HML hires Turner to boost business
Specialist financial outsourcing company HML has hired Nigel Turner as its new chief commercial officer.
News
Information Mosaic makes Kunz chairman
Post-trade software company Information Mosaic has appointed Ulrich Kunz as non-executive chairman to help drive its ambitions to expand into analytics.
Google Powers Digital Coupons with Zavers (Jan. 22, 2013)
Jan. 22, 2013 Google Inc. is adding digital muscle to coupons with Zavers by Google, a paperless couponing system introduced earlier this month that enables consumers to capture coupons online and redeem them automatically through store loyalty cards, tracking their deals through a computer browser or any mobile phone. The system is designed to give […]
Telefónica Deutschland to Launch NFC Pilot (Jan. 22, 2013)
Jan. 22, 2013 Munich-based Telefónica Deutschland in mid-February plans to enable P2P funds transfers between its mobile phone service subscribers along with a new NFC pilot that will launch at the same time in Germany. The effort grew out of the mpass mobile wallet service, announced last year as a joint venture between Telefónica Germany, […]
PayNearMe Targets Small Billers with New Cash Payment Service (Jan. 22, 2013)
Jan. 22, 2013 Cash transaction network PayNearMe is taking its payment services small-time in a move the company thinks will pay off in a big way. The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based firm, founded in 2009 and led by CEO Danny Shader, has launched PayNearMe Express, a self-service version of its existing cash payment system, aimed at enabling […]
Synchology Entices Mainstream Consumers to ‘Jump’ into Prepaid (Jan. 22, 2013)
Jan. 22, 2013 Prepaid card provider Synchology is targeting a decidedly “banked” demographic with its new card offering, betting that attractive features and a simple pricing model can attract mainstream customers as an alternative to traditional bank accounts. The Jump Visa Prepaid Card offers cardholders rewards, money management and budgeting tools, free customer support and […]
Earnings Roundup: American Express, Gift Voucher Shop (Jan. 22, 2012)
Jan. 22, 2013 American Express Co. and The Gift Voucher Shop (GVS), the U.K.-based provider of the One4all multistore gift card, recently released financial results. American Express reported net income of $637 million for the fourth-quarter ended Dec. 31, a decrease of 47 percent, compared with $1.2 billion a year ago. Q4 net income was affected […]
Moscow reforms will “fundamentally change” Russian markets
The upcoming IPO of Russia’s Moscow Exchange on its own bourse is just one step in a titanic effort to transform Russia’s capital markets and attract attention from international investors – and it may not be the most important one, according to Serge Alexandre, electronic trading services at Russian broker Otkritie.
Flat outlook for salaries in financial services
Salaries for staff in London’s financial services sector are expected to remain flat, particularly among contract and temporary staff, according to the annual survey carried out by Morgan McKinley – but nearly a third of staff expect pay rises of 10%.
Squawker prepares for March debut with SIX Financial Information
Squawker, the start-up block trading venue headed by Christopher Gregory, has moved one step closer to its goal of providing a pan-European mid-point matching service for banks and brokers, following a deal between it and Switzerland’s SIX Financial Information this week.
Liquidnet’s Barker takes new role at Russia’s BCS Financial
Former Liquidnet Europe head John Barker is to take up a new role at Russian financial services firm BCS Financial Group, Banking Technology has learned.
Citi Launches Card Reader in India for Mobile Merchants (Jan. 21, 2013)
Jan. 21, 2013 As the U.S. and Western European markets for mobile card readers grow ever-more crowded, Citigroup is aiming to take a leadership position in mobile merchant acceptance in India. The bank this week announced what it describes as India’s first nationally distributed dongle, enabling merchants to accept credit and debit cards with a […]
WorldPay, Discover Expand Partnership for In-Store Payments (Jan. 21, 2013)
Jan. 21, 2013 Payment acquirer WorldPay US has struck a deal with Discover Financial Services that will enable WorldPay’s customers to accept PayPal in-store payments beginning this spring. Discover and PayPal announced an agreement last August under which PayPal account holders will be able to make payments at brick-and-mortar stores that accept Discover, using a […]
RBS to Leverage MasterCard’s Conferma Partnership for Corporate Travel Card Services (Jan. 21, 2013)
Jan. 21, 2013 Edinburgh-based RBS Group and MasterCard Worldwide today announced that RBS will be the first bank enabling its global commercial card customers to integrate MasterCard’s inControl platform with U.K.-based Conferma, which provides corporate travel booking and related services for companies around the world. The service grew out of a partnership MasterCard formed in […]
BillFloat, payleven Land Nearly $30 Million in Funding (Jan. 21, 2013)
Jan. 21, 2013 A pair of payment startups have received cash infusions from investors totaling nearly $30 million. San Francisco-based BillFloat, which provides small-dollar loans to customers for electronic bill payments, landed $21 million from Investor Growth Capital (IGC), with participation from Bronze Investments and previous BillFoat investors Venrock, FirstRound Capital and Baseline Ventures. As […]
Fed’s Triennial Payments Study Will Include Fraud Info for First Time (Jan. 21, 2013)
Jan. 21, 2013 The Federal Reserve’s Retail Payments Office (RPO) last week announced it will be conducting its triennial study to determine the current volume and composition of electronic and check payments in the United States, with new attention on fraud metrics. “While the Federal Reserve’s 2013 Payments Study will continue to build upon trend […]
Clearstream allies with Belgium’s Belfius
German central securities depository Clearstream has partnered with Belgian bank and insurance firm Belfius, to develop a new collateral service for bilateral trades, focusing on OTC derivatives and aimed at corporates and medium-sized banks.
LSE targets Latin American business through Peru deal
The London Stock Exchange Group has entered a partnership with Peru’s Lima Stock Exchange, in which the LSEG will provide trading and smart order routing technology to Peru.
ID theft drives fraud to new levels in UK
Identity theft soared during 2012, accounting for half of all financial fraud in the UK. This drove the level of account takeover frauds up by 53% during the year, according to CIFAS, the UK Fraud Prevention Service.
MiFID II faces national challenges
Proposals in Germany that would affect the country’s capital market structure could create problems of regulatory arbitrage when the European Commission’s MiFID II arrives in 2015-16, according to Mark Spanbroek, general secretary at the FIA European Principal Traders Association.
Nasdaq OMX expands and regroups technology business
Nasdaq OMX is to combine its market technology and corporate solutions businesses, in a move that it says will help the firm provide more transparency to customers and a stronger business proposition.
Headcount cull claims investment bankers
As job cuts continue to bite at some of the world’s largest banks and financial institutions, new figures from Bloomberg Industries reveal the scale of the cull driven by lacklustre macroeconomic performance in Europe, a declining stock market and tightening financial regulation.
Acleda Bank fuels Cambodian expansion with Temenos tools
Cambodia’s Acleda Bank has embarked on a massive programme of expansion in a bid to reach unbanked customers in the country, drawing on core banking technology provided by Swiss banking software company Temenos.
Swift’s Innotribe Challenge 2013 opens for entries
Swift has opened its Innotribe Startup Challenge 2013 for entries. The year-round competition is intended to introduce financial industry decision makers and early-stage investors to the “innovations and emerging companies that are poised to transform the industry”.
International clearers form ‘Liquidity Alliance’
An alliance between central securities depositories in Germany, Spain, Brazil, South Africa and Australia aims to tackle the expected global shortfall in collateral arising from tough new financial regulation.
VocaLink boosts strategy and business development with new trio
VocaLink, the international payment provider, has made three senior appointments in its strategy & business development division. Nick Millar joins as strategy and customer insight director, Jim Wadsworth as product development director and Phil Harrison as commercial director, alternative payments.
Settlement Reached in Florida AG Prepaid Investigation (Jan. 17, 2013)
Jan. 17, 2013 A group of prepaid card providers has reached a settlement in a Florida investigation over fee disclosures and what the state’s Attorney General said were misleading claims regarding credit. The investigation was launched in early 2009 into business practices of AccountNow, First Data, Green Dot, NetSpend and UniRush Financial Services, all of […]
Visa Joins Five Indian Banks and TSYS for Saral Money Launch (Jan. 17, 2013)
Jan. 17, 2013 Saral Money, a project India’s government launched in late 2012 to gradually extend basic financial services to India’s 400 million unbanked consumers, is gaining momentum through the participation of Visa Inc., five major Indian banks and payments processor TSYS, which is providing biometric technology to authenticate users who sign up for the […]
U.K. Mobile Payments System Set to Launch Next Year (Jan. 17, 2013)
Jan. 17, 2012 An industry-wide mobile payments service set to launch next year in the U.K. will enable users to send mobile payments using just their phone numbers and a password. Eight of the nation’s major banks, including Barclays, HSBC and RBS, have signed on to the program, which is being guided by the U.K. […]
Social Money’s SmartyPig Adds ‘OneClick’ Service to Purchase-Planning Tool (Jan. 17, 2013)
Jan. 17, 2013 Social Money Services is enhancing its SmartyPig tools enabling consumers to save for specific purchases with SmartyPig OneClick, which links to specific items on a consumer’s wish list from any e-commerce Website. Participants who set up a SmartyPig account can click on images of items they want to buy without leaving that […]
Earnings Roundup: eBay, U.S. Bancorp, JPMorgan Chase (Jan. 17, 2013)
Jan. 17, 2013 PayPal parent company eBay, JP Morgan Chase and U.S. Bancorp recently released fourth-quarter financial results. eBay Inc. reported net revenue of $4 billion for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, 2012, a 17.6 percent increase compared with $3.4 billion during the same period a year earlier. The San Jose, Calif.-based company also […]
French regulator raises temperature of debate in London
A heated argument that erupted between panellists at an event in London yesterday signals deep divides in Europe over the role that financial regulators should take as France and Germany introduce their own national rules.
Banks boost ICAP’s Traiana with $36 million investment
Interdealer broker ICAP has raised $36 million through the sale of a 12% stake in its Traiana post-trade processing and risk management business to a consortium of banks – Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Barclays, Citi, Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan, Nomura, and the Royal Bank of Scotland.
InComm, Giftango Deal Gives Both an Edge, Observers Say (January 2013)
January 2013 By Adam Perrotta, Assistant Editor Putting together a deal in the gift card business during the thick of the holiday shopping season is no easy feat—just ask Giftango Corp. CEO David Nelsen, who spent the final weeks of 2012 negotiating the sale of his company to Atlanta-based prepaid distribution and technology […]
Payments Council pushes mobile payments back another year
The UK Payments Council has announced that the introduction of its planned Mobile Payments Service has been pushed back until “spring 2014” – a year after its previously expected introduction, and two years after Barclays broke from the rest of the UK banks and launched its Pingit service. The delay comes despite commitments from financial […]
German HFT proposals earn buy-side support
Market participants have expressed support for controversial new proposals in Germany to control high-frequency trading, including a requirement to obtain a licence or stop trading.
Defaqto hires Patrick Gale as non-exec chairman
Financial research company Defaqto has appointed Patrick Gale as its new non-executive chairman. Gale replaces Rupert Pennant-Rea, who served as chairman for six years.
Prepaid Regulation Could Have Adverse Effects, Says Study (Jan. 15, 2013)
Jan. 15, 2013 Competition in the network branded prepaid card market has led to lower costs and better functionality for card users, says a new working paper from the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. The well-functioning market, combined with a lack of evidence that consumers are making errors when choosing a prepaid card, means […]
NCR Adds PayPal to Mobile Payment Menu for Restaurants, Retailers (Jan. 15, 2013)
Jan. 15, 2013 NCR Corp., eager to expand use of its mobile apps for restaurants and retailers, this week announced an agreement with PayPal Inc. designed to make it easier for consumers to manage their bills and pay for food using their smartphones when dining out. Duluth, Ga.-based NCR plans to integrate PayPal alongside credit […]
MasterCard Continues Africa Push with Equity Bank Partnership (Jan. 15, 2013)
Jan. 15, 2013 MasterCard has inked a deal with Kenya’s Equity Bank to issue new debit and prepaid cards over the next 18 months. The 5 million new cards will be equipped with PayPass contactless technology and EMV chips, and are set to roll out initially in Kenya, followed by Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and South […]
