On the web:

• French Bank and Carrier Team Up to Bring Mobile Payments to Market - NFC World
• Telefonica Digital and RIM Announce NFC payments Market Trial in Spain - FierceMobileContent
• 3G Direct Pay Ltd (Kenya) to Integrate M-Pesa and Airtel Money - businessdailyafrica.com
• Starbucks Launches Mobile Payments App in UK and Ireland - Marketing Magazine
• Google Engineer Shares 2012 Plans for Google Wallet - American Banker
• Orange expands Money services in Africa - Rethink Wireless
• Visa and Retailers Discuss Chip Migration - NACS Online
• Australian Taxis Now Take China UnionPay - People's Daily Online
• EU Weighs Need For Mobile Payment Rules To Attract Industry Investment - Bloomberg

On the wires:

• Top Card Issuer Takes Online Resources’ Collections Global
• Ink from Chase Enhances Rewards Program for Small Business Cardholders
• Facebook Adds SafetyPay as New Global Payment Option for Facebook Credits
• Skrill (formerly Moneybookers) Offers Skrill World Post

On the web:

• Mobile payments for Dummies (infographic) - VentureBeat
• FNB Debuts New 'Pay2Cell" Mobile Payments Service in South Africa - TechCentral

On the wires:

• IronKey Dramatically Reduces Online Banking Risk With Next Generation Multi-Layer Fraud Prevention
• PriceTravel Selects Accertify to Protect Its Online Travel Platform Against Fraud
• TSYS Extends Processing Services Agreement with Clearent
• New Mercator Report on Mobile Wallet Wars

On the web:

• Vodafone to Extend Android Billing Worldwide - Rethink Wireless
• Mobile On/Off Switch for Debit Cards Now in Testing - American Banker
• Are Cheques Really Here to Stay in UK? - ThisIsMoney.co.uk
• Why Kenya’s M-Pesa Won’t Work Anywhere Else - memeburn

On the wires:

• Frontier Airlines Selects Accertify to Provide Online Fraud Protection
• NYPAY Event: Alternative Payments & Disruptive Innovation - Where Will the Winners Come From?
• E-invoicing Made Simple: the IKB Leasing Group signs up with Crossgate
• TransFirst Acquires Solveras Payment Solutions

On the web:

• Monitise Gets Mobile Payment License in Nigeria - Banking Business Review
• Time Running Out for Third-Party Payment Firms To Be Licensed in China - China.org.cn

On the wires:

• Mobile Accord and Payfone Team Up to Expand Global Mobile Donations
• ElectraCard Services powers MasterCard debit and prepaid cards in Zimbabwe for FBC Bank
• Aryty.com Expands Free Mobile Top-Up Trial Program to 19 Carriers in 11 Countries
• TrustCommerce Welcomes JayStar Group as New Partner

On the web:

• Wells Fargo to Begin Charging Debit Card Fees - MyBankTracker.com
• M-payments are Vodafone's Biggest Business in Kenya - Rethink Wireless
• How a Google-Motorola Combo Could Be ‘Good News’ for NFC in the U.S. - Digital Transactions
• NYC Testing Mobile Payments for Parking Meter - PCMag.com

On the wires:

• TransUnion "Pulse Poll" Reveals Untapped Opportunity in Hospital Point-of-Service Collections
• peerTransfer Raises $7.5 Million to Help Streamline Edu Payments for International Students
• Jwaala and eWise Partner to Offer Secure Vault Payments to Members of MACU
• Cielo Deploys Nationwide Secure Payments Network with NewNet in Brazil
• Vindicia Launches New Marketing Capabilities for CashBox Billing Solution
• Mojang Partners With Skrill to Extend International Payment Options

On the web:

• Subway Launches NFC payments in U.S. - NFCNews

On the wires:

• ROAM Data Takes Number One Market Position for Secure Mobile Phone Card Reader Solutions
• HSBC Sells Its Card and Retail Services Business in the US to Capital One
• NCR Launches Bill Pay / SIM Card Kiosk for Telecom Providers in Middle East and Africa
• Sutherland Global Services USA, Partners With ElectraCard Services (ECS)
• Launch of PlayStation Network Card Supported by InComm
• Hypercom UK and Spain Acquired by Spire Payments
• New Aite Group Report on the Role of VARs/ISVs in Merchant Acquiring Market

On the web:

• Facebook Said to Be in Talks to Bring Credits to Mobile Browsers - Bloomberg
• eBay and PayPal Open Registration to Developer Program Conference - eCommerceBytes
• Transit Kiosks at MoMA - Art That Begs to Be Touched - NYTimes.com
• Man Sentenced to Death for Fake Money Scam - chinadaily.com

On the wires:

• Ceridian Stored Value Solutions (SVS) and Twitpay Offer Innovative Social Commerce Solution
• New Mercator Report on Merchant Acquiring Industry and the Mobile Opportunity
• Neural Technologies Implements Solution for Mobile Payments Fraud Management in Africa
• eMerchantPay Launches the eComm Module to Streamline Payment Processing for Online Retailers in UK
• FiServ Business Online, formerly eCorp, Delivers Advanced Functionality for Corporate and Small Business Banking

On the web:

• Mobile Payments: 8 Awesome Ways to Pay with Your Phone - TheNextWeb
• Pay-by-Phone Parking: No quarters, but Hidden Costs? - MSNBC.com
• Monitise brings mobile payments to Nigeria - Real Business
• Mobile payments: How safe are they? - The Oregonian
• Paymentwall’s In-Game Payment Options Gain a Good Following - VentureBeat
• In a Surprising Twist, Reloadable Prepaid Not As Durbin-Proof As Originally Thought - Digital Transactions

On the wires:

• AsiaPay Expands its Payment Services and Technologies to Malaysia
• Chase and United Unveil United MileagePlus Explorer Card
• FICO and Círculo de Crédito Bring Credit Scores to Mexican Lenders
• TxVia Completes Certification to Process Payment Cards Using the Discover Network

Visa has announced that it is acquiring Fundamo and entering into a new, long-term commercial agreement with mobile-money provider Monitise plc.

The combination of acquiring Fundamo and expanding the relationship with Monitise will enable Visa to deliver best-in-class mobile financial services and payments capabilities to consumers across the full spectrum of uses, geographies and mobile environments from basic services on simple handsets to more advanced services for smart phone owners.

South Africa-based Fundamo has more than 50 active mobile financial services deployments across more than 40 countries, including 27 countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. A related announcement from Monitise is also on the wire.

On the wires:

• VeriFone to Acquire South Africa Payments Solutions Provider
• Parkmobile and Liberty PlugIns Debut Pay by Phone Electric Vehicle Charging
• Telemundo Branded Gift Cards to Launch at Retail This Month via InComm
• New Aite Group Report on the Future of Merchant Acquiring

On the web:

• TechCrunch: WePay Adds Event Ticketing To Hassle-Free Group Payments Platform
• AllThingsD: Alipay Gets Its License to Operate in China
• PayPal Blog: PayPal Is Now a Payout Option for Developers Redeeming Facebrook Credits
• MIT Technology Review: What Bitcoin Is, and Why It Matters

On the wires:

• Ogone Brings Ethoca's Advanced Anti-Fraud Screening to 28,000 Merchants in Europe
• Mobey Forum Membership Increases as Industry Gets Serious About Mobile Payments
• Comviva Leads in Mobile Money and Recharge Solutions Across Growth Markets, With 92 Deployments Globally

On the web:

• ReadWriteWeb: Humble Barcode Scanning Could End Up Changing Your World
• AMEinfo.com: OneCard Enables its Users New Option to Buy Facebook Credits Directly
• NFC World: Turkcell launches commercial NFC payments with Yapi Kredi Bank (Turkey)
• Mobile Marketing Watch: 3 Reasons Mobile Payments Might Not Be Ready
• AllThingsD: Visa Says Mobile Payments Unveiling is Coming (This) Week
• telecoms.com: European Banks Issue Guidelines for NFC payments
• Wall Street Journal: Italy Telecom Operators Launch Joint Digital Payment Platform
• NYDailynews.com: Paper Purchase Receipts are Fast Fading from Daily Use
• Portals and Rails: United Front Needed to Prevent EMV Card Fraud from Picking Low-hanging Fruit

The Mobile Money Exchange has a great visual tool that nicely illustrates the proliferation of mobile money deployments around the world.

This tool was originally developed by the GSMA Mobile Money for the Unbanked team (covering the countries under their remit) and has been extended to include all worldwide mobile money deployments.

Western Union has announced that consumers can now send money directly to the mobile “wallets” of Safaricom M-PESA subscribers in Kenya from 45 countries and territories. 'The service rides on Western Union’s worldwide network and trusted global “hub” for processing cross-border remittances. It also builds on the unprecedented success of M-PESA, a domestic mobile money transfer service in Kenya offered by Safaricom that has attracted more than 13.5 million customers since its launch in 2007."

Dateline Nairobi -- MasterCard, Standard Chartered Bank, and airtel Africa have launched the world’s first virtual card that operates off a wallet residing on a mobile phone. "This innovative payment method known as airtel 1time Shopping Card will offer communities the opportunity for greater participation in the financial system as they realize the substantial benefits of mobile commerce. This single use shopping card will soon be available in Kenya and rolled out to markets across Africa, subject to regulatory approvals."

Headline News is compiled by Glenbrook Partners:

• Vindicia Wraps Another Record Breaking Year, Company’s SaaS Billing Solutions Continue to Outpace Competition
• Cubic to Test Open Payment Technology on PATCO
• CHARGE Anywhere Launches Mobile Payments in Nigeria with GPAY Africa
• Fathead Brings eBillme’s Secure Cash Checkout Option to Sports Enthusiasts

• Visa Blog: Visa CEO Joe Saunders On Debit Card Regulation

MasterCard has released its latest "Insights" report on online shopping in emerging markets.

The results of the index show the gap in online shopping is closing in the Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APMEA) region; last year we saw a huge spike with India and Thailand jumping in terms of their increasing ease of shopping online, bringing them close to numbers for some of the more mature markets like China, Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia. While scores in India and Thailand have stabilized since last year, this year we see a jump in markets like China and Malaysia.

Headline News is compiled by Glenbrook Partners:

• New Aite Group Report on Open Payment Platforms
• MoreMagic Solutions Provides the Technology Behind Voilà and Unibank’s Mobile Money Service in Haiti
• Secure Vault Payments Network Adds Checkgateway
• iQmetrix Partners With Bill Payment Processor TIO Networks

• TechCrunch: Fortumo lets Android Developers Offer In-App Carrier Billing via SMS
• Portals and Rails: Numbers don't back up fears about WEB and TEL
• Wall Street Journal: Banks Look to Prepaid Cards to Replace Lost Revenue
• New York Times: Gift Cards With Bells and Whistles
• TechCrunch: Google Bought Stealthy Mobile Payments Startup Zetawire

Headline News is compiled by Glenbrook Partners:

• New Aite Group Report on US Mobile Payments Market
• Moneybookers Group Rebrands to Become 'Skrill'
• Major Retailers Add PhoneFactor to Protect Credit Card Data
• Elavon to Market VeriFone’s PAYware Mobile Solution for iPhone
• UMB Bank to use ACH Alert To Protect Business Accounts from ACH Fraud (PDF)
• New VRL Financial Report on Prepaid in Sub-Saharan Africa
• AllTrust Networks' Check Database Now Available via Web Browser
• Voltage Security and PwC Form Joint Business Relationship for Information Risk Management
• PayPal to Use Axiomatics’ Intelligent Access Management Solution

• MIT Technology Review: When Mobile Phone Payments Go Social

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 »

Equity Bank and Safaricom have announced "an ultimate bank account that lets customers transfer money to and from their M-PESA accounts via their mobile handsets while enjoying other benefits that come with the bank account." Safaricom Chief Executive Officer Michael Joseph said “M-PESA is proud to launch another new initiative with our partners Equity Bank by offering a new service that will target customers who are looking for the convenience of a bank account that uses M-PESA as the tool to deposit money into their accounts. This is a great idea that will drive customers to save into their bank accounts and enjoy the benefits of having the value added services of both M-PESA and an Equity bank account."

An M-KESHO account will offer short term loan facilities as well as pay interest on mobile account deposits. Credit evaluation for loans will be based on scoring using 6 months of history of the consumers M-PESA balances. There is no application for to fill - the loan request is made by the consumer using the mobile phone.

For more information, see "M-PESA meets microsavings with Equity Bank deal in Kenya" on the CGAP blog.

In an article titled "Nokia, Yu and Obopay join region’s cash transfer market", Michael Duma writes for The East African that "Obopay has partnered with Kenya’s fourth mobile network, Essar Telecom Kenya (ETK) and mobile handset maker Nokia, to launch a money transfer services called yuCash — to be carried out under the Obopay platform."

Over on CGAP's Technology Blog, Olga Morawczynski, a doctoral candidate at the University of Edinburgh, writes about Kenya's M-Pesa and what most of us don't know about M-Pesa. She credits much of its success not to the usual suspects we've heard about but rather to Sagentia, a technology consultancy firm based in Cambridge. As often happens with innovations, it was the small dedicated team working with the two big players that provided the focus to get things done!

CGAP, a microfinance group based at the World Bank, has announced it is supporting WIZZIT Bank, a division of the South African Bank of Athens Limited, to deliver banking services to poor people in South Africa's small towns and rural areas. READ MORE »

In a story titled "M-Pesa success stirs banks’ fury as five million subscribers enroll", Washington Gikunju writes for Business Daily Africa about the success of mobile payments service M-Pesa in Kenya - saying that "Business Daily’s extensive interviews with M-Pesa users and commercial bankers has established that the system may slowly be evolving into Kenya’s biggest retail bank by all definitions —save for its official recognition as a basic money transfer service."

James Mbugua reports for the Nairobi Star that "four big local banks [in Kenya[ have formed an "ad hoc committee" to try and get M-PESA stopped." M-PESA, a mobile payments service offered by Safaricom, has been very successful - "The problem for the banks seems to be the extraordinary popularity of M-PESA. Launched in March 2007, it now has over 5,000,000 registered users and almost 5,000 registered outlets." [Editor's note: Hat tip to Dave Birch!]

In an article titled "Why Africa Is Banking on Cellphones", Mail & Guardian Online reports on the growth of mobile banking and how, for people in the developing world, the arrival of mobile banking -- or m-banking -- is potentially revolutionary.

"We wanted to offer something that would work," explained Mung Ki Woo, who heads Orange's m-payments division. "Instead of giving people a plastic card, why not use something many people already have: a cellphone? And instead of doing transactions at a bank branch, why not let people go to their local retailer to deposit and withdraw cash?"

Jack Ewing and Eliza Barclay writes for Business Week about the upcoming initial public offering of shares in Kenya's Safaricom - scheduled to begin trading on the Nairobi Stock Exchange on June 9th. Although not mentioned in the article, Safaricom is the home of M-PESA, perhaps the most successful person-to-person mobile payment scheme on the planet. (See more articles about M-PESA in the Payments News Archives.)

Al Hammond blogs on the NextBillion.net blog of the World Resources Institute about comments made at the recent Cairo conference on mobile banking and, in particular, the experience of M-PESA in Kenya. "The dominant use of M-PESA by Kibera residents is to transfer money home to their native rural villages, underscoring the importance of internal remittances in virtually all developing countries. ... M-PESA is competing successfully with more traditional means of remittances. Many users say the service is faster, safer-less chance of theft or "lost" money-and could be sent directly to their home village."

Craig Timberg writes from Johannesburg for the Washington Post about Brian Richardson, CEO of Wizzit, a South African company focusing on 'getting basic banking services to the world's poor.' Richardson's a believer in mobile banking - saying that 'mobile banking is far more compelling for the unbanked than for anybody else." I love Wizzit's tagline: 'With WIZZIT, you have your bank in your pocket.'

Wireless operator Orange is testing in the Ivory Coast a new money transfer system: Orange Money. Strategies Telecom & Media interviews Marc Rennard, executive director in charge of Orange’s operations in Africa, Middle-East and Asia. about Orange Money. As we've seen previously with M-PESA in Kenya, the mobile operators are focusing much of their mobile payments initiatives on markets where a large majority of the population is unbanked.