Viewpoint: Important Changes to Canada’s AML Laws: Here We Go Again
A new Canadian bill proposes regulations on virtual currencies, cross-border MSBs, due diligence requirements, politically exposed persons and group-wide information sharing.
Worldwide
European E-Money License Could Grow Facebook’s Remittance Biz (April 14, 2014)
Facebook is putting the pieces in place to launch a money transfer service in Europe.
Illinois Payroll Card Legislation Moves to the Senate (April 14, 2014)
The Illinois House last week approved legislation that, if signed into law, might affect companies’ payroll card programs, beginning Jan. 1, 2015, when the new rules would take effect.
Heartland Grows School Payments with MCS Buy (April 14, 2014)
Payments processor Heartland Payment Systems has acquired MCS Software, a provider of school foodservice payment solutions at 4,000 K-12 schools across the U.S.
People on the Move: Nadia Dombrowski, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
Nadia Dombrowski has joined the payments practice at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP as a partner in the firm’s New York office.
People on the Move: Rick Oglesby, Double Diamond Group LLC
Payments industry consulting firm Double Diamond Group LLC has hired Rick Oglesby as senior research analyst and consultant of the recently launched Double Diamond Payments Research, a research division focusing on merchant acceptance trends and analysis.
People on the Move: David Dorman, eBay Inc. Board of Directors
eBay Inc. has announced the appointment of David Dorman as an independent director to the company’s board of directors.
People on the Move: Michael Manos, First Data Corp.
First Data Corp., an Atlanta-based payments processor, has appointed Michael Manos as chief technology officer, responsible for First Data’s global technology infrastructure.
People on the Move: Samir Zabaneh, Heartland Payment Systems
Heartland Payment Systems, a Princeton, N.J.-based merchant processor, has hired Samir Zabaneh as chief financial officer.
People on the Move: Nancy Ann Barnhart, JetPay Payment Services
JetPay Payment Services, a division of JetPay Corp., has appointed Nancy Ann Barnhart chief information officer.
People on the Move: Joel Leonoff, Optimal Payments
Optimal Payments, a London-based online payments and risk management provider, announced that President and CEO Joel Leonoff was named CEO of the year at the U.K. Stock Market Awards 2014 last month.
People on the Move: Corbin Simon, R&P Group
R&P Group, a Sioux Falls, S.D.-based payments industry recruiting firm, announced that Corbin Simon has earned the Top Producer Award (first quarter 2014) for the Sioux Falls area, from the U.S. Recruiting Network.
Breaking bit
Bitcoin is the poster child of the cryptocurrency world, but it’s not alone. Michael Mainelli and Bob McDowell take a look at the real-world implications of the rise of AltCoins
Market pressures force tech rethink on reconciliation
Global regulatory pressure and the shift to real-time processing are causing banks and major financial institutions to rethink how they handle reconciliation, according to a new report by financial research house Aite.
eBay Reaches ‘Détente’ with Investor Icahn (April 10, 2014)
eBay Inc. investor Carl Icahn has backed off his proposal for the online auction Website to spin off its PayPal subsidiary following discussions with eBay, of which he is a 2 percent owner.
FIS Solution Enables Banks to Compete with Alternative FSPs (April 10, 2014)
FIS wants to help banks in the pursuit of the coveted millennial consumer by focusing heavily on mobile banking.
MasterCard Sees Major Contactless Gains in Europe (April 10, 2014)
Contactless payments are spreading rapidly throughout Europe, according to new data from MasterCard.
Google Doubling Down on Wallet, Says Payments Chief (April 10, 2014)
Despite a somewhat bumpy rollout and several course-corrections, Google Wallet is here to stay, said the head of the tech giant’s payment division.
Improving data governance and ensuring data ownership
New regulations requiring financial institutions to increase the amount of data fields they have on their customer records and swingeing fines imposed when processes and data are found to be inadequate have triggered an increased focus on data governance.
U.S. Top Cop Warns of Digital Currency Dangers (April 9, 2014)
More federal regulations may be on the way for digital currencies after U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder told lawmakers of his concerns about Bitcoin and other digital currencies as potential tools for criminals.
Report: Merchants Want More Partners Amid Soaring Prepaid Sales (April 9, 2014)
Prepaid card sales at retail are on the rise, driven by the combined efforts of prepaid providers, processors, networks and merchants, according to a new report by Aite Group.
MPS/Chesapeake Expands Services with IPS, Jet Acquisitions (April 9, 2014)
M&A activity is on the rise in the payments industry, and the latest deal is in the card manufacturing and fulfillment space.
Firms still struggling with SEFs for swaps trading says IPC survey
Trading firms are still struggling with the Dodd-Frank requirement for certain swaps to be traded on registered Swap Execution Facilities. According to a survey conducted by trading communications vendor IPC Systems, 60% of survey respondents said the industry as a whole was behind on meeting the deadlines on SEF trading, though only 39% said their […]
BIAN adds business scenarios to banking IT standards framework
Standards consortium BIAN has released a new version of its industry standard framework containing more than 180 business scenarios including back-office, trade finance and sales.
La. Reps Favor Paper Checks over Prepaid Cards in Certain Instance (April 8, 2014)
As tax day approaches, the Louisiana House of Representatives yesterday approved a bill that would end the state’s Department of Revenue practice of automatically sending tax refunds on prepaid debit cards to taxpayers who don’t select a specific method for receiving their funds.
BofA Merrill’s Virtual Corporate Payments Platform Nearly Doubles Suppliers (April 8, 2014)
Virtual payment cards continue to gain ground in the B2B sector, with Bank of America Merrill Lynch announcing its ePayables electronic accounts payables platform has surpassed 100,000 enrolled corporate suppliers—nearly doubling from 56,000 enrolled suppliers two years ago.
paysafecard Adds Loyalty Program to Online Payments Account (April 8, 2014)
Payments providers of every stripe are seeking ways to increase customer loyalty. Austria-based paysafecard, which offers one-time use e-vouchers, now is rewarding customers who opt to use its online payments account, my paysafecard.
Startup Aims to Bridge Gap between Bitcoin and Offline Payments (April 8, 2014)
Often lost amid the regulatory and legal controversy surrounding Bitcoin and other digital payments is a somewhat more practical issue; it’s just hard to spend the stuff in the real, offline world.
Bitcoin: the indestructible currency?
Despite the high profile media scandals surrounding the demise of the Mt Gox exchange and the Silk Road trading website, Bitcoin is evolving rapidly and will soon present a better, more stable and accountable alternative to the fiat currencies most of us trust and use every day, according to Mark Lamb, chief executive of London-based Bitcoin exchange Coinfloor.
Equity markets “not broken” say TradeTech speakers
Despite the deep controversy created by Michael Lewis’ expose of HFT Flash Boys, global equity markets are not broken, according to a senior capital markets panel at Trade Tech Paris 2014.
Microsoft XP Support Ends, Sparking ATM Security Concerns (April 7, 2014)
Microsoft tomorrow will issue the final security update for Windows XP, a 12-year-old product the software giant says no longer suits the risks of today’s computing environments. But millions of computers worldwide are still running XP, including an estimated 95 percent of U.S. ATMs, experts say.
Proposed Canadian AML Changes Could Affect Digital Currency, FMSBs (April 7, 2014)
The Canadian government has proposed a series of amendments to the country’s money laundering legislation, including provisions to extend the laws to cover digital currencies.
Study Dubs Omnichannel No. 1 Payments Trend (April 7, 2014)
Payments are in the midst of some fundamental changes that will continually reshape the industry landscape for years to come, according to a new white paper from Vantiv Inc., outlining the top 10 payment trends to watch in 2014.
Surveys: Consumers See Value in Prepaid Cards; Banks’ Overdraft Fees Increase (April 7, 2014)
A majority of Americans view the features of reloadable prepaid cards favorably as financial institutions’ fees for checking account overdrafts have started to creep up, according to two recently released surveys.
New solutions for optimising cash in the retail industry
Managing cash in stores remains a major challenge for retailers – trapped cash hinders working capital management and is unavailable for investment, debt repayment or business expansion. But new ways are being developed to manage store cash …
Integrating the digital future
Balázs Vinnai, now with Misys, talks about changing banking and payments technology needs.
April 2014 Intra-day liquidity – a blessing in disguise
Intraday liquidity reporting becomes mandatory next January. It might just provide an opportunity to reassess the way banks approach risk.
EU Parliament Postpones Final Vote on Payments Package until After July Elections (April 3, 2014)
European Parliament today voted in a plenary session to accept the text of the revised payment industry regulations (PSD2 and MIF) that the ECON committee voted on last month.
MasterCard: Prepaid Up 40 Percent in APMEA (April 3, 2014)
MasterCard’s prepaid business is booming in Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa (APMEA), showing 40 percent growth in gross dollar volume in the regions for 2013, the payment network said today.
Comdata Eyes IPO (April 3, 2014)
Corporate payments provider Comdata Inc. is set to go public.
