On the web:

• ‎Debit Networks Reject MasterCard’s EMV-Durbin Solution - Digital Transactions
• Mobile Ordering Provider 'OLO' Receives $5M in Funding from PayPal and Others - QSRweb.com
• Rogue Valley Merchants Leery Of 'Checkout Fee' Surcharge - Ashland Daily Tidings
• Angie's List, Square Announce Mobile POS Partnership - Benzinga
• Visa Service Restored After Canada-Wide Outage - CBC News
• Google Wallet Gets A Makeover - NFC World

On the wires:

• TransUnion Announces Acquisition of ZipCode in Brazil
• MasterCard Expands Strategic Alliance with Hotel Company IHG into the U.S.
• Merchant Warehouse Announces Availability of 'Genius Customer Engagement Platform'
• MedDirect Launches Online Payment Portal for Patient Responsibility Balances
• PayLeap, Acculynk’s Payments Processing Arm, Introduces Developer Integration Tools
• NCR Silver to Make Everyday Easy for 600 Cellairis Franchise Stores and Their Shoppers

Debit cards continue to gain global market share from credit cards, and the use of electronic and mobile payments continues to show exponential growth concludes the World Payments Report 2012 released by Capgemini, RBS, and Efma.

“Debit card transactions continue to take market share from other types of payment methods because they easily allow people to bypass the use of cash,” said Kevin Brown, Global Head, Transaction Services Product, International Banking, RBS. “As more and more consumers move to mobile and other electronic payments, we’ll continue to see the exponential growth of innovative payment solutions.”

The World Payments Report 2012 also highlights that Brazil now the third largest non-cash market in the world after the US and the Eurozone.

On the web:

• College Debit Cards: Hidden Costs Of Convenience - NBC News
• ‘European Square’ iZettle Now Works With Android; Visa Europe Dispute Drags On - TechCrunch
• Google To Sponsor Free Wi-Fi Experiment To Drive Google Offers Sign Ups - GigaOM
• National Payment Preference by Card Type - Litle & Co. Blog

On the wires:

• Visa and IDB Partnership Brings Financial Inclusion to Complexo do Alemão in Brazil
• PAYBOX from VeriFone’s Point Group Drives Mobile Orders to McDonald’s in France
• Capario Launches Integrated Solution to Streamline Patient Payment Processing

Cielo, the largest merchant acquirer in Brazil, has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Merchant e-Solutions (U.S.) for $670 million.

The advanced technology developed by MeS will provide Cielo with greater process automation (back office), flexibility and agility in developing new products and, consequently, will enable a lower time-to-market for new products and services. In addition, with the acquisition of MeS, Cielo gains a physical presence in Silicon Valley, a hotbed of technological innovation and currently the epicenter of the digital revolution in payments.

On the web:

• Barclays Extends Its Mobile Payments Service Pingit To Corporate Clients

On the wires:

• AJB Guides Petroleum Merchants with EMV Payments
• Restaurants Unlimited Selects CashStar for Digital Gifting
• CSG International Launches New Version of Singleview Charging and Billing Solution
• New Mercator Report on Debit Divergence in Brazil and India

On the web:

• Stripe Aims to Reinvent E-Payments - Businessweek
• Why It’s So Hard to Transfer Cash to Your Friends - NYTimes.com
• Isis to Come with Prepaid Card, Location-based Offers - NFCNews
• Facebook Announces Operator Billing For Its Apps - TechCrunch
• Belgian NFC Payments Joint Venture Hits the Rocks - NFC World
• QR Codes vs NFC: Cheaper, but Worth the risk? - Portals and Rails

On the wires:

• PayPal Opens up New Frontiers for Carrier Payments
• MoneyGram Adds Near East Bank to Money Transfer Network
• Western Union, WIND to Launch Mobile Money Transfer service in Italy
• GE Capital Retail Bank and Pep Boys Renew Consumer Financing Agreement
• Western Union, Roshan to Introduce Mobile Money Transfer in Afghanistan
• GlobalCollect Acquires Latin Latin America Payment Service Provider Sub1
• Failsafe Payments Adds WebMoney Transfer to its CertoConnect Service
• Chase Selects Gemalto for Trusted Service Management
• 3V Launches New Visa Pre-Pay Youth Card Service

On the web:

• Integrating Tablets and POS Software For Retail - Point of Sale News
• La Caixa Goes Top of Wallet with PayPal Instant Account Creation - PayPal Blog
• Google Wallet Reopens for Prepaid Cards, Adds Transfer Block - SlashGear

On the wires:

• Plano Bê Launches 2Pay: The Brazilian Answer to Square and iZettle
• Evolution1 Continues Leadership in Ever-Changing Healthcare Market
• 16% of Commercial Banks Now Processing Payments Through Aptys’ PayLOGICS Platform
• TransEngen Strengthens Position as Payments Leader for Healthcare
• InspirePay Adds Support for Dwolla and PayPal

MasterCard and Telefónica have announced they are forming a joint venture to offer mobile financial solutions for 65 million Vivo consumers in Brazil. "The initiative will create a mobile wallet allowing consumers to make payments via their mobile phones as well as transfer funds, pay bills and make online purchases."

On the web:

• Google’s NFC Wallet Predicament - NFC Times
• Mobile Payments Arrive on BlackBerry Phones - NFC World
• Understanding the Durbin Amendment: A Fun Timeline InfoGraphic - NerdWallet

On the wires:

• CashStar Secures $12 Million in Funding
• Chase Paymentech Launches Safetech in Canada
• SafetyPay Partners With Brazil’s 6th Largest Bank, HSBC Bank Brazil
• VeriFone Announces H5000 Hybrid Terminal with Swipe, EMV, and NFC Support
• AccountNow Customers Can Conveniently Access MoneyGram’s Global Network While Online
• iSend Passes Milestones on Way to Global Coverage in Cross-Border Electronic Payment Services
• Aconite Launches Mobile Application Management Solution For Secure Elements
• Tru.ly Launches First Ever Age Verification API Based on Government Issued Data
• Paytoo Expands Its Presence in Latin America

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:

• Citigroup Confirms $2.7 Million Stolen by Hackers - Wall Street Journal
• NFC Market Trial Fails, Says ANZ Bank - ZDNet Australia
• Banking Industry Now Seeking Swipe Fee Implementation Delay - Convenience Store News
• Bank Lobbyist To Fed: Go Easy On Us - Forbes
• How Debit Card Swipe Fee Changes Will Cost You, the Consumer - TIME.com
• What Are You Signing Away With a Signature Instead of a PIN? - Portals and Rails
• Spat between Visa and China UnionPay spills into BC Card in Korea - ChinaDaily.com
• PayPal Hits 100 Million Active Users - TechCrunch

On the wires:

• Paymate Acquires ACT Merchant Services
• CashPlus: Prepaid MasterCard Helping Councils to Cut Costs
• ViVOtech Closes $24 Million In Additional Series C Funding
• ActivePath Drives Paperless Adoption in Brazil for Global Top 3 Credit Card Issuer

On the web:

• An "Open" Perspective on Near Field Communications - ReadWriteWeb
• Card.io Enables Card Data Capture with Phone Camera - PCMag.com
• Eric Schmidt: Mobile Payments at Retail to Explode - CNET News
• Survey: Discounts and Coupons Will Drive Adoption of Mobile Payments - NFC World
• Apple Is Now Pimping Square’s iPad App In A 'How-To' Video - TechCrunch
• Itautec Unveils 3-D ATM in Brazil - ATM Marketplace

On the wires:

• Chase Upgrades Amazon.com Rewards Visa Card by Adding Amazon Shop with Points
• Optum EFT Solution Makes Health Care Payments Faster and Cheaper
• SponsorPay Introduces Offer-Based Monetization Suite For Publishers

On the wires:

• Bangkok Airways Chooses Accertify to Provide Online Fraud Prevention
• MoneyGram International Adds Friendly Check and RiteCheck to Global Network
• TGate Announces Mobile Payment Best Practice Solution

On the web:

• Bank Technology News: Real U.S. Action on EMV
• Roll Call Lobbying: Swipe Fees Battle May Move to States
• Hindu Business Line: Soon, Merchant Transactions Too Can Be Paid Via Mobile
• AuctionBytes: Google Removes Checkout Badges from AdWord Ads
• Seeking Alpha: Elephant Talk and Mobile Wallets - The Next Trillion Dollar Revolution
• Business Standard: IndusInd Bank Pact with ECS for Credit Card Program in India
• CRIenglish.com: China UnionPay Cards to Be Accepted in Brazil
• Retail Week: Taking Payment Overseas
• NFC Times: With Launch of Google Wallet, the Wallet War Begins

Cielo, a large merchant acquirer and payment processor in Brazil, has announced that it has acquired Braspag.

Founded in 2005, Braspag is known for innovation and the development of online payment solutions and is the leading company in payment processing for e-commerce in Brazil, with a market share of approximately 65% in its segment. Operating as a gateway, Braspag's platform integrates online stores, financial institution sand acquirers, and is responsible for capturing, routing and managing payment transactions with cards, collection slip sand online debit.

On the wires:

• InComm and Unik Become Partners in Brazil
• NCR Lets You Talk to a Teller Through the ATM
• Tabbedout Certified on Dinerware POS System
• Telemundo, mun2 and Western Union to Offer Co-Branded MasterCard Prepaid Cards
• Square and SCORE Team Up to Provide Free Resources for Small Businesses
• Aramor to Offer Secure Vault Payments (SVP) to Merchant Clientele

On the web:

• New York Times: Picking the Right Credit Card for Travel Perks
• AuctionBytes: ShopSavvy Exec Discusses Mobile Commerce, Product Feeds, and Digital Wallet (Video Interview)
• GigaOM: Why Winning Over Merchants Will be Key To Mobile Payments

On the wires:

• mBlox Closes New Fund Raising Round with Singapore’s EDBI
• Western Union Money Transfer Service Available at Banco Bradesco Locations in Brazil
• Giftango and Vesta Eliminate Payment Fraud for Merchants of eGift Cards
• YESpay International Provides a Cross-Border Integrated Payment Solution to North American Merchants
• CPI Card Group Signs Reseller Agreement with DeviceFidelity to Commercialize Mobile Payments

On the web:

• Wall Street Journal: Wireless Carriers Scrap Plans for Their Own Mobile-Payment Network
• FOX Business: PayPal's Mobile Business (Scott Thompson Video Interview)
• VentureBeat: Why in-app billing doesn’t solve all of Android Market’s problems
• MSNBC: Online Game Gets Real-World Banking License in Sweden
• NFC World: Oracle: Is NFC Too Slow for Payments and Coupons?
• NACS Online: Tap-and-Go Payments on the Rise in UK

MasterCard, along with Banco PanAmericano and Rev Worldwide Brazil, have announced availability of Brazil's first reloadable prepaid card. "The PanAmericano MasterCard Prepaid Card is the only general purpose reloadable prepaid card available in Brazil today and does not limit the card's use to specific transactions like existing prepaid products."

On the wires:

• Vesta and Jibe Mobile Deliver Integrated Mobile Payments Application
• Banks Launch Integrated Mobile Banking Solution from First Data
• VeriFone’s VeriShield Total Protect Integrated with ISD’s Card Data Security Suite
• iSmartCheck Identifies Why Merchants Need to Add Electronic Checks to Their Payment Options
• Naked Facts Report: QR Code Use Explodes by 1200% in the Last Half of 2010

On the web:

• BAI Banking Strategies: Crossing Borders with ACH
• Bank Systems & Technology: Debit Card Fee Caps May Be No Big Deal
• Wall Street Journal: KT to Become Largest Stakeholder in BC Card in Korea
• Inside Mobile Apps: Android Opens Up More NFC Access for Developers
• RCR Wireless: DoCoMo and KT announce NFC Joint Venture in Asia/Pacific
• RFP Connect: Ukash Extends Its Presence into Brazil and Argentina
• Wall Street Journal: Chargebacks Create Small-Business Headaches
• WebProNews: PayPal Digital Goods Payment Product Released

Glenbrook is launching a new series of eCommerce Market Analysis Reports designed to help U.S. companies better understand eCommerce markets around the world — why they might be attractive expansion targets, what makes them unique, what payment options are necessary to reach the broadest possible cross-section of online buyers, and which payment providers can help companies enter the market.

Reports are available for purchase now for the following markets: China, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Poland. We're working on others, so let us know if there is a specific market you would like to know more about.

Headline News is compiled by Glenbrook Partners:

• SafetyPay Partners With One of Brazil’s Largest Banks, Banrisul

• Portals and Rails: Nonbanks and Payments Innovation: Because That's Where the Money Is
• Ars Technica: The Security Gadget that UK Bankers Want Squelched
• Wall Street Journal: Students Still Targets of Credit-Card Offers
• Today Show: Consumers' Love of Credit Cards to Return
• The Green Sheet: The Convergence of Traditional and Alternative Payments
• SiliconIndia Magazine: Playspan: Leading Innovation in the Global Payment Industry
• Zachs: No Job? No Credit Card

Headline News is compiled by Glenbrook Partners:

• Intuit GoPayment and mophie Credit Card Reader Available for iPhone 4
• RushCard Allows Members to Customize Card Plans and Further Reduces Card Fees
• Tom Joyner Partners with PreCash to Offer The REACH Card

• Treasury&Risk: Wires Get Smarter
• VentureBeat: Five Payment Trends to Watch in 2011
• TheStreet: American Express Faces Declining Credit Card Use
• Dow Jones: Global Payments To Enter Brazilian Card Market
• Datamonitor Blog: New Visa Initiative Will Raise Awareness of Contactless Payments Among London Consumers
• Springwise: Mobile Payment App Verifies Identity with a Photo (FaceCash)

Credicard, a wholly-owned Brazilian subsidiary of Citigroup, and Elavon have announced a binding agreement to establish a joint venture creating a merchant services company that will offer a full suite of payment solutions to the Brazilian marketplace. "The new company will be branded as “Elavon” and will be supported with the launch of a sales force with national coverage, as well as in-market operations, technology and product resources."

Bradesco and Banco do Brasil have announced signing a Memorandum of Understanding "regarding the launch of a Brazilian brand and integration of part of their credit cards operations." Specifically, they have entered into a non-binding memorandum of understanding for the preparation of a business model, involving:

• The integration of part of their card operations;
• The launch of a Brazilian brand ("Elo") of credit, debit and pre-paid cards for account-holders and non-account-holders;
• The joint creation of new businesses for private label cards (cards offered to non-account-holder clients through partner merchants);
• The creation of a company to sell cards to certain determined groups of non-account-holder clients;
• The transfer of shareholdings retained by both institutions or their subsidiaries in CBSS S.A., for the subsequent creation of a company.

More details in this WSJ.com article and this Reuters story.

MasterCard Worldwide, Credicard, Citibank’s credit card administrator for the Brazilian market, and Redecard have announced the launch of MasterCard PayPass contactless payment technology in Rio de Janeiro for public transportation and other quick service merchants. MasterCard says that PayPass is the first contactless payment product to be introduced for public transportation in Latin America. READ MORE »

Breakingviews.com takes a look at VisaNet, a credit card processor and Visa affiliate in Brazil that is set to raise $3 billion in an upcoming initial public offering.