Payments Business--The Merchant's Guide to Transactions, Cards & eCommerce

January 26, 2015---The Federal Reserve has issued its ‘Strategies for Improving the U.S. Payment System’, which presents a multi-faceted plan for collaborat ing with payment system stakeholders including large and small businesses, emerging payments firms, card networks, payment processors, consumers, and financial institutions to enhanc e the speed, safety, and efficiency of the U.S. payment system.

TSYS and Ingenico Group to offer EMV, NFC and Apple Pay-enabled POS payment solutions

January 26, 2015--TSYS ®, a global payments provider, and Ingenico Group, a provider of seamless payments, have announced a new agreement to offer merchants a seamless and secure solution for accepting all payment types, including magnetic stripe, EMV ®, NFC and Apple Pay TM. TSYS is the first processor to Class A certify Ingenico Group’s new PCI 3.0-certified smart products – the iCT 220 Contactless and iPP310 PIN pad – thus providing merchants with front-line support for a complete end-to-end payment solution.

ATMIA establishes international ATM marketing committee

January 26, 2015--To assist industry marketing professionals, the ATM Industry Association (ATMIA) has established an international ATM Marketing Committee.

CIBC ranked tops for online banking functionality

January 26, 2015-- CIBC has received the top overall ranking for online banking functionality in Canada among the big five banks reviewed in Forrester Research Inc.'s ‘2014 Canadian Online Banking Benchmark’ report. This follows CIBC's top ranking in the Canadian Mobile Banking Benchmark from Forrester, released in May 2014.

AmEx claims 400,000 U.S. small merchants through its ISO-driven OptBlue program

January 22, 2015--Some 400,000 U.S. small merchants now accept American Express Co. payment cards through the OptBlue program that AmEx announced nearly a year ago. OptBlue enables bank card merchant acquirers and independent sales organizations to offer AmEx acceptance to small businesses and set the pricing through a one-stop-shopping option when they sell acceptance of other card brands.

Collaboration makes digital gift cards available in Canada

January 21, 2015--InComm, a prepaid product and transaction services company, announced today that, following a successful launch in the U.S., PayPal will utilize the InComm Digital Solutions (IDS) platform to support PayPal’s digital gifts services in Canada. IDS will enable PayPal to expand the number of leading retailers’ gift cards it sells in real-time on the PayPal Digital Gifts store.

Korea Exchange Bank of Canada, Everlink join forces to launch reloadable EMV mobile prepaid interac debit card program

January 21, 2015--Korea Exchange Bank of Canada (KEBOC) and Everlink Payment Services Inc. have combined innovation and in-depth payment solutions expertise to develop and launch Canada’s first reloadable EMV Mobile Prepaid Interac Debit card program – 1Q INSTA Card. The 1Q INSTA mobile App allows eligible Canadian consumers to apply for a free 1Q INSTA account using their smart phone and receive a 1Q INSTA Prepaid Interac Debit card delivered to them in the mail.

With a Wary Eye on Apple Pay, Google Reported to Be in Talks to Buy Softcard

January 21, 2015--Major tech and payments companies are reportedly showing an interest in acquiring Softcard, the troubled mobile-payments joint venture owned by three of the nation’s biggest mobile operators. Google Inc. is in “exclusive” talks with the company and has offered at least $50 million for it, says The Wall Street Journal.

Banks to unlock consumer transaction ‘Big Data’

January 21, 2015--INETCO® Systems Ltd ., a provider of transaction monitoring and customer analytics software for the banking and payment processing industries, today launched INETCO Analytics™. This new self-serve analytics application allows banks, independent ATM deployers and payment processors to leverage their electronic transaction data and analyze how customers interact with automated teller machines (ATMs) and other devices found in point-of-sale (POS), mobile banking, internet banking and branch banking environments.

Financial institutions, Ontario academics and technology start-ups to become partners in innovation

January 21, 2015--Canada's financial services and technology sectors are heading into a new era of innovation and collaboration. Working in partnership, Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) and the Toronto Financial Services Alliance (TFSA) will connect companies and institutions in the country's largest financial services cluster with Ontario's innovation ecosystem including its academic community and technology companies, to address individual businesses and industry challenges.

Scandit seeks to bring retail ‘back to the future’

January 13, 2015--Scandit, developer of the leading software-based barcode scanning solutions for smartphones, tablets, and wearable devices, has unveiled a self-scanning solution designed to make next-generation mobile shopping easy and accessible to consumers while driving revenue and reducing costs for retailers. The new integrated solution, a part of its Mobile App Suite for Retail, features the company’s patented software-based barcode scanner, which is currently being utilized within successful selfscanning applications for global retailers including Coop, Ahold, Homeplus (Tesco) and more.

Apple planning expansion into Canada as soon as March

January 13, 2015--Apple is preparing to expand its Apple Pay payments service internationally with at least the Canadian launch currently scheduled for early 2015, according to sources close to the situation.

Hard times at Softcard: mobile-payments venture lays off 60 employees

January 13, 2015--Softcard, the mobile-payments venture of Verizon Wireless, AT&T Mobility, and T-Mobile USA, has laid off 60 employees in a restructuring, according to media reports. The layoffs raise questions about the future of Softcard, formerly known as Isis, which has had trouble gaining consumer and merchant acceptance for its near-field communication-based (NFC) service in a fast-changing mobile-payments market.

Digital receipting service sends copies of printed receipts direct to the cloud

January 13, 2015--International POS printer manufacturer Star Micronics announces the launch of its free of charge digital receipting service, offering the retailer a low cost and fast route to providing the customer with a digital copy of the printed receipt as well as access to analytics, an in-store customer survey and device management tools.

EMVCo to manage next generation of 3D-secure specification

January 8, 2015--The global technical body, EMVCo, will increase its scope to lead the payments industry in advancing the next generation of 3D Secure (3DS), the online authentication protocol, to support new and emerging technologies in the remote payment environment.

FIME further qualified for NFC Forum analog certification testing

January 5, 2015--Advanced secure chip testing provider FIME has announced that its laboratories in Asia, EMEA, and Korea have been qualified to perform official NFC Forum analog certification testing. These FIME laboratories are now authorized to perform all forms of NFC Forum certification testing, covering analog, digital, logical link control protocol (LLCP), and simple NDEF (NFC data exchange format) exchange protocol (SNEP).

Starbucks renounces Square mobile payments app

December 23--Starbucks and U.S. mobile payments company Square are going their separate ways in the ongoing battle for how to order and pay for items using smartphones.

Cambridge Mercantile analysts suggest further currency turbulence

December 18, 2014--Cambridge Mercantile Group, a global payment and risk management solution provider, expects foreign exchange upheaval to continue throughout 2015. The company's analysts are monitoring economic performance shifts, policy changes, and market conditions closely, and are anticipating a year in which the world's major trading blocs follow very different paths.

MeaWallet to enable contactless and remote payments in any app using global standard payment schemes

December 18, 2014--MeaWallet has launched Mobile Business Components (MBC) that handle the complexity of securing contactless integrated services and APIs. Using these components to connect an existing or new app or wallet to the MeaWallet Mobile Digitization Platform, will enable service providers to deliver contactless services like payments, access, and transit.

SkySIM CX Hercules from G&D makes mobile transactions more convenient and future-proof

December 18, 2014--Mobile devices are increasingly being used for mobile transactions such as electronic payments, as well as for digital tickets and for authentication in physical access control systems in secure areas. Such use involves the exchange of highly sensitive personal data, which makes security a top priority.

ShopKeep Apple Pay and chip card reader available

December 16, 2014--ShopKeep, a cloud-based technology provider, has released its Apple Pay™ and chip card reader. This reader allows merchants to accept Apple Pay, along with traditional magnetic swipe credit card payments; chip card capabilities will be available next year well ahead of October’s liability transition deadline.

Western Union Business solutions expands global payment functionality for financial institutions

December 12, 2014-- Western Union, a leader in global payment services, has updated its functionality to the integration between Western Union Business Solutions (WUBS) and its real-time domestic and international foreign wire exchange solution partner WireXchange from Fiserv.

Hudson's Bay Financial Services announces expanded portfolio with mortgage brokering and money transfer service offerings

December 12, 2014--Hudson's Bay Company has expanded its portfolio of financial service offerings which now includes mortgage brokering and money transfer services, adding to the suite of existing products offered through its Hudson's Bay Financial Services Group. Through our strategic partnerships with some of Canada's leading financial services companies, customers have access to a comprehensive set of financial products that can leverage buying power and provide group rates to individuals.

Giesecke & Devrient to participate in Entrust Datacard’s card validation program for smart cards

December 8, 2014--Entrust Datacard Corporation announced that Giesecke & Devrient (G&D) is participating in its Card Validation Program (CVP), which allows G&D to validate the compatibility of their EMV smart cards with Datacard ® personalization solutions prior to full implementation.

Staples releases ecommerce marketplace

December 8, 2014--Staples, an office supply chain store, has launched a new ecommerce-related marketplace which is aimed at connecting suppliers and customers.

Capital One, Hudson's Bay Company announce credit card program agreement

December 5, 2014--Capital One Financial Corporation and Hudson's Bay Company have announced a credit card program agreement between Capital One, Hudson's Bay, and Saks Fifth Avenue, with the planned addition of the Lord & Taylor credit card program in June 2015, subject to closing conditions.

Apple Pay sees low use on Black Friday

December 2, 2014--Apple Pay’s mobile payment method was used for less than five per cent of all Apple-Pay eligible transactions on Black Friday. On the busiest of all shopping days, surely a one-tap payment with an iPhone would be the quickest and easiest way to pay?

Online merchants struggling to cope with the ‘fragmentation of fraud’

December 2, 2014--More than three-quarters of online merchants (79 per cent) believe the growing proliferation of markets, purchasing channels, and payment methods pose a significant challenge for effectively dealing with fraud, says the ‘Fragmentation of Fraud’ by global payments specialist Worldpay. Only one in five (20 per cent) online merchants stated they are very confident about their ability to manage new fraud threats and half (50 per cent) find it difficult to keep up with fraud trends.

Dovetail opens Canadian office as Canadian banks increase their focus on payments

December 1, 2014--Dovetail, a provider of market ready payment and liquidity management solutions will open a Canadian office in Toronto as Canadian banks focus on improving the customer experience and revenue potential of their payments lines of business.

TD to help customers pinch pennies with new app

December 1, 2014--Toronto-Dominion Bank is partnering with a New York-based app maker to help its customers use their smartphones to keep track of every purchase they make.

Consumers want to play a bigger part in protecting their payment cards from fraud

November 25, 2014--Heading into the busiest shopping season of the year, a large majority of consumers are concerned enough about fraudulent use of their credit cards and debit cards that they want to take a more proactive role in their own security. A survey conducted in the U.S., Canada, and the UK by FICO, a predictive analytics and decision management software company, shows that fraud is top-of-mind for consumers in the wake of high-profile data breaches.

Virtual currencies set to disrupt major markets within five years

November 25, 2014 --Virtual currencies are likely to be a major disruptive force within five years, according to a new study published by Technology Strategies International Inc. The report, ‘The Future of Virtual Currencies – 2014’, recommends that organizations that are in the path of this disruptive wave starting preparing themselves now.

American Express named Canada’s top travel reward credit cards in four categories

November 24, 2014--American Express Canada has come out on top in Rewards Canada's fourth annual ‘Canada's Choice Awards’. More than 18,000 Canadians voted for their favourite travel rewards credit cards, and four American Express Cards were chosen as top cards.

UGO, the wallet for your phone has arrived

November 24,2014--UGO Mobile Solutions L.P. today announced the availability of UGO Wallet, an open digital wallet application that enables consumers to start replacing credit cards and loyalty cards from their physical wallet with a simple, secure digital payment method on their smartphone. UGO Wallet is a free app and available now for download from BlackBerry World and Google Play.

ATMIA launches ATM OS migration cost model for deployers

November 21, 2014--ATMIA has released its migration cost model for ATM deployers to use as a tool to calculate costs of different migration strategies to new operating systems.

PayStand streamlines online payments, offers e-check

November 20, 2014--PayStand, a next generation payment processor and checkout gateway, has been simplifying the online payments process for both merchants and customers since its launch six months ago. Now it has taken another step to make the process even safer, more intuitive and less expensive by streamlining the electronic check (e-Check) payment option so it is easier, and lower cost, to pay this way than by credit card.

InComm Research proves digital gift cards will be popular gifts this holiday season

November 20, 2014--InComm, a leading provider of integrated point-of-sale (POS) technology solutions to retailers, today released research highlighting consumer shopping trends for purchasing digital and physical gift cards from websites and mobile devices.

Mowingo, Star Micronics partner on mobile solution for legacy POS systems

November 20, 2014--Results of a pilot completed this month reveal a unique mobile analytics solution and data-driven insights for solving a primary concern of merchants and restaurateurs held back by outdated point-of-sale (POS) systems – receiving optimal return on investment (ROI) for mobile offers and promotions.

U.S. mobile payments market to boom

November 19, 2014--Mobile-based payments in the U.S. are expected to reach $142 billion in volume in 2019, from about $50 billion currently, says a report from the research firm Forrester. In the study, the firm spoke to a dozen payments industry companies, including PayPal, Verifone, and Visa. They indicated that the shift to mobile commerce was growing quickly.

ACHA’s ‘Payments Innovation Alliance’ releases white paper

November 19, 2014--The Electronic Payments Association’s ‘Payments Innovation Alliance’ has released its first white paper. ‘ The Future of Corporate Payments’, takes an in-depth look at the evolving landscape of corporate payments, providing an overview of developments and the challenges and opportunities these developments present to financial institutions.

Realex payments provides payments solution for Shopgate’s m-commerce clients

November 19, 2014--Realex Payments, a European payment solution provider, has partnered with Shopgate, a software-as-a-service m-commerce platform. The partnership sees Realex Payments and Shopgate integrated seamlessly to provide a comprehensive payments and store solution for its m-commerce clients, enabling a simple and straightforward checkout process for Shopgate’s 5,500+ merchants across Europe.

Canadians lukewarm when it comes to making mobile payments for purchases

November 19, 2014--Hype for mobile payments is growing but Canadians generally aren't very eager to pay for purchases with their smartphones, says a report by global research company GfK.

Bank of Canada keeping eye on e-money

November 14, 2014--The Bank of Canada is keeping a close eye on the risks posed by new forms of electronic money, given that the Bank’s job is to issue currency, promote financial stability and oversee Canada’s payment systems, Senior Deputy Governor Carolyn Wilkins said today in Waterloo, Ontario.

Diebold's 9900 branch technology transforms financial institutions' businesses and consumer banking experiences

November 12, 2014--Recent technological advancements have empowered consumers to interact with financial institutions (FIs) in multiple new ways. Yet, the branch – compared with other banking channels such as online and mobile – still has the greatest influence on consumer satisfaction, according to the J.D. Power and Associates ‘2013 U.S. Retail Banking Satisfaction Study ’.

Worldpay announces agreement to acquire SecureNet Payment Systems

November 11, 2014--Worldpay, a leading global provider of payments technology and services to merchants, partners, and developers, announced today it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire SecureNet Payment Systems for an undisclosed price. SecureNet is principally owned by Sterling Partners, a Chicago-based private equity firm.

Visa enhanced PCI compliance push slated for January 1 start

November 11, 2014.--Card network Visa Inc. plans to eke out even better merchant compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard with a new enforcement plan targeting the largest merchants. The program is scheduled for a January 1 start. That’s according to a copy of an October 21 Visa bulletin obtained by ‘ Digital Transactions News’. Visa did not respond to an inquiry about the bulletin.

Avalara, GlobalCollect join to simplify cross-border ecommerce

November 11, 2014--Avalara, Inc. and GlobalCollect have partnered to provide industry-leading payment and indirect tax compliance services to ecommerce companies looking to trade cross-border. GlobalCollect, an Ingenico Group company, processes international ecommerce payments for the world’s most recognised ecommerce brands, while Avalara delivers compliance solutions related to sales tax, VAT, and other transactional taxes.

CFIB applauds the end of the credit card "arms race"

November 4, 2014--Canada's small business community is hailing new commitments that could bring an end to ever-increasing credit card fees that add $5 billion to $7 billion a year to the price of goods and services. Although the written commitments announced today by Visa and MasterCard do not represent a massive reduction in the ‘swipe fees’ charged to merchants, the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses (CFIB) is confident they will reduce some of the cost pressure and end the regular fee hikes that have been the norm over the past five years.

Giesecke & Devrient Joins the FIDO Alliance

November 4, 2014--The faster the increase in the number of digital processes, the greater the demand for security. This development means that the issue of straightforward, yet secure authentication is becoming increasingly important. Studies show that more than two thirds of all users worldwide use just one password to protect their digital identities, surf the net or buy online.

Major flaw discovered in Visa contactless cards

November 4, 2014--The £20 limit on Visa contactless cards can be bypassed by making transactions using foreign currencies, security experts from Newcastle University have found.

Giesecke & Devrient wins ‘Juniper Future Mobile Gold Award’

November 3, 2014--Juniper Research has awarded its prestigious ‘ Future Mobile Gold Award ’ to Giesecke & Devrient (G&D) for „making an outstanding contribution to the future of the mobile contactless payments market”. For Edgar Salib, senior vice-president and head of the financial institutions division at G&D, this award confirms G&D’s position as “an innovative technology leader and valuable partner for banks.

MasterCard offers new one-stop hub to provide business-building services

November 3, 2014--MasterCard has revealed the MasterCard Business Owner Toolbox, a new online hub for business owners and their employees. The site provides tools, insights and offers specifically created to give small business owners more of what they desperately need: time.

Diebold reimagines financial services experience with responsive banking concept

November 3, 2014--With an entrepreneurial mindset and a focus on strategic market needs, the research and development (R&D) incubation team at Diebold, Incorporated is blending branch transformation and omni-channel experience with the unveiling of a new responsive banking concept. The conceptual design bridges consumer banking priorities – convenience, security and self-service – with technology-based solutions that satisfy financial institutions' (FIs) need to provide anytime, anywhere services while also minimizing its overall footprint.

Massive machines set to restore bitcoin value

November 3, 2014--Bitcoin Brothers introduces Massive Super-Efficient Machines (MSEM) as the future computing platform of profitable bitcoin cloud mining and blockchain transactions. The supercomputers at over six petahash each are built on the first 3D 16nm FinFET ASICs designed by - and exclusive to - Bitcoin Brothers.

Upcoming Panini breakfast briefing presentation covers remote deposit capture

October 29, 2014 --For banks exploring the mystery that is corporate remote deposit capture, moving from a testing phase to a full fledge offering solution is complicated and a bit scary! There is a lot to consider while weighing the pros and cons of moving forward.

POPcodes to simplify 'Order Online, Pick Up in Store' retail model

October 28, 2014--POPcodes, a Calgary-based company led by veteran North American retail executives, bridges the gap between e-commerce and physical shopping by giving consumers a code when checking out online they can then use to redeem purchases or promotions at the cash register.

Harbortouch reduces contract term for free POS program

October 28, 2014--Harbortouch, a national point of sale (POS) system and merchant services provider, has reduced the length of the service agreement term for its flagship free POS program from five years to three years. The monthly cost will stay at $69/month as it was priced on the five-year term. There are no up-front costs for the hardware, software, installation, or training. Although the free POS program already represented the lowest cost of ownership for a full-featured POS system, this change reduces the commitment and cost dramatically.

Retailers pull support from Apple Pay

October 27, 2014--Some retailers have stopped accepting Apple Pay only a week after its launch, blocking the service in favour of an alternative option that is expected to launch in 2015.

BAM checkout enables frictionless mobile transactions

October 21, 2014--Jumio, Inc., an online and mobile credentials management company, has introduced BAM Checkout™, an all-in-one payment card and identification scanning technology for mobile retailers. The embeddable solution provides a frictionless checkout experience by enabling users to bypass nearly all manual key entry when completing a mobile purchase. The product name pays homage to the chemical BAM, a compound of Boron, Aluminium and Magnesium, which produces the least amount of sliding friction of any substance in the world.

Harbortouch unveils Perkwave mobile app

October 20, 2014--Harbortouch, a national point of sale (POS) system and merchant services provider, has unveiled Perkwave , a mobile app that uses Apple Pay™ technology to enable restaurant customers to pay at the table. The app also includes built-in loyalty and rewards functionality.

Credit union leaders to tell Ottawa "My Credit Union Matters!™"

October 20, 2014--On October 20, credit union leaders will be on Parliament Hill urging MPs to make sure the next budget recognizes the vital role credit unions play in supporting small business, creating jobs and building communities.

Banks, techology vendors big winners at inaugural IVIE Awards from ACT Canada

October 17, 2014--ACT Canada, the stakeholder association driving payment evolution & digital identity, revealed the winners of its inaugural IVIE Awards, celebrating innovation in payments and secure identity products using secure chip technologies. The IVIE Awards recognize the ingenuity of the winners and the value that implementations of emerging technologies bring to the market. The results were announced at a reception held in Toronto, where more than 160 delegates turned out to help celebrate the new program.

ACT Canada presents the inaugural ‘IVIE Awards’

October 17, 2014--ACT Canada, the stakeholder association driving payment evolution and digital identity, has announced the winners of the inaugural ‘ IVIE Awards’, celebrating innovation in payments and secure identity products using secure chip technologies. The IVIE Awards recognize the ingenuity of the winners and the value that implementations of emerging technologies bring to the market.

Harbortouch unveils built-for-purpose ‘tablet POS killer’

October 15, 2014–Harbortouch, a national point of sale (POS) system and merchant services provider, has unveiled Harbortouch Echo, a sleek, built-for-purpose POS system that is considered a ‘tablet killer’. Harbortouch Echo combines the power and functionality of a traditional POS system with the simplicity and sleek design of a tablet-based system.

Smartwatches face challenges as payment system

October 14, 2014--A recent GfK survey in China, Germany, South Korea, the UK, and the U.S. indicates that people in these countries see potential in using smartwatches to 'carry' tickets for passenger transport or as security keys to their computers and online accounts. The ability to transmit healthcare data via a smartwatch is also of particular interest to the majority of people. In America and China, there is openness for using smartwatches as identity cards and payment systems, although Europeans are much more hesitant about these functions.

GuestLogix' next-generation payment sleeves awarded PCI certification for chip and PIN

October 14, 2014–GuestLogix Inc., a provider of ancillary-focused merchandising, payment, and business intelligence technology to airlines and the passenger travel industry, has been granted PCI-PTS 4.x certification, specifically as it relates to its next-generation payment peripherals for use with smartphones and tablets on all mobile operating systems.

SCENE, Sport Chek announce marketing partnership

October 10, 2014–SCENE, Canada's fastest growing loyalty program with six million members, has added sports and active lifestyle retailer, Sport Chek, as its first long-term strategic marketing partner. The addition of Sport Chek reflects SCENE's evolution to Canada's largest lifestyle and entertainment loyalty program. SCENE is a joint venture between Cineplex Entertainment and Scotiabank.

Oberthur launches dCVV/dCVC payment card

October 10, 2014–Oberthur Technologies (OT), a provider of digital security solutions for the mobility space, is launching the first payment card integrating dynamic Card Verification Value/Code (dCVV/dCVC) technology from NagraID Security (NIDS) in order to secure online transactions.

PayPal should become a bank and take on Apple, says ex-VP

October 8, 2014–This week, PayPal announced that it was cutting the apron strings with parent company eBay, leaving many scrambling to work out what the next steps will be for the payments giant. Daniela Mielke, the company’s former vice-president for global strategy, has some ideas.

Datacard Group adds high volume card delivery and envelope insertion systems

October 8, 2014–Datacard Group has introduced the Datacard ® DX5100 TM card delivery system, as well as the Datacard ® MXi810 TM and MXi610 TM envelope insertion systems. The addition of these products enables financial institutions, government agencies, retailers, and other issuers to set up their production process and card delivery model that aligns with their current and emerging needs – whether it is a secure and efficient inline system, a flexible stand-alone solution, or hybrid card delivery model.

Moneris facilitates AIR MILES Reward Program for small business merchants

September 30, 2014–Moneris Solutions Corporation, Canada's largest credit and debit card processor, is offering small business merchants the ability to provide their customers with AIR MILES® reward miles for their purchases through the Moneris AIR MILES® reward miles program.

FIME to offer complete testing for NFC device functionality

September 30, 2014–Advanced testing provider, FIME, has taken steps to streamline near field communication (NFC) enabled device testing with the addition of test libraries to its Global TEE test tool. The tool, now named ‘Global Device’, has been upgraded following GlobalPlatform’s advancement of its device compliance program to better support the needs of the mobile services community. The tool is available for purchase for pre-certification in-house testing and as part of FIME’s GlobalPlatform-accredited service offering.

Panini to expand presence at remote deposit capture summit

September 29, 2014–This week at the Remote Deposit Capture (RDC) Summit in Las Vegas, Nevada, Panini is featuring mI:Deal™, a breakthrough solution from their continuous innovation portfolio. The mobility enabled Panini mI:Deal™ provides financial institutions and merchants with a simple, efficient, and cost-effective solution for capturing checks in a wide variety of deployment environments, including remote deposit capture (RDC) and point-of-sale (POS).

MTS brings the new BlackBerry Passport with the industry's first touch-enabled keyboard to Manitobans

September 24, 2014--MTS will soon be offering the BlackBerry® Passport, a new device purpose-built for productivity with a boundary-breaking design that challenges the status quo. Featuring a large square touch screen, new QWERTY touch-enabled keyboard and BlackBerry's latest 10.3 operating system, the BlackBerry Passport gives users a wider vision to do mobile business without compromising portability.

Aeroplan Partners with eSSENTIAL Accessibility to offer app for people with disabilities

September 24, 2014--eSSENTIAL Accessibility is proud to announce its partnership with Aeroplan, Canada's premier coalition loyalty program. Through the partnership, Aeroplan now offers a desktop app that empowers people with physical disabilities to access aeroplan.com. People who cannot browse the web using conventional methods due to conditions such as arthritis, paralysis or amputation, can use this app to browse completely hands free using tools like motion technology and voice-activated navigation.

Alipay adds fingerprint authentication to mobile wallet

September 24, 2014--Alipay customers making purchases and transfers in Alipay’s mobile application, Alipay Wallet, no longer need to enter a password – the company will be using technology from Nok Nok Labs to add fingerprint authentication to the app.

Spire Payments, Wirecard, deploy chip and PIN mPOS solution in India

September 24, 2014--Spire Payments continues its rapid growth in the mobile payments sector by supplying over 7,500 PosMate tm Smart chip and PIN mPOS devices to Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) in the Chennai area of India. This will be the first phase of an aggressive roll-out plan aimed at the micro merchant sector which has previously never accepted card payments. The vast majority of the initial deployment will be aimed at taxi drivers.

TSM: Friend or foe to NFC?

September 22, 2014--FIME, a provider of consulting services, certification, and tools, has published a white paper that asks if the role of the trusted service manager (TSM) will help or hinder the globalization of near field communication (NFC) services.

Cards kept at top of the mobile wallet with tokenization

September 19, 2014--Fiserv, Inc. a global provider of financial services technology solutions, announced today that it has expanded its mobile payments solution portfolio to include tokenization capabilities via Visa Token Service (VTS) and MasterCard Digital Enablement Service (MDES). These capabilities will be available to all Fiserv-processed debit and credit issuers. Fiserv will also enable its Accel™ debit payments network to support tokenization for its participants.

Home Depot completes malware elimination

September 19, 2014--The Home Depot ® confirmed that the malware used in its recent breach has been eliminated from its U.S. and Canadian networks. The company also has completed a major payment security project that provides enhanced encryption of payment data at point of sale in the company's U.S. stores, offering significant new protection for customers. Roll-out of enhanced encryption to Canadian stores will be complete by early 2015. Canadian stores are already enabled with EMV "Chip and PIN" technology.

Halo Metrics appoints field service manager

September 17, 2014--Halo Metrics Inc. is pleased to announce that Ron McMurray has joined the company to develop and strengthen its growing service capabilities. He brings to Halo Metrics a wealth of experience that includes successfully managing a technical field service team as his career developed over his nineteen year employment with Checkpoint Systems, and more recently managed installation with Stanley Black and Decker Inc.

Apriva offers analytics and accessibility features

September 17, 2014--Apriva, the leading provider of end-to-end wireless transactions, gateway services, and secure information solutions, has expanded features within AprivaPay™ Plus, its mobile point-of-sale (POS) software.

Increased SMB adoption coupled with weak data security practices

September 17, 2014--ControlScan, a provider of security and compliance solutions for small and mid-sized businesses, has released a new report detailing the company’s latest research findings on mobile technology adoption among its SMB customers. The report, ‘ Mobile at the Point of Sale: How SMBs are Adopting Mobile Devices to Accept Card-Present Payments’, is based on input from more than 6,000 US-based SMBs responding to the company’s 2014 Mobile Payment Acceptance Survey.

Hearst Corporation acquires majority in KUBRA

September 17, 2014--Hearst Corporation has acquired 80 per cent stake in KUBRA Data Transfer Ltd., a provider of digital bill delivery and payment services. The investment puts Hearst in a leading position to provide services to a wide range of clients in the utility, insurance, financial services, healthcare, and government industries.

Zooz partners with Alipay to help enterprise retailers expand online sales into the Chinese consumer market

September 17, 2014--Payment technology provider Zooz has announced a partnership that allows enterprise retailers to accept online purchases made with Alipay, China’s most popular online payments service. By enabling e-commerce with Alipay’s 300 million registered users, the alliance removes the barriers that prevent large retailers from offering their products to the Far East market.

Cryptomathic advises industry how to secure HCE applications

September 17, 2014 --E-security solutions provider, Cryptomathic, has published its latest white paper, which offers advice to banks and payment service providers on how to protect mobile banking, payment and host card emulation (HCE) applications against security attacks.

SmartCentres to open ‘Penguin Pick-Up’ for online purchases

September 12, 2014--SmartCentres, Canada’s largest developer/operator of shopping centres, is launching Penguin Pick-Up, a network of free convenient pick-up locations for online purchases. The first three pilot Penguin Pick-Ups are underway and expected to be open in the Greater Toronto Area in the next three to six months. They will have long operating hours. Two of the three locations are in Calloway REIT-owned SmartCentres. Based on consumer demand, Penguin Pick-Up will be rolled out across SmartCentres’ network of more than 250 locations in Canada.

Apple Pay serves notice of firm's plan to transform mobile payments with secure, quick, private system

September 10, 2014--The big reveal yesterday was not a giant surprise, and Apple Pay is not yet available in Canada. But the way it has been promoted south of the border might be a game changer many firms suggest. Apple Pay supports credit and debit cards from the three major payment networks, American Express, MasterCard and Visa, issued by the most popular banks including Bank of America, Capital One Bank, Chase, Citi and Wells Fargo, representing 83 percent of credit card purchase volume in the United States.

GuestLogix anticipates increased NFC adoption following Apple Pay launch

September 10, 2014--GuestLogix Inc), the leading global provider of ancillary-focused merchandising, payment and business intelligence technology to airlines and the passenger travel industry, today commented on Apple's decision to include "Apple Pay(1)" Near Field Communication (NFC) payments as a new feature of its iOS platform, iPhone 6 and 6 Plus as well as its new Apple Watch. NFC - a technology that allows payments to be made via enabled smartphones and mobile devices that are tapped or brought into close proximity to POS terminals - has been around for several years, but has failed to gain traction in the market.

LevelUp reveals Passbook integration, new NFC/BLE scanners

September 10, 2014--During Apple's product presentation, Apple made two exciting announcements pertaining to the payment space: 1) that the company's mobile wallet, Passbook will support mobile payments and 2) that the iPhone 6 will contain an NFC chip.

While Apple drops new products, OTI rolls out NFC, cashless payment solutions for earlier-generation iPhones

September 10, 2014--On Track Innovations Ltd, a global provider of near field communication (NFC) and cashless payment solutions, is piloting its new WAVE and NFC Insert mobile add-on devices with several banks and mobile network operators as the ideal way to add NFC payment capabilities to Apple iPhone 4, 4s, 5, 5s and iPad devices.

Canadian Tire unveils next evolution of its iconic loyalty program

September 10, 2014--As a pioneer of loyalty programs in Canada, Canadian Tire and its iconic Canadian Tire 'Money' have long been synonymous with customer rewards and value. Canadian Tire announced the evolution of its much beloved loyalty platform, introducing My Canadian Tire 'Money', an easier way to collect and redeem Canadian Tire 'Money'. The program will launch in Nova Scotia on October 10 and to customers nationally on October 28, 2014. The digital rewards program will complement paper Canadian Tire 'Money', which will remain in circulation.

FIS to acquire Clear2Pay

September 3, 2014 – Clear2Pay, the international technology provider of next generation payment solutions for financial institutions announces today that FIS TM, a provider of banking and payments technology solutions and a provider of consulting and outsourcing solutions, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Clear2Pay. Upon closing the addition of Clear2Pay will bolster FIS’ global payments capabilities across all geographies and enhance its ability to deliver differentiated enterprise payments and testing solutions.

Visa brings big acquirers on board to build momentum for its new checkout service

September 2, 2014. – Visa Inc. on Wednesday said eight merchant acquirers and e-commerce platform providers will be rolling out the one-month-old Visa Checkout online and mobile payment service. With three platform providers already offering the service, up to four million U.S. online merchants will be able use Visa Checkout, Visa claims.

Ipsos honours top customer service performers among Canadian financial institutions

August 28, 2014 – Customer service is important in any industry, but especially so in the financial services sector where Canadians have a wealth of choices when it comes to a provider. So how do Canadians feel about the levels of service offered by their financial institutions? Ipsos Reid asked, and is pleased to unveil the winners of its ‘2014 Best Banking Awards in Canada’. The annual awards program recognizes Canadian financial institutions with the top ranked customer service for personal banking experience based on various key performance indicators.

New rules to further improve ACH network quality

August 26, 2014 – The Electronic Payments Association has approved two amendments to the ‘ NACHA Operating Rules’ that will further improve ACH Network quality by reducing the incidence of ACH transactions that result in exceptions and returns. As components of NACHA’s long-term risk management strategy, updated in 2012, the amendments are part of NACHA’s ongoing efforts to maintain and improve the strength of the ACH Network for the consumers, governments, businesses, and financial institutions that move their money via ACH.

Test tool offers secure element testing across all markets

August 26, 2014 – Industry association, GlobalPlatform, has qualified FIME's 'global' test tool, validating its ability to evaluate the functionality of secure elements (SEs) to support payment, telecom, and identity applications. The tool is available for SE providers, mobile network operators (MNOs), and handset manufacturers, to purchase for pre-certification development testing, and as part of FIME's laboratory testing service portfolio.

Apriva certifies EMV-ready POS universal application

August 26, 2014 – Apriva, a provider of secure end-to-end wireless transaction and information solutions, says its Apriva POS™ universal application is available on major terminal platforms from Ingenico, VeriFone, and Equinox. The applicaton is designed to simplify and streamline terminal updates for merchants across several leading terminal families by serving as a single, unified application across all of their POS hardware.

Payza launches bitcoin buying option

August 20 , 2014 – Payza, a payment platform and service for ecommerce, corpoate disbursements, and remittances, has taken the lead in the international bitcoin market. The company, which has over 10 million consumers in more than 190 markets, is offering members the opportunity to withdraw funds from their Payza eWallets directly into their bitcoin wallet. The bitcoin payments are based on the exchange rate of both U.S. currency and bitcoin value at the time of transfer. Even though a bitcoin withdrawal takes one to three business days to process, Payza consumer exchange rates will be locked in at the moment of the transaction.

CPA announces changes to rules, standards

August 15, 2014 – The CPA board of directors approved multiple amendments to the Automated Clearing Settlement System (ACSS) and the Large Value Transfer System (LVTS) on June 25, 2014.

Payments industry mourns passing of Terry Maher

August 13, 2014 – The payments industry is mourning the passing of Terry Maher. As General Counsel of the NBCPA and through dedicated representation of numerous payments clients, Maher was a great contributor to the payments industry. Terry served as corporate counsel to the NBPCA and headed up the NBPCA’s AML Task Force, and was a member of the Corporate Section and the Technology and Intellectual Property Practice Group of Baird Holm LLP.

Canada now a global leader in BTMs

August 13, 2014 – Cavirtex has launched six bitcoin teller machines (BTMs) in Toronto, ON, and four more are set to roll out across the country shortly. As a result, Canada now has more BTMs than any other country.

ACT Canada opens award nominations

August 12, 2014 – It's time to recognize the leaders of our industry – the innovators, champions, and social benefactors. We are pleased to announce that the nominations for our 2014 awards are now open. Nominate the innovators you feel deserve recognition for the – Champion's Award; Founders' Lifetime Achievement Award; Canadian Innovation Award in the categories of Payment, Secure ID, or Other applications; International Innovation Award – in the categories of Payment, Secure ID, or Other applications; and the Sonja Halvorson Memorial Award.

Mobile phone bill payments popular among gamers

August 11, 2014 – Gamers are increasingly choosing to pay for their online gaming experiences through the convenience of their mobile phone bill via carrier billing over the more traditional payment methods such as credit cards or PayPal, says a survey by Onebip by Neomobile, a global mobile payments service.

Banks need mobile marketing techniques

August 7, 2014 – Nearly 160 million people in the United States – about two-thirds of all mobile phone subscribers –own a smartphone. Aite Group has researched consumers' use of financial applications on smartphones in its latest report, ‘Activity-Based Marketing: The Future of Mobile Marketing in Banking’.

Top Canadian retailer Loblaw wins award for analytic excellence

August 7, 2014 – FICO , apredictive analytics and decision management software company, has announced that Loblaw Company Ltd. has won the ‘2014 FICO Decision Management Award for Analytic Excellence’. Loblaw launched a loyalty program – PC PLUS™ – in the grocery category that delivers a one-to-one customer experience.

Grass Roots America deploys physical fulfillment solution

August 6, 2014 – Grass Roots America, Inc. has launched a physical fulfillment solution by InComm, a prepaid product and transaction services company. The solution which enables bulk and individual fulfillment for both physical and digital prepaid cards through a single API. The solution helps Grass Roots America to improve efficiency and provide a better customer experience while leveraging InComm’s global reach and portfolio of prepaid options, which includes open-loop cards, closed-loop gift cards, gaming, digital content, and wireless.

Money20/20 announces ‘Hackathon’ teams

August 6, 2014 – Money20/20, an event for payments and financial services innovation, has announced the launch of the ‘Money20/20 Hackathon’ to be held October 31 to November 2 at the Aria Resort & Casino convention facility in Las Vegas, immediately before the kick-off of 2014’s Money20/20, which will take place November 2 to 6.

Mobelisk, Bolt On Solutions partner on mPOS solution

August 5, 2014 – Mobelisk is partnering with Bolt On Solutions to bring to market a mobile enterprise tablet and cloud-based mobile point-of-sale (mPOS) device that is the ideal payment solution for any retail or services businesses seeking to process payments, manage inventory, and capture customer data on-the-go.

Guidelines define optimal UICC configuration for mobile NFC payments

August 5, 2014 – SIMalliance, the global non-profit industry association which simplifies secure element (SE) implementation to drive secure mobile services, has published the UICC Configuration for Mobile NFC Payments v1.0.

Contest launched to encourage bitcoin

July 31, 2014 – CAVIRTEX, Canada’s first and largest full-service bitcoin exchange, has launched the #lovebitcoin social media contest, offering contestants a chance to win a bitcoin digital currency prize that continues to increase in value.

Sage North America supports Canadian small businesses

July 29, 2014 – Sage North America – a provider of business management software and services to small and midsized businesses in Canada – has entered strategic partnerships with several leading Canadian brands as part of its ongoing commitment to support small and medium-sized businesses in Canada.

North American laboratory accredited by Visa to perform level 1 testing

July 28, 2014 – FIME’s Montreal-based laboratory has been qualified by Visa to perform testing for its ‘contactless EMV analog and digital’ specifications. The qualification supports handset manufacturers by enabling the leading payments consultancy and advanced testing provider to confirm compliance of near field communication (NFC) enabled mobile devices to the functional requirements laid out by the payment system.

Federal Reserve payments study provides further details on domestic payments

July 25, 2014 – The ‘2013 Federal Reserve Payments Study Detailed Report’ provides new information on the payments landscape including updated results on the intensity of card use by consumers and businesses; further discussion of previously released information on third-party payments fraud; new estimates of over-the-counter cash withdrawals and deposits at bank branches and wire transfers made by businesses and consumers; and discussion of emerging and alternative payments likely to replace traditional payments such as cash and checks.

Risk management company expands coverage of AML product for cryptocurrencies

July 25, 2014 – IdentityMind Global, a provider of risk management and payments products, has expanded its anti-money laundering solution for Bitcoin and altcoins, including their low-cost Ignite program for Bitcoin startup companies.

Canadian economic growth remains steady

July 23, 2014 – Improving profit margins and firm commodity prices have led to an increase Russell Investments' year-end target for the S&P/TSX Composite Index from 13,800 to 15,300 according to the firm's Q3 2014 Strategists' ‘2014 Global Outlook Update’, which reflects the most recent guidance for the firm's multi-asset portfolios and services from Russell's global team of investment strategists, including commentary specific to the Canadian equity market.

Brand campaign puts people back in charge of their money

July 22, 2014 – PayPal brings a unique understanding of how people think about and use money to the launch of its first-ever brand campaign in Canada. ‘Powering The People Economy’, will reach across print, digital, out of home, experiential, mobile, and social channels.

Consumers don’t trust retailers with securing their data

July 22, 2014 – Slightly more than 50 per cent of consumers feel that the stores where they shop use security systems that adequately protect their financial data against hackers and data breaches, says ‘Global Consumers: Concerned and Willing to Engage in the Battle Against Fraud,’ a study by ACI Worldwide and the Aite Group.

Cash Passport prepaid card available for young travellers

July 19, 2014 – Access Prepaid Worldwide, a MasterCard subsidiary, has launched its ‘Young Traveller Cash Passport’ prepaid card. The card, available exclusively online, is based on its award-winning ‘Multi-currency Cash Passport’. The card has been specifically designed and tailored to appeal to the youth market by showcasing how to make travel money easier, safer, and smarter.

G&D guarantees secure payment function of BASE digital wallet

July 15, 2014 – BASE mobile subscribers can now make contactless payments using their smartphone at the supermarket, when filling up their car and in restaurants using the ‘BASE Wallet’ digital wallet – and it is just as secure as using a traditional debit or credit card. This high level of security is made possible by Giesecke & Devrient (G&D). As a partner in security, G&D supplies special SIM cards with highly secure memory for storing the digital Maestro card. It also operates a high-security data center for E-Plus, enabling them to install the payment application on the SIM card, personalize it and manage it over its life cycle.

‘Operation Choke Point’ harming merchants and consumers

July 15, 2014 – The Electronic Transactions Association (ETA), the global trade association representing the payments technology world, has released two economic studies which find that Operation Choke Point is imposing considerable costs on reputable businesses while having little impact on fraud. The studies, commissioned by ETA and released by NERA Economic Consulting and First Annapolis Consulting, each examine the benefits and costs of Operation Choke Point and find the program is unlikely to achieve the intended result of denying access to the financial system to wrongdoers, and would impose significant costs on the overall economy. Operation Choke Point is a recent federal law enforcement campaign which targets payments companies in an effort to “choke off” financing sources for industries deemed “high-risk.”

Quarterly spending report shows Q2 consumer spending decreased by 0.32 per cent

July 16, 2014 – Canadian consumer spending remained flat for the second consecutive quarter of 2014, says the ‘Quarterly Spending Report’ released by Moneris Solutions Corporation, a credit and debit card processor. This is the first time Moneris has reported two consecutive flat quarters since issuing the reports in 2010.

Payments companies terminated more than 10,000 merchants for fraud in 2013

July 14, 2014 – The Electronic Transactions Association (ETA), the global trade association representing the payments technology world, announced today the results of a survey of its membership which found that respondents discharged more than 10,000 merchants for fraud in 2013. The survey, along with ETA’s ‘Guidelines on Merchant and ISO Underwriting and Risk Monitoring’, are part of ETA’s larger efforts to demonstrate the payments industry’s long-standing commitment to combating consumer fraud. These initiatives are in light of a recent federal law enforcement campaign, ‘Operation Choke Point’, which targets payments companies in an effort to “choke off” financing sources for industries deemed “high-risk.”

Banks have new, better apps

July 14, 2014 – Smartphones promise to be the next big thing in consumer banking, holding the promise of everything from fewer trips to the local bank branch or ATM to the convenience of tap-and-go payments at retail outlets. But first, a number of hurdles still need to be overcome.

Time, money, and tech – study reveals Canadians ready to embrace mobile

July 7, 2014 – PayPal has released findings from a 15-country survey aimed to understand both universal human attitudes and country-specific variances in perspectives about time, technology, money and other central elements of the People Economy. In Canada, the research reveals that many people are ready to ditch their wallet and head out the door with just their keys and mobile phone in hand.

ICICI Bank Canada launches mobile banking

July 7, 2014 – ICICI Bank Canada has launched its ‘ICICI Bank Mobile Banking’, offering customers a secure and convenient way to bank on the go.

Mobile payments on a high growth trajectory in Canada

June 26, 2014 – Mobile payments have ousted card-based contactless payments as the highest growth segment in the Canadian consumer payments market, says ‘Canadian Payments Forecast – 2014’, a study by Technology Strategies International Inc. The report estimates that 22 per cent of smartphone owners have initiated a payment on their mobile phones in the past six months. More than four out of ten of those consumers that made payments on their smartphones have conducted, on average, more than one payment transaction per month on their phone.

Fifteen million cards instantly issued with Datacard solutions

June 26, 2014 – In the U.S. alone, financial institutions have instantly issued more than 15 million cards this past year with Datacard instant issuance solutions, says Datacard Group. And, that number is projected to grow as more financial organizations adopt the technology and recognize the benefits it brings to them and their cardholders.

JUSP mPOS earns highest PCI security certification

June 25, 2014 – JUSP, the all-in-one, chip-and-pin mPOS (Mobile Point-of-Sale) solution for smartphones, tablets, and PCs, announced that its mPOS solution is now commercially available for sale, having received the most stringent security level certifications for mobile point of sale devices: EMV level 1 and 2, PCI PTS 3.1 SRED. JUSP is just one of a handful of companies worldwide that has achieved the full range of certifications.

Alliance Data to launch credit card program for Good Sam Enterprises

June 21, 2014 – Alliance Data Systems Corporation, a global provider of data-driven marketing and loyalty solutions, says its Retail Services business, which manages more than 130 private label and co-brand credit programs, has signed a long-term agreement to provide co-brand credit card services for Good Sam Enterprises. Good Sam Enterprises includes the Good Sam Club, a membership organization for RV owners with more than 1.5 million members, and Camping World, a retailer for RV products, accessories, maintenance, and repair provided through more than 105 Camping World stores nationwide and through easy online and catalog shopping.

EY closes deal with Atlantic IT and business consulting firm

June 21, 2014 – EY has welcomed Ambir Solutions, an independent IT and business consulting firm in Atlantic Canada.

Cardtek USA provides secure environment

July 20, 2014 – Cardtek USA, the American division of Cardtek Group – a provider of software for financial transactions and EMV migration, has introduced a secure environment for transaction processing and personalization, through its affiliate CredoWork. The affiliate’s remote management product, ManageANY, is designed to manage and fix remote location problems while providing remote access for offsite devices, such as ATMs and kiosks.

Reval says payments revolution still to come

June 16, 2014 – In the wake of SEPA (Single Euro Payments Area) implementations, 93 per cent of finance professionals report that they have strategic payments initiatives on their agendas for this year, but only 18 per cent are implementing payment factories or shared service centres, says a survey by Reval, a global Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) provider of comprehensive and integrated Treasury and Risk Management (TRM) solutions.

First Data and Trustwave bring new level of data security to small- and mid-sized businesses

June 13, 2014 – Trustwave with its cloud-based information security and compliance services and First Data, a payment technology and services solutions provider have joined to provide data security to small- and mid-sized businesses.

Internet-based sales not popular among small companies

June 13, 2014 – Canadian companies, especially small ones, are missing out on the advantages of internet-based business, says a report by Statistics Canada. In 2013, Canadian businesses sold over $136 billion worth of goods and services online, registering an 11 per cent increase over the 2012. Online sales accounted for a greater proportion of sales in general, as companies that sold online reported about 25 per cent of overall revenues to come from internet-based customers.

Blackberry to provide transaction services platform

June 12, 2014 – BlackBerry Limited has a three-year agreement with EnStream LP, a mobile payments joint venture owned by Canadian wireless carriers Bell, Rogers, and TELUS, to provide a secure platform that supports transaction services between leading banks and consumers. Under the agreement, EnStream will leverage BlackBerry’s infrastructure to enable financial institutions, including Royal Bank of Canada, TD Bank Group, CIBC, and Desjardins, and mobile operators to securely provision sensitive payment card credentials into any smartphone capable of NFC (near field communication).

Consumer spending shows healthy year-over-year growth

June 12, 2014 – First Data Corporation, the global leader in payment technology and services solutions, today released its First Data SpendTrend® analysis for May 1, 2014 through May 30, 2014, compared to May 2, 2013 through May 31, 2013. SpendTrend tracks same-store point-of-sale data by credit, signature debit, PIN debit, EBT, closed-loop prepaid cards and checks from nearly four million merchant locations serviced by First Data.

Canadian businesses committed to digital technology

June 5, 2014 – Established Canadian businesses can improve competitiveness by turning their strong commitment to digital technologies into more effective digital business models, says ‘CEO Briefing 2014 – The Global Agenda: Competing in a Digital World,’ a report by Accenture. The study shows that Canadian business leaders understand the connection between digital business models and growth better than many of their global counterparts, but have yet to fully anchor their global digital strategy at the level of the CEO.

SMEs cite barriers to adopting technology

June 4, 2014 – Adoption of technology can present significant challenges for small businesses looking to level the playing field with their larger counterparts, says ‘ Merchant Scope: Small to Mid-Sized Merchants Seek Competitive Technology in Omni-Channel World,’ a study by MasterCard. The merchant scope study that included small-to-mid-sized businesses in Canada, Brazil, Germany, and South Africa found that, while nearly 90 per cent have an online presence, only one in five actually offers consumers the option to buy their products and services on an eCommerce site. The two most cited barriers to adopting new technology were cost (46 per cent) and a lack of know-how (31 per cent).

Competition, Collaboration, Innovation:
Payments Panorama 2014

June 5, 2014 — The digital revolution is transforming the payments industry. While creating tremendous opportunities for increased efficiency and convenience, this transformation is introducing challenges that call for enhanced cooperation and coordination. From June 25 to 27 the Canadian Payments Association and over 400 payment experts from around the globe will gather in Charlottetown to explore developments in domestic and international payments, identify challenges and opportunities, and inform their strategies to manage this transition.

Agency model a response to shift in consumer behaviour

June 4, 2014 — Maritz Canada and Maritz Loyalty Marketing have created a new agency under the name Bond Brand Loyalty. Bond's business model builds on the expertise and assets of the two founding agencies to combine traditional loyalty marketing services with a best-in-class customer experience, comprehensive brand engagement and a proprietary digital backbone, says the company. The focus of the new agency is to help clients achieve more sustainable and profitable brand performances by creating richer and more meaningful customer-brand relationships.

Whitecaps FC are exploring ways to use Payfirma's mobile payment apps and card readers
to increase their off-venue merchandise sales.

Payfirma scores partnership with Whitecaps FC

May 23, 2014--Payfirma signed a multi-year partnership with Vancouver Whitecaps FC of Major League Soccer (MLS). The partnership is the first of its kind between the two Vancouver-based organizations. Payfirma enables businesses to accept credit and debit card payments in their stores, online and on mobile devices and is excited to announce it is now the Official Payment Processing Technology for Whitecaps FC.

The tipping point for polymer banknotes

May 19, 2014 – Is it possible that we have reached the tipping point for polymer banknotes, asks Brendan Burge, in his article ‘The Tipping Point for Polymer Banknotes’. A recent article in the Central Banking Journal suggests that, with the adoption of polymer in Canada and the recent announcement that the Bank of England will issue five pound and 10 pound banknotes on polymer substrate, we might have the beginnings of a tidal wave of adoption by other countries — in particular, those of the G8, he says.

Mobile – an increasingly important channel for merchants

May 8, 2014--When it comes to mobile adoption, the insurance and telecoms industries lag behind, a recent study indicates. However, according to data from the annual Kount Mobile Payments and Fraud Survey, the two industries are among the highest-ranked of those planning to add a mobile offering by the end of 2014.

Payment Alliance International becomes ATMIA global sponsor

April 29, 2014--Payment Alliance International (PAI), a leader in ATM and electronic payment processing solutions, is a new global sponsor of the ATM Industry Association (ATMIA). ATMIA is an independent, non-profit trade association whose mission is to promote ATM convenience, growth and usage worldwide; protect the ATM industry's assets, interests, good name and public trust; and to provide education, best practices, political voice and networking opportunities for member organizations.

Square brings credit card readers to Shoppers Drug Mart stores across Canada

April 29, 2014--Today Square, the company helping Canadian sellers start, run, and grow their businesses with free point of sale software and card reader, announced its Square Reader is now available at 440 Shoppers Drug Mart stores across Canada with a full $10 rebate.

Credit Unions first to launch fully integrated personal financial management into online and mobile banking platform

April 16, 2014--Cornerstone Credit Union in Saskatchewan is the first financial institution in Canada to fully integrate personal financial management (PFM) tools into an online and mobile banking platform.

Former Finance Minister Jim Flaherty dies at age 64

April 10, 2014--Former Finance Minister Jim Flaherty died at his home today. Payments Business and Canadian Treasurer staff would like to offer their deepest condolences to Mr. Flaherty’s family and friends.

DCR Strategies / TruCash and Carta Worldwide partner on next generation mobile payments

April 2, 2014--DCR Strategies Inc. / TruCash ("DCR"), Canada's largest prepaid program manager has selected technology provider Carta Worldwide, to deliver next generation payment solutions including; NFC mobile payments, virtual prepaid, and integrated loyalty programs using both conventional and host card emulation (HCE) payment methods. These solutions will be immediately available to DCR / TruCash customers in Europe, Canada, USA and Latin America.

Debit card fraud drops dramatically, Interac says

March 31, 2014--Electronic payment processor Interac says debit card fraud losses caused by so-called “skimming”, or the stealing of banking information, is at a record low in Canada. Interact says losses decreased to $29.5 million in 2013 from a high of $142 million in 2009.

Optimal Payments integrates MasterPass into NETBANX merchant platform

March 27, 2014--Optimal Payments has integrated MasterPass, MasterCard's digital wallet, into its NETBANX merchant platform. MasterPass allows consumers to use any payment card or enabled device to discover enhanced and secure shopping experiences with just a click, tap or touch – online, in-store or anywhere. It moves payments forward by allowing the consumer to safely store all their payment, store card, loyalty, shipping and billing address details in one place and gives consumers the ability to make a payment from wherever they are with whatever device they have.

Torontonians can now pay with the PayPal mobile app at more than 50 cafés, restaurants

March 27, 2014--Canadians crave convenience when it comes to settling the bill. In fact, a survey* conducted by PayPal revealed that almost nine in ten (87 percent) Canadians wished they could be wallet-free. In a first for Canada, Torontonians can now leave their wallet at home and pay with the PayPal mobile app** at more than 50 of the city's most popular cafés, restaurants and food trucks. Diners get notified of exclusive offers and can tip easily with the PayPal mobile app.

AscendantFX introduces AFXLink, a new first for payments in 150+ currencies worldwide

March 27, 2014--Jason Mugford, President and CEO of AscendantFX announced the introduction of AFXLink, an easy to implement payment API designed for financial institutions, online stores and corporations.

Interac® debit card fraud skimming losses decline to record low

March 26, 2014--Interac Association reported today that Interac debit card fraud losses as a result of skimming are at a record low – decreasing to $29.5 million in 2013 from a high of $142 million in 2009. Only 25 per cent of losses in 2013, or $7.3 million, are the result of fraud exploitation within Canada. Total losses in 2013 represent 0.0093 per cent of domestic Interac debit card volume (0.93 basis points) and the lowest volume of recorded fraud losses.

CT-Payment signs agreements with world leaders Ria Financial and CoreLogic

March 25, 2014--A major player among Canadian electronic-transaction processors, Quebec-based CT-Payment announced today the signature of two international agreements, the first milestones of its international commercialization strategy. CT-Payment will offer support to Ria Financial and CoreLogic, two first-rate players in the international financial industry, making it possible for them to process electronic transactions estimated at over 24 billion dollars a year.

Pivotal Payments announces major enhancements to Canadian platform

March 25, 2014--Pivotal Payments, a leading provider of merchant services and global payment processing solutions, today announced significant enhancements to its Canadian acquiring platform. Improvements to authorization, clearing and settlement, access to greater hardware, software and integrated payment options all mark the company’s continuous efforts to drive value and meet the current and future processing needs of Canadian business owners.

Optimal Payments partners with Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa

March 25, 2014--Optimal Payments Plc, a leading global online payment solutions provider, has entered into a partnership with the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in New Jersey to provide its new NETELLER service to customers of BorgataCasino.com, BorgataPoker.com and nj.partypoker.com.

Number of mPOS devices to grow more than 95% in 2014 worldwide - report

March 21, 2014--The number of mobile point-of-sale devices used by department stores, apparel and shoe stores will almost triple in 2014, recent findings indicate. According to a report from IHL Group, a global research and advisory firm for technologies deployed in the retail and hospitality industries, shipments of new mobile POS devices are expected to grow more than 95 % worldwide in 2014 and by more than 108 % in North America.

NACHA reports taking steps toward ubiquitous, same-day ACH settlement

March 19, 2014--NACHA announced today that "it is taking initial steps towards a ubiquitous, same-day ACH settlement capability. Through a “phased approach” to implementing new functionality, NACHA seeks to move the ACH Network from today’s single, next-day settlement to multiple, same-day settlement options that would be available for virtually any ACH Network transaction." Future rulemaking will be required to actually approve implementation of specific capabilities.

EMVCo publishes technical framework for its payment tokenisation specification

March 11, 2014--The EMV® Payment Tokenisation Specification - Technical Framework v1.0 has been published by EMVCo. The technical document – which will be of interest to all industry participants including merchants, acquirers, card issuers and new payment entrants engaged in the mobile and digital secure payment ecosystem – is designed to allow market implementers to develop interoperable tokenisation solutions.

Website experience has direct impact on brand perception - report

March 10, 2014--Almost 76% of ecommerce decision makers in the US, UK and Canada believe customers’ perceptions of their brand are directly impacted by the quality of user experience on their ecommerce website. Given that consideration, 33% of respondents have revealed plans to invest heavily in the overall design of their ecommerce platforms, and 29% in improving overall user experience, in order to get higher online conversion rates in 2014.

The new loyalty not just about transactions, it's about interactions says Aimia

March 6, 2014--Aimia, the loyalty management leader, released Rewarding Interactions: Are You Ready for Customer Intimacy, a global report highlighting the importance of connecting with customers beyond the transactional level, planning for interactions both before and after the purchase activity. For marketers there are opportunities to build real relationships with customers at every touch point or interaction. Companies who truly value interactions develop additional ways to reward and recognize loyal customers beyond points, cash and discounts.

Canadian company says it reinvents payments with no-fee service

March 6, 2014--AvidRetail today introduced Kash, the mobile payment alternative to credit card companies that rewards customers for shopping and reduces a retailer's credit card fees to zero. "While smartphones have been changing every aspect for our lives, the way we buy things, pay for things, and transfer money has not changed in substantial way since the introduction of the debit card," said Kaz Nejatian, the CEO of AvidRetail, "With Kash, we are using the most transformative thing in our lives, the smartphone, to completely change how we pay retailers, order products, and transfer money to our friends."

Payfirma gives developers access to full solution payment API that empowers businesses to accept mobile, online and in-store payments under one account

March 5, 2014--Payfirma, the mobile, online and in-store payments provider, is empowering merchants to accept payments in multiple ways through access to their full solution payment API. Developers can now use Payfirma’s easy-to-integrate API to build versatile products for accepting payments online and on mobile devices, so they can meet the needs of merchants who want to increase their revenue through multichannel payments and gain insight from their consolidated sales data.

RBC Royal Bank named best online banking service in Canada

March 3, 2014 --Online banking customers can once again rely on RBC Royal Bank to offer the most comprehensive online banking experience in Canada. For the fourth straight review, RBC ranked first overall in Surviscor's Canadian Online Banking scorCard, an annual objective assessment of online features and functionality and service interaction at major Canadian banking institutions.

Canadians say welcome to online shopping - survey

March 3, 2014 --Nearly half of the Canadian internet users purchase goods online, at least monthly, according to the poll for Pricewaterhouse Coopers. The poll in question reveals that close to 87% of the interviewees purchase online at least once a year, whereas 49% shop, the least, once a month. The PricewaterhouseCoopers poll also found that respondents were using their mobile devices more often to make purchases.

Canadian consumers shopping in stores and online, but expect the 'Total Retail' package: PwC

February 26, 2014 --Canadian consumers are looking for a full slate of shopping options, according to Total Retail: Customer Expectations Driving the Next Retail Business Model, released by PwC. Canadians want convenient physical store locations, websites that enable them to find and purchase products, and easy-to-use mobile sites or apps—and retailers need to adapt in order to compete.

13 million social media conversations show what consumers think about mobile payments

February 24, 2014 --MasterCard and PRIME Research today released the second annual global MasterCard Mobile Payments Study, which tracked more than 13 million social media comments across Twitter, Facebook, online blogs and forums around the world. The study shows improved sentiment toward mobile payments and rapid growth in consumer use and merchant acceptance. Merchants carry an 88 percent positive rating with many touting mobile acceptance as a competitive advantage. As consumers increasingly turn to mobile options, merchants reluctant to accept these payments may find themselves at a disadvantage.

Tim Hortons, CIBC to launch co-branded loyalty rewards Visa credit card

February 20, 2014 --Tim Hortons and CIBC today announced an agreement to launch a co-branded credit card, which will offer instant Tim Hortons loyalty rewards to CIBC clients on their everyday spending.The new CIBC Visa credit card is scheduled to launch in May 2014, and will allow cardholders to accumulate Tim Cash rewards for all purchases made on the card. That Tim Cash can then be redeemed instantly using the same card at participating Tim Hortons locations to purchase coffee, baked goods, or any other Tim Hortons offerings.

SecureKey chosen by Royal Canadian Mint to authenticate MintChip digital currency consumers

February 20, 2014 --SecureKey, the leading provider of trusted identity networks, today announced that its briidge.net Connect™ Platform has been chosen by the Royal Canadian Mint to provide device-based multi-factor user authentication for its new MintChip cloud-based digital currency.

Online/mobile banking hardest hit by cyber criminals

February 14, 2014 --Online banking and mobile operating systems have been the fields most affected by malware in 2013, according to a new security threat report by Trend Micro. The report indicates that online banking malware directly targeting victims’ finances has intensified globally in 2013, while prolific ransomware has increased and evolved throughout the year.

NACHA announces keynotes for PAYMENTS 2014

February 14, 2014 --The Electronic Payments Association announced the keynote and “Industry Agenda” speakers for this year’s PAYMENTS conference, the largest and most comprehensive education event for the payments industry, which will take place April 6-9 in Orlando, Fl. This year, Kristian Hammond, co-founder and chief scientist of Narrative Science, will keynote the event.

ETA names Scott Talbott as Senior Vice President of Government Affairs

February 10, 2014 --The Electronic Transactions Association (ETA), the global trade association of the payments technology industry, today announced the next step in its continued expansion of government relations activities with the hiring of seasoned financial industry and government affairs professional Scott Talbott as the association’s new Senior Vice President of Government Affairs.

NDP motion to cap ATM withdrawal fees defeated

February 7, 2014 --An NDP motion to cap ATM withdrawal fees at 50 cents was defeated in the House of Commons Tuesday. NDP consumer affairs critic Glenn Thibeault said rejecting the “common sense motion” would only boost banks’ profits. “Canadians should not have to pay two or three dollars to withdraw their own money from an ATM, especially as it costs banks as little as 36 cents to process the transaction,” he said in a statement.

RBC brings Facebook Messenger P2P transfers to iPhone app

February 5, 2014 --RBC today marked a North American first by announcing a social, person-to-person (P2P) electronic money transfer capability for customers to send money to Facebook Messenger contacts, right from within the RBC Canada app.

2014: Global B2C e-commerce sales to reach USD 1.5 trillion

February 5, 2014 --According to latest forecasts, worldwide business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce sales will increase by 20.1% in 2014 to reach USD 1.5 trillion. Growth will come primarily from the rapidly expanding online and mobile user bases in emerging markets, increases in m-commerce sales, advancing shipping and payment options, and the push into new international markets by major brands.

CIBC, TELUS launch mobile payments app

February 4, 2014 --CIBC and Teuls rolled out the CIBC Mobile Payment App to TELUS mobile devices with Near-Field Communications (NFC) capability today, which adds to the growing universe of Canadians who access mobile payments. CIBC is building it presence in the mobile payments market among Canadian banks, and the launch with TELUS offers a convenient and secure form of payment using mobile technology, the company's say. Beginning today, TELUS customers using the app and a CIBC credit card account will be able to make mobile payments at many of the most popular retailers in Canada including coffee shops and grocery stores.

Industry leaders discuss how connected technology transforms retail experience

February 4, 2014 --Canadians are about to enjoy a more connected and personalized shopping experience. At today's Wavefront Wireless Summits in Vancouver, Rogers announced Mobile Shopper, a machine-to-machine (M2M) solution that will enable customers to engage with brands in-store through mobile offers, applications and mobile payments technology all with their smartphone. RioCan, Canada's largest owner of shopping centres is the first to trial the Rogers Mobile Shopper solution in select Ontario-based shopping centres.

Optimal Payments wins Payments Solutions Provider Company of the Year Award

February 4, 2014 --Optimal Payments, a leading global online payment solutions provider, has been awarded with one top award at the International Gaming Awards dinner in London on February 3, 2014. Optimal Payments took the 'Payments Solutions Provider Company of the Year Award' that honours the company who has excelled in the payments field for either online or offline gaming, focusing on value-add, customer service, innovation, ease of use and speed of processing.

Retail Council of Canada renews RCC agreement

January 30, 2014--The Retail Council of Canada (RCC) announced today that it has renewed its exclusive agreement with Chase Paymentech, a leading global merchant acquirer, payment processor and subsidiary of JPMorgan Chase & Co., and maintained Chase Paymentech as the provider of choice for payment processing solutions to its members across Canada. The renewal agreement is for three years.

RBC Wallet now available: First mobile solution to provide Canadians with the choice of debit or credit

January 22, 2014--The RBC Wallet, powered by RBC Secure Cloud, is now available, enabling RBC Mobile clients to purchase goods and services with their RBC Interac Debit or Visa credit cards using their Bell Mobility Android smartphone. RBC is the first Canadian financial institution to provide clients with the choice of using debit or credit for their mobile payments.

E-wallets to rival cards as world’s most popular payment type by 2017

January 22, 2014--WorldPay, the global leader in payment processing, risk and alternative payments today launched ‘Your Global Guide to Alternative Payments (Second Edition)’, an in-depth study of the global payment landscape.

December eCommerce heated up as Canadian temperatures plunged

January 17, 2014--Canadians responded to extreme weather conditions in December by taking their holiday shopping online – and they reached a major milestone in the process. For the first time in Canadian eCommerce history, the online share of retail sales totalled 7.8% for the month of December according to MasterCard SpendingPulse

NEWS FROM NRF ANNUAL CONVENTION & EXPO

HP unveils retail solutions to drive seamless customer engagement

January 15, 2014 –-HP today expanded its market-leading retail solutions portfolio with an enhanced line of touch and non-touch digital signage displays (DSDs), a new line of value-priced displays and upgrades to its mobile and fixed point of sale (POS) solutions.

Fujitsu improves self-checkout point of service economics for retailers

January 14, 2014 –-Today at the National Retail Federation’s Annual Convention & EXPO, Fujitsu demonstrated their new second generation U-Scan® Genesis® Retail Solution that enables North American retailers to offer faster self-checkout, while improving PoS economics. The new solution drives store efficiency with its highly-competitive scalability, flexibility, reliability and usability functions.

Ingenico, Starmount partner to offer retailers a joint mobile chip & PIN solution

January 14, 2014 –-Ingenico has announced a strategic partnership with Starmount, a provider of mobile software solutions that helps retailers engage with customers across channels by delivering a more personalized shopping experience.

MagTek announces the launch of DynaPro and DyanPro Mini to provide security and mobility for a variety of card-based payments

January 14, 2014 –-MagTek, a global leader in retail electronic payments security technology, today announces the launch of its DynaPro suite of payment terminals. MagTek understands the merchants' need for flexibility, security and return on investment when it comes to the evolving card technology environment. To meet this demand, MagTek developed the DynaPro suite of devices for the traditional brick and mortar countertop and the rapidly growing mobile platforms that support Apple's iOS and Bluetooth 4.0 (BLE).

Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions certifies VeriFone terminals for point of sale software widely used by grocers

January 14, 2014 –-VeriFone Systems, Inc., announced today that its MX 915 and MX 925 consumer-facing, multi-media payment terminals have been certified by Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions, Inc., for use and support with Toshiba’s SurePOS Application Client/Server Environment (ACE) software.

Royal Canadian Mint, Ingenico offer a sneak peek into the future of digital currency

January 14, 2014 –-Now retailers will, for the first time, be able to accept digital cash from customers conveniently, affordably and securely. At the 2014 National Retail Federation’s Annual Convention & EXPO, happening in New York this week, Ingenico is introducing the first proof-of-concept of the Royal Canadian Mint’s new MintChip digital payment R&D technology.

ETA Announces Visa and Google keynotes for “TRANSACT 14: Powered by ETA”

January 9, 2014 --The Electronic Transactions Association (ETA), the global trade association representing the payments technology world, announced today the keynote speakers for “TRANSACT 14: Powered By ETA,” the industry’s largest payments and technology event. Elizabeth Buse, Executive Vice President, Global Solutions at Visa and Ariel Bardin, VP of Product Management, Payments, Google Inc., will deliver industry insights and expertise to 4,000 payments technology and retail professionals.

Consumers worldwide want more banking via smartphones, FICO survey finds

January 7, 2014 --FICO, a leading predictive analytics and decision management software company, has released the results of an international survey of smartphone consumers showing that they want to do much more mobile banking than most of today's smartphone apps permit.

Canadians have higher expectations on the future of m-payments in 2014 - report

January 3, 2014 --According to a recent survey dubbed "Rogers Innovation Report: Tech Trends 2013," published by Canadian telecoms company Rogers Communications, 52% of Canadians own a smartphone and 33% own a tablet. The report also finds that these mobile device owners expect changes to the retail landscape, with 50% of respondents expecting to spend more money shopping online than in physical stores within the next five years.

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