This is year's Google I/O Developer Conference is the first to feature a track devoted to payments and commerce, including sessions on:

• Introducing In-App Payments for the Web
• Google Checkout: A Foundation For Payments
• Google One Pass: A simple, flexible, Web API for paywalls
• Integrating to eBooks: APIs to Sell and Read eBooks for Affiliates, Retailers and Device Makers

MasterCard has announced financial results for the first quarter 2011. Net revenue for the first quarter of 2011 was $1.5 billion, a 14.8% increase versus the same period in 2010. Worldwide purchase volume during the quarter was up 12.9% on a local currency basis versus the first quarter of 2010, to $545 billion. Cross-border volume was up 18.5%.

Press release, supplemental operating results, and an accompanying investor presentation are available on the MasterCard website.

WorldPay has announced that it is set to acquire Envoy Services Limited, a provider of alternative payment solutions to eCommerce merchants worldwide, for an undisclosed amount.

Established in 2005, Envoy is a UK FSA-regulated global payments service that offers single point access to popular local payment and collection services worldwide. The company provides international eCommerce merchants with the broadest coverage for alternative payment acceptance through a global network of over 200 local bank accounts and 40 alternative payment services as well as a leading fraud screening service. The company is headquartered in London.

Glenbrook's Jay DeWitt has been exploring the small-merchant perspective on deal-of-the-day services. He shares his thoughts on our sister blog, Payments Views, in a post entitled "Grappling with Groupon". "I think it’s great that small, local merchants can use Groupon to offer marketing deals and potentially attract new customers… but I also worry for them."

Vindicia has announced improved invoicing and hierarchical billing to support digital merchants in the enterprise software, Software as a Service (SaaS) and B2B markets.

Vindicia’s CEO and chairman Gene Hoffman, says, “CashBox has helped dozens of digital merchants increase customer lifetime value, recover lost revenue and improve their customer relationship management. This new version enables us to expand the reach of CashBox in the subscription-based SaaS and enterprise software markets, offering customer retention benefits to a company’s existing marketing and billing processes.

On the wires:

• Compass Plus Introduces TranzWare Online Universal Payment Gateway to Speed Interface Development
• NetSpend Selects Actiance's Socialite SaaS Platform to Ensure Compliance and Security of Social Media Channels
• Magellan Navigates to Merchant e-Solutions for Payment Processing Services
• GearHost Selects Host Merchant Services for Credit Card Processing
• FiftyOne Partners With DHL to Deliver Superior Global eCommerce Experience
• New Aite Group report on eCommerce Hosting Providers
• Fifth Third Processing Solutions Expands Suite of Security Solutions
• eBillme Delivers 50% Lift in Consumer Acquisition at Mwave

On the web:

• ReadWriteWeb: Google and Ingenico to Develop NFC-based Mobile Coupons
• Bank Technology News: Bulls Run Wild for Mobile Payments
• Rethink Wireless: Nokia Enlists Angry Birds to Drive NFC