Barclaycard and Diners Club International, a business unit of Discover Financial Services, have announced an agreement to enable the acceptance of Discover and Diners Club cards by merchants using Barclaycard’s payment acquiring services starting in early 2015. Merchants using Barclaycard’s payment acquiring services will be able to accept payments from Discover, Diners Club International and Discover Network partners cardholders.

“Diners Club International and Discover Network cards already are accepted at millions of merchant locations worldwide, and this agreement with Barclaycard will increase our presence in the UK, a key tourist destination for our cardmembers,” said Gerry Wagner, VP of global acceptance for Discover Financial Services.

“Not only will our cardmembers benefit from this increased acceptance, but Barclaycard Global Payment Acceptance merchants will find it easier to accept Discover Network and Diners Club International cards as method of payment, both in person and online.”

On the web:

• Lessons From the New York ATM Heist - Steptoe Cyberblog - "This case should be a wake-up call to anyone who underestimates the sophistication and determination of today’s cyber-criminals."
• QFPay, The Square of China, Is Processing Close To $400M Per Year - TechCrunch - "They have 30,000 merchants all over China and recently picked up funding from Sequoia China…"
• Ahead of I/O, Google Wallet Drops Plans to Introduce a Physical Card - AllThingsD - "The dumping of the physical card plan was certainly abrupt, since it had actually been built into the new update of Google Wallet..."
• Barclaycard takes on Groupon with 'daily deals' - Telegraph - "Barclaycard is aiming to stand above other loyalty and deals offers by offering this personalised service…"
• Cover Raises $1.5M From OATV And Others To Bring Uber-Like Payments To Restaurants - TechCrunch - "Users simply check in to a restaurant at the start of their meal, and when it’s time for them to pay the final bill, it’s immediately charged to their credit card."
• Lessons from the Mcommerce Summit: State of Mobile Commerce 2013 - Mobile Commerce Daily - "Why does engagement matter? Because it drives customer satisfaction, utility and value."
• It’s Official: Foreign Bitcoin Operators Servicing Texas Residents Must Obtain a Texas Money Transmitter License - Contrarian Compliance - "As of May 1, the state of Texas became the second US state to explicitly require foreign-located money transmitters (including Bitcoin exchangers and administrators) to obtain a state money transmitter license if their customers are residents of Texas."
• US Regulator’s Confusion Around Bitcoin Is Exactly Why No One Wants Them Involved - The Genesis Block - "To many people besides Mr. Chilton, bitcoin’s legal color is not as clear: bitcoin still lives in the grey area between a currency and a commodity…"

On the web:

• India: Oxigen ties up with NPCI to unveil instant remittance service OxiCash for unbanked people - TechCircle.in - "OxiCash is a mobile wallet service through which people can make money transfers to any bank and also receive funds using the IMPS (Immediate Payment Service) platform of the NPCI…"
• Google Wallet chief leaves the company - VentureBeat - "Osama Bedier, the head of Google Wallet is out, according to several sources."
• Gay Bankers, Once Silent, Speak of Progress — and Hurdles - American Banker - "No one should be afraid to come to work every day as who they are, and no one should have to check who they are at the door…"
• PayPal’s John Lunn reveals how online retailers are using consumer data to beat high street stores - The Next Web - "…find out which startups are helping online retailers to maintain this market dominance, and what physical retailers should do next to fight back."
• Why mobile wallets alone will fail - Cyriac Roeding (shopkick CEO) - "The problem with mobile payments is that payment isn't a problem in the shopping world."
• Off The Schneid - AVC - "I've led a new venture investment for USV, which closed a few weeks ago and was announced last night. The company is Coinbase and my blog post announcing the investment is on the USV blog."
• Purchase, Deposit, and Bank from a Smartphone with Paidpiper - Programmable Web - "Paidpiper represents a new player to the field with a slightly different value proposition over some of its competitors."
• CardFlight Partners With Stripe And Launches SDK To Become The ‘Stripe Of Real-World Payments’ - TechCrunch - "Enter CardFlight, which is launching with an encrypted, Square-like card reader of its own, as well as an SDK and APIs that will allow developers to create apps and take “card-present” payments on their mobile apps."
• EMV Takes Center Stage on Day Two of THE Tech EVENT - Convenience Store News - "Several speakers stressed in today’s standing-room-only session that EMV is a set of guidelines, not standards."
• Prepaid Cards for Jobless Benefits - The Members Group - "…42 states in the U.S. now direct deposit monthly unemployment benefits to out-of-work consumers on reloadable prepaid cards…"
• Discover Card's Email Balance Alert is a Thing of Beauty - NetBanker - "The message is nicely laid out with plenty of white space and it's chock full of links to get more information."

On the wires:

• MasterCard to Power Nigerian Identity Card Program - "This program is the largest roll-out of a formal electronic payment solution in the country and the broadest financial inclusion initiative of its kind on the African continent."
• Wells Fargo Adds Bankers, Launches New Secured Credit Products to Help More Small Businesses - "Wells Fargo’s new Business Secured Credit Card also helps new businesses establish and rebuild business credit…"
• Tabbedout and Future POS Expand Partnership to Bring Unrivaled Merchant Marketing Solution to All Future Fusion Merchants - "This new partnership means that the Tabbedout merchant marketing solution, Periscope, is now available in the 4,000+ Future POS merchant locations that use the Future Fusion software in their restaurants, bars, and hotels…"
• Elavon Names Simon Haslam President and Chief Executive Officer - "Simon’s experience and passion for growth and innovation make him the best individual to lead Elavon as we continue to extend our global reach and the value we deliver to our customers."
• Barclays Uses Nuance Voice Biometrics to Identify Customers by the Sound of their Voice - "No longer will customers need to answer intrusive security questions in order to verify their identity. By simply speaking with an agent, a customer’s voice is verified using Nuance voice biometrics technology, making the authentication process quick, secure and transparent."

On the web:

• China's UnionPay Payment Network Launches Its First Card Issued in the U.S. - WSJ - "The UnionPay prepaid card will be sold online and in bank branches in major U.S. cities..."
• Mobile Commerce Isn’t Just About Payments - ZDnet UK - "When consumers get added value from their purchase transactions, their mobile phones become not only their conduit into the digital world, but also a kind of concierge, simplifying their lives."
• CBA's clever Kaching ambitions - Business Spectator - "By enabling so many types of payment through a mobile phone, Commonwealth Bank is teaching its customers that if they want to make a payment – in any situation – they should use the Kaching app."
• Starbucks generates 10pc of US revenue from mobile - Mobile Commerce Daily - "Every week, Starbucks is seeing close to four million mobile payment transactions…"
• Chip cards are fundamentally flawed - The Bankwatch Blog - "Sometimes when I read the debates on chip, PIN and EMV I feel I am listening to the Flat Earth Society."
• Future of payments does not need Mastercard or Visa - banking chief - HumanIPO - "The “gorillas” of Mastercard and Visa will in the future no longer be needed because of the direction of banking and payment solutions in the cloud…

On the wires:

• Barclaycard Germany Signed Multi-Year Contract for Debit and Credit Cards with Gemalto

Google says its 'Save to Wallet API for Payment Cards' is now live, with both Discover and Barclaycard US the first to let their cardholders directly insert their cards into the Google Wallet. The blog post has some good screen shots. Barclaycard's companion announcement is here.

On the web:

• Barclaycard PayTag looks to boost mobile payments - TechRadar
• India implements Government e-payment Gateway - Banking & Payments Asia
• How the iPad Is Disrupting the Point of Sale - ReadWrite Mobile

On the wires:

• Bank Freedom Teams with FIS Mobile
• MoneyGram Increases Send Capabilities in Mexico with Addition of CI Banco

Barclaycard US has announced the Barclaycard Ring MasterCard card, "the first social credit card to be designed and built through the power of community crowdsourcing. Driven by the influence of an online community of cardmembers, the new card will offer a low interest rate, low fees, simple terms and the opportunity for cardmembers to shape and share in the product’s financial success."

More information is a available on the Barclaycard Ring website. This video illustrates the concept.

Isis has announced that Chase, Capital One and Barclaycard have entered into agreements to enable their credit, debit and prepaid cards to be placed into the Isis Mobile Wallet.

“Today’s announcement is testament to the vision and commitment of Chase, Capital One and Barclaycard to make mobile commerce a real and positive experience for their customers,” said Michael Abbott, CEO, Isis. “Mobile commerce is more than a new way to pay; it’s about extending the relationships consumers enjoy with their banks and merchants into a powerful and convenient new form factor.”

Barclays announced that it has launched Europe’s first person-to-person service for sending and receiving money using mobile phone numbers.

Antony Jenkins, Chief Executive, Barclays Retail and Business Banking said: “Barclays Pingit could revolutionise the way people send and receive money. For friends splitting the cost of dinner, repaying a borrowed £10 or people sending money to a son or daughter at university, it’s free, quick, convenient, secure, and easy to use. You can send and receive money in seconds, without having to enter account details.

The Barclays Pingit service will be available to current account customers of all UK banks and building societies, not just those with Barclays current accounts. Full details are at http://www.barclays.co.uk/pingit.

Cartera Commerce and Barclaycard US have announced a strategic partnership to reward Barclaycard customers for their shopping purchases.

“The pressure for card issuers to deliver more value to their customers has never been greater. We’re delighted to partner with Barclaycard to help proactively meet this challenge by making it easy for Barclaycard customers to earn rewards faster with card-linked offers,” commented Tom Beecher, President and CEO of Cartera Commerce. “When Barclaycard customers realize they can now earn merchandise or a dream trip faster than before by shopping with participating merchants, their loyalty credit card moves to top of wallet.”

According to an update in the Wall Street Journal online, "Verizon Wireless, AT&T Inc. and T-Mobile USA will formally announce their joint venture to create a mobile payment network, which will be financially backed by Barclays PLC (BCS) and Discover Financial Services (DFS), as soon as Tuesday, according to people familiar with the situation. The joint venture will be lead by Michael Abbott, formerly chief marketing officer at General Electric Co.'s (GE) GE Capital division. Discover and Barclays will also officially announce that they are participating in the venture. A formal announcement can come any time between Tuesday and Thursday."

Headline News is compiled by Glenbrook Partners:

• Barclaycard and Barclays Announce One Millionth Contactless Transaction in UK
• Zuora Raises $20 Million in Series C Funding Led by Redpoint Ventures
• Incomm and Sanrio Digital Partner to Launch Prepaid Gaming Cards for Hello Kitty Online
• PayPal Helps Shoppers Buy Gifts with Peace of Mind this Holiday Season

• TechCrunch: Square Now Processing Millions Of Dollars In Mobile Transactions Every Week
• Portals and Rails: Proposed rule targets cross-border wire transfers
• Macworld: Using the iPhone as a cash register
• Forbes: Names You Need To Know in 2011 - Square

Barclaycard has announced the launch of Barclaycard SmartPay, designed to help European retailers compete with domestic retailers in foreign markets by increasing support for local payment methods. "Developed in partnership with Adyen, it will revolutionize cross-border eCommerce by offering a simpler, seamless payment experience to consumers."

Barclaycard US has announced an exclusive multi-year agreement with the National Football League to market credit cards bearing the NFL shield logo and the logos of each of the 32 NFL clubs.Fans may obtain these credit cards from Barclaycard starting in September via the web, at stadium displays, through in-bound telephone applications and via email and direct mail invitations." READ MORE »

Be sure to check out Barclaycard's rollercoaster video - featuring contactless payments. (I always loved that song by Boston! - and it's great in this video!) Is contactless cool?

And, there's another video about how the roller coaster video was made!

In an article titled "Barclaycard U.S. Taking Baby Steps into Public Eye" in today's American Banker, Maria Aspan writes about BarclayCard's US unit - and how it's trying to make US consumers aware of its name "in a really subtle way".

In the UK, Barclays has posted a video demonstrating the use of its contactless cards at point of sale. Barclays says it's "the first bank to issue contactless debit cards as standard to the majority of current account customers."

US Airways, Barclaycard and MasterCard have announced a new suite of Dividend Miles Select benefits for US Airways Premier World MasterCard that enable award travel with fewer miles.

The results of a recent survey by MasterCard "demonstrated the heightened importance of travel rewards value in the current economy. More than half of surveyed Americans (51 percent) agree that the current economy has made them more conscious of the value and benefits of rewards credit cards, such as an airline co-brand card. Visiting family and friends is also now the most appealing vacation for the majority of travelers (54 percent) - particularly for college graduates, parents and married adults." READ MORE »

Barclaycard has announced that it plans to introduce a retailer rewards scheme in partnership with Welcome Real-time "that will enable Barclaycard customers to benefit from a retailer rewards scheme that is expected to encompass retailers ranging from sole traders to major high street names." READ MORE »

Barclaycard Payment Acceptance in the UK says that "British shoppers are still willing to splash the cash on their loved ones at Valentine’s. Flowers remain a favourite choice for present giving, with purchases from florists on the 14 February up 168.8 per cent on the week before. Jewellery purchases remain popular, with purchases on Valentine’s Day showing a very strong uplift on the previous week’s sales, an increase of 67 per cent from Saturday 7 February to Saturday 14 February. Meanwhile, spending in restaurants experienced a 20 per cent uplift on the previous week." READ MORE »

In the UK, Barclays has announced that its customers will "soon be able to pay their way with the wave of a card as the bank is set to be the first in the UK to roll-out contactless VISA debit cards to its customers. From March, most Barclays debit cards that are issued or reissued will have contactless technology built in as standard. More than three million customers are expected to be using contactless debit cards by the end of the year." READ MORE »

Barclaycard, the credit card division of Barclays PLC, has announced that it is expanding its global operations by opening a new administrative office in Long Island City, New York. The company says it plans to hire more than 200 employees for the new location within the next 12 months and that the new office will primarily focus on credit risk with additional corporate finance and market analytics functions. It will support Barclaycard’s operations globally including its U.S. business headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware. READ MORE »

Over on the Digital Money Forum blog, Dave Birch writes about a student In London who spends a whole day using just his Barclays OnePulse card - and then comes home to find his wallet (with his cash) on the kitchen table. Some believe that, in a few years, he wouldn't even need his card - just his ever-present mobile phone!

Jo Best writes for Silicon.com about Barclays efforts in contactless cards in the UK - quoting the head of contactless card development as saying they'll have over a million contactless cards in the market soon. Over 5 million contactless cards in total are expected to have been issued in the UK by the end of this year. Contactless POS rollouts are continuing - moving beyond just the London area.

Dave Birch's latest Digital Money Forum podcast features an interview with James McDonald, head of Contactless Payments for Barclays Business in the UK. His focus in 2008 is to roll out contactless payments nationally, and in this podcast McDonald talks about the state of the current contactless roll out in London and where the business might move in the future. If you're interested in the "on the ground" perspective regarding contactless, be sure to find 30 minutes for a listen. Highly Recommended!

Phillip W. Steitz has been appointed to the position of Chief Information Officer (CIO) for Barclaycard US, the credit card business of Barclays PLC in the United States. Mr. Steitz most recently served as Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for American Express, where he oversaw global technology standards and strategy. READ MORE »

Gemalto has announced that over one million Barclays Bank customers in the UK are using its cryptographic smart card reader, called PINsentry by Barclays, to provide stronger authentication for online banking. According to Gemalto, "the bank started deploying its strong authentication program in July 2007 and not one PINsentry online customer has suffered fraud since then. User feedback has proven extremely positive and Barclays observed that customer acceptance was higher than anticipated by 30 percent." READ MORE »

In May, L.L.Bean announced it was terminating its card issuing relationship with Bank of America. Today, L.L.Bean and Barclays announced the launch of the new L.L.Bean Visa card, which will be available tomorrow, July 1. According to the two companies, "the card rewards loyal customers with coupon dollars good toward L.L.Bean merchandise every time they use the card, plus a wealth of new and improved benefits to make the card even more rewarding than before." As part of the deal, Barclays earlier this month opened a new call center in Maine. READ MORE »

In the UK, Barclaycard and InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG) have announced the launch of the Priority Club Rewards Visa credit card. READ MORE »

Barclaycard has announced plans to issue over one million contactless cards this year across the UK. Barclaycard began issuing contactless enabled cards in London in September 2007 with the launch of Barclaycard OnePulse, the 3-in-1 card featuring Oyster, credit and contactless payment functions.