On the web:

• Why I Invested in Bitcoin - Bloomberg - "There is no central server, no central authority and no owner. Bitcoin can be slowed but not shuttered."
• Google adds in-app payments to the latest Chrome build as it prepares to bundle Google Wallet in its browser
• Anonymous Payment Schemes Thriving on Web - New York Times - "The real concern, security experts say, are private payment services that claim to do due diligence, but do not do even the most basic verification."
• Feds Wrongly Demonize Privacy in Liberty Reserve Case - American Banker (Marc Hochstein) - "I've previously argued that some payments should remain anonymous after physical cash fades away..."
• Is the Government Trying to Kill Digital Currency? - American Banker - "Government officials insist they are not trying to curtail the growth of digital currency."
• Digital currency for the general public - Tomorrow's Transactions - "It seems to me that as the currency iceberg slips under the waves of the cyber-sea, we’re going to see a new world of choice between currencies that embody different values, and that's a good thing."
• Disney gets into wearable tech with the MagicBand - The Next Web - "Disney is introducing a new MagicBand device that ties into a new service that allows theme park visitors to make purchases and reserve experiences."
• Banks’ existing relationships give an advantage in mobile payments - Ovum -
• Will Amazon Become Universal Login for Ecommerce? - eCommerce Bytes - "…it may give shoppers confidence that a merchant using Amazon credentials is more trusted…"
• Overstock and Newegg win an e-commerce patent ruling - Internet Retailer

On the wires:

• CaixaBank, Santander and Telefónica to create first joint venture between banks and telecom operators in Europe to develop new digital businesses - CaixaBank - "This is the first alliance in Europe between financial institutions and telecom operators to innovate jointly in the creation of new digital services."
• CardSpring Partners with VeriFone to Increase Availability of Card-Linked Services - "Through this partnership, retailers and third-party developers will be able to leverage VeriFone’s industry-leading open payment platform to create a new generation of applications that bring the power and accountability of digital commerce tools to hundreds of millions of retail shoppers."
• Discover’s PULSE Network Selected as JCB’s Preferred Choice for Global ATM Transactions - "This expansion strengthens our already successful relationship by offering JCB cardmembers the ability to access cash at PULSE U.S. ATMs."
• TSYS Signs Payments Agreement with KeyBank - "As we move aggressively toward expanding our presence in the consumer credit card market, we need a partner who can provide us with strong card industry insight, flexibility and speed-to-market..."
• Cardlytics Granted First Patent - "This patent cements our position as the true creator of this industry. ..."

On the web:

• Walmart: Settlement ‘Worse Than Losing’ - StorefrontBacktalk
• States Join Foes of Card-Fee Settlement - Wall St. Journal - "The attorneys general of California, Ohio, Arizona and six other states argued in an objection filed Tuesday…"
• The US surcharging mess - Tomorrow's Transactions - "Payments regulation in the US is, as one of the panelists rather amusingly said, two fat guys fighting over dessert. The fat guys are the banks and the retailers, the ones with the lobbyists, and the dessert is interchange revenue."
• On ropes but not quite done - Canberra Times - "All around Australia, laboratories are experimenting with non-cash payments, raising the question of whether money, as we know it, is history."
• 2013 Internet Trends - Kleiner Perkins - Mary Meeker and Liang Wu's latest update.
• Bitcoin is a money platform with many APIs - O'Reilly Radar - "Bitcoin is much more than just a digital currency. It is a protocol, a network, a currency and a transaction language. Most of all, though, it is an application programming interface (API) for money."
• In A Single ATM, The Story Of A Nation's Economy - Planet Money - "This all-cash economy is one of the things that is holding back Myanmar's economy. The rest of the world no longer operates on rice sacks filled with paper money."
• Square’s Kimble: There’s ‘More Opportunity Than Obstacle’ in Payments Space - StreetFight - "I am really glad to see the network rules evolving to enable innovation. We are optimistic that will continue."
• Payleven ties up with Apple for retail push of its Chip & PIN card reader - The Next Web - "Apple specifically chose our Chip & PIN solution for their European stores, both offline as well as online."
• EMV Could Make Prepaid Cards Prohibitive to Issue, Unless … - American Banker BankThink (Lanny Byers) - "Either prepaid will move to mobile or prepaid will have to be repositioned toward a more value-added proposition."
• After Liberty Reserve Shut Down, Is Bitcoin Next? - "If you’re not compliant, there are some serious risks, both at the federal and state levels."
• How do you secure yourself in an insecure world? - Financial Services Club Blog (Chris Skinner) - "Just gave a presentation at the EFMA Conference this week on online insecurity…"
• AWS IAM Now Supports Amazon, Facebook, and Google Identity Federation - Amazon Web Services Blog - "For those of you not yet familiar with Login with Amazon, it's a new service you can use to securely connect your websites and apps with millions of Amazon.com customers."

On the wires:

• Blackhawk Network Recognizes Partners For Prepaid Industry Achievements - "The Hawk Awards recognize those companies who have contributed the most to the industry across the past year..."
• Payoneer Secures European Union E-Money License, Adds Management Talent - “We are committed to the vision of a world in which cross-border payment is simple, low cost and compliant - and as frictionless as electronic commerce,” said Payoneer CEO Scott Galit.
• Homeowners Pay Down $50 Million in Mortgage Principal Using the Wells Fargo Home Rebate Card Rewards Program - "Virtually every purchase a customer makes with the card counts toward rebates credited to the principal on their Wells Fargo Home Mortgage loan."
• Amazon Announces Login with Amazon to Reduce Sign-In Friction and Drive Higher Customer Engagement - "Amazon customers now have a hassle-free way to quickly and securely sign-in to apps, games and websites, without having to remember yet another password."
• TSYS Renews Payments Agreement with Nationwide Building Society - "As part of the agreement, TSYS will continue to process Nationwide’s UK consumer card portfolio, as well as supporting all of its contact centre operations."
• Earthport to receive $10m investment from IFC, a member of World Bank Group - "The funding will be used to expand Earthport’s presence and payments service infrastructure, particularly in developing countries."

On Twitter:

#MobilePayments: maybe we should stop focusing on changing merch & consumer behavior and instead add new m-merchants. Like PayPal in 2001...

— Jim Van Dyke (@JimVanDyke) May 29, 2013

On the web:

• PayPal Hits The Mall: eBay's Baby Takes On Google, AmEx And Apple At Cash Registers - Forbes (Clare O'Connor) - "The aim is for shoppers to be able to use PayPal at the cash register in two million stores by the end of 2013."
• Banks Urged to Put Limits on Payday-Style Loans - NY Times Dealbook - "Federal regulators on Thursday admonished some of the nation’s largest banks for offering payday-style loans, short-term costly credit tied to customers’ checking accounts."
• Google Think Insights: The Customer Journey to Online Purchase - "This tool helps you explore and understand the customer journey to improve your marketing programs."
• CGAP: Exploring Alternative API Product Concepts - "CGAP’s work in Applied Product Innovation (API) aims to understand how customer-centric design methodologies … could be tailored to branchless banking in order to achieve better financial service offerings for the poor."
• Medagate's health card combines incentives with functionality - Drug Store News - "...enables employers and health plans to combine a member/employee healthcare funding purse with a restricted-spend purse for targeted items and incentives…"
• Bank Customers Want A Seamless Experience (My Foot) - Snarketing 2.0 - "Consumers want things to work. Period."
• Banks use mobile phone history to determine credit rating - Springwise - "Cignifi’s new platform offers what it claims is the first to deliver credit and marketing scores for consumers without credit histories using mobile phone behavior data."
• Online Shopping, With Sales Tax Added - NY Times Bucks Blog - "Shoppers will now have to figure in sales tax when they are deciding whether it is better to buy a particular item online or in a brick-and-mortar store."
• The Mysterious World of Bitcoin: Does It Have Staying Power? - Knowledge @ Wharton - "Bitcoin has all the hallmarks of a classic speculative bubble..."
• Are QR codes losing their magnetism? - Mobile Marketer Daily - "Brands don't want to place a generic black and white box all over their creative…"
• Infographic: Mobile Devices Overtake Daily Life - "On average, people check their phones 150 times a day or every 6.5 minutes…"

On the wires:

• GateCrafters Now Offers Bill Me Later Payment Option - "We hope this option will give customers more peace of mind when purchasing big ticket items."
• Co-Op to Offer Enhanced Member Control of Cards Via New Mobile Card and Alert Product - "…the product to be offered by CO-OP will provide a range of services, including allowing members to set controls and alerts based on their preferences, such as transaction type, merchant, location and thresholds."
• Blackhawk Announces First Quarter 2013 Financial Results Consistent With Estimates Provided in Prospectus - "Demand for our prepaid products was strong during the first quarter as load value reached $1.6 billion, up 23% year-over-year..."
• Merchant Warehouse and LevelUp Announce $1 Million Development Fund - "LevelUp and Merchant Warehouse want to give more merchants the opportunity to extend the reach of their brand and tap into a wealth of customer data to help them grow their businesses."
• Accenture Survey Identifies Actions to Increase Consumer Adoption of Mobile Payments - "For mobile payments to achieve widespread adoption, consumers must be educated about the fact that mobile payments are secure and more convenient than other payment options."
• TSYS Merchant Solutions to launch TSYS Multi-Currency Solutions - "Pay in Your Currency, gives eligible international customers the choice of paying in their home currency at the point of sale, offering significant benefits to TSYS merchants and their customers."
• WorldPay, VeriFone Expand Efforts to Bring NFC/EMV-Ready Payment to Merchants - "VeriFone and WorldPay collaborate in crucial areas to deliver the right payment solutions to merchants…"

On the web:

• Possible Fed Successor Has Admirers and Foes - NY Times - A look at Janet L. Yellen, Vice Chair of the Federal Reserve, by Binyamin Appelbaum.
• Federal Judge Threatens to Hold Merchant Trade Groups in Contempt Over Swipe-Fee Websites - WSJ - Judge John Gleeson is irritated about the website: http://merchantsobject.com/
• The Future of Mobile Payments: How to Make Sure You’re Ready
• PW Interview: Amber Feng, Stripe API, The Payment Web - Programmable Web - "Before Stripe, online payments mainly consisted of decades-old banking infrastructure grafted onto the web, resulting in an exceedingly complex process for businesses and a cumbersome experience for their customers..."
• Tesco: NFC payments are too complex and offer too few benefits - NFC World - "NFC was revolutionary 10 years ago but I think it just might have passed its sell-by date…"
• The Redesigned US$100 Note - coming October 8, 2013
• NACHA Positions the ACH Network To Be a P2P Payments Player - Digital Transactions - "...NACHA last August submitted an ACH P2P payments proposal for for comment last August and gave it final approval March 7."
• NACHA PAYMENTS 2013: Highlights from Day One and NACHA PAYMENTS 2013: Day Two Highlights - GXS' All About B2B Blog - Patty Hines
• 2013 Advanced Payments Report - Edgar Dunn - "The Advanced Payments Report 2013 … is based on a review of the global payments landscape, surveys of payments industry stakeholder opinion…"
• Total System Services Management Discusses Q1 2013 Results - Earnings Call Transcript - "…on the issuing side of our business, we kicked off what I would describe as our most significant business and technology initiative since, really, the launch of TS2."
• American Express streamlines expense tracking via mobile app - Mobile Commerce Daily - "The ReceiptMatch program is being rolled out for American Express Open business card users…"
• Prepaid Popularity on the Rise - The Members Group Blog - "The American Bankers Association study also found that more than 50 percent of U.S. FIs currently offer, or plan to offer, prepaid or reloadable debit cards."
• Visa Survey: Prom Spending Surges 33% Nationwide - "Prom season spending is spiraling out of control as teens continuously try to one-up each other…"

On the wires:

• Tabbedout Launches Powerful Merchant Marketing Tool 'Periscope' - "Periscope gives merchants the ability to monitor customer use of Tabbedout, review their customer's purchase history, collect and respond to guest reviews and create mobile marketing campaigns…"
• CPI Card Group Expands EMV Card Manufacturing Capabilities to Support EMV Migration in the U.S. - "The migration to EMV in the U.S. is unprecedented in terms of size and scale."
• Consult Hyperion joins Open Identity Exchange - "OIX is a non-profit trade organization driving the adoption of new and existing online identity products and services through the development of trust frameworks and listing services."
• FactorTrust Launches Underbanked Index - "Every three months, the Underbanked Index will provide a range of data points including demographic, loan behavior, seasonal effects and others, to help shed light on underbanked consumers."
• Too Busy to Save Money: Research at Stanford Graduate School of Business Examines Why Consumers Pass Up Store Discounts - "Seiler's look at individuals' purchases over time likewise suggests they're trying to minimize search costs."
• PULSE and fisoc Announce Agreement to Provide Buzz Points Rewards Program to Financial Institutions - “In this digital age, our solution enables PULSE to offer its financial institution participants a fully turn-key rewards program. This will provide a distinct advantage to PULSE in the highly competitive debit industry.” (See: Buzz Points)
• NCR Introduces Anti-Skimming Technology to Help Banks Increase Consumer Trust and Reduce Costs - “There were approximately 20,000 skimming incidents in the United States last year. The average cost per incident approached $50,000 and skimming costs across a U.S. bank’s entire ATM network is equivalent to about $2,500 per ATM each year."

On the web:

• Payments Startup 'Balanced' Closes $3.4 Million Seed Round - TechCrunch

On the wires:

• BitPay Eclipses Silk Road in Bitcoin Sales with Explosive $5.2M March
• TSYS Signs Long-Term Renewal Agreement with Columbia State Bank
• Prime Factors Introduces New EMV Data Preparation Software
• NCR Brings Contactless ATMs to Poland with ING

TSYS announced that it will acquire NetSpend in an all cash transaction valued at approximately $1.4 billion.

“The NetSpend acquisition is truly a transformational event for TSYS and consumers alike. It enables us to meet our strategic goals of diversifying our business, being a more innovative payment solutions provider and expanding our role within an area of payments that is expected to grow at a 20% annual rate over the next four years. The acquisition also complements our already strong presence in the prepaid processing space,” said Philip W. Tomlinson, chairman of the board and chief executive officer, TSYS.

NetSpend’s extensive distribution network provides consumers the ability to purchase prepaid debit cards at more than 62,000 distributing merchant locations.

On the web:

• Square COO Predicts Monster 2013, Says Starbucks Is Just The Beginning - CNET News
• Wonga Launches 'Bill Me Later' Rival in UK - Telegraph
• The Fraud Triangle - Portals and Rails

On the wires:

• Fiserv Mobilizes UChoose Rewards
• CorFire Integrates PayPal to Enhance Mobile Commerce Services
• Fuze Network Processes More Than 3.5 Million Cash-to-Card Transactions
• VeriFone Acquires Two Major Players in New Zealand Payments Industry
• Live Gamer Partners With Openbucks to Expand Pre-Paid Payment Options
• PAY.ON Partners With ReD To Offer Integrated Payment and Fraud Prevention Services
• CardinalCommerce Partners With Virtual Piggy To Enable Under 21 Online Acceptance
• Payzur, Acculynk’s Debit-based P2P Solution, Gains Momentum
• TSYS Signs Long-Term Payments Agreement with Merrick Bank

TSYS announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire ProPay, a Lehi, Utah-based company, that currently processes for approximately 250,000 small and micro-merchants, with a strong footprint among Direct Selling Entities (DSEs). It offers merchants self-enrollment, instant activation and simplified pricing.

“The acquisition of ProPay is another step in our long stated goal of becoming a top 10 global acquirer that delivers innovative products,” said Philip W. Tomlinson, chairman of the board and chief executive officer, TSYS. “The move positions TSYS to capitalize on the explosive growth of mobile and more effectively compete in the small and micro-merchant segment.”

TSYS announced today an agreement with Truaxis, a MasterCard company, to make available transaction- and behavior-specific marketing offers. The new offering integrates cardholder spending patterns and behavior with an innovative platform that delivers personalized rewards, offers, loyalty incentives and other services to the end consumer.

“TSYS has the ability to work with any partner to offer our clients a variety of innovative solutions that add increased value to their cardholders,” said Paul Bridgewater, group executive of Global Product, TSYS. “Using data analysis to introduce relevant offers based on behavior is an incredibly active space for us, and we are excited about the prospects.”

TSYS has announced the results of its second annual nationwide primary consumer research study. More than 1,000 consumers who owned a debit card were surveyed on payment choice, perceptions of value, and what might influence them to change how they pay. Key findings include:

• Debit cards continue to be the preferred payment type for everyday purchases, driven in part by the desire of many to manage their money on a near-daily basis.

• Merchant discounts and offers are the most effective way to influence consumers to use a payment type more often.

• Awareness of alternative payment accounts and methods is high, and consumers’ overall understanding of and interest in mobile payments has advanced considerably since last year.

• Consumers continue to be focused on the security, ease of use, control and speed at check-out, and incorporating these features into new or expanded offerings will result in greater consumer adoption.

You can request a copy of the research results at www.tsys.com/debit.

On the web:

• Groupon Eyes Restaurants With Nationwide iPad POS Offering - chicagotribune.com
• Apple's Passbook: Helping To Make Baseball Tickets Extinct (12% Adoption) - TUAW
• Isis Mobile Wallet Set For Oct. 22 Release In Austin And Salt Lake City - NFCNews
• Stripe’s New Payments Product Could Be A Boon For Collaborative Consumption, E-Commerce Startups - TechCrunch

On the wires:

• Vindicia Chosen by LogMeIn to Optimize Customer Retention and Subscription Renewals
• TSYS Signs International Payments Agreement with Scotiabank
• Alaric Launches A Unique “On Premises” Solution for Optimal CNP Fraud Prevention
• BillingTree Extends Industry Partnership Program into Electronic Patient Payments
• MasterCard Unveils MasterCard Labs Dublin

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:

• How Best to Pay for Your House of Worship - NYTimes.com
• Stores Unlikely To Charge Credit Card Fee - The Detroit News
• Problems Riddle Moves to Collect Credit Card Debt - NYTimes.com
• JPMorgan Says Credit-Card Swipe-Fee Class Action Cost Bank $1.2 Billion - Bloomberg
• 'Safe Accounts' at ING, Citi, Pinnacle Could Offer No Overdrafts, Low Minimum Balance - TIME.com
• The Campaign to Digitize Your Wallet Is Intensifying - NYTimes.com
• Supermarkets Try Customizing Prices for Shoppers - NYTimes.com

On the wires:

• TSYS Signs Healthcare Payments Agreement with Acclaris
• 100 Million E-Receipts Sent from Wells Fargo ATMs
• Beall’s Selects Next-Generation VeriFone Multimedia Payment System
• GE Capital Retail Bank and Sam’s Club Extend Member Credit Card Program
• TSYS Forms Joint Venture with Central Payment Co.

On the web:

• PayPal Aims To Expand In Arab World - Zawya
• A Human Firewall? Tips To Keep Information Secure - Portals and Rails
• Banks Still Gouging Customers With Confusing Overdraft Rules - MSNBC.com
• Turning Miles Directly Into Cash Gains Favor - Fox Business

On the wires:

• New Haven Cash Register Company Launches Next Generation POS System for Food Service
• Euronet Pakistan Becomes First Third Party Processor For MasterCard In Pakistan
• Postal Service Introduces PayPal as Online Shipping Payment Option
• TSYS Acquiring Solutions Launches VAR Partner Connect Program

TSYS announced its agenda for connected mobility to support commerce for digitally active consumers — those accustomed to navigating their daily lives with smart phones, tablets, game systems, electronic readers and computers.

“Two years ago the devices of choice were smart phones; now they are tablets. Regardless of the devices used tomorrow, our focus on people-centered payments paves the way for this agenda, with functionality to support mobility, applications and commerce across any device,” said Paul Bridgewater, group executive of Global Product, TSYS. “Today’s consumers prefer trusted alternative channels for increased mobility to facilitate online business and commerce — and they expect security, reliability and a seamless purchase experience that is simple and intuitive. This agenda truly puts people at the center of payments.”

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:

• 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

On the web:

• PayPal May Get Permit To Offer Mobile Payment Service in China - M.I.C. Gadget
• Mobile Payments Price War Heats Up: Pay Anywhere Slashes Merchant Fees to 2.69% - AllThingsD
• Balancing Payments Risk Management and Regulation with Innovation - Portals and Rails

On the wires:

• TSYS Introduces “People-Centered Payments”
• Amway and Citi Prepaid Services Announce Prepaid Payment Program
• TNS Introduces TNSPay Mobile for Simplified Management of Secure Wireless Payments
• DRF Survey Reveals for the Majority of Retailers Less Than 2% of Sales Are Currently From Mobile Devices
• Seamless: Axfood tests SEQR mobile payment in pilot project
• VeriFone U.S. Payment Gateway Volume Hits $10 Billion

TSYS announced that both its front-end authorization and capture as well as back-end clearing and settlement platforms are now enabled to process American Express OnePoint transactions.

“This is a mutually beneficial agreement for both TSYS and our clients to expand our processing and merchant portfolios respectively,” said Eric Barth, senior director, product management, TSYS. “For the first time, TSYS will be able to offer our clients complete processing services for all card brands with the convenience of a single deposit and one billing statement to merchants.”

On the web:

• Taxicab Drivers Riled Up Over 5% Credit-Card Fee - WSJ.com
• Card.io Reaches Out to Devs, Offers Up Credit Card Payment Accounts to Joe Normal - Engadget
• CHARGE Anywhere Releases Audio Jack Card Reader for BlackBerry smartphones - intomobile
• MasterCard Seeks Partnership with Swedish m-payments JV - Totaltele
• PayPal Will Be Expanding Mobile Payments Test To 51 Bay Area Home Depot Stores - TechCrunch

On the wires:

• TSYS Signs Long-Term Processing Agreement with BancorpSouth
• Cash and Prepaid Converge as TxVia Partners With Allpoint Network
• PayPro Global Extends Its Payment Portfolio With the Implementation of Worldwide SMS Micropayments

On the web:

• Hefty Profit Seen for Card Issuers - WSJ.com
• Kount Offers Free Device Fingerprinting to New Customers - Internet Retailer
• PayPal Partners With POS Software Company AJB To Scale In-Store Payments Option To Big Box Retailers - TechCrunch
• Intel at CES 2012: Future Ultrabooks to Sport NFC - Digital Trends

On the wires:

• TSYS Signs Payment Services Agreement with Pivotal Payments
• Tabbedout Launches Beta Offers Feature for Austin Consumers
• BluePay, a Provider of Merchant Processing Services, Offers New Plugin for QuickBooks Point of Sale

On the web:

• Pygg Launches Twitter-based, Social Media Payments App in Australia - StartUpSmart
• Swiff Hopes to Become the 'Square" of Singapore and Malaysia - SGEntrepreneurs
• Square to Distribute Payment Swipe Device Through Wal-Mart - Businessweek
• Real World Feedback: How to Spend $100 With Google Wallet - Advertising Age
• In China, App Enables Discounted Mobile Payments at Vending Machines - Springwise
• Keeping Pace as Money Transmitters Proliferate - Portals and Rails
• New Zealand Carriers Create Cooperative Direct Carrier Billing Framework - MobilePaymentsToday.com

On the wires:

• Bank of America, Intuit to Offer Full Service Payroll to Small Businesses
• TSYS Purchases Portfolio from Vanguard Payment Systems

On the web:

• Citi Debuts Browser-based Mobile Payments App - FierceMobileContent
• Square Readies for Battle with PayPal - GigaOM

On the wires:

• Fiserv Sees Surge in Credit Union Sales for Check Imaging
• Heartland Payment Systems Releases Latest Durbin Impact Statistics
• TSYS Signs Payments Agreement With Imperial Bank
• Digital River Drives Revenue for Game Developers and Publishers Through Expanded Digital Monetization Strategies
• Walmart Becomes Authorized Payment Location for Leading California Utilities Through CheckFreePay

On the web:

• Mobile payments for Dummies (infographic) - VentureBeat
• FNB Debuts New 'Pay2Cell" Mobile Payments Service in South Africa - TechCentral

On the wires:

• IronKey Dramatically Reduces Online Banking Risk With Next Generation Multi-Layer Fraud Prevention
• PriceTravel Selects Accertify to Protect Its Online Travel Platform Against Fraud
• TSYS Extends Processing Services Agreement with Clearent
• New Mercator Report on Mobile Wallet Wars

U.S. Bank and TSYS have announced an agreement for TSYS to provide core processing services to Elavon, a subsidiary of U.S. Bank.

“TSYS is one of the leading processors of commercial payments in Europe, now processing in 17 countries across the continent,” said Bob Evans, managing director of Europe, TSYS International. “U.S. Bank’s decision to work with TSYS in Europe is a testament to the strong relationship that exists in the U.S. and the experience TSYS has gained through our expansion in Europe.”

U.S. Bank will begin issuing corporate cards in Europe this summer.

TSYS has announced availability of the first phase of results from a nationwide primary research effort focusing on consumers’ use of debit cards.

“There are significant changes occurring within the payments industry, particularly regarding debit,” said Sarah Hartman, senior director, TSYS. “TSYS determined that one of the ways we can help financial institutions better understand these changes and the many decisions facing issuers is to provide actionable information regarding current and potential future consumer payment behavior.”

A copy of the full report can be requested at www.tsys.com/debit.

On the wires:

• Survey: Card Fraud Experts Warn Against Looming Mobile Payment Fraud Risk
• SecurityMetrics Introduces Network Threat Sensor to Simplify PCI-DSS Compliance
• TSYS Signs Merchant Services Agreement With Caledon Card Services
• NXGEN International Partners with Elavon to Expand European Footprint
• PayCommerce Offers Cloud-Based SMB Payment Suite Reseller Subscription Plan
• Elastic Path Launches Ecommerce on the Google Cloud
• Carta Worldwide Integrates MasterCard Mobile Over-the-Air Provisioning Service (MOTAPS)
• OpenCuro To Demonstrate New Online Payment System at FinovateSpring 2011

On the web:

• NPR: Banks, Retailers In Lobbying Race Over Debit Fees
• TechCrunch: Sequent Software Raises Funding, Aims To Simplify NFC Mobile Payments
• American Banker: ProPay s Zumogo Mobile Payment App Gets Social
• FierceFinance: Bank of America Ponders New Ways to Charge Overdraft Fees (via SMS Opt-In)
• CNET: Intuit Eyes NFC for Mobile Payment System
• GoMo News: India's Interbank Mobile Payment Service Finally Includes Merchants

On the wires:

• TSYS Expands Merchant Acquiring Presence With Acquisition of TermNet
• FIS Begins Processing New ELO Cards in Brazil
• Bill.com Rolls Out Official Integration with Sage Peachtree Software

On the web:

• FierceMobileContent: PayPal expects to process $2 billion in mobile payments in 2011
• TechCrunch: Jack Dorsey Shares Some Square Numbers
• Mashable: ING Direct Customers Can Now Pay Friends By Bumping Smartphones
• Wall Street Journal (SmartMoney):New Rules of the Credit Card Game
• Collections & Credit Risk: Discover To Pay Cardholders Referral Fee In Social-Media Push
• CRIENGLISH.com: Australian Payment Processor Will Start Accepting Unionpay Cards
• Times of India: Mobile payment system to gain steam in coming months
• Mobile Way to Pay: Will Retailers Use Tender Steering To Take Control Of Interchange?
• Portals and Rails: The Check's in the Mail, but it might be Fraudulent
• TechCrunch: Online Point Of Sale (POS) Systems Are The New Vogue

TSYS has announced it has collaborated with Pitney Bowes to introduce the TSYS Whitespace Manager, a partner-managed TransPromo solution.

TransPromo is a targeted marketing tool that allows highly relevant promotional content to be embedded within transactional customer communications, such as monthly card statements. TSYS Whitespace Manager, the new partner-managed approach to TransPromo, will allow issuers to take advantage of new revenue streams, cost reductions and minimized complexity.

TSYS announced that it has entered into a partnership with CASSIS International.

“Consumers will soon be using their phones as their wallets, so delivering secure mobile payments, loyalty, rewards and coupons will be a ‘must have’ for our bank and merchant customers,” said Troy Woods, president and chief operating officer, TSYS. “TSYS is committed to offering a full range of mobile solutions that meets our customers’ needs both today and tomorrow, and we are excited to partner with CASSIS, a global leader in technology and trusted service management for mobile NFC.”