On the web:

• A New Meaning to “Eat and Run”? Restaurants and Mobile Payments - JDSupra
• Why Debit-Card Overdraft Fees Are Under Scrutiny Again - Businessweek
• Revel Wants To Bring iPad-Powered POS Systems To The Hospitality And Retail Industries - TechCrunch
• Lemon.com Launches New Version. It’s Blippy Done Right. - PandoDaily

On the wires:

• MasterCard and Telefonica’s Joint Venture Unveils Brand Name - "Wanda"
• Oberthur Technologies Chosen by Société Générale to Roll out Its NFC Services
• MAGTEK Europe Introduces iDynamoEMV, EMV Chip & PIN Mobile Payment Terminal
• Pearson Teams With Zuora to Launch Digital Learning Service
• New Mercator Report on Hybrid Card Technology

On the web:

• EMVCo Picks GlobalPlatform Secure Element Compliance Program - NFC World
• Not All Coupons You Buy Online Are Honored By Merchants - MSNBC.com
• Security in the Mobile Wallet: Is It Good Enough Yet? - Portals and Rails
• Facebook Fast-Tracks Its Payments Business - American Banker

On the wires:

• Braintree Develops Mobile Apps Payment Solution
• Microsoft Extends Successful Direct Operator Billing Agreement with MACH
• Irish Mobile Payments Provider boxPAY Opens North America for International Sellers
• Alliance Data Signs Multi-year Private Label Renewal Agreement With Buckle
• CHARGE Anywhere Introduces Spanish Language Mobile Payment App for Android
• New Mercator Report on Global EMV Migration and Adoption
• New Aite Group Report on Small Business Credit Cards

On the web:

• Groupon Buys Mobile Payment Specialist Kima Labs - TechCrunch

On the wires:

• New Mercator Report on Card-Not-Present Risk Management Across the Value Chain
• Clear Payments and Chexar Networks Announce Patent Pending Solution for Mobile RDC
• moneto brings NFC Mobile Wallet to Six Additional Android Smartphones
• AsiaPay Launches ePayAlert to Provide Advanced Online Fraud Detection
• eLayaway Acquisition Sets Stage for Continued Growth and Expansion

On the web:

• NFC vs. Cloud-based Payments: Which Will Reach Scale First? - Mobile Commerce Daily
• Could Google Wallet be Google's Next Failure? - CNET

On the wires:

• Paytoo Mobile Wallet Brings the Fiesta to Mexico
• Century Bank Partners with Invoice Cloud to Offer Customers e-Billing Technology
• MetraTech's Metanga to Monetize Cloud Banking Application for Temenos
• WePay Rang in 2012 With Over One Payment Per Minute

On the web:

• To Sign Merchants, Square Heads to Campus To Recruit a Sales Force - Digital Transactions
• PayPal Says It's Business as Usual a Month After President Resigns - AllThingsD
• Self-Checkout Footprints Get Smaller For Retail - Point of Sale News
• Citigroup Gets Approval to Issue China Credit Cards - WSJ.com

On the wires:

• Datacard Group Announces an Equity Investment and Strategic Partnership with DeviceFidelity
• INSIDE Secure Chosen by Leading Smartphone Manufacturer
• Navigant Credit Union Selects Acumen from Fiserv

Sequent Software has announced a suite of NFC-related middleware services called 'Core Card Services (CCS)'. "Sequent's CCS unlocks NFC innovation for app developers, making it possible for any mobile app to seamlessly integrate NFC payments, ticketing, coupons, ID badge access and more."

Ingenico announced its relationship with PayPal, "which will enable merchants with Ingenico POS devices to accept PayPal payment options."

"PayPal's vision for the future of shopping includes people making purchases anytime, anywhere and over any device. Ingenico is helping PayPal realize this vision by putting PayPal in stores and at the point of sale," said Don Kingsborough, vice president of retail and pre-paid products. "Millions of PayPal users will soon have several innovative ways to make purchases at many of their favorite retailers, including using Ingenico terminals to swipe their PayPal payment cards or to enter the mobile phone number and pin associated with their PayPal accounts."

VeriFone has announced a bevy of new products and services at the NRF 101st Annual Conference & Expo in New York, including the VeriFone MX 900 series of terminals (NFC enabled), VeriFone HQ (cloud-based terminal management and diagnostics), and VeriFone PAYware Mobile Enterprise for Tablet. VeriFone also indicated it would be doing more in digital payments and mobile wallets over the months and years to come, including support "PayPal PIN and PayPal NFC".

On the web:

• Tablet Computers Take Wait Out of Waiting Tables - San Francisco Chronicle
• KDDI Launches NFC in Japan - NFC World

On the wires:

• New Mercator Report on POS Terminal Market
• NCR Unveils Cloud-Based Point of Sale for Independent Retailers at NRF 2012
• AisleBuyer Accelerates the Mobile Retail Revolution with Version 2.0
• AJB to Offer PayPal for Retail Payment Processing

Visa Inc and Visa Europe have jointly announced that NFC-enabled smartphones from Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics and Research In Motion (RIM) have been certified for use with Visa’s mobile application for payments at the point-of-sale, Visa payWave.

“This is an important step for Visa, its financial institution partners and the mobile industry,” said Bill Gajda, Global Head of Mobile Product, Visa Inc. “In addition to issuing plastic magnetic stripe or chip-enabled payment cards, financial institutions can now consider offering their accountholders a way to transform their smartphones into fully functional mobile payment devices.”

On the web:

• The Demise of the Branch (for real) - NetBanker
• Mobile Wallet Still Years from Reality in Australia - Marketing Magazine
• Crowdsourced Bank Offers Peer-to-Peer Financial Services (UK) - SpringWise
• AmEx Looks to Broaden Appeal Beyond Credit Cards - MarketWatch

On the wires:

• VeriFone Deployments in Russia Reach 1 Million Milestone
• i2c Experiences Strong Growth as Banks Begin Adopting Prepaid
• New Mercator Report on EMV, NFC and Contactless Deployment in the US
• NetSuite and CyberSource Announce New SuitePayments Options for Australian Business
• Elan Financial Services Acquires $700 Million in Financial Institution Credit Card Portfolios
• Payfirma Exceeds $1 Million Per Day Processing Milestone
• txtNation see fast growth in Direct Operator Billing

PayByPhone has announced "one of the largest deployments of near field communications (NFC) payment solutions in the world. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), which selected the PayByPhone mobile payment system for parking, is currently adding NFC-enabled stickers to the city’s 30,800 parking spaces to give drivers the option to pay for parking with NFC-enabled mobile phones in addition to mobile apps and mobile web for regular phones."

On the web:

• Free Checking Isn t Cheap for Banks - American Banker
• Microsoft Clarifies Windows Mobile NFC Support - SlashGear
• Over 1M Merchants Now Use Square To Accept Credit Cards - TechCrunch

On the wires:

• Kabbage Closes on $12 Million Debt Facility from Western Technology Investment
• New TapBuy Technology Simplifying Checkout for Shoppers on Mobile Phones
• ROAM Data Launches Secure Mobile Card Reader with Extensive Device Coverage
• Sage ISV Program Gives Developers Access to an Integrated PCI Compliant Payments Environment
• FrontStream Payments Announces New C‐Round Investment Funding
• Computop (PayGate) Enters into Agreement with arvato Systems
• Red Robin Selects Transaction Wireless for Personalized Gift Cards
• New Juniper Research Report on Mobile Remittances

On the web:

• For Banks, Tech Frontier Fraught With Pitfalls - Wall Street Journal
• Apple, Not Carriers, Will Drive NFC Growth - Rethink Wireless

On the wires:

• New Packaged Facts Report on Private Label Credit Card Industry
• Eastern Bank Chooses Elan Financial Services to Launch New Credit Card Program
• ViVOtech Contactless EMV and NFC Payment Software Powers Tri-Reader 3 for Cubic Transportation Systems
• NetSecure Announces Free Kudos Mobile Credit Card Terminals for Non-Profits and Charities
• Navy Federal Boosts Credit Card Rewards for Over a Million Members; Powered by Cartera Commerce
• Failsafe Payments Adds SafetyPay to CertoConnect
• Transaction Wireless to Power Buffalo Wild Wings Gift Cards
• New Mercator Report on Prepaid Industry

On the web:

• French Bank and Carrier Team Up to Bring Mobile Payments to Market - NFC World
• Telefonica Digital and RIM Announce NFC payments Market Trial in Spain - FierceMobileContent
• 3G Direct Pay Ltd (Kenya) to Integrate M-Pesa and Airtel Money - businessdailyafrica.com
• Starbucks Launches Mobile Payments App in UK and Ireland - Marketing Magazine
• Google Engineer Shares 2012 Plans for Google Wallet - American Banker
• Orange expands Money services in Africa - Rethink Wireless
• Visa and Retailers Discuss Chip Migration - NACS Online
• Australian Taxis Now Take China UnionPay - People's Daily Online
• EU Weighs Need For Mobile Payment Rules To Attract Industry Investment - Bloomberg

On the wires:

• Top Card Issuer Takes Online Resources’ Collections Global
• Ink from Chase Enhances Rewards Program for Small Business Cardholders
• Facebook Adds SafetyPay as New Global Payment Option for Facebook Credits
• Skrill (formerly Moneybookers) Offers Skrill World Post

On the web:

• Visa to Offer Mobile Payments in Developing Nations - NYTimes.com
• GSMA Says Handset Availability is Sparking NFC “tipping point” - Mobile Business Briefing
• PayPal Send Money App for Facebook - PayPal Blog
• China Sidelines MasterCard, Visa - Economic Observer Online

On the wires:

• Citi Renews U.S. Private Label Card Relationship with Sunoco
• Southwest Airlines Launches Rapid Rewards Shopping Powered by Cartera Commerce
• Cubic Selected for Chicago Open Standards Fare System Contract
• YODLEE and Open Solutions Launching Personalized Finance Capabilities for Consumers via Community Banks and Credit Unions

The GSMA has announced that "45 of the world’s leading mobile operators have committed to support and implement SIM-based Near Field Communications (NFC) solutions and services. These operators include China Mobile and China Unicom, which account for nearly 800 million connections throughout China. As an important catalyst in accelerating the adoption of NFC services, the GSMA has published a new set of industry specifications. These handset and SIM specifications will enable the development and global deployment of secure, interoperable and ubiquitous SIM-based mobile NFC services."

On the web:

• Updated PayPal Mobile App for Android Featuring P2P NFC Capabilities - PayPal Blog
• In Myeong-dong Shopping District, Mobile Phones Replace Credit Cards - The Korea Herald

On the wires:

• Secure Remote Payment Council White Paper on Secure eCommerce and Mobile Payments
• Bell ID (Netherlands) Launches TSM Software Solutions to Manage NFC Ecosystem Complexity
• GlobalCollect Study Reveals Key Differences in Social and Mobile Gaming in China and Korea
• InteliSpend Prepaid Solutions Expands Offerings in Canada with Universal Visa Prepaid Card
• Delego and YESpay Jointly Provide SAP Customers with a Multi-channel EMV Payment Solution
• Aconite Partners with MK Technology to Distribution Payment Solutions in Vietnam

On the web:

• Your Next Credit Card Is Your Last - Fast Company
• Wal-Mart, McDonald's Execs Sour on New Debit Rules - chicagotribune.com
• Starbucks Finds Success in Mobile Payments - TMCnet.com
• International Fraud Awareness Week is Here - Portals and Rails
• PayMate To Launch NFC Based Mobile Payments Product in India - MediaNama

On the wires:

• USA Technologies Maintains Branded Credit and Debit Rate Structure for Small-Ticket Markets
• Digital River Offers Enterprise Software Publishers New Revenue Channel
• Euronet Expands its Polish Network with ATM Acquisition from Diebold’s cash4you Network
• Wright Express Announces International Capabilities for Single-Use Virtual Payments
• Cubic Integrates Video Interface in Next-Gen Ticketing Machines
• 3 Point Alliance chooses Transactis as EBPP Partner
• New Celent Report on State of Remote Deposit Capture

On the web:

• Visa, MasterCard Looking Into Online Targeted Advertising Using Credit-Card Data - WSJ.com
• Singapore Inches Closer to Mobile Wallet - ZDNet Asia News

On the wires:

• Citi Renews U.S. Private Label Card Agreement With Sears
• INSIDE Secure Surpasses 10 Million Unit Milestone for NFC Chip Shipments
• Payvment Announces General Availability of Payvment Premium
• Aria Systems Rolls Out a Revenue Recognition Management Product for Compliant Reporting of Prepaid Subscriptions

Mobey Forum has announced availability of a white paper entitled ‘Business Models for NFC Payments’, which highlights what needs to happen to make NFC contactless mobile payments at the point of sale (POS) a mass market reality.

As NFC technology continues to gain momentum, the study demonstrates how stakeholders can assess different implementation options, define the business case and roles that will meet their requirements and establish a clear go to market strategy with essential partnerships.

On the web:

• Zynga launches rewards program with Citi - VentureBeat
• PayPal On Barriers To Google Wallet: Mass Adoption Of NFC Is Years Away - TechCrunch
• Capital One Pays to Play in Zynga's Virtual World - NetBanker
• Sequoia-Backed 'Stripe' Wants To Disrupt The Online Payments Space - TechCrunch
• Gold ATM Machine Activated in China, 2,000 more to be Installed - Digital Journal
• PayPal To Open A Pop-Up Store In New York To Showcase New Payments Technologies - TechCrunch
• Mobile ATMs: Banks on Wheels - The Financial Brand

On the wires:

• MoBeam Closes Initial Venture Round
• Failsafe Payments Adds UseMyServices to CertoConnect
• Transact Network Live with Visa Europe

The Smart Card Alliance has released a white paper that explains and compares the different approaches to mobile payments in the U.S. –– integrated NFC, non-integrated contactless, bar codes, cloud-based wallets, and text messaging. The white paper, entitled "The Mobile Payments and NFC Landscape: A U.S. Perspective" is free and available for download now.

Over on Payments Views, our sister blog, Glenbrook's Scott Loftesness shares his thoughts on the current state of play of mobile payments in the US market.

The traditional players are zigging – away from mag stripe card technologies (with, perhaps, the exception of Citi and its work with Dynamics) toward a world of NFC/contactless payments. Meanwhile, it seems that PayPal isn’t waiting for that world. Instead, it’s zagging toward a speedier implementation of, arguably, a new and convenient way to pay that’s card-less and avoids the requirements of rebuilding so much of the payments ecosystem.

On the web:

• Isis Finds Tech, Seeks Banks - Bank Technology News
• Smartphone-based Payments Business is Quietly Booming (Ireland) – Siliconrepublic.com
• A Virtual Store With No Products Opens in Korea -Korea JoongAng Daily (via MSNBC)

On the wires:

• CashStar Adds Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises to its Growing Roster of Restaurant Brands
• HID Global Launches Next Generation Access Control Readers and Contactless Smart Cards

Telefónica Germany, Telekom and Vodafone have announced they will "register their payment service 'mpass' as its own company, and have signed a letter of understanding to this effect. The new company is due to begin operating as early as this year."

Dr. Peter Walz, Member of the Management Board and Director of Wholesale & Strategy at Vodafone Deutschland: 'For many years now we have offered an interoperable payment product across all networks with payments via the phone bill. This is now being continued in the shared mpass activities. Retailers want standardised solutions and that is what we are giving them with mpass.'

The new initiative will move mpass transactions from the online payments world to NFC-enabled offline POS world.

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:

• Subway Launches NFC payments in U.S. - NFCNews

On the wires:

• ROAM Data Takes Number One Market Position for Secure Mobile Phone Card Reader Solutions
• HSBC Sells Its Card and Retail Services Business in the US to Capital One
• NCR Launches Bill Pay / SIM Card Kiosk for Telecom Providers in Middle East and Africa
• Sutherland Global Services USA, Partners With ElectraCard Services (ECS)
• Launch of PlayStation Network Card Supported by InComm
• Hypercom UK and Spain Acquired by Spire Payments
• New Aite Group Report on the Role of VARs/ISVs in Merchant Acquiring Market

Visa has announced plans to accelerate the migration to EMV contact and contactless chip technology in the United States. "The adoption of dual-interface chip technology will help prepare the U.S. payment infrastructure for the arrival of NFC-based mobile payments by building the necessary infrastructure to accept and process chip transactions that support either a signature or PIN at the point of sale."

"By encouraging investments in EMV contact and contactless chip technology, we will speed up the adoption of mobile payments as well as improve international interoperability and security," said Jim McCarthy, global head of product, Visa Inc. "As NFC mobile payments and other chip-based emerging technologies are poised to take off in the coming years, we are taking steps today to create a commercial framework that will support growth opportunities and create value for all participants in the payment chain."

On the web:

• UK Company Offers Mobile Wallet Fraud Insurance - NFCNews
• Mobile Banking Changes Everything, or Nothing - NetBanker
• Struggling Nokia to Roll Out 'Mobile Money' Service to Revive Fortune - The Economic Times
• MasterCard to bring NFC payments to Georgia - NFCNews

On the wires:

• Renasant Bank Joins the Secure Vault Payments Network
• U.S. Bank and SkoreIt! Introduce Co-Branded Visa Gift Card for Penny Auction Bidders
• Admeris Partners With Omnego to Deliver Secure Mobile Payments on Leading Mobile Wallet Platform
• Lending Club Announces $25 Million Round Led by Union Square Ventures
• New Mercator Report on Prepaid as Best Bet for Financial Inclusion
• Cardtronics Buys LocatorSearch to Enhance Convenience Marketing Capabilities