CheckFree has announced the results of its most recent survey, "The Latest Consumer Billing and Payment Trends," conducted every nine months by CheckFree Research Services with The Marketing Workshop, Inc. and Harris Interactive.

VeriSign has announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase Needham, MA-based GeoTrust, Inc., a leading supplier of SSL and other solutions to secure e-business transactions, for approximately $125 million in cash.

It's a striking figure - at least to me! The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Go Direct campaign in a press release this morning urging signup for direct deposit reported that about 12 million people continue to receive their federal benefit payments by paper check -- putting them at risk in the event of a natural disaster or a major life change.

Glenbrook's Jim Salters reports on Employer Direct Pay, a new service recently introduced by Wells Fargo that enables small businesses to simply and conveniently initiate ACH payments to employees, contractors, and sales agents.

Experian has announced the next generation of its Knowledge-Based Authentication services platform that offers a broader array of authentication questions than had previously been available. The new questions are not related to credit topics and are not under the auspices of the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Will Wade reports for the American Banker on discussions underway among bankers, the Fed and NACHA exploring using the ACH to clear checks that have been imaged - leveraging the ACH networks ability to reach all banks. Glenbrook's Jim Salters also reported on "best clearing" in his report filed last week following NACHA's Payments 2006. conference in San Diego.

Giesecke & Devrient (G&D) has announced that has begun offering MasterCard issuers contactless payment cards and devices in smaller formats to be attached to key rings.

• Ladbrokes Selects CheckFree for Enterprise-Wide Reconciliation and Exception Management Solution
  
• SmartPay, China Unicom and Agricultural Bank of China Launch Mobile 'Toll Stations' in Anhui Province
  
• Interoperable Check Fraud Prevention Patent Granted to Advanced Software Design; Paves Way to Validation of Image Survivable Check Security Features at Any Point of Capture
  
• Comdata(R) Announces State of Texas as New Fleet Customer
  
• Gas Rewards: The New Frequent Flier Mile?
  
• Philippines: RCBC bares new remittance card with a MasterCard
  
• Vigilante Personal Protection Systems™ Introduces Biometric Fingerprint Access Control Door Lock Replacement System for Do-It-Yourself Market