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 …

• Merchant processor North American Bancard Holdings introduced its Inovio Payment gateway service; NAB says Inovio’s name is taken from the word “innovation” and that the service, which includes a virtual point of sale and hosted checkout solutions, will open new markets for the company. • Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has changed …

Do competing acquirers run a significant risk if they ignore the way Square Inc. operates? Some experts are now saying they do, though you wouldn’t think so in the light of recent events. When 6-year-old Square went public in November, the result was bloody. On the first day of trading, …

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 …

  As more financial institutions offer cardless transactions, will they be a harbinger of broader mobile-wallet adoption? The introduction of cardless ATMs, which rely on a financial institution’s mobile wallet instead of a debit card to make an ATM withdrawal, could help further the adoption of mobile wallets and mobile …

• Braintree launched Braintree Auth as an invitation-only service in beta. The service streamlines integration of Braintree merchants with e-commerce platforms and eases the way for new payment methods enabled by Braintree, a unit of PayPal Holdings Inc. Braintree Auth currently processes payments on e-commerce platforms Bigcommerce, WooCommerce, and 3DCart. …

While many ATM operators know what hardware and software their fleets need to enable EMV chip card acceptance, most are waiting to fully upgrade until concerns about routing issues, chargeback rates, and continuing uncertainty subside, according to the 2016 ATM Channel EMV Readiness survey from the ATM Industry Association. Like …

There’s no turning back from the mobile phenomenon for financial transactions as a new survey finds that 41% of consumers use their smart phones to make bank transactions, such as person-to-person payments, paying bills, and making check deposits, up from 36% in 2014, says consultancy Mercator Advisory Group Inc. While …

• Starbucks Corp. said JPMorgan Chase & Co. by year’s end will issue a Visa-branded Starbucks reloadable prepaid card that will allow cardholders to earn Starbucks “stars,” or loyalty points, for purchases just about anywhere Visa is accepted; the new card is an extension of Starbucks’ relationship with JPMorgan Chase’s …

• Merchant processor Heartland Payment Systems Inc. announced an integration of its Portico Gateway with Computop Paygate in an arrangement that will give Heartland merchants access to international payments. Heartland is set to be acquired this spring by Global Payments Inc. in a $4.3 billion cash-and-stock deal announced in December. …