Barclays announced that it has launched Europe’s first person-to-person service for sending and receiving money using mobile phone numbers.

Antony Jenkins, Chief Executive, Barclays Retail and Business Banking said: “Barclays Pingit could revolutionise the way people send and receive money. For friends splitting the cost of dinner, repaying a borrowed £10 or people sending money to a son or daughter at university, it’s free, quick, convenient, secure, and easy to use. You can send and receive money in seconds, without having to enter account details.

The Barclays Pingit service will be available to current account customers of all UK banks and building societies, not just those with Barclays current accounts. Full details are at http://www.barclays.co.uk/pingit.

Elavon has announced Elavon MobileMerchant, an "innovative, affordable and secure payment solution that effectively transforms mobile devices into terminals, allowing small businesses to accept payments quickly and securely anywhere, anytime."

The App is downloaded onto the merchant’s existing smartphone, and a Bluetooth-connected Chip and PIN device securely captures and encrypts card data, ensuring that no information is stored in the smartphone. Receipts are sent to the customer via email or text message. The solution meets all the current UK banking requirements, so as to protect both cardholders and merchants from fraud, abuse and chargebacks.

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:

• Simply Tap Mobile Payment Service Rolled Out by UK Retailers - Computer Weekly

On the wires:

• AmEx Launches American Express for Target Prepaid Card in More Than 1,000 U.S. Target Stores
• Chase Paymentech Launches of Safetech Fraud Tools in Europe

First Data has announced that its binding corporate rules for data privacy have been authorized by the United Kingdom’s Information Commissioner’s Office, and are now approved by the data protection authorities in 18 European Union member states.

“Data privacy is fundamental to the success of our business, and we’re deeply committed to protecting the information entrusted to us by our clients and employees alike. We have high standards for data privacy, and this recognition from exacting European regulators demonstrates our global leadership in data protection compliance,” said First Data Chief Executive Officer Jonathan J. Judge.

Clear2Pay announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire Level Four Software Holdings Ltd., a UK headquartered company providing development and test automation solutions for all types of ATM networks, enabling banks and processors.

On the web:

• Consumers to Switch Banks Over Debit Fees - Bloomberg
• Google Wallet Picks Up Steam With NJ Transit Partnership - TechCrunch
• South Korean Credit Card Firms to Cut Domestic Transaction Fees - Korean Herald
• iZettle (the Square of Europe) Secures €8.2 million Funding - Wall Street Journal
• NetSecure Kudos Takes on Square in Mobile Payments - SlashGear
• Tagattitude Launches Audio-based Mobile Payments System in France - NFCNews

On the wires:

• Earthport to Extend Cross Border Payment Reach
• Moneris Brings Mobile Payment Acceptance to Smartphones in Canada
• Online Resources Signs American Heritage FCU For Advanced Banking Software
• Commidea’s Vanguard Payment Gateway Secures High Volume CNP Payments in UK
• BNP Paribas and Bottomline Technologies Announce SWIFT Service Bureau Partnership
• LINC New York Meeting - NFC: Next frontier for Commerce?

On the web:

• Cashless Future: Vocalink Demos Mobile Payment Gateway in UK - Computer Weekly
• Dwolla Adds Support For LinkedIn, Allowing You To Send Money To Your Professional Contacts - TechCrunch
• Ryanair Introduces 'free' Cash Passport - This is Money (UK)

On the wires:

• PCI Security Standards Council Publishes Point-to-Point Encryption Validation Requirements
• New Aite Group Report on Impact of 1099-K Regulation on U.S. Merchant Acquiring
• Marquette Bank Selects FIS’ ePayment and eBanking Solutions to Lead eBusiness Channel
• New Mercator Report on Micropayments and Small Ticket Transactions
• Shift4 Integrates with Zen Cart for Online Payments

PayWizard has announced that FilmFlex Movies in the UK has added PayWizard as an online payment mechanism.

FilmFlex Movies is the sixth customer to deploy the PayWizard multi-screen payment platform since the beginning of the year. Film4oD customers simply select the films they want to watch, register for a PayWizard account, top up their PayWizard account balance and pay quickly and easily using the PayWizard e-wallet. The e-wallet holds digital versions of credit/debit cards, the current balance, and various personal data. It facilitates continual card authorisation for true 'single-click' purchases and can handle a range of innovative subscription models.

PayWizard supports transactions made on multiple devices, including online, tablets, smart phones, connected TV's and digital set-top boxes.

On the web:

• Dreams of Mobile Payments Lead Telco to Try Banking in Canada - GigaOM
• VocaLink Launches New Product for Mobile Payment Services in UK - Banking Business Review
• Using Data Mining to Catch Suspected Financial Wrongdoers - Portals and Rails
• Mobile Payments for Vending Machines in China - Penn-Olson

On the wires:

• PriceTravel Selects Accertify to Protect Its Online Travel Platform Against Fraud
• eMerchantPay Partners With cashU Expanding Its Presence Across the MENA Region
• CSI globalVCard Mobile App Looks to Change the Way Mobile Online B2B Payments Are Made
• Heartland Payment Systems and Marathon National Bank of New York to Offer Business Clients Expanded Services

On the web:

• Vodafone to Extend Android Billing Worldwide - Rethink Wireless
• Mobile On/Off Switch for Debit Cards Now in Testing - American Banker
• Are Cheques Really Here to Stay in UK? - ThisIsMoney.co.uk
• Why Kenya’s M-Pesa Won’t Work Anywhere Else - memeburn

On the wires:

• Frontier Airlines Selects Accertify to Provide Online Fraud Protection
• NYPAY Event: Alternative Payments & Disruptive Innovation - Where Will the Winners Come From?
• E-invoicing Made Simple: the IKB Leasing Group signs up with Crossgate
• TransFirst Acquires Solveras Payment Solutions

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

On the web:

• Facebook Said to Be in Talks to Bring Credits to Mobile Browsers - Bloomberg
• eBay and PayPal Open Registration to Developer Program Conference - eCommerceBytes
• Transit Kiosks at MoMA - Art That Begs to Be Touched - NYTimes.com
• Man Sentenced to Death for Fake Money Scam - chinadaily.com

On the wires:

• Ceridian Stored Value Solutions (SVS) and Twitpay Offer Innovative Social Commerce Solution
• New Mercator Report on Merchant Acquiring Industry and the Mobile Opportunity
• Neural Technologies Implements Solution for Mobile Payments Fraud Management in Africa
• eMerchantPay Launches the eComm Module to Streamline Payment Processing for Online Retailers in UK
• FiServ Business Online, formerly eCorp, Delivers Advanced Functionality for Corporate and Small Business Banking

On the web:

• Future of Money: Crowdsourcing Cash - New Scientist
• PayPal VP: Supporting Payments In The Physical World Is Critical For PayPal - TechCrunch
• Google’s Punchd Acquisition to Push Mobile Wallet Uptake - VentureBeat
• UK Cheques Will Not Be Scrapped in 2018 (Because There Are No Better Alternatives) - Mail Online

On the wires:

• EFT Canada to Acquire Credit Card Gateway
• CHEFS Catalog Serves Cash Consumers with eBillme’s Payment Option
• National Bank (Canada) Launches its International Direct Payment Solution
• New Mercator Advisory Group Report on Non-Prime Credit Card Segments

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

On the web:

• ABA Seeks ‘Grace Period’ on Fed Swipe Fee Rules - ETA
• American Express Prepaid Lineup Looks Like Overkill - American Banker

On the wires:

• Ping Identity Fuels Growth with $21M in Financing
• Citi Ventures Makes Strategic Investment in Mobile Billing Company Billing Revolution
• Elavon Introduces SAFE-T Suite Point-to-Point Encryption and Tokenization Solution
• Chase Card Services Adds EMV Chip Technology to Its J.P. Morgan Select Visa Signature Card
• NetSecure Technologies Introduces Kudos Credit Card Acceptance Solution in Canada
• New Aite Group Report Merchant Funded Card Incentives
• 2ergo develops new mobile payment system for PizzaExpress (UK)
• Ally Bank Adds P2P Payments to Suite of Services

Everything Everywhere (the JV that runs T-Mobile and Orange in the UK), Telefónica UK, and Vodafone UK have announced plans to create a standalone m-commerce joint venture, enabling the development and delivery of both new mobile marketing and payment services.

The JV will deliver the technology required for the speedy adoption of mobile wallet and payments. This will enable consumers to transfer their entire physical wallet into a new secure, SIM-based wallet regardless of which NFC enabled mobile device, or mobile network they are using. Companies and organizations that provide anything from credit, debit and loyalty cards to membership cards and transport tickets will be able to create secure mobile versions of their products.

Everything Everywhere, Telefónica UK and Vodafone UK say they will continue to develop their own competing products and services tailored to their own customers, which will "be based on the open platform infrastructure provided by the JV."

On the web:

• Facebook Adds New Payment Options for Facebook Credits - Inside Social Games
• Court Favors Customer over Bank in ACH Fraud Suit - Bank Info Security
• Mobile payments: Who needs NFC anyway? - Computerworld
• Cheques Set to be Given a Reprieve in UK - Business Matters
• American Express to help retailers drive loyalty, sales via social deals - Mobile Commerce Daily

On the wires:

• eWise and Affirmative Technologies Partner to Accelerate the Adoption of Secure Vault Payments
• mFoundry Passes 400 Customer Milestone

On the web:

• Justice Department Seeks OK for Pact With Visa, MasterCard - Wall Street Journal
• What is NFC, and why do we care? - Engadget
• SK C&C USA, InComm Will Let Merchants Offer Mobile Payments - Bloomberg
• Citi Says Many More Customers Were Affected by Data Theft - New York Times

On the wires:

• Fifth Third Processing Solutions Changes Name to Vantiv
• First Data Rebrands UK Acquiring Business to First Data Merchant Services
• Report Says Cash is King When it Comes to Credit Card Incentives
• VoiceTrust Expands With Mobile Payments in the Middle East
• Study Finds Mobile Check Deposit Top Reason to Switch Primary Banks
• ThreatMetrix Launches New “ThreatMetrix Fraud Facts”

On the web:

• Square’s Remarkably Similar Chinese Competitor Appears - TechCrunch
• Implications of Visa's Recent Change to Chargeback Rules - Vindicia Blog
• Bling Nation’s Pause to Retool Likely to Leave It Behind Rivals - Digital Transactions
• China UnionPay Launches Bankcard-free Trade Handling Platform - TMCnet
• Apple Backpedals On App Store Subscription Rules - TechCrunch
• Bus Tickets Purchased & Presented via SMS - SpringWise

On the wires:

• Edenred Launches MasterCard PayPass Commuter Check Card
• ImpulsePay launches PublishPay to Help Publishers Monetise Mobile Content (UK)
• SelectCore Announces Industry-Changing Mobile Remittance Solution
• New In-App Purchasing and Mobile Payment Capabilities for Windows Phone 7 on CloudMiddleware.com

On the wires:

• Citi Commercial Cards Launches Citi Project Card
• Bill.com Expands Mobile Offering
• Sequent Selects ViVOtech to Provide Trusted Service Manager Software for NFC Mobile Payments

On the web:

• CUinsight: Wescom Resources Group to Market PayPal P2P Solution to Credit Unions
• Marketing Magazine: Starbucks Announces UK Contactless Payment Trial

On the wires:

• Text2Pay Launches Mobile Payments Platform with Direct Billing
• Merchant360 Releases NFC Stack for Payment Terminals and VeriFone Acquires First License
• ACI Worldwide Joins U.K.'s Payments Council
• Sage Helps Alleviate the PCI Compliance Burden for Larger Nonprofits
• Three in Four Consumers Say Using Their Information For Fraud Detection Purposes is ‘Okay’

On the web:

• Computerworld: Isis says carrier-backed mobile payments 'accelerated,' not 'dialing back'
• Internet Retailer: DigiMo Pioneers First True Mobile Payment Solution

On the wires:

• mBlox Closes New Fund Raising Round with Singapore’s EDBI
• Western Union Money Transfer Service Available at Banco Bradesco Locations in Brazil
• Giftango and Vesta Eliminate Payment Fraud for Merchants of eGift Cards
• YESpay International Provides a Cross-Border Integrated Payment Solution to North American Merchants
• CPI Card Group Signs Reseller Agreement with DeviceFidelity to Commercialize Mobile Payments

On the web:

• Wall Street Journal: Wireless Carriers Scrap Plans for Their Own Mobile-Payment Network
• FOX Business: PayPal's Mobile Business (Scott Thompson Video Interview)
• VentureBeat: Why in-app billing doesn’t solve all of Android Market’s problems
• MSNBC: Online Game Gets Real-World Banking License in Sweden
• NFC World: Oracle: Is NFC Too Slow for Payments and Coupons?
• NACS Online: Tap-and-Go Payments on the Rise in UK

On the wires:

• FreedomPay Opens World’s Most Flexible Payment Gateway to Independent Developers
• 10 Million UK Consumers Using Mobile Commerce but 83% Have Experienced Problems
• New Aite Group Report on Network Branded Prepaid Cards
• SIMalliance Open Mobile API boosts Smartphone Application Security
• MasterCard SpendingPulse March 2011 Retail Report
• Visa Europe: Q1 UK Expenditure Index

On the web:

• BBC: NFC Trials for Payment in UK Shops
• Slate: Paying With Your Phone Is Awesome, Because... Because.

Recent white papers:

• Bell ID: Six Myths Preventing EMV Migration in the United States
• First Data: The Marketing Side of Tokenization (PDF)
• SJB Research: NFC Business Models (registration required)
• Ensenta: Agile Risk Management for Remote Deposit Capture

The Mobile Money Exchange has a great visual tool that nicely illustrates the proliferation of mobile money deployments around the world.

This tool was originally developed by the GSMA Mobile Money for the Unbanked team (covering the countries under their remit) and has been extended to include all worldwide mobile money deployments.

eWise has announced it plans to launch eWise payo, the "first and only bank inclusive Online Banking ePayments (OBeP) solution" in the UK.

eWise payo enables the consumer to initiate secure and private payments for goods and services or bills online, without having to provide personal financial information to any third parties(1). To use eWise payo, customers are directed straight to their bank's website where they will log in using their existing account credentials. Once in their online banking application, consumers select from any account with available funds and confirm the payment. eWise technology enables the secure payment, leveraging the UK's Faster Payments network, thereby generating a near immediate payment for the merchant.

Headline News is compiled by Glenbrook Partners:

• Global Online Community Badoo Chooses Single-Click Online Payments System from Adyen
• Tesco Bank Partners with Blackhawk Network to Deliver Gift Cards to Tesco Customers
• Cartera Commerce Responds to Proposed Federal Reserve Rules in Interchange Fees With New Solutions for Debit Card Issuers
• NRF Says Federal Reserve Action on Debit Cards Could Lead to Discounts for Consumers
• Oberthur Technologies Announces the Development of MasterCard M/Chip Advance for its new Dual Interface Platform

• Visa Blog: Senator Dodd: Debit Interchange Proposals “Maybe one where the Fed is overreaching”
• Springwise: Donation Gift Cards let Recipients Choose the Charity
• ReadWriteCloud: Google Apps Marketplace Gets a Billing API

Headline News is compiled by Glenbrook Partners:

• Protraction, Complacency And Ignorance: PCI DSS Compliance In Disarray Amongst UK Contact Centres
• Think Introduces Real Cost-Per-Action (CPA) Advertising with FaceCash Coupons

• Slate Magazine: The Fed Enters the Skirmish Over Debit Card Fees
• Visa Blog: Congressional Leaders Voice Concern Regarding Federal Reserve Debit Rules
• Rethink Wireless: Orange Leads NFC Charge in Europe
• Bloomberg: Danaher Said to Offer 1.44 Billion Euros for Ingenico

Headline News is compiled by Glenbrook Partners:

• First Data Announces Big Brand Additions to its eGift Social Marketplace
• American Express to Eliminate Foreign Currency Transaction Fees on U.S. Platinum and Centurion Cards
• WesPay and Northwest Clearing House Association announce intention to merge operations
• Visa Europe launches new contactless payment solution for London’s black cabs

• New York Times: Fed Proposes Rules to Cut Debit Card Fees
• BusinessWeek: Ingenico Gets EU1.44 Billion Offer From Undisclosed Buyer
• globeandmail.com: Rising Credit Card Fees Raise Merchants' Ire In Canada
• Bloomberg: American Express to Buy Munich-based Loyalty Partner

Headline News is compiled by Glenbrook Partners:

• BOKU Announces Partnership with Gumtree – the United Kingdom’s Largest Online Classifieds
• Nexon Selects PlaySpan’s Monetization Platform For Nexon Cash (NX)
• Avidia Bank Joins the Secure Vault Payments Network
• Kantar Video Taps Zuora to Launch New Global On-Demand Video Analytics Platform
• Global Bay Joins Demandware LINK To Offer Retailers Integrated Apple Mobile POS Solution

• AOL Small Business: Startup mPayy Takes on PayPal with Mobile Payments
• This is Money: Sneaky Fees in Your Credit Card Small Print (UK)
• Bank Info Security: Interview with GM of PCI Security Standards Council
• Digital Transactions: A Closer Look at Fed Payments Study Unveils Some Surprises
• MyBankTracker: Mobile, Social Networks & eCommerce – The Future of the Payment Landscape