TextPayMe has a new website accessed via an Amazon.com subdomain URL that says its now "Powered by Amazon Payments". TextPayMe, still in beta, was one of the first person to person mobile payment companies to launch when it was initially introduced in December 2005.

The Payment Cards Center of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia has published a new Discussion Paper titled "Where Is the Missing Credit Card Debt? - Clues and Implications" by Jonathan Zinman, an assistant professor of economics at Dartmouth College and a visiting scholar with the Payment Cards Center.

Visa Inc. has announced "the completion of its restructuring, having received broad member approval for the series of transactions by which Visa Canada, Visa U.S.A. and Visa International have become subsidiaries of Visa Inc. Visa Europe will remain a membership association and will become a licensee of, and own a minority interest in, Visa Inc."

The Mobile Payment Forum has created a Mobile Marketing Task Force focused on stimulating consumer awareness and demand for mobile payment solutions, and to assist prospective m-commerce service providers and their partners.

The September issue of the First Annapolis Navigator is now available. This month's feature article is "The Addressable Market in U.S. Acquiring." Other articles include: "Internet Payments Acceptance Update", "Expense Diversity Among U.S. Acquirers", "Products & Services Dynamics", "Payments Revenues Continue Robust Growth" and "The Private Equity Effect".

The Payments System Research group of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City has published a research briefing titled "Mobile Payments in Japan, South Korea, and the United States" by Terri Bradford and Fumiko Hayashi.

Billeo has announced a strategic relationship with the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA), the largest association for community banks in the U.S.

APACS reported today that total card fraud losses on UK issued cards "increased by 26 per cent in the six months to June 2007 compared with the first half of 2006. This increase has been driven by a 126 per cent rise in fraud on UK-issued cards being used overseas. In contrast, domestic card fraud continues to fall thanks to chip and PIN, with losses at UK retailers down 11 per cent (see notes to editors and losses at UK cash machines down 57 per cent."

• Firethorn and CheckFree to Provide Arvest Bank Group Mobile Banking and Payments
• BBC: Visa fined for competition abuse
• Diebold Releases New ATM Depository Technology
• BancTec Delivers Advanced Exceptions Management Capabilities in Its PayCourier(R) Payment Processing Solution
• RSA Announces Information Risk Management Solution for the Financial Services Industry
• Metavante and Change Sciences Reveal How the Web Can Enhance HSA Potential
• Chockstone Serves Up Loyalty Program to Buffets, Inc.
• TransUnion Enhances International Analytic and Decision Services Team
• Kiplinger: How I Kicked the Credit-Card Debt Habit
• NTT DoCoMo Eyes Mobile Payments With Touch of Finger
• First Hawaiian debit card has 'Tap N Go' technology
• MasterCard Loyalty Solution Helps Fifth Third Build Relationships With Customers
• Visa and First Horizon Partner to Offer NFL Pro Bowl Sweepstakes
• CDGcommerce Announces Free Verified By Visa/MasterCard SecureCode Feature
• Cara Operations Partners with MICROS for the Largest Pay-at-the-Table Deployment in North America
• Reuters: American Express CEO seeks clearer card terms