After years of slow progress, business-to-business (B2B) payment conversion from check to electronics is accelerating. Significant new product developments and announcements from MasterCard, American Express, JPMorgan Chase and others, as well as developments in the use of ACH and wire payments, are contributing to a new sense of urgency in this enormous marketplace.

Glenbrook is taking its popular Payments Boot Camp format and applying it to the subject of B2B payments. The new workshop, called "eB2B Payments At The Tipping Point" will be an intense, two day workshop covering both the "basics" (how A/P and A/R interface with payments, how paper and core electronic B2B payments work) and the wide array of new products and services that are addressing this opportunity.

Payment card authentication solutions provider QSecure has announced that it has closed a Series C Preferred Stock financing round totaling $5 million led by QSecure's existing investors Allegis Capital, Worldview Technology Partners, Société Générale and UMC Capital.

Gartner has announced results from a survey of online US adults finding that $3.2 billion was lost in 2007 from phishing attacks with 3.6 million adults having been affected. According to Gartner, "thieves are increasingly stealing debit card and other bank account credentials to rob accounts — targeting areas where fraud detection is weaker than it is with credit card accounts."

American Express and First Data Corp. have announced the signing of an agreement whereby First Data will offer American Express Card acceptance as part of an integrated solution for small- and medium-sized merchants.

Anthony Ramirez writes for the New York Times about New York City's cab drivers and their disdain for accepting credit cards. The head of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance says "The whole technology is economically disastrous for the drivers."

Michael Barbaro reports on MasterCard's latest SpendingPulse report - which surprisingly shows "spending on women’s apparel dropped nearly 6 percent during the first half of the Christmas season". Meanwhile, Visa says it's expecting that "overall retail sales in the United States will recover as last-minute discounts and extended store hours attract value-conscious consumers."

• NACHA Announces New Member - Regions Financial Corporation
• BioPassword-Sponsored Survey Reveals Disconnect Between Consumer Fears About Identity Theft and Efforts to Protect Themselves
• Discover® Card Launches Redesigned Website
• Alliance Data Reiterates 2007 Full-Year Guidance and Provides General Updates on Business Trends
• ACI Worldwide Announces Establishment of Strategic Alliance With IBM
• Celent: Rethinking Small Business Payments: The Future Is Now
• Aite Group: Combating Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing: Evaluating Vendor Solutions
• Heartland Payment Systems Partners with Encore to Offer Merchant Loans