News


Senator Menendez Strikes at Prepaid Again

It’s almost become a holiday tradition for Senator Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) to propose prepaid legislation in December. His previous three attempts went nowhere, but this time he proposed his bill in November. Still, more pressing issues, such as spending and cybersecurity, may keep his measure on the back burner for now.

EU Fee Caps Effective Today (Dec. 9, 2015)

The European Union’s cap on fees banks can charge retailers for processing credit and debit card payments went into effect today, but there are some questions whether the measure will have the desired effect.

People on the Move: Sunil Gossain and Raji Soussou, InAuth

InAuth, a provider of solutions that help businesses limit risk, reduce fraud and enhance authentication within their digital channels, announced the addition of key staff and the opening of its European headquarters in London.

People on the Move: Almis Ledas, suretap

Digital wallet technology provider suretap has appointed Almis Ledas, an experienced executive in the Canadian mobility and mobile payments ecosystem, as its president.

People on the Move: Don Andrews, Venable LLP

Don Andrews, a compliance and risk management attorney with experience in regulatory enforcement and the corporate suite, has joined law firm Venable LLP as a partner in the New York City office.

CFSI, Core: Underserved Opportunity Grows to $138 Billion (Dec. 8, 2015)

Financially underserved Americans spent $138 billion in fees and interest in 2014, up 7.6 percent from the previous year, according to a new study from the Center for Financial Services Innovation and Core Innovation Capital. The survey results highlight the opportunity presented by the underbanked segment for financial services providers that can provide innovative solutions to help those consumers improve their financial security.

suretap, Enstream Testing Tap-to-Pay Service for Commuters (Dec. 8, 2015)

After adding a loyalty component to its mobile wallet last month, Canada-based suretap is working with mobile technology provider and sister company EnStream to test a program with the Société de transport de Montréal enabling commuters to pay transit fares using their mobile wallets.

CFPB Staffing, Fines up in Fiscal 2015 (Dec. 8, 2015)

The number of CFPB employees grew to 1,529 in 2015, from 1,443 the previous fiscal year, according to the agency’s financial report for the 2015 fiscal year, ended Sept. 30. The CFPB collected civil penalties totaling $183.1 million from 37 cases in 2015—a substantial increase from the $77.5 million collected in 2014.

Study: Global E-Commerce on the Rise (Dec. 7, 2015)

As the global e-commerce market surges to $2.4 trillion by 2019, 23 percent of this total is expected to come exclusively from mobile devices, according to a recent study by Worldpay. The results for prepaid are a mixed bag, with closed-loop vouchers/cards booming and network branded card e-commerce volume expected to decline.

Webinar: Coping with Consumer Complaints and CFPB Expectations (Dec. 2, 2015)

Deciphering how the CFPB handles consumer complaints—and ultimately decides to take action against a company—can be difficult. During a recent Webinar, Tristram Wolf, a Ballard Spahr associate and former CFPB attorney policy writer and investigator, joined colleagues in offering an inside look at the complaint process and tips for staying out of the CFPB’s crosshairs.

House Committee Applauds Mobile Payments Innovation (Dec. 2, 2015)

In a Congressional hearing yesterday, lawmakers examined the role mobile payments technologies are playing in disrupting traditional payments, paying particular attention to how mobile has increased payments security and enabled small businesses and underbanked consumers to access electronic payments.

U.K. Licenses Second Digital Bank (Dec. 1, 2015)

A new digital banking startup has received a U.K. banking license, adding another challenger to the growing ranks of financial services providers seeking to contest the dominance of established banks. Tandem Bank is just the second digital-only bank to earn a license from the Bank of England, following Atom Bank, which was licensed in June.

M-Payments’ Next Mission

The pressure to build scale rises with new competitors—Android Pay, Samsung Pay and CurrentC—joining Apple Pay in the emerging m-payments fray. Will consumers climb aboard? How they’re using m-payments so far, may tell the tale.

Trade repositories fall short warns CPMI-IOSCO study

Just under two-thirds of the world’s top nations in capital markets have now adopted international best practices, according to a new report on financial market infrastructures, but more work is needed on trade repositories.

Gift Cards, E-Commerce Drive Holiday Shopping

U.S. shoppers flocked to physical and online stores during the Thanksgiving weekend, with more than 151 million Americans shopping in-store and/or online, based on data from the National Retail Federation. The shopping frenzy is expected to continue, with Cyber Monday deals projected to drive 121 million U.S. consumers to shop online. Average spending per shopper was $299.60, and gift cards were especially popular, comprising a whopping 76.6 percent ($229.56) of that average total.

Visa Highlights Security Efforts during Peak Shopping Season (Nov. 30, 2015)

As consumers take to their computers and mobile devices in the hopes of getting great deals today and throughout the holidays, shoppers could fall prey to identity thieves and other scams. To thwart such crimes online and in stores, Visa has kicked off an educational campaign for issuers, merchants and consumers about the network’s security efforts.

ERPB Approves Instant Payments Plan (Nov. 29, 2015)

Instant payments are a step closer to becoming a reality in Europe, now that the European Payments Council (EPC) has submitted and received approval on its proposal for the design of a pan-European instant credit transfer framework.

Banks warned: digitise or die …

Retail banks often claim that customer service is their primary focus, but 75% of banks believe they haven’t concentrated efforts on improving it. Instead, annual reports focus on the financial results. Whether these two stories can become one remains to be seen, according to a new whitepaper by bank technology vendor Misys.

HP Enterprise wins RBS cheque imaging contract

RBS has awarded a contract to Hewlett Packard Enterprise for the implementation of a new image-based cheque clearing service in response to UK regulatory changes that require all cheques to be processed digitally by 2017, under HM Treasury’s Future Clearing Model.

No cloud please, we’re bankers

Despite predictions over the last few years that banks were just a heartbeat away from adopting cloud technology, only 1% of banks are actually running core processing in the cloud today, according to a new report by Temenos.

Market infrastructures must work with tech firms to combat cyber-threats

Financial market infrastructures must work with the “broader ecosystem” to improve the resilience of the international financial system in the face of “inevitable” cyber-attacks. The latest guidance document from the Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures and the International Organization of Securities Commissions – Guidance on cyber resilience for financial market infrastructures – looks to […]

San Francisco Suit Seeks Billions from Amex over Anti-Steering Rules (Nov. 25, 2015)

Following a federal court’s ruling earlier this year that American Express violated anti-trust laws by prohibiting merchants from encouraging customers to use alternate payment methods, San Francisco’s City Attorney has filed a lawsuit against the payments network, seeking billions in penalties and damages as part of a statewide consumer action.