PayPal today introduced PayPal Mobile Checkout - it gives merchants a way to support mobile checkout on their existing web sites by providing PayPal users a way to easily activate and enroll to make online purchases from their mobile phones. Details here.

MasterCard has announced that it will introduce what it is calling the "MasterCard Worldwide Centers of Commerce program, a unique research effort to present bold new perspectives on the role cities play in linking and enabling commerce around the world."

A paper titled “The Power of Experience in Understanding the Underbanked Market” (PDF) issued today by The Center for Financial Services Innovation (CFSI) and sponsored by Key Bank concludes that "underbanked consumers want traditional financial services relationships."

Bank of America has introduced the Bank of America Accolades American Express card, calling it "the first premium credit card designed exclusively for Bank of America's affluent, wealthy and ultra- wealthy clients served through Premier Banking & Investments, The Private Bank of Bank of America and its extension, Family Wealth Advisors." In an article titled 'More Banks Go Black With American Express Cards for Wealthy", Valerie Bauerlein and Robin Sidel report for the Wall St. Journal on BofA's announcement - along with a similar product expected soon from Citigroup.

Discover Financial Services has announced an agreement with First Data Corp. to issue Discover Network payroll cards provided by Money Network Financial, a First Data Company. Money Network will issue the Discover Network branded payroll cards and handle card administration.

Duncan Graham-Rowe writes for the MIT Technology Review about Pay by Voice, a new payment service from Nick Ogden that uses biometric voice analysis to authenticate users. The article reports that "the biometric voice-print system behind Voice Pay was developed by Dublin-based Voice Vault" and the over 120,000 users have enrolled in the service since its launch about a month ago. Payments News covered the original announcement - then called Voice Pay - on April 30, 2007.

Arcot Systems has announced the ArcotID Flash client, "making strong two-factor authentication as easy for online consumers as watching a Flash movie."

PaySimple and Billeo have announced a partnership to address the business demand for online payment capability and the consumer demand for easy, online bill pay.

A new report from Aite Group titled "Mobile Banking Adoption Strategies in the United States" found that over 90% of 22 of the top US banks surveyed in March 2007 responded that the ability to provide greater convenience to their customers is an important or very important factor in the decision to roll out a mobile banking service. Nearly half of these banks view the service as a defensive response and are considering adding mobile banking to avoid being left behind the competition.

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