On the web:

• Retailers To Collaborate on Their Own Digital Wallet - Wall Street Journal
• Google Wanted to Create a Google Bucks Currency - Digital Trends
• PayPal Casts Doubt on Near Field Mobile Payments Systems - The Guardian
• LevelUp Now Seeing $1M Per Month In Transactions; Launches API - TechCrunch
• We Don't Have a Mobile Payment Problem; We Have a Mobile Shopping Problem - Wired.com
• The Cashless Society: One Man’s Quest to Survive without Bills or Coins - Slate Magazine
• UK To Get Cardless Cash Withdrawals (via Ukash) - ATM Marketplace
• Me, My Money, and My Devices - MIT Technology Review

On the wires:

• VeriFone Bringing Lottery to Card Payment Screens
• Chase and Hyatt Unveil Co-Branded Hotel Card with EMV Chip Technology
• Payment Processors Worldwide Rely on Information Builders for Customer-Facing Analytics
• SelectCore to Launch Virtual Visa Through Its Facebook Social Mobile Remittance Platform
• Oberthur Technologies Leverages Global EMV Expertise and Historical Market Presence in the US
• FiftyOne Global Ecommerce Strengthens Service to Canada with Acquisition of Borderfree
• Orange to Offer Visa Mobile Prepaid Accounts to Orange Money Customers
• PULSE Adds Issuers to Network, Expands ATM Coverage in 2011
• MasterCard Recaps Recent Mobile Payments Partnerships

Oberthur Technologies has entered into agreement to acquire MoreMagic Solutions, a mobile financial services solutions provider, based in Waltham, MA.

Xavier Drilhon, CEO of Oberthur Technologies: “The acquisition of MoreMagic is fully in line with our growth strategy notably in our Solutions business and more specifically in the NFC eco-system. The complementarities between our respective technological bricks and Oberthur Technologies’ TSM expertise will perfectly fit the needs of our clients, in both mature and developing countries.”

This acquisition remains subject to the consultation of employees work council and other customary approvals, including from relevant antitrust authorities.

On the wires:

• Survey Says Asian Consumers Seek Better Tools to Manage Payment Card Spending
• WorldPay Partners with CellPoint to offer mPoint® Mobile Payments
• Green Dot Launches Government Division
• JetPay Now Offers PaySecure Internet PIN Debit
• Prosper.com Reports Record P2P Lending Growth in the First Quarter of 2011
• Oberthur Technologies Announces Availability of its First MasterCard® M/Chip Advance Product
• NetSpend Selects Actiance's Socialite SaaS Platform to Ensure Compliance and Security of Social Media Channels

On the web:

• Wall Street Journal: Jamie Dimon Has Annoyed Sen. Durbin
• TechCrunch: Processing $500 Million A Year, Payoneer Launches Local Money Transfers
• New York Times: Choosing the Best Credit Card for Travel

Smart card manufacturers Giesecke & Devrient (G&D) and Oberthur Technologies, and chip suppliers Infineon Technologies AG and INSIDE Contactless have announced the launch of an industry initiative to provide "a new security solution for next-generation smart card based public transport applications. The solution will build on an open standard now being implemented by the four partner companies, which will eventually be governed by an independent body. Companies active in the smart card arena - providers of chips, smart cards, application-specific operating software, reader devices and transportation systems - are invited to join the initiative for the advancement of more secure public transportation applications." READ MORE »

Oberthur Technologies has announced Smart Lumiere, a light-emitting contactless card that emits light when it is entered in the field of a contactless reader to inform the cardholder when a transaction is taking place. READ MORE »