In a blog post on the Official Google Checkout Blog earlier today, Google introduced the Android Payment Extension - a way to allow mobile merchants to quickly set up a store and accept payments via Google Checkout and Android.

The post describes the steps involved - as a merchant you signup for Google Checkout, create a webstore, list the items for sale in a Google Spreadsheet, and install the Android Payment Extension.

Once you're setup, at a craft fair, for example, you'd create a cart on your laptop based on what the customer verbally tells you they want to buy. You then click on the Checkout with Android button and the customer scans the QR code on your laptop using their Android phone - which takes them to the buy page where they can complete the purchase on their phone.

Seems to me this is yet another example of using optical (bar codes and mobile phone cameras) to leapfrog the grid lock that seems to exist re: other connectivity solutions.

Zuora has announced the release of Z-Commerce for the Cloud earlier this week at GigaOM’s Structure 2010 event in San Francisco. According to the company, "Z-Commerce for the Cloud enables the new business models introduced by cloud computing that enterprise customers now demand. The new solution is the result of 12 months of development with cloud leaders including Cloud Central, EMC, IC&S, Nu-b, Sun, Tata, and Zetta." READ MORE »

Seven players in the Near Field Communication (NFC) ecosystem, Ericsson, Gemalto, NXP, Oberthur Technologies, STMicroelectronics, Venyon, and ViVOtech have announced they are forming a MIFARE4Mobile Industry Group that will "enable its members to collaborate and work together to standardize and advance the uniform management of MIFARE™ applications on NFC-enabled secure elements, such as SIM cards, and mobile phones." READ MORE »

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• TechCrunch: Online Finance Startup Wesabe Heads To The Deadpool
• Fitch: Delinquencies Hit 17-Month Low for U.S. Credit Card ABS
• BusinessWeek: Fitch sees 10 percent yield cut from card rules
• Mitek Sets the Standard for Mobile Check Deposits
• WSJ.com: Big Win for Small Banks in Overhaul
• AuctionBytes: Amazon Acquires Woot - More than a Daily Deal Site
• New Mercator Advisory Group Reports: Social Networks and Consumer Payments:Disruptions Ahead! Or…The Games People Play and The Canadian Debit Market Warning: Content Under Pressure
• Citi and AT&T Team Up to Announce Bonus Savings to New AT&T Universal Cardmembers
• Network World: Heartland ramps up first end-to-end encryption
• Fiserv Announces BancStudy: Consumer Deposits Solution
• FreedomPay Makes Payments and Transactions Safe, Secure and Convenient for BSA’s 2010 National Scout Jamboree
• NYTimes.com: Practical Traveler - The Credit Card Choice - Miles or Points?
• Digital Transactions: PayPal Rolls out in-App Card Payments, Delays New-Market Thrust
• Chicago Tribune: Summer CTA riders swell travel times with cash
• PaymentsSource: Springbok Bankruptcy Filing Might Signal Rough Times Ahead For Prepaid
• Lending Club Selected as Mint.com Goals Launch Partner to Help Consumers Pay Off Credit Card Debt, Keep More of Their Money
• Two big challenges for mobile money: Highlights from the CGAP Technology Blog, June 2010
• FOXNews.com: With iPad Walls and Mobile Phones, It's the Bank of the Future
• FIS Announces Completion of Amendment and Extension of Existing Credit Agreement and Plan to Raise Additional Funds
• Regions Bank Launches Regions Relationship Rewards Program
• Visa Social Media Channels Help Extend Reach of Go Fans Campaign

Wells Fargo has announced the launch of new mobile banking applications for Android, BlackBerry, and Palm. Wells Fargo customers may choose the Mobile Banking services that best suit their needs from a menu of options on Wells Fargo's newly expanded Mobile Banking Resource Center.

"We are listening and responding to our customers by broadening our mobile banking services," said Arah Erickson, head of Wells Fargo Retail Mobile Banking. "Our goal is to make it even more convenient for customers to access their account information – anytime, anywhere – helping them save time and providing peace-of-mind. Wells Fargo Mobile Banking makes it fast, easy, and secure for customers to stay in touch with their finances.”

Headline News is brought to you by Glenbrook Partners and our PaymentsJobs.com job board - the best place to post your position openings for payments professionals!

• TechCrunch: Bling Nation Adds A Paypal Option To Cell Phone Payments
• USATODAY.com: Asia-Pacific region embraces use of credit and debit cards
• Bloomberg: Verizon Wireless Said to Start Offering IPhone in January
• Barclaycard US: New Choice Privileges® Visa Signature® Card Represents A Great Way for Consumers to Save on Next Vacation
• Digital Transactions: Consumer Payments Are Just the Start for an Ambitious FaceCash
• TransFS.com Releases PayPal Upgrade Calculator
• Portals and Rails: Managing risk in the ACH network: Minneapolis Fed study uses FedACH data to identify better benchmarks
• BusinessWeek: BofA, Wells Fargo Face Biggest Hit From Debit Cap, Moody’s Says
• New AccountNow(R) Gold Visa(R) Prepaid Card to be Issued by The Bancorp Bank
• ClairMail Named Best in Class Mobile Banking Solution by Leading Independent Research Firm
• BODUM® Selects GlobalCollect as Payment Service Provider for e-Commerce Platforms Worldwide

First Data Corporation and INSIDE Contactless have announced the introduction of a MasterCard PayPass contactless payment tag product. Based on INSIDE’s MicroPass payment platform, the companies say that "the new MasterCard PayPass mobile payment tag product offers a cost-effective solution for enabling mobile phones with contactless payment capabilities, and will be marketed and sold to MasterCard licensed financial institutions and card issuers." READ MORE »

Societe Generale and Obopay have announced they are teaming to bring mobile payment services to banked and unbanked customers in Senegal who have access to a mobile phone through Societe Generale de Banques au Senegal (SGBS).

According to the companies, "the new service, offered as "Yoban'tel by Obopay", is a carrier-agnostic, mobile money transfer and bill payment service that is available to all the people of Senegal with a mobile phone. This is accomplished by leveraging SGBS's current branches and opening up new channels of distribution for banking services through commercial partners including Credit Mutuel du Senegal, TIGO and CANALSAT HORIZONS. Users can enroll for a mobile payment service and load or pick up cash at designated locations throughout Senegal. They can also use the service to send money to anyone throughout the country, or to pay a bill." READ MORE »

Headline News is brought to you by Glenbrook Partners and our PaymentsJobs.com job board - the best place to post your position openings for payments professionals!

• FTC Obtains Court Order Halting International Scheme Responsible For More Than $10 Million In Unauthorized Charges On Consumers’ Credit and Debit Cards
• Insurance Networking News: Obopay Finds Focus with Mixed Model
• New Mercator Advisory Group Report: US Merchant Acquiring 2010: Consolidation at the Top
• Michigan - Stephen M. Ross School of Business: Can Companies Really Predict What We Like Online?
• Acxiom and Return Path Raise the Bar on Advanced Email Deliverability
• Do You Know Where Your Employee's Smartphone Is? New Unisys-Sponsored Research Shows IT Organizations Are Playing Catch-Up With Rapid Growth of Consumer Technologies in the Workplace
• BEMAS Integrates WiredCommute into PayDirect® System
• Bucks Blog - NYTimes.com: A New Way to Get Money for Group Events
• Consumer Reports Money & Shopping Blog: Target to offer its credit- and debit-card users instant 5% discount
• Carlson Marketing Launches Instant Rewards on Mobile Devices
• CGAP: G20 endorses nine principles for innovative financial inclusion
• YuuZoo Corporation Appoints Chris Taylor as New Global CEO
• Guardian Analytics Enhances Board of Directors
• Mocapay Selected a Red Herring 100 North American for 2010
• Sacramento Bee: 12 tips to reducing online payment anxiety
• BusinessWeek: Banks Need ‘New Business Model’ Based on More Capital, BIS Says
• InformationWeek: PayPal Allows Apps To Accept Payment
• Youth Cards Present a Marketing Opportunity, says Auriemma Consulting Group
• NRF Welcomes Conference Committee Approval of Debit Card Swipe Fee Fix
• TNS Helps Industry Strengthen Payment Transaction Security

Over on our sister PaymentsViews.com blog, Glenbrook's Russ Jones takes a look at "Pay with a Tweet" - the name of a new payment concept developed by an interactive advertising agency called Innovative Thunder.

A seller registers a URL with Pay with a Tweet that points to some digital content they want to sell, and attaches a tweet to the URL. When a potential buyer comes along, they just click on the “Pay with a Tweet” button which tweets the seller’s message from the buyer and then provides the buyer with access to the underlying digital goods.

Headline News is brought to you by Glenbrook Partners and our PaymentsJobs.com job board - the best place to post your position openings for payments professionals!

• Adam Lasnik: The blatherings of "Ultimate Rewards" by Chase = Insulting Rewards (marketing)
• Seeking Alpha: Discover Financial Services F2Q10 (Qtr End 05/31/10) Earnings Call Transcript
• New Consumer Agency Would Protect Families, Small Businesses, Taxpayers and the Economy
• PCWorld: NFC Sees Light at End of the Tunnel With Transit Projects
• Brattleboro Reformer: Welch seeks stronger credit card protection for businesses
• BusinessWeek: How Russell Simmons Out-Lobbied Big Banks
• Bennington Banner: Vermont Credit card law a swipe at bank fees -
• BusinessWeek: Lawmakers Agree on Wall Street’s Biggest Overhaul Since 1930s
• NYPOST.com: Debit cards' $20B issue Merchants, banks' bitter DC battle over swipe-fee cuts
• PayPal Blog: Update on PayPal X Services Pricing
• The Financial Services Club's Blog: Why banks should avoid the remittance markets
• Mobile Commerce Daily: US lags in mobile commerce despite strong consumer demand: Sybase
• Citadel Advantage: Barclays adds enhancements to its mobile banking service
• Fast Company: The Mango Store Lets You Bank Without Commitment
• NYTimes.com: Your Money - From Card Fees to Mortgages, a New Day for Consumers
• NYTimes.com: House and Senate in Deal on Financial Overhaul
• BusinessWeek: Visa Is to Blame for Debit-Fee Cap Plan, Discover’s Nelms Says
• WPXI Pittsburgh: Debit Or Credit? Target 11 Looks At The Difference
• AuctionBytes: Alibaba Buys Vendio Service for eBay, Amazon Online Sellers
• Sacramento Bee: Dan Morain: Visa can take credit for this sly bill

NACHA—The Electronic Payments Association has announced that its membership has approved a new rule on mobile ACH payments as part of the NACHA Operating Rules. The Mobile ACH Payments Rule establishes a framework for companies and financial institutions that are accepting, or intend to process, mobile-initiated ACH debit payments from consumers. READ MORE »

MasterCard Worldwide has announced the launch of MasterCard Partners in Prepaid – calling it "a new initiative to stimulate MasterCard’s collaboration with partners and customers around the world and drive growth in prepaid." According to MasterCard, the program "will focus on delivering innovation at a number of levels: in the sharing of global best practices, in thought leadership, in investments in partner growth; and in simplified interactions. The initiative aims to accelerate innovation and engagement to deliver the best prepaid solutions for the marketplace." READ MORE »

Visa has announced the launch of payclick by Visa - calling it "a new way to pay online, that is ideal for downloadable content such as music, games and movies. payclick was developed by Visa and Australian consumers are the first to experience this innovative transaction service." READ MORE »

Discover Financial Services has reported financial results for the second quarter 2010. The company said Discover card sales volume was $23 billion, an increase of 6% from the prior year. The net charge-off rate for the second quarter was 7.97% versus the previously disclosed expectation of 8-8.5%. The net charge-off rate for the third quarter of 2010 is expected to be between 7.5% and 8%.

TNS has published a new white paper by Frost & Sullivan titled "Card Data Security in an IP World".

"While a shift to IP based payment systems (from legacy systems) offers many advantages to businesses, it also presents a much more advantageous environment for cybercriminals to operate as the protocols are easily understood; they can easily remain anonymous on public IP networks, and maintain hundreds or thousands of simultaneous connections for malicious purposes such as Denial of Service, which can make payment networks unavailable for processing transactions."

The white paper is available for download here (registration required).

Headline News is brought to you by Glenbrook Partners and our PaymentsJobs.com job board - the best place to post your position openings for payments professionals!

• Digital Transactions: A Dedicated Code for Mobile ACH Is Still on the Table
• American Banker: Considering Mobile Payments? Some Hard And Soft Answers
• paidContent: How Paypal Can Help Save Media—And Itself
• Digits - WSJ.com: EBay Buys RedLaser, Hopes Barcode Scanning Encourages Selling
• WebProNews: Visa Launches its PayPal Competitor in Australia
• MoneyGram International and National Bank of Abu Dhabi Partner to Bring Convenience of Mobile Money Transfer Service to Consumers in the UAE
• Visa's payclick takes on PayPal for micropayments
• BankInfoSecurity.com: FinCEN Targets Prepaid Cards, Phones
• Wells Fargo Commercial Electronic Office Portal Marks 10-year Milestone
• WorkingPoint Connects Customers to Financial Institutions with Launch of Banking Integration Feature
• J.D. Power and Associates Reports: Large National Banks Outperform Regional Banks in Acquiring New Customers
• Mobile Commerce Daily: Walgreens revamps mobile site and app to improve on-the-go shopping
• Heartland Payment Systems® Installs E3 Terminals at 1,020 Merchants since May 24 Launch of Its End-to-End Encryption Solution

The Direct Response Forum has launched a new quarterly newsletter intended to help payments professionals. You can find it on the DRF website here. This issue has contributed articles on payment options, interchange fees, and fighting fraud.

TransUnion and ID Analytics have introduced a new credit risk score – ID Analytics Credit Optics Plus – that the two companies say "examines conventional measures of creditworthiness, willingness and ability to pay, in combination with a new dimension, stability, in a single solution. This powerful combination provides a 360-degree view of consumer behavior and enhances the predictiveness of credit decisions, often resulting in a performance lift for lenders." READ MORE »

A news story in today's Sydney Morning Herald caught my eye: "New software to beat credit card fraud". The story describes how National Australia Bank is rolling out new technology - called liquid encryption numbers (LEN) - developed at its Bank of New Zealand subsidiary to deal with card fraud.

Exploring a bit further, I found this BNZ page with more details about LEN. According to BNZ, "LEN updates the magnetic stripe security information on BNZ credit cards when a transaction is completed at a BNZ ATM. This technology allows us to automatically detect if your card has been copied or duplicated without your knowledge. " READ MORE »

The Federal Reserve Board has announced posting rules for a new same-day automated clearing house (ACH) service that will be offered on as an opt-in, same-day settlement service for certain ACH debit payments through the FedACH service effective August 2, 2010. According to the Fed, "FedACH customers may opt-in to this service by completing a participation agreement. The service will be limited to transactions arising from consumer checks converted to ACH and consumer debit transfers initiated over the Internet and phone." SameDay forward debit transfers will post to institutions' Federal Reserve accounts at 5:00 p.m. ET and SameDay return debit transfers will post at 5:30 p.m. ET. Details are in this Federal Register notice.

GDS Link has announced that is has been selected by RBS WorldPay to incorporate its DataView360 decisioning technology for better portfolio segmentation and merchant fraud identification. According to the company, "with DataView360, clients can implement and manage their fraud-based rules for several business functions, including screening for fraudulent transactions or generating knowledge-based questions and answers." READ MORE »

Headline News is brought to you by Glenbrook Partners and our PaymentsJobs.com job board - the best place to post your position openings for payments professionals!

• New PCI DSS Guide for Merchants
• Bling Nation Adds Pacific Region General Manager to Executive Team
• NFC World: 'We didn't mean all smartphones would get NFC', says Nokia
• Shift4 Corporation to Waive Start-Up Fees for Gift Card Services to New and Existing Customers
• FOXBusiness.com: Another Tech Casualty: Your Wallet
• FreedomPay surpasses 1,000 client milestone since launching its FreeWay™ Transaction Gateway in 2009
• Jerry's Subs & Pizza Boost Sales, Check Averages Using TakeOut Technologies
• ZDNet UK: Chip-and-PIN fraud gang jailed
• Compass Plus Launches TranzWare Mobile Banking
• SmartMoney.com: Does a Discount Make Target Card a Deal?
• CSP Daily News: Battle Won in Swipe-Fee War
• Felix Salmon: Competition in payments
• Zions Bank Chooses Trusteer Secure Browsing Services to Protect Customer Data Against Malware
• Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington Selects Heartland Payment Systems® as Exclusive Endorsed Provider of Payment Solutions
• Sydney Morning Herald: New software to beat credit card fraud
• Econsultancy: Q&A: Keith Brown of Paythru on mobile payments
• Chicago Tribune: Overdraft protection: Chase, Bank of America differ on overdraft strategy
• Fortune: One more worry for banks: Wal-Mart
• The News Tribune: Fraud a risk in frequent debit transactions
• NYTimes.com: Your Money - Debit Card Raises the Cash-Back Reward (Perk Street Financial)

In a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) entitled Amendment to the Bank Secrecy Act Regulations – Definitions and Other Regulations Relating to Prepaid Access, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has proposed new rules that would establish a more comprehensive regulatory framework for non-bank prepaid access. According to FinCen, "the proposed rule, which focuses on prepaid programs that pose the greatest potential risks of money laundering and terrorist financing, was developed in close cooperation with law enforcement and regulatory authorities." READ MORE »

RSA has publised a new security brief titled "Secure Payment Services: Card Data Security Transformed" which is available for download from their website. According to the company, "the new RSA Security Brief introduces a model for outsourcing credit card data security called "secure payment services." Secure payment services transfer safeguarding card information to outside service providers, improving electronic card data security while simultaneously reducing the time, complexity and cost of achieving PCI compliance for merchants."

Headline News is brought to you by Glenbrook Partners and our PaymentsJobs.com job board - the best place to post your position openings for payments professionals!

• NACHA: New Study Reveals Less than Three-Quarters of Employees Receive Pay via Direct Deposit
• BusinessWeek: Congressional compromise good for Visa, MasterCard
• Portals and Rails: Will the migration to mobile payments be tempered by potential money laundering risks?
• The Bankers Bank Selects First Data as its Preferred Internet Banking Partner
• Citibank Customers Get Account Updates Faster Than Ever With Citi® Text Banking
• The MasterCard Foundation Names Hutham Olayan to its Board of Directors
• Yodlee, Inc. Names Jim Frankola Chief Financial Officer
• Reuters: Payment processors offer rich pickings for PE firms
• Nebraska Franchisee for Qdoba Mexican Grill® Selects Mocapay To Advance Mobile Marketing
• Black Hills Corp. Selects WAUSAU Financial Systems as Receivables Processing and Enterprise Management Partner
• NetDeposit and CU Business Group Join Together to Provide State of the Art Solutions for Credit Unions
• NerdWallet "Swipe Fee" Survey Measures Consumer Reaction to Proposed Credit Card Amendment
• Vending Times: Bringing Cashless Vending Into Focus
• Microfinance News: Mobile Payment Expo: Understanding the Mobile Payments Landscape
• First American Provides Free, Customized Websites for ISO Partners
• GetDebit.com: Cards for Confidence: How the CARD act affects online shoppers
• NetBanker: Online Account Opening: Mango Financial Sweetens the Final Step
• NYTimes.com: Tentative Deal Reached to Limit Debit Card Fees
• Rupee Times: RBI votes for mobile banking drive led by banks
• Mobile Banking Usage to Double in the Next Three Years Reaching 400M People by 2013, Says New Juniper Research Report
• ZDNet: Asia rings in mobile payment numbers
• Consumers and businesses remain negative on the economy
• Six Flags Entertainment Names Discover “Official Credit Card” of All U.S. Six Flags Parks
• OffGamers Partners with GlobalCollect for Online Card Payment Processing Worldwide

I think there's a "sleeper" in this interchange legislation - see my post "The End of Interchange?" over on our PaymentsViews.com blog.

What do you think?

Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) has announced that an agreement has been reached with conferees on the Wall Street reform bill regarding his amendment regulating interchange fees.

According to Durbin's announcement, "the agreement makes minor, clarifying changes to the language which passed the Senate 64-33, and responds to concerns raised by state governments regarding their use of prepaid and debit cards distribution of government benefits." READ MORE »

The Electronic Payments Coalition issued a press release this afternoon in response to the proposed changes to Senator Dick Durbin's debit interchange amendment:

Senator Durbin has underscored his commitment to big box retailers and their bottom lines through his so-called compromise. The fact that he has to carve anyone out to provide 'protection' from his amendment gives some indication as to the damage this amendment will cause. Consumers will pay higher fees, lose rewards programs, and have limited choices for debit cards due to the disruption this amendment will bring to the economics of the debit card market. We will continue to fight to ensure that retailers do not succeed in their decade-long lobbying campaign to shift the cost of what they pay to accept cards onto the backs of consumers."

The NFC Forum has announced the winners of the NFC Forum Global Competition 2010: NEXPERTS and PharmaFabula

The NFC Forum Global Competition promotes the development and deployment of innovative and exemplary NFC services by both commercial and academic developers. The Commercial Track is for business ideas that address a specific market, business, or consumer need or want. The Research Track is open to the academic community, including university student teams and institutions. READ MORE »