Earthport launches distributed ledger hub via Ripple
Cross-border payments and ACH operator Earthport has launched a distributed ledger hub, which it says will help banks to make cross-border payments cheaper and more efficient.
News
Amex, Jackson Hewitt Sweeten Pot for Consumers during Tax Time (Jan. 11, 2016)
The start of the New Year also means the start of tax season, and tax preparer Jackson Hewitt is sweetening the pot for current and prospective customers by teaming up with American Express to provide quicker refunds and $50 instantly.
ADP’s ALINE Payroll Card Integrates Apple Pay (Jan. 11, 2016)
ADP has announced that its ALINE Card is integrated with Apple Pay, making the Paybefore Award-winning card one of the first prepaid cards in the mobile wallet.
Investment Roundup: Square, Starling, Deposit Solutions (Jan. 11, 2016)
After a hot 2015, fintech investment is off to a strong start in the New Year. In recent days, U.K. digital financial services provider Starling Bank and European retail banking disruptor Deposit Solutions each landed new financing, while global asset manager BlackRock acquired at least a 5 percent stake in New York City-based Square.
PFS Expands Banking Services across Eurozone (Jan. 11, 2016)
As U.K. banks begin offering no-frills accounts that could compete with prepaid products, London-based prepaid specialist Prepaid Financial Services (PFS) is looking to elbow further onto traditional banks’ turf by expanding its banking offerings across the Eurozone.
Blackhawk Continues Gifting, Incentives Expansion with $120 Million Buy (Jan. 7, 2016)
The holiday shopping season may be over, but Blackhawk Network remains in a buying mood.
MasterCard, Wirecard Offer MasterPass to Singapore Cab Riders (Jan. 7, 2016)
Commuters hailing a cab in Singapore now can use MasterPass, MasterCard’s digital wallet, to pay their fares.
Smartphones Surpass Tablets for E-Commerce Sales (Jan. 7, 2016)
Smartphones accounted for 17 percent of online sales in the U.S. last year, beating out tablets, at 14 percent, according to the State of Retailing Online 2016, a widely cited annual report from Forrester Research Inc., Bizrate Insights and Shop.org, the e-commerce arm of the National Retail Federation trade group.
People’s Bank of China Revokes Prepaid Provider’s License (Jan. 7, 2016)
The People’s Bank of China (PBC), the country’s central bank, this week has revoked the license of Shanghai Chang Gou Enterprise Services, a prepaid card-issuing company, preventing it from selling prepaid cards, according to Reuters.
Samsung Promises More Web-Connected Devices in Push toward Internet of Things (Jan. 7, 2016)
Samsung, one of the world’s largest electronics companies, this week gave its latest boost to the so-called Internet of Things (IoT) by showing off Web-connected TVs and other products.
InComm Sets Down Roots in Austria with TibiDono Buy (Jan. 6, 2016)
Prepaid product and transaction services company InComm has expanded its European footprint with yesterday’s acquisition of TibiDono, a Salzburg, Austria-based marketing and gift card distribution company.
MasterCard Enables Payments via Refrigerators and Fitness Devices (Jan. 6, 2016)
MasterCard wants consumers to use its cards and payment network to buy goods through their refrigerators and fitness devices, going by announcements made this week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Two Lenders Settle Charges in $353 Million FTC Case (Jan. 6, 2016)
Two payday lenders have settled Federal Trade Commission charges over allegedly hitting customers undisclosed and inflated fees.
Industry Views: 2015 Game-Changers, Priorities for 2016
To kick off the New Year, we asked payments industry thought leaders to tell us what happened in 2015 that will most influence payments in 2016 and to discuss their hottest priorities for the next 12 months. Responses run the gamut from a combined Visa/Visa Europe to compliance, wearables and the impact of Chase Pay.
Orange, Groupama Banque Developing Mobile Bank (Jan. 5, 2016)
Orange’s new partnership with Groupama enables the French telco to offer banking services with the launch of Orange Bank while beefing up Groupama’s online banking business. The partnership also could lead to Orange acquiring a 65 percent stake in Groupama Banque.
U.K. Banks Offer Accounts with No Frills—or Fees (Jan. 5, 2016)
Prepaid could have a new competitor in the U.K. with several banks there opening their doors to consumers who weren’t previously eligible for accounts due to poor credit histories. The so-called “basic accounts” are being offered as of Jan. 1, by nine major banks, after an agreement in late 2014 between the U.K. government and the country’s banking industry that was part of a larger push by British authorities to expand financial access for the underbanked.
More Mobile Payments Come to Latin America (Jan. 5, 2016)
Latin American consumers will have more access to mobile payments through a deal between ABnote and MeaWallet. The move comes as more consumers in the region turn to mobile devices to access the Web.
Retail Gets Late Gift with Post-Christmas Rush (Jan. 4, 2016)
The 2015 holiday shopping season ended on a high note with a post-Christmas shopping surge fueled by a friendly calendar and shoppers looking to redeem gift cards in stores and online. Sales figures were higher than many observers expected after a somewhat sluggish start to the season—especially in the brick-and-mortar sector, which saw store visits plummet as consumers opted to do their holiday shopping on the Web.
Will Mike Tyson Bitcoin Wallet Be Champ or Knocked Out? (Jan. 4, 2016)
Will the recently launched Mike Tyson Digital Wallet for bitcoin users be crowned the champ when other celebrity-endorsed payments products have failed to take hold? Bitcoin Direct is banking on Tyson’s endorsement of its digital wallet to become as synonymous as former boxing champ George Foreman and his grill.
Walmart Adds MasterPass for Online, Mobile Checkout (Jan. 4, 2016)
Hot on the heels of its December Walmart Pay launch, retail giant Walmart is taking additional steps to speed up payments for shoppers. MasterCard announced today that Walmart will accept MasterPass in 2016 across its domestic online properties. The partnership suggests that even as retailers launch proprietary ways to pay, giving consumers more payment options will win out over exclusivity.
P2P: Poised for Growth?
With tech giants investing in P2P payments—and millennials driving usage—a promising niche may finally be ready for the mainstream.
Millennial Mashup: Young Consumers Mix GPR, Traditional Banking (Dec. 23, 2015)
Millennials continue to show high interest in GPR prepaid cards and other alternative financial services—but they’re not turning their backs on banks, according to a new report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s Payment Cards Center.
Closed-Loop Gift Cards Set for 6 Percent Growth this Holiday Season
Closed-loop gift cards appear poised for growth for the second consecutive holiday season after 2012 and 2013 declines, thanks in part to last-minute shopping and young consumers, according to a new report from Mercator Advisory Group Inc.
Idaho Ag Dept. First to Launch NIC’s eGovExpress Digital Wallet (Dec. 23, 2015)
Idaho’s Department of Agriculture is the first government department to launch the eGovExpress digital wallet developed by Olathe, Kan.-based NIC Inc., provider of official government Web portals and digital government services for more than 3,500 federal, state and local government agencies.
People on the Move: Diane Fulton, CPI Card Group Board of Directors
CPI Card Group, a global provider in financial and EMV chip card production and related services, announced that Diane Fulton has been appointed to the board of directors.
People on the Move: Mary McLeod, CFPB
The CFPB has announced that Mary McLeod will join the bureau as general counsel, upon the departure of Meredith Fuchs, current general counsel and acting deputy director, in early 2016.
People on the Move: Andrea M. Sharrin, FinCEN
FinCEN Director Jennifer Shasky Calvery has announced the selection of Andrea M. Sharrin as associate director for the agency’s policy division.
People on the Move: Mark Shifke, Green Dot Corp.
Green Dot Corp. has appointed Mark Shifke chief financial officer.
People on the Move: GlobalPlatform, Board of Directors
GlobalPlatform, an association which standardizes the management of applications on secure chip technology, has announced its board of directors for fiscal year 2016.
People on the Move: Andrew R. Toftey, Lindquist & Vennum LLP
Lindquist & Vennum LLP has hired Andrew R. Toftey to join the firm’s financial institutions practice.
People on the Move: Ian Cole, WorldRemit
Online money transfer service WorldRemit has announced the hiring of Ian Cole as group chief financial officer.
IFINTEC Finance Technologies Conference and Exhibition
IFINTEC Finance Technologies Conference and Exhibition will be held on 12-13 April 2016 in Istanbul, Turkey. IFINTEC is a dedicated conference focusing on banking solutions and finance technologies. IFINTEC is one of the biggest events in EMEA region in its category. Banking Technology, Finance Technology, Core Banking, Retail Banking, Universal Banking, Commercial Banking, Branchless Banking, […]
PayPal’s One Touch Attracts 10 Million Users (Dec. 22, 2015)
PayPal’s One Touch, a fledgling mobile payments tool that enables quick purchases, has attracted 10 million users since its April launch, just as other mobile payment programs strive for dominance.
Is Target Next to Develop Mobile Wallet? (Dec. 22, 2015)
Rumors are beginning to swirl around Target developing its own m-wallet, but like Walmart, the retailer says it’s still committed to MCX’s CurrentC.
As Threats Evolve, Cybersecurity Spending Surges (Dec. 22, 2015)
Global spending on cybersecurity will top $75 billion worldwide this year, 4.7 percent higher than 2014—and by 2020, the global cybersecurity market is projected to be worth $170 billion. The surge in spending is being driven by companies seeking to fortify their systems against the ever-evolving threat of data breaches and other cyberattacks. Government security initiatives and new legislation also have contributed to the upswing.
China Welcomes Apple, Samsung; Australia Says ‘Yes’ to Android Pay, ‘No’ to Apple Pay (Dec. 21, 2015)
Chinese consumers soon will have a sizable selection of m-wallets to choose from as the country is becoming awash with big players in the m-wallet space. Both, Apple and Samsung Electronics, late last week announced deals with China UnionPay. Meanwhile, the road continues to be rocky for Apple in Australia, where banks have agreed to work with Android Pay, but not Apple Pay.
FIS Launches FinTech Accelerator (Dec. 21, 2015)
Up to 10 startups will join the FIS fintech accelerator, giving those fledging companies a chance to learn more about the industry from seasoned professionals.
Study: more than half of US cards are EMV, but acceptance issues linger
As the issuance of EMV cards continues to grow, consumers are using their chip cards to buy sporting goods and pay for parking, according to new data from CardFlight.
Viewpoint: Prepaid Regulations Should Go on a New Year’s Diet
The CFPB needs to return to its original plans on prepaid regulations and put its proposed rules on a New Year’s diet. By issuing rules focusing solely on disclosure, the CFPB could issue guidance earlier in 2016 that would help consumers, prevent access disruptions, and potentially reduce the size of the landfill needed to for the mountains of noncompliant cards and marketing materials.
Cyber-security and operational risk converge, says study
Operational risk and cyber-security concerns are converging as a topic for risk managers, who also face a changing agenda resulting from the digital transformation of baking and financial services.
