On the web:

• M-Pesa fraud losses less that 1% - Safaricom - "Chief executive Bob Collymore said the money lost in M-Pesa fraud averages 0.006 per cent of the amount transacted which currently stands at Sh2 billion daily."
• Bitcoin Buzz Draws Western Union, MoneyGram - Fox Business
• Credit Unions: Reinvent P2P Lending - Ron Shevlin - "I’m just thinking about how smaller FIs are going to compete with the big ones for the coveted lending market."
• Fewer Bank Accounts May Lead to More Savings, Study Finds - NY Times Bucks Blog - "In this research, we demonstrate that individuals allocating their earnings to a single account saved more than those who spread their earnings across multiple accounts…"
• A new way to pay restaurant bills - Seattle Times looks at the "RAIL" payment system...
• The real opportunity for payment startups: simplicity - VentureBeat (Jon Soberg) - "Intermediaries, paperwork, antiquated systems, processes, and regulations still play a prominent role in today’s ecosystem."
• US PIN Debit Consolidation - Tom Noyes - "I have a strong bet that the US banks will consolidate around a single PIN provider within the next 18 months."
• Adam Davidson Explains Bitcoin To Stephen Colbert (video) - Planet Money
• Visa Europe is holding its Insights 13 Conference today - follow the news in Visa Europe's Twitter feed. See pictures from the conference on Visa Europe's Pinterest board.
• “Mobile is the end game”: VeriFone discusses the future of payments as a service - My-Retail Media - "Ultimately, retailers' business is about making a sale. You either need to take a payment or redeem that value to a retailer."
• Bitcoin exchange BitFloor halts operations, shuts down - CNet - "Bitcoin exchange BitFloor announced Wednesday it is closing its trading operations and plans to return its remaining funds to its users."

On the wires:

• DeviceFidelity Adds Multiple NFC Patents to its Extensive Portfolio, Totaling 40 Granted and Allowed Patents Worldwide - "DeviceFidelity’s extensive portfolio of patents covers the implementation and management of NFC technology, security and unique miniaturization and amplification solutions…"
• Moneris Solutions and LightSpeed to Provide Integrated Mobile Payment Solutions for Canadian Retailers - "Our partnership with Moneris represents an important milestone in Canadian retail, which has been newly empowered by mobile, iPad(R) and Mac solutions that engage customers in an interactive and re-energized shopping environment…"
• Mobile Users Well Aware of Fraud but, for Many, Convenience Trumps Security Concerns - "Users may be willing to accept risk now in favor of convenience, but this tolerance will weaken as fraud continues to grow."
• Alliance Data Reports Record First-Quarter 2013 Results - "Revenue increased 18 percent to $1.05 billion while adjusted EBITDA increased 18 percent to $357 million for the first quarter of 2013."

On the web:

• Coinsetter Lands $500K To Help Bring Leverage, Shorting To Bitcoin Trade - TechCrunch
• UnionPay Cards To Be Accepted In Turkey - Cards International
• Intuit GoPayment Adds Card Scan Feature - GadgeTell

On the wires:

• ADP Renews Agreement with Visa amid Rising Adoption of U.S. Prepaid Cards
• Nomis Solutions Announces Payments Pricing and Profitability Solution
• MoneyGram and First National Bank Launch Mobile Money Transfer Service in South Africa
• SecureNet Exceeds $19 Billion in Annual Processing, Announces Four New Partnerships
• Virgin Atlantic Welcomes Chase Ultimate Rewards Cardholders Onboard

On the web:

• FinovateSpring 2013 Presenter Lineup Revealed - NetBanker
• Payleven Ups Security With FSA Authorization, MasterCard mPOS Compliance - TechCrunch
• Why The PCI Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) Will Change This Year - StorefrontBacktalk

On the wires:

• Own Group introduces 'Instore' iPad POS
• UnionPay to Ramp Up Online Merchant Acceptance through Acculynk’s PaySecure
• MoneyGram Signs Agreement with Univision MasterCard Prepaid Card

On the web:

• Is Growing Fraud Really a Catalyst for EMV? - Portals and Rails
• Debit Rewards - Durbin Storms Lead to Clear Skies - COLLOQUY
• Bango Raises $10.2M To Take Its Carrier Billing Service Into Emerging Markets - TechCrunch
• ‎ Rewards, Subsidies Help Spur Activity for Isis - Digital Transaction
• Stripe Releases Library of Developers Tools for Online Card Acceptance - TechCrunch

On the wires:

• PassWallet & codeREADr Now Beam and Redeem Passes via NFC
• Smart Card Alliance Releases Interactive 'EMV Ecosystem' Educational Tool
• ROAM Launches Professional Services Group To Streamline Mobile Commerce Integrations
• MoneyGram Launches Mobile Services Though Its Web Site in the U.S.
• Central Bank Research Finds High Level of Cheque Usage in Ireland

On the web:

• The Promises and Pitfalls of Big Data - Portals and Rails
• The '3X Factor' Of Carrier Billing In App Store Purchases - MobilePaymentsToday.com
• Starbucks Dominates Mobile Payments - StorefrontBacktalk
• Mobile Spurs Digital Coupon User Growth - eMarketer

On the wires:

• Access Funds Now or Later with Plastyc Mobile Check Deposit, Powered by Chexar
• MasterCard Becomes Preferred Payment Brand for Aetna's Card Services in the U.S.
• 2Go Media and edo Partner to Bring Targeted Offers and Measurement to Local Advertising
• BMO Bank of Montreal to Offer Western Union Money Transfer via Interac e-Transfer Platform
• Linkable Networks Gives Minnesota Grocery Shoppers Way to Save without Clipping Coupons
• MoneyGram Signs Contract with ampm for International Money Transfer Services

MoneyGram announced a new global agreement with PayPal that will provide PayPal’s 117 million active account holders with the option to put cash in and take funds out of their PayPal accounts at MoneyGram locations.

“This agreement is a significant milestone for MoneyGram. It represents a new level of innovation and enhances our growth into new areas of the payments industry,” said Pamela H. Patsley, MoneyGram chairman and CEO. “We believe this agreement furthers our goal of making it easy for people to send and receive money in the ways they want, wherever they are in the world, and significantly increases the possibility of e-commerce to MoneyGram consumers.”

MoneyGram’s network currently includes more than 284,000 locations in 196 countries.

On the web:

• The iPhone 5 Doesn’t Have NFC — So What? - AllThingsD

On the wires:

• MoneyGram Adds Soneri Bank, Habib Metropolitan Bank to Growing Pakistan Region

MoneyGram and Gemalto have announced a global agreement to provide MoneyGram services over Gemalto’s LinqUs Mobile Money solution.

MoneyGram’s money transfer platform will be integrated with Gemalto’s LinqUs mobile payment platform solution, allowing customers to send international transfers from a mobile phone to one of MoneyGram’s 284,000 locations worldwide or receive transfers directly to their mobile wallet. Gemalto Mobile Financial Services clients, including banks and mobile operators, will be able to connect directly to MoneyGram’s global network and offer convenient and secure mobile remittance services.

On the web:

• The Trouble with QR Codes - Portals and Rails
• Footnote to Financial Crisis: More People Shun the Bank - WSJ.com
• Visa, MasterCard Swipe Deal Faces Retail Group Opposition - Bloomberg
• Isis Delays Launch Of Payment System, No Date Announced - GigaOM
• MasterCard, Linkable Networks Form Rewards Program Partnership - Bank Systems & Technology
• The iPhone 5 May Have Just Made Mobile Coupons Real - Adweek

On the wires:

• Altierre Announces NFC-Enabled Price Tags and Digital Signs
• Card-Linked Offer Provider edo Interactive Raises $15M Series C
• TSYS Poised for NFC Payment Solution With North American Partner
• Virtual Piggy Ty’s The Knot With The World’s Largest Online Plush Retailer
• Verifi Partners With Jumio to Fight Friendly Fraud
• BitPay Exceeds 1,000 Merchants Accepting Bitcoin
• MoneyGram Announces Australian Payout Service in China
• Deluxe SwitchAgent Service Allows Consumers to Quickly Switch Banks
• PSCU First CUSO to Offer Google Wallet to Credit Unions

On the web:

• Ezetap Launches Mobile POS Solution in India - MediaNama
• PayPal’s New President Faces the Music: “If We Suck … We Now Face It” - AllThingsD
• Microsoft Extends 'Mach' Direct Mobile Billing to Skype Credits - TechCrunch
• Amazon Launches Program to Lend Sellers Cash - eCommerceBytes
• Google Reinvents Micropayments — As Surveywall - Slashdot

On the wires:

• Fiserv Launches Instant Issue Solution for Credit and Debit Cards
• MoneyGram Adds China Guangfa Bank to Agent Network

On the web:

• Prepaid Plastic Is Creeping Into Credit - WSJ.com
• On A Mission To Be Mobile Payment Agnostic, LevelUp To Roll Out NFC Terminals - TechCrunch
• Can WePay Replace Paper Checks and PayPal? - Forbes

On the wires:

• Sacombank Boosts Vietnam's eCommerce Security with CyberSource
• MoneyPass Expands Network to Offer Surcharge-Free ATM Access in 2,000 Walmart Stores
• Neiman Marcus and Visa Personalize the Shopping Experience With Mobile Messaging
• MoneyGram Enters Bosnia and Herzegovina

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On the web:

• BofA Joins Chase, Citibank in Simplifying Checking Disclosures - latimes.com
• Biggest Names in Mobile, Payments Can't Hasten Pay-With-Your-Phone Future - Wired.com
• U.S. Bank to Process Electronic Invoices for Order Express' International Money Transfers - Bank Systems & Technology
• Reddit Is Getting A Dwolla and Stripe-Powered Fundraising Button - Fast Company

On the wires:

• Spreedly Makes Dwolla an Option for E-Commerce Sites - American Banker
• Contis Group Expansion Results in End-to-End Prepaid Service Capabilities
• MoneyGram Expands Relationship with Vietcombank, Adds New Service
• Interac Flash Provides Esso Customers With More Convenience
• WePay Introduces: Copy, Paste, Payments
• MoneyGram Expands UnionPay’s Global Emergency Cash Services

On the web:

• Square gets another competitor with COIN - VentureBeat
• Merrill Lynch Offers iPad App for Online Payments - American Banker
• An Australian E-Retailer Says Get A New Browser Or Pay 6.8% Surcharge - Internet Retailer
• The Karl Marx MasterCard Is Here. It Needs A Tagline. - NPR Planet Money

On the wires:

• Citi ThankYou Rewards Members Can Now Use Points to Buy Tickets to Live Nation Concerts
• 30 Countries Added to MoneyGram’s Direct-to-Account Service to Philippines

On the web:

• TiVo, PayPal to Enable Shopping Via Commercials - WSJ.com

On the wires:

• CloudLock Unveils the Industry’s First PII and PCI Compliance Scan for Google Drive
• Fiserv Launches Central Source Capture to Help Financial Institutions Adapt to Shifting Check Processing Demands
• Perry Ellis to Innovate the In-store Experience with Mobile POS from Starmount
• MoneyGram Expands Relationship with Speedway LLC

On the web:

• McDonald's to Trial Cloud-based Mobile Payments in UK - Managed Hosting News
• PlaySpan Combines Subscriptions and Microtransactions into UltimatePay - Digital Media Wire

On the wires:

• Western Union Reaches 500,000 Agent Location Milestone
• Government E-Payments Adoption Improves Globally According to Economist Intelligence Unit
• YuuZoo Signs with Virtual Piggy to Provide Secure Online Payments for Under 18 Users
• TSYS Extends Payments Agreement With The Royal Bank of Scotland
• MoneyGram Now Available at All 10,000 Plus Mainland Bank of China Locations
• Wright Express Chooses ReD to Deliver Payment Fraud Protection
• Kount Fraud Insights: The Fraud Impact of Surging Mobile Payments
• PayPal APIs: Up and Running, 2nd Edition (O'Reilly & Associates)
• epay Extends PIN-on-Receipt Business to Xbox LIVE

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:

• A Year Later, Google Wallet is Nowhere - Here's Why - Business Insider

On the wires:

• 2012 NACHA Operating Rules & Guidelines Now Available as eBook
• National Family Mortgage Originates $30 Million in Peer-to-Peer Mortgage Loans
• MoneyGram and ICBC Expand Direct-to-Account Service to Money Sent from Japan into 200 million ICBC Accounts
• Elastic Path Partners with Aria Systems, Enables Enterprises to Capitalize on Subscription Economy
• Tabbedout Continues Expansion; Makes Mobile Payment a Reality in Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex
• Front Flip "Mobile Engagement" Solution Launches Nationally

On the web:

• Apple to Remodel App Store this Summer - Rethink Wireless
• Mobile P2P Payments Startup Beamit Raises $2.4M From Jeff Bezos, Eric Schmidt & Others - TechCrunch
• Mobile Payments Platform to be Delayed Again by European Regulators - The Telegraph (UK)
• 41st Parameter Raises $13M From Kleiner Perkins And Others - TechCrunch
• Japanese Biometric ATM Reads Your Palm, Tells Fortune - Engadget
• The Rise of Mobile Payments (info graphic) - TruAxis

On the wires:

• TSYS Extends Payments Agreement With First Hawaiian Bank
• Cardtronics and 7-Eleven ATM Relationship Finds New Frontier in Canada
• MoneyGram Expands Online Money Transfers to Customers in the U.K.
• Elavon Leverages NewNet Payment Processing Solutions in South America
• Government of Canada Increasing the Use of Direct Deposit

ZipZap has announced that MoneyGram International has joined its network of payment centers in the U.S.

“We are excited about this new partnership with MoneyGram because it enables us to offer those consumers using our service with a reliable and trusted payment center experience,” said Alan Safahi, Founder and CEO of ZipZap. “Through our agreement with MoneyGram, cash-preferred consumers in the U.S. will now have access to over 45,000 locations in ZipZap’s North American Payment Center Network.”

Fiserv announced it will be adding MoneyGram’s money transfer services to the menu of money movement options available to financial institutions and consumers through the Popmoney, Fiserv's person-to-person payments product.

“With Popmoney, financial institutions can provide their customers with a faster, easier and more secure way to send and receive money from their bank or credit union accounts,” said Neil Platt, senior vice president and general manager of payments, CashEdge Division, Fiserv. “Working with MoneyGram will allow Fiserv to enhance the Popmoney service with cross-border and cash payment options, and expand consumer choices for managing their money.”

On the web:

• Jumio Raises $25.5M From Andreessen Horowitz; Will Hit $100M In 2012 Revenue - TechCrunch
• AmEx Testing Prepaid Cards in Some Wal-Marts - MarketWatch

On the wires:

• PayPal Now Available Through the Tabbedout Mobile App
• Virgin Gaming Selects Mazooma as Its U.S. Payments Partner
• Linkable Networks Launches “MyLinkables” Mobile App and Social API
• mopay and Wargaming.net Join Forces In Enhancing Monetization Services
• Ceridian Stored Value Solutions (SVS), offers Multiple Fulfillment Solutions to Optimize Program Management
• MoneyGram and Grupo Elektra Reach Agreement for Money Transfers in Mexico
• Curaxian Debuts Payments Reporting and Analytics Service
• New Mercator Report on China Payment Card Market

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

Mozido announced the launch of the 'Genius Wallet', a global mobile wallet platform for the unbanked and banked.

"Our Genius Wallet(SM) brings every mobile phone user, including the unbanked, into a secure, convenient, and efficient financial ecosystem," says Greg Corona, CEO, Mozido LLC "It offers opportunity and hope for a huge population worldwide, empowering them to enjoy a broad range of banking and financial services often for the first time, using their mobile phone."

In December, Mozido and MoneyGram struck a partnership to include MoneyGram remittance transfer services for approved Mozido mobile wallet applications.

MoneyGram International has announced a cash-to-account service with Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), one of China’s largest banks. "With the new service, consumers can now send money directly into ICBC bank accounts in China. ICBC has locations across China and manages more than 269 million personal banking customers."

On the web:

• My Mobile Payments Receives RBI’s Approval to Issue Mobile Wallet in India - MoneyLife

On the wires:

• Apparel Retailer Aéropostale Selects CashStar to Deliver eGift Cards
• CHARGE Anywhere Releases Payment Application for Windows Mobile
• MoneyGram Growth Continues in India: State Bank of India Joins Agent Network

On the web:

• PayPal's Thompson on Cloud-Based Mobile Payments (Video Interview) - Bloomberg
• Mokipay Enables Mobile Payments in Lithuania (via NFC sticker) - ArcticStartup
• Mexico Remittances Rise the Most in 5 Years on Cheaper Peso - Businessweek
• PayPal to Open Global Operations Center in Malaysia - WSJ.com

On the wires:

• Braintree Now Processing $4 Billion Per Year
• Using MoneyGram to Send Money Now Supported Online at Walmart.com
• U.S. Bank Launches the New Visa Convenient Cash Card
• iovation and AliasLab Launch Fraud Protection and Device Identification Services to Southern Europe
• Travelex Introduces Chip & PIN-Enabled Prepaid Foreign Currency Card in Canada

On the web:

• Visa Europe Takes 8.8% Stake In Monitise - WSJ.com
• Cash, Check, or Charge: Paying for Illegal Activities - Portals and Rails
• Kenya's mobile money service M-Pesa now processes more transactions that Western Union all around the world - IntoMobile

On the wires:

• Fifth Third Bank Selects FIS for Online Bill Payment
• First Data Selects VeriFone for Caribbean POS Product Offering
• Western Union Business Solutions to Introduce Electronic Wallet for Small Businesses; Bringing Simplicity to Global B2B Payments
• Leading Payday Lender QC Holdings, Inc. Makes the Switch to MoneyGram

On the web:

• Big Banks Blink On Debit-Card Fees - WSJ.com
• Why Banks Want to Wean You Off Debit Cards - msnbc.com
• Amazon Awarded Patent for Smart Gift Card with Parental Control - PCWorld
• The Future of Money in a Webbed-up World (multiple articles) - New Scientist
• Cards, Cards and More Cards: The Evolution to Prepaid Cards - Federal Reserve Bank of St.Louis
• MasterCard Lands Huntington Debit Cards, Seeks To Grow Share - WSJ.com

On the wires:

• New Aite Group Report on Online Fraud Mitigation
• Fortumo Releases Cross-Platform Mobile Payments for HTML5 Apps
• MoneyGram International Signs Agreement with Cumberland Farms to Launch MoneyGram Xpress In-lane Money Transfer Service

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:

• Rich? Have We Got the Credit Card for You - Wall Street Journal
• Isracard in Pilot to use Cell Phone as Credit Card - Globes Online
• Mobile Payment Players Swallow Their Egos - eWEEK Europe UK
• How Starbucks Is Paving the Way for Mainstream Mobile Payments - Mashable
• Square Closes That $100 Million Round, Mary Meeker Joins Board - TechCrunch

On the wires:

• London Cabs Gear Up to Accept Cards for 2012 Olympics
• Regions Bank Signs Agreement with Western Union to Offer Global Money Transfer Services
• INSIDE Secure and ZTE Working to Bring NFC Phones to GSM and 3G Networks
• Singapore’s Largest Taxi Operator Selects VeriFone NFC Payment Solution
• Global Blue Selects Hypercom Payment Solutions for Merchant Customers Worldwide
• MoneyGram International Celebrates Milestone: 1,000 locations in France
• ProfitStars Introduces Remote Deposit Anywhere: Mobile and Flatbed RDC Solution
• Online Payment Processor PayLane Introduces Partner Affiliate Program