin’s volatility and other issues may outweigh its advantages for merchants and acquirers. By Peter Lucas “In response to Bitcoin’s rise in popularity around the world, Zynga, with help from BitPay, is testing …
Read More »Apple Bans Another Bitcoin Wallet, Stirring Protests But Perhaps Boosting Its Own Wallet
Apple Inc. removed from its vast mobile-applications market called the App Store the Blockchain mobile wallet for accessing the Bitcoin virtual currency, an action Blockchain claims will leave no native Bitcoin options for users of Apple’s iOS mobile devices such as the iPhone and iPad. Apple’s move quickly stirred protests …
Read More »