SRM Technologies has announced SRM Mobile Wallet, calling it "an advanced mobile payments software application." SRM says its Mobile Wallet enables users of cell phones or other mobile devices to pay for goods and services using the contactless payment systems already in place at over 45,000 U.S. merchants.

TowerGroup has announced new research that finds that, even though "long stalled by lack of adoption and a range of technical issues", mobile banking is finally coming into its own. "Banking over the mobile channel, especially when considered in the context of an evolution toward mobile payments, is now fast becoming a market mandate -- and is no less important than the dawn of Internet banking in the late 1990s."

CyberSource has release the results of its ninth annual CyberSource Corporation survey of eCommerce fraud - concluding that" U.S. merchants are succeeding in holding the fraud rate stable, but they are expending considerably more resources in the effort. Merchants estimate that 1.4% of their online sales will line the pockets of fraudsters this year-identical to last year-but much higher volumes spent in U.S. eCommerce means the dollar losses are approximately 20% higher The result: criminals will unlawfully carry off $3.6 billion in goods and services this year-up from $3.1 billion in 2006."

Digital Insight has announced that "more than 60 leading financial institutions have selected Digital Insight’s consumer Internet Banking solution since the online banking company was acquired by Intuit in February 2007. In addition, more than 8 million people, or approximately 10 percent of all online banking users in the United States, actively use Digital Insight’s consumer solution through its nearly 1,800 financial institution clients."

CheckFree has announced an expanded OpenChannel strategy for mobile banking and mobile payments that it says "is designed to support multiple technologies for delivering online financial services via mobile devices, including microbrowser-based wireless application protocol (WAP), text messaging (known as SMS for short messaging service), and device-resident applications. Financial institutions can choose from a full range of deployment options, including hosted, software-based, hybrid and flexible component models, to meet their specific needs."

In an article titled 'Gift cards may be losing their purchase power', Sandra M. Jones writes for the Chicago Tribune about prospects for gift card sales this holiday season. While most forecasts for growth in gift card sales are rosy, she cites a report from one analyst saying "one in four teenagers are already bored with gift cards and think they are a lame gift from people who have no clue what they really want."

This morning, with several significant mobile banking and mobile payments related announcements (see below), it seems like all is fine with the mobile payments world. However, in a post titled "Mobile Payments Stalemate", Brandon McGee of The Huntington National Bank writes on the Mobile Money & Banking blog about the seemingly zero sum nature of mobile payments economics - asking who's going to pay?

Ross Kerber writes for the Boston Globe about PIN debit vs. signature debit - noting that banks prefer debit card transactions to be signature debit because of the higher income they receive on those transactions. He then contrasts that with higher fraud on signature debit transactions and cites how some industry analysts are suggesting that banks are more focused on the higher fees than they are on minimizing fraud losses.

The GSM Association has announced that, over the next several months, 12 mobile operators will run trials of contactless mobile payment services in Australia, France, Ireland, Korea, Malaysia, Norway, The Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Turkey and the U.S. as a precursor to commercial launches.

AT&T has announced "the launch of a comprehensive, easy-to-use mobile banking platform that will enable consumers to view account balances and history, transfer funds and pay bills from their AT&T mobile handsets."

Visa has announced "mobile payment trials in Brazil, Canada and Malaysia based on the Visa mobile platform. The trial in Brazil is testing mobile remote payments, while trials in Canada and Malaysia will test mobile Visa payWave transactions at contactless acceptance locations."

• CheckFree Redefines the Online Banking Experience to Help Financial Institutions Build Profitable Recurring Relationships With Consumers
• US News & World Report: A User's Guide to Cellphone Banking
• U.S. Retail E-Commerce Sales in October 2007 Grow 19 Percent Versus Last Year
• MBNA Canada Bank Launches the Eco-Logique(TM) Credit Card
• Microsoft Shows How Banks Can Differentiate with Technology at BAI Retail Delivery Conference & Expo
• Gemalto Web-Services Enable Leading European Financial Institution to Launch Its Picture Card Program
• Gemalto to Provide NFC-SIM Platform for JCB's Mobile Contactless Payment Solution
• PNC Bank Extends Leadership In Eco-Friendly Development With Trademark Of 'Green Branch(R)' Term
• MasterCard(R) PayPass(TM) Technology Taking Canada by Storm
• Dynamic Card Solutions Launches First and Only Custom Debit/Credit Card Personalization Product for Financial Institutions
• ViVOtech Releases Commercial-Grade NFC Smart Poster Management Software Following Successful Field Trials Across the Globe
• Wachovia Offers Two New Online Services to Small Business Customers
• Technology Review: Smart Phone Suggests Things to Do
• VeriFone Partners with Opera to Bring Multi-Media Capable Browser Technology to Secure Retail Payments
• Wall St. Journal: Online Retailers Plan More Perks For the Holidays
• USA Today: E-retailers increase alternate pay options
• MACH to Provide Financial Clearing & Settlement Services to eBIZ.mobility
• Yahoo! Extends Global Mobile Leadership Through Nine New Partnerships With Mobile Operators in Asia Pacific
• Yahoo! Catalyzes the Mobile Ecosystem by Delivering Compelling Products and Services Designed for the Mobile Consumer

We have received news of the following recent management changes:

Chris Britt has been named Chief Product Officer at Green Dot where he will be responsible for all consumer-facing products and services, including prepaid debit cards, credit cards, gift cards and Green Dot Network cash acceptance. Previously, Britt managed Visa's General Purpose Prepaid Card product line.