MODASolutions eBillMe, an alternative payment option that allows consumers to pay merchants directly through their online bank account, has introduced a new Buyer Protection Plan.   » Continue Reading

The Federal Trade Commission has announced that San Diego-based Qchex, an Internet-based check creation and delivery service, has agreed to a temporary restraining order to halt what the FTC describes as its unfair business practices. According to the FTC, "Qchex creates and sends checks drawn on any bank account identified by a Qchex customer without verifying that the customer has authority to write checks drawn on that account. As a result, con artists have used the Qchex service to draw checks on bank accounts that belong to others."   » Continue Reading

Cara Nissman writes for Bankrate.com about how more colleges and universities are deciding that it's just too expensive for them to accept credit cards for tuition payments. We reported earlier this month on a move by Brigham Young University to push its students to using echecks for tuition payments.

KeyBank Global Treasury Management has announced it is "the first bank to offer its commercial clients complete eCheck ACH Payee reporting through all of its check fraud, account reconcilement, controlled disbursement and Positive Pay image services." The service allows clients to verify the names of the vendors and suppliers to whom they make payments.   » Continue Reading

Brittani Lusk writes for the Deseret Morning News how Brigham Young University and other Utah-based colleges and universities are pushing their students to use echecks rather than credit or debit cards for making their tuition payments.   » Continue Reading

Mark Anderson writes for the Sacramento Business Journal about El Dorado Hill-based MyEcheck which he reports is preparing for a mass market launch of its echeck payment service.   » Continue Reading

Ina Steiner reports for AuctionBytes this morning on plans by Amazon.com to enable buyers to pay for their purchases through their bank accounts rather than using credit or debit cards.

Amazon.com will create an electronic funds transfer or bank draft, which will be presented to the buyer's bank or financial institution for payment from their bank account. Bank accounts must be valid automated clearing house ("ACH")-enabled at a U.S.-based financial institution, and transactions must be payable in U.S. dollars.