PayTech
Next Bank Madrid reveals Spain’s strongest startups
Next Bank Madrid has chosen the finalists for a competition that seeks to find the best financial services startup companies from the Spanish and Portuguese speaking world.
Unlocking the mobile wallet
Speakers at the Digital Services Conference hosted by Informa in London on Tuesday expressed frustration at the lack of progress made by mobile wallets in the UK and called for more innovative solutions to bypass the impasse.
Industry Views: Card Manufacturers Talk EMV (June 2013)
Although the network EMV liability shift is about two years out, card manufacturers already are consulting with their U.S. issuing clients to help them make decisions now about how they will approach the transition to EMV. First and foremost is the decision on when to begin, then which cards in their portfolio should have priority. […]
2013 Paybefore Awards Europe: Most Innovative Prepaid Solution (June 2013)
Most innovative network branded, closed-loop or RAN prepaid or emerging payments program. Best in Category: Bratislava City Card First-to-market integrated prepaid solution loaded with municipal and commercial advantages for residents that includes open- and closed-loop applications. First Data Slovakia’s capital of Bratislava pulled off a great technological leap forward with the introduction of a […]
2013 Paybefore Awards Europe: Breakout Company of the Year (June 2013)
The organization that stood out from the crowd in 2012 to make a positive, game-changing difference in the prepaid and/or emerging payments environment in the U.K. and Europe.
Apple Airdrops More Clues about Its Payments Aspirations (June 2013)
By Bill Grabarek, Senior Editor Reading between the lines of announcements from Apple Inc. to anticipate the technology titan’s next moves not only keeps analysts busy and consumers guessing, it has spawned entire Websites devoted to scrutinizing everything the company says and does. This isn’t to imply Apple doesn’t excel at effective self-promotion, but the company […]
Shared UK payments infrastructure faces uphill struggle
Financial services observers have expressed support for the UK Payments Council’s new roadmap – but serious concerns remain about the viability of the proposals, which are backed by the UK government as part of a drive to improve services for consumers.
2013 Paybefore Awards Europe: Outstanding Mobile Wallet or App (June 2013)
The in-market mobile wallet or mobile application that (1) provides end users with value-added features and/or enhances payment capabilities, user decision-making or loyalty, and (2) provides retailers with a strong value proposition. Best in Category: O2 Wallet Open to customers of any bank or MNO who want to shop, send money, compare prices and receive […]
Company on the Move: Banking Up, formerly Plastyc (June 2013)
Plastyc Inc., a New York City-based prepaid debit card provider, recently announced it is doing business as Banking Up. The name change was in conjunction with the launch of Banking Up, a personal finance platform enabling banks and businesses to provide customers with an alternative to traditional checking accounts. Plastyc, which announced last year that […]
2013 Paybefore Awards Europe: Best Consumer Value in Prepaid/Emerging Payments (June 2013)
The prepaid or emerging payments program or product that delivers the best consumer value proposition for the combination of features, functionality, service and price. Best-in-Category: paysafecard paysafecard, an e-voucher with 16-digit PIN, is sold in 450,000 retail locations, bringing e-commerce to cash customers in 29 European countries at no cost to the customer. paysafecard group […]
2013 Paybefore Awards Europe: Best Incentive, Reward, Rebate or Loyalty Card Program (June 2013)
Best use of a business- or corporate-funded prepaid card to deliver incentives, rewards or rebates to consumers to promote their loyal behavior. Best in Category: Western Union MyWU Prepaid Card Rewards customers for their prepaid transactions by giving them faster money transfers and special offers. The Western Union Company The Western Union […]
2013 Paybefore Awards Europe: Best Gift Card or Voucher Program (June 2013)
Best use of a consumer-funded gift card/voucher or line of gift cards/vouchers. Best in Category: £5 for a £10 Starbucks Card eGift LivingSocial Deal Delivered nearly 65,000 Starbucks Card eGifts from Nov. 29-Dec. 1, 2012, powered by CashStar’s eGifting platform and LivingSocial’s local marketing engine. Starbucks LivingSocial CashStar CashStar, LivingSocial and coffee giant […]
Research: Consumers Clamor for Gift Cards All Year Long (June 18, 2013)
Gift cards continue to get high marks from consumers who like to buy them and receive them, according to research released today by the Retail Gift Card Association (RGCA), a trade association of closed-loop gift card retailers.
Taiwan Continues to Develop M-Payments with Far EasTone Pilot (June 18, 2013)
June 18, 2013 Far EasTone Telecommunications Co., one of Taiwan’s largest telcos, is launching a mobile payments pilot in cooperation with Far Eastern International Bank and MasterCard. The program, scheduled to begin during the second half of 2013, will use near field communication (NFC) technology and be limited to mobile payments under NT$3,000 (US$100.37), according […]
Amazon.com Inc. Is Extending Its Gift Cards to Facebook (June 18, 2013)
Amazon.com Inc. is extending its gift cards to Facebook. The Seattle-based e-commerce giant today unveiled Amazon Birthday Gift, enabling users to surprise their friends on Facebook by purchasing a digital gift card that shows up on the recipient’s Facebook Timeline on his birthday. The social media multiplier effect: Any other friend can add funds to […]
Blog: Physical and Digital Products In-Store Pack a One-Two Punch
By Thomas Cornelius, SVP, InComm Today’s consumers are constantly on the go—they’re busier, they multitask more and they have less time to get everything done. As a result, their shopping habits have changed. In fact, according to Forrester, more than 50 percent of in-store retail sales (approximately $1.2 trillion) are now Web-influenced. To meet the […]
Innotribe names New York contenders for Sibos showdown
Innotribe, the Swift-backed initiative to enable collaborative innovation in financial services, has announced the names of the five contenders from the US leg of its annual Startup Challenge to compete at Sibos 2013 in Dubai in September.
UK Payments Council plans shared payments infrastructure
The UK Payments Council has published a ‘payments roadmap’, which sets out the steps that could help to build up a shared payments infrastructure in the UK.
U.K. Payments Council Maps Plan to Create 10-Year Industry ‘Roadmap’ (June 17, 2013)
June 17, 2013 The U.K. Payments Council hopes to map the future of its nation’s payment infrastructure by creating a roadmap for the next decade, drawing broad input from government, business, charity and consumer groups, the London-based organization announced today. In “Payments Roadmap—An Initial Report,” the council outlined an approach to nurturing development of the […]
Payments validation in the cloud through new UK service
A new cloud-based payments validation, enrichment and account conversion service has been launched by UK start-up Apply Financial. Called Validate, the service enables banks, non-banking financial institutions, corporates and individuals transferring money internationally to check and validate that international payment details are correct.
Indian SMEs in crosshairs at Western Union and IndusInd Bank
India’s IndusInd Bank and Western Union have created a partnership designed to make foreign exchange and global business easier for SMEs in India.
Blog: With iOS 7 and AirDrop, Apple Moves to Kill NFC, Dominate Mobile Commerce
If you believe that Apple will support near field communications (NFC) on its next iPhone, it’s time to give up on that hope.
MoneyGram forges deal with Lebara Mobile for international money transfers
MoneyGram has forged a deal with European mobile telecom operator Lebara Mobile.
Stopping Tax Refund Fraud in Its Tracks (June 2013)
Strong customer authentication and account monitoring are keys to preventing tax refund/benefits fraud on prepaid cards. By Loraine DeBonis, Editor-in-Chief As identity theft increases in the digital age, fraud perpetrated with stolen identities has risen dramatically. And, tax refunds have become a target for fraudsters. Tax-related identity theft jumped more than 650 percent between 2008 and […]
“Disruptive” Spanish and Portuguese start-ups to showcase talent in Madrid
A new joint project between Spanish financial services project Next Bank Madrid and Swift’s Innotribe innovation wing aims to unleash the potential of Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American start-up companies in financial services.
