On Twitter:

Each minute, 5 new businesses sign up to use #PayPal, says @davidmarcus. #SMB #paypalit

— PayPal (@PayPal) May 21, 2013

On the web:

• PayPal to increase marketing this year for offline push - Reuters (Alistair Barr) - "We want to make sure we have enough density of consumer experiences before we do a lot of marketing. "We have really only one chance at this and we do not want to disappoint customers."
• FTC targets cash-reload code scams - CreditCards.com - "The U.S. Federal Trade Commission Tuesday announced new restrictions on "novel payment methods" that phone and Internet scammers favor…"
• Kopo Kopo: Six Revolutionary Digits -Huffington Post - "Kopo Kopo is a world-class platform which enables small and medium businesses to accept mobile payments and build relationships with their customers. They receive a six-digit till number that allows customers to pay using mobile money."
• Dimon Strengthens Grip at J.P. Morgan - Wall St. Journal - "…shareholders voted overwhelmingly against a proposal to split the chairman and chief executive roles…"
• BitInstant’s Charlie Shrem sees Bitcoin battles ahead - CoinDesk - "…it would be nice if regulations were standardized so businesspeople like him did not have to get fingerprinted again and again to comply with every state’s requirements."
• Swipely Raises $12.5M to Expand Push Into SMB Payment Analytics - Street Fight - "The payments processing and analytics play announced today that it has raised $12.5 million in new funding in a series B round led by Shasta Ventures…"
• Contactless cards: how safe is your money? - Guardian - "The even simpler alternative, I've found, is to have more than one contactless card in your wallet."
• Square will challenge PayPal with its own peer-to-peer cash service - GigaOm - "Square might just be another peer-to-peer payments setup, but it’s building up a consumer following thanks to Square Wallet..."
• Google Admits Defeat In Its 7-Year Battle With Amazon And PayPal - ReadWrite - "Google Checkout may have had great expectations, but it delivered little in the way of results."

On the wires:

• NRF To Reject ‘One-Sided’ Credit Card Swipe Fee Settlement - "The proposed settlement does nothing to bring swipe fees under control and would give Visa and MasterCard a legal blessing to continue their abuse of merchants and consumers indefinitely. No settlement at all would be better than this one-sided ‘agreement’…"
• Xoom and Vesta Announce Partnership for Mobile Wallet Integration - "Through this partnership, the Vesta wallet will also provide subscribers with access to Xoom's money transfer services directly from their smartphone."
• target="_blank"Swipely Secures $12 Million Series B Financing to Accelerate Growth - "It's a major innovation in payments and marketing for small business, and we hope it will transform the way merchants understand and engage with their customers."
• Mobile POS Grows to $2 Billion Market in North America, But Retailers Are Separating Hype From Reality - "…28% of North American retailers plan to adopt Mobile POS in some form by the end of 2013."
• Vesta Introduces New Mobile Wallet for Prepaid Operators featuring Integrated Suite of Financial Services - "By offering the Vesta PayMobile wallet, mobile network operators (MNOs) can enable their prepaid customers to conduct mobile commerce and access critical banking services through their smartphones."
• Virtual Piggy Signs First UK Partners - "Virtual Piggy promotes financial management while empowering youth under 18 to make purchasing, saving and other money management decisions for themselves…"

On the web:

• Blackhawk Network Plans IPO of Shares Valued at $200 Million - Bloomberg
• Balanced Raises $800K On Little-Known Fundraising Platform Called Facebook - Pando Daily
• Lenovo To Include Contactless Payments On Notebooks, Tablets - MobilePaymentsToday.com
• US Treasury Issues Guidance On 'Convertible' Virtual Currencies - The Next Web
• PayPal Stops Foreign Charity Donations From Singapore Accounts - TechCrunch

On the wires:

• NCR Silver Makes Everyday Easier for Small Businesses with Gift Card Update
• Merchants Can Leverage Transactional Data for Big Benefits, Says Tranzlogic
• GlobalCollect Expands Asia Pacific Presence In Support Of Booming E-Commerce Market
• Bluefin Payment Systems Integrates Payment Gateway with CUSI Software Platform

MasterCard announced that US Airways has become the first airline in the world to accept MasterCard PayPass-enabled cards and devices for in-flight purchases.

“MasterCard has been at the forefront of contactless payment innovations, bringing the convenience and speed of PayPass technology to environments where faster transactions are essential for both consumers and merchants,” said Dave Meadon, group head of Global Chip Solutions & Engineering, MasterCard. ”With the broad acceptance of electronic payments, consumers today can travel virtually cash free, eliminating the hassle of carrying cash and without having to fumble through their wallet or purse for exact change.”

On the web:

• The Interchange Settlement - Credit Slips
• Startup 'PaidThx' Launches Mobile Social Payment Network - Downtown Short Pump

On the wires:

• ACI Worldwide Adds Mobile Wallet Support to Retailer Payment Solution
• McDonald's to Accept 'Interac Flash' Contactless Debit Technology in Canada
• Colleges Choose Heartland Payment Systems for Electronic Financial Aid Disbursement
• Finland’s S Group Selects VeriFone’s Payments-as-a-Service Solution Across Market Segments
• Earthport to Enhance Cross-Border Payments Service in Alignment with Dodd-Frank
• Douglas Parking Partners With QuickPay for Mobile Parking Payments
• Razoo, Crowdfunding Site For Causes, Hits $100M Milestone
• hyperWALLET Announces a New Approach to Consumer Prepaid
• Payvision Partners with Virtual Piggy

American Express has announced its network roadmap to advance EMV chip-based contact, contactless and mobile payments for all merchants, processors and issuers of American Express-branded cards in the U.S.

“The payments industry is continuing to evolve rapidly, and American Express recognizes the growing demand for chip-based contact and contactless payments in the U.S.,” said Suzan Kereere, Senior Vice President and General Manager, American Express Global Network Business. “We also fully recognize the complexities involved in migrating to EMV chip-based technology, and our first priority is to provide choice and flexibility for merchants and our card-issuing partners so they can adopt the EMV solution that best meets their needs.”

MasterCardAdvisors released the results of their first PayPass Adoption Study, a quantitative analysis of the changes in U.S. account transaction behavior after adopting a contactless payments solution.

In one of the study’s key findings, the research showed that within the first 12 months of their first contactless transaction, PayPass-enabled accounts spent almost 30% more on average, using their PayPass-enabled card. The research also found a clear correlation between contactless adoption and preference for a particular card, illustrating that a contactless payments solution may help drive top-of-wallet behavior.

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

On the web:

• Dwolla Says It Wants to Compete With Credit Card Networks - ABC News
• Blink and It s Gone: Chase Drops Contactless Brand from Cards - American Banker
• Facebook Makes More Global Payment Methods Available to Buy Facebook Credits - ZDNet
• Swedish Operators to Form Mobile Payments Joint Venture - Mobile Europe
• Remote Deposit Capture: If You Expand It, Will Fraud Come? - Portals and Rails
• 28 Indicted in Theft of Credit Card Data at Steakhouses - NYTimes.com
• Lockbox: Still Crazy After All These Years - Celent Banking Blog

On the wires:

• U.S. Bank Customers Get Mobile Remote Deposit and Mobile P2P Payments
• Jollibee Launches Its Online Payment Service with AsiaPay (Philippines)
• Payair Rolls Out US Mobile Payment Services

U.S. Bank has announced VITAband, a light-weight and durable wristband that combines contactless payment technology with emergency contact and medical information.

The VITAband allows customers to simply “Tap & Go” when making purchases at merchant locations that accept contactless payments. It also links to a customizable Emergency Response Profile (ERP) that provides medical professionals with fast access to critical medical information in the event of an emergency. U.S. Bank employees began testing the VITAband in multiple states in the second quarter of 2011, making U.S. Bank one of the first major card issuers in the United States to pilot this new technology.

U.S. Bank has announced its "release of a dual interface payment solution that offers enhanced acceptance and compatibility with credit cards systems worldwide. The new U.S. Bank FlexPerks Travel Rewards Visa credit card combines Visa payWave, EMV chip, and magnetic stripe technologies, enabling customers to have the best experience possible wherever they use their cards."

Transport for London (TfL) has announced that by the end of 2012 readers across the whole TfL network will have been upgraded so that a touch of a contactless bank or credit card will allow passengers to pay for travel on the bus, Tube, Docklands Light Railway (DLR), Tram, and London Overground network.

Visa Europe and Wireless Dynamics have announced that they have developed a mobile contactless payment solution that will bring Visa contactless payments to iPhone users across Europe.

iPhone users simply attach the Wireless Dynamics iCarte accessory, available through their bank or mobile operator, to their iPhone and download the companion Visa Mobile application for iCarte App from the App Store.

Headline News is compiled by Glenbrook Partners:

• SOFTBANK MOBILE in Japan Selects Gemalto for Mobile Contactless Payment Trial
• ThreatMetrix Achieves Record Revenue, Billings, Transactions, and Customer Growth in 2010
• Main Street Softworks Inc. Adds Credit Card Enhanced Data (Level III) Reporting Features
• ValidSoft Technology Targets Belgian Bank Card Fraud Crisis
• ProPay Partners with 3DCart to Provide Merchants a Complete Set of eCommerce Tools
• Mitek Seeing Strong Deployment of its Mobile Remote Deposit Capture Application
• BPC Banking Technologies and Banca Transilvania Introduce Western Union Transfers through ATM´S

• New York Times: Now at Starbucks: Buy a Latte By Waving Your Phone
• Portals and Rails: Retail Payments Risk Forum Hosts 4th Annual "Emerging Risks in Emerging Payments" Conference
• eMarketer: In-App Purchases Become Major Mobile Revenue Stream
• Cult of Mac: iPad Cash Register Arrives at Grand Central Coffee Shop

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)

Visa Europe and its technology partner, Emue Technologies, have announced the commercial availability of a contactless payments-enabled version of its Visa CodeSure integrated card and authentication solution.

The Visa CodeSure card has gained market acceptance very quickly, with the world’s first commercial launch announced by Cornèr Bank (Switzerland) in November 2010. Prior to this, trials were undertaken with a broad range of participants including BarclayCard, Yapi Kredi (Turkey), IW Bank (Italy) CAL Bank (Israel) and DKB (Germany).

Headline News is compiled by Glenbrook Partners:

• Discover Begins Rollout of Contactless Devices to Consumers
• Commidea Leads Contactless Transactions Adoption in UK
• INSIDE Contactless Launches SecuRead System-in-Package for NFC Mobile Devices
• iPayDNA and Payment Network AG (aka sofortüberweisung.de) Establish Business Partnership
• GlobalCollect Obtains License Pursuant To European Payment Service Directive

• Wall Street Journal: Card Issuers Reward Purchases
• MIT Technology Review: Shopping via Text Message
• MediaNama: Seven Indian Banks Launch P2P Interbank Mobile Payments; How It Works
• New York Times: For PayPal, the Future is Mobile
• ArcticStartup: Fortumo Expands To Thailand
• China Business News: China UnionPay Expands Services in Switzerland
• Reuters: EU Set to Accept Visa Europe Antitrust Offer
• Digital Transactions: Retailers See Gift Cards Boom As They Stress Reloadability
• GlobalTimes: Alipay Tops 500 Million Users
• Portals and Rails: Prepaid in the Mobile Channel - Balancing Financial Inclusion and Risk Management

Last week, Glenbrook's Carol Coye Benson asked the Payments Views community about its perception of contactless POS reader deployment in the US.

The results are in and you can see them here.

Over on our sister PaymentsViews.com blog, Glenbrook's Carol Coye Benson is asking for community input regarding the perception of deployment of contactless POS readers at merchants in the US market. If you can spare a minute, please take Carol's quick survey - and optionally sign up to receive a copy of the results!

According to Visa Europe news release, the number of Visa contactless cards issued in the UK currently stands at 8 million and is expected to reach 12 million by end of 2010. Visa Europe notes that, "This landmark follows the rise in the contactless transaction limit from £10 to £15 earlier in the year." 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 »

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 »

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 »

Interac Association has announced it has "successfully carried out a series of contactless debit transactions using Scotiabank debit cards and TD Merchant Services’ point-of-sale terminals. The new contactless enhancement of Interac® Direct Payment, called Interac Flash, increases the functionality of Interac branded debit cards by leveraging dual interface chips that give cardholders the ability to carry out a point-of-sale debit transaction using the contact or contactless feature of the card." READ MORE »

Lamar, Colorado-based Valley National Bank has announced it is now offering mobile payments to its customers and community using Bling Nation's tap-and-pay for purchases at the point of sale. READ MORE »

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PATH), NJ TRANSIT (NJT) and MasterCard have announced the launch of a six month pilot program in which MasterCard PayPass will be accepted for fare payments on select train and bus routes throughout New York City and New Jersey. According to the companies, the service "enables riders of the three transit systems to purchase fares and transfer between transit systems simply by tapping a single type of contactless credit or debit card or device." According to a press release, the service will be "available exclusively to MasterCard PayPass customers during the first two months of the trial" before being opened up to other payments brands. READ MORE »

The Consumer Payments Research Center at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston has released a new public policy discussion paper titled "Mobile Payments in the United States at Retail Point of Sale: Current Market and Future Prospects" authored by Marianne Crowe, Marc Rysman, and Joanna Stavins. From the abstract:

Although mobile payments are increasingly used in some countries, they have not been adopted widely in the United States so far, despite their potential to add value for consumers and streamline the payments system. After describing a few countries’ experiences, we analyze the prospects for the U.S. market for mobile payments in retail payments, particularly the use of contactless and near-field communication technologies. ...

DeviceFidelity has announced the availability of In2Pay™ - combining DeviceFidelity’s In2Pay microSD technology with a "patent-pending protective case that adds mobile contactless capability and works with iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G." DeviceFidelity and Visa collaborated to combine Visa's PayWave contactless payment technology with DeviceFidelity's In2Pay technology. READ MORE »

INSIDE Contactless, Sagem Orga and TazTag have announced the joint development of a new method of delivering NFC payment functionality. Based on TazTag's TazCard, the new device is currently in pre-alpha testing and, according to the companies, "demonstrates the feasibility of an option that facilitates NFC contactless payment transactions while providing full NFC functionality for other applications as well." READ MORE »

The Smart Card Alliance Transportation Council has announced the availability of two new white papers to help transit agencies who are planning to upgrade their fare collection systems. The white papers are: "Planning for New Fare Payment and Collection Systems: Cost Considerations and Procurement Guidelines" and "A Guide to Prepaid Cards for Transit Agencies". READ MORE »

First Data Corporation has announced an agreement with Tyfone to provide SideTap micro secure digital (MicroSD) memory cards equipped with Tyfone’s patented technologies to enable most mobile phones with a memory slot to function as a mobile contactless payment device. READ MORE »