Technology

Bridging the divide

Sun, Feb, 28 2010

Once considered the new kids on the financial service providers’ block, e-wallet companies – epitomised by Moneybookers – are certainly making their mark in the highly competitive online payments sector.

Pushing the case for contactless

Sun, Jan, 31 2010

Could 2010 be the year that contactless goes mainstream? Now that several major banks are issuing payment cards with contactless as a standard feature, merchants are finding it harder to resist implementing the technology. But in some sectors, a cautious approach is still called for, as Victoria Conroy reports.

Pushing the case for contactless

Sun, Jan, 31 2010

Could 2010 be the year that contactless goes mainstream? Now that several major banks are issuing payment cards with contactless as a standard feature, merchants are finding it harder to resist implementing the technology. But in some sectors, a cautious approach is still called for, as Victoria Conroy reports.

Prepaid in pole position

Wed, Dec, 9 2009

Rome was the setting for the fifth annual Prepaid Cards Summit on 12-13 November, which welcomed over 320 delegates from around the world, representing banks, payment networks, vendors and programme managers, and an array of leading prepaid industry speakers who gave their market-shaping insights into one of the most dynamic areas of the payment industry.

Turkey’s Garanti launches iPhone app

Wed, Dec, 9 2009

The emergence of Apple’s iPhone has led to a flurry of applications from financial services providers eager to tap into a tech-savvy demographic of young and wealthy consumers. T urkey’s Garanti Bank, already an innovator in the fields of cards and payments, has now launched its own app, as Victoria Conroy reports

Prepaid in the public sector

Wed, Nov, 11 2009

In his final guest article for this year, Matthew Lanford, head of prepaid at MasterCard Europe, explores the potential of prepaid to cut costs and improve efficiency in the government and public sectors, particularly in areas such as social benefit distribution and payroll distribution.

Coming to the mass market?

Wed, Nov, 11 2009

Several high-profile trials have put the UK at the front of a new wave of contactless roll-outs.

Fuel for thought

Fri, Oct, 23 2009

As the recession continues unabated in some areas in Europe, companies continue to look for ways to reduce costs. With travel and transport becoming increasingly large expenses as the cost of fuel rises, the fuel and fleet card market is booming. John Hill reports on the latest industry trends.

The tech behind loyalty marketing

Mon, Oct, 12 2009

Advances in technology have helped improve all aspects of the payment process, making each step quicker and more convenient for cardholders and merchants. In the area of loyalty programmes, Welcome Real-time has carved a niche for itself as a market leader in loyalty marketing technology. Victoria Conroy reports.

The economics of mobile payments

Mon, Oct, 12 2009

A recent report from US payment consultancy Celent shines the spotlight on the burgeoning mobile contactless payment sector, which until now has been held back because of differing business models and economic considerations. Victoria Conroy reports on the opportunities and challenges.