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:

• Debit-Fee Retreat Complete - WSJ.com
• PayPal's Coolest Mobile Wallet Feature: The Oops Button - Forbes
• Square to Allow Card-free Payments - San Jose Mercury News
• Russian ATM Can Detect When Users are Lying - Springwise
• Womply’s New Deals Startup Loads Local Offers Onto Your Credit Cards - TechCrunch
• Google Wallet Roadshow Schedule - Google Commerce Blog
• PayPal Opens Shopping Showcase in New York - PayPal Blog

On the wires:

• SafetyPay and PlaySpan Partner to Offer International e-Shoppers Secure Payment Option
• Vindicia Adds New Campaign Management Features to CashBox
• Cardlytics Brings the Power of Transaction-Marketing to Leading Local Retailers
• CashStar Unveils Mobile Web Gift Card Purchasing
• Gemalto Launches Ezio Plug & Sign for Unmatched Online Transaction Security
• Fiserv Integrates ACCEL/Exchange and Prepaid Solutions to Deliver Next-Generation Prepaid Services

On the wires:

• Axioma Launches Enhanced Global and Regional Risk Models
• Electronic Payment Exchange and Sprint Extend Relationship through Co-Marketing Deal
• Beanstream Introduces New Global Transaction Product Suite Allowing Merchants to Accept Payments From Around the World
• Global Payments Canada Teams with Precidia for Semi-Integrated EMV Solution for ECRs
• SEGA Chooses PlaySpan for Monetization of MLB Manager Online
• Contis Group Acquires GTP Financial Services for European Prepaid Push

On the web:

• New York Times: How to Avoid Credit Card Problems Abroad - Practical Traveler
• Dow Jones: Verifone Looks To Advances In Mobile Payment
• China Daily: PayPal to End Partnership with Alibaba
• New York Times: New Russian ATM’s Are Built to Detect Lies
• ComputerWorld: MasterCard Warns Skimming Hole Will Be Open For Years

On the wires:

• IP Commerce Strikes a Distribution Agreement with ReD
• Western Union, Emirates NBD Bank to Offer International Money-Transfer Service in UAE
• ChargeSmart Introduces New Bill Presentment and Hosted Payments Portal
• NEFCU Implements Guardian Analytics for Fraud Prevention
• Aconite announces Mobile Prepaid Solution

On the web:

• All Facebook: Facebook Creates Payments Subsidiary
• MoneyControl: PlaySpan-Visa deal: How it all happened (Video Interview with PlaySpan CEO)
• StorefrontBacktalk : PCI Delist Move Threatens Mobile Payment Security

On the wires:

• Columbus Water Works Enhances Consumer Payment Choice with Secure Vault Payments
• Bill.com Receivables Officially Launches
• Prepaid Card Processor i2c Expands International Presence
• Visa Completes Acquisition of PlaySpan

On the web:

• Wall Street Journal: Checking Will Stay Free, Says PNC Bank
• Digital Transactions: Cumbersome Paperwork Rule Will Go Away in April for Visa Fraud Chargebacks
• Inside Mobile Apps: A Google In-App Payments Solution for the Web Appears Slated For Launch in May

Headline News is compiled by Glenbrook Partners:

• SafetyPay Partners With One of Brazil’s Largest Banks, Banrisul

• Portals and Rails: Nonbanks and Payments Innovation: Because That's Where the Money Is
• Ars Technica: The Security Gadget that UK Bankers Want Squelched
• Wall Street Journal: Students Still Targets of Credit-Card Offers
• Today Show: Consumers' Love of Credit Cards to Return
• The Green Sheet: The Convergence of Traditional and Alternative Payments
• SiliconIndia Magazine: Playspan: Leading Innovation in the Global Payment Industry
• Zachs: No Job? No Credit Card

IP Commerce and PlaySpan have announced a partnership between the two companies to "facilitate the delivery of PlaySpan’s monetization solutions to social and digital content developers through IP Commerce’s Managed Services Platform."

PlaySpan has announced the launch of UltimatePay Mobile, a "virtual currency and micropayments monetization widget for leading smartphone platforms." The initial private beta launch will support HTML5, and is designed to work on all Android* smartphones, as well as Nokia phones with WebRuntime installed.

Headline News is compiled by Glenbrook Partners:

• Vindicia Secures $20 Million in Series E Financing
• iPhone Credit Card Swiper Adds Retail Transaction Support to Swipe Credit Card Terminal
• Square Enix Selects PlaySpan's UltimatePay for Payment Processing Services
• TransCard Announces a Turnkey Bank and Prepaid Processing Solution for Members of the Prepaid Community
• European Specialists Team Up to Define Security Standards for Next-Generation Mobile Devices

• TechCrunch: Amazon Now Allows You To Send Gift Cards To Friends On Facebook

PlaySpan has announced Monetization-as-a-Service (MaaS), a new seven-layer approach to providing a complete monetization platform. PlaySpan’s MaaS combines a global payment gateway with 85+ payment options; micropayments, subscription, and eCommerce capabilities; an analytics dashboard; and fraud management tools –– all in a PCI and SAS-70 compliant hosted service. GamesBeat has the details.

PlaySpan has announced their 2010 VGMarket study on virtual goods spending, which contains some new information on both first and third-party purchases. According to the company, the main takeaway from the report is that social networking games are driving digital goods growth and women 25 and older spend a disproportionate amount on digital goods than their male counterparts. READ MORE »

THQ*ICE has announced a new partnership with PlaySpan, a provider of monetization solutions for online games, virtual worlds, and social networks. According to the two companies, "Dragonica™ Online adventurers are now able to purchase ICE Cash using PlaySpan’s more than 85 global payment methods. In addition, PlaySpan is providing comprehensive credit card processing and fraud risk management services." READ MORE »

PayByCash, a subsidiary of PlaySpan, has announced the availability of the PayByCash Code, a pre-paid product for consumers in 180 countries that provides a streamlined way to make Internet purchases. According to the company, "using a PayByCash Code is similar to using a credit-card but without the activation hassles that make store-purchased prepaid cards challenging for many consumer demographics." READ MORE »

PlaySpan has announced an agreement to acquire Spare Change - calling it "the first and largest micropayments solution on social networks whose platform enables buyers and sellers to transact safely, easily and inexpensively." READ MORE »

PlaySpan, a provider of digital goods micro-transaction and payment solutions, has announced $16.8M in Series B investment from Easton Capital Group, Menlo Ventures, Novel TMT Ventures, STIC and other undisclosed investors. This new capital brings the company's total funding to $24M. The new funding will be used to expand into Europe and Asia and to grow PlaySpan's global publisher and user-base. READ MORE »