Mobile payment startup iZettle has to stop processing Visa card payments in Denmark, Finland and Norway where it currently trials its mobile card payment service. The company has released a statement on its official blog, announcing that Visa Europe is forcing iZettle to stop accepting Visa payments on August 1. iZettle will continue to accept MasterCard and AmEx in those countries.

Sweden-based iZettle provides a mobile payment service that enables merchants to accept credit card payments using an iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch. The company is often referred as the European version of Square. But unlike Square, iZettle reads the credit card data from the EMV-chip (the global standard for chip cards) rather than the magnetic stripe. iZettle started its mobile payment service in Sweden and is currently running an open beta in other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland and Norway) and the United Kingdom. It’s noteworthy that iZettle never supported Visa payments in the U.K.  (more…)

ViVOtech to Divest NFC-Reader Business

After NFC Times reported that NFC technology provider ViVOtech will discontinue operations, the company now officially confirms a drastic restructuring process. ViVOtech has released a statement, saying that the company plans to divest its reader business and focus on the software business. ViVOtech develops software and POS terminals for contactless NFC-based payments. Although the company has shipped almost 1 million NFC readers worldwide and is partnering with Google Wallet and ISIS it looks like ViVOtech is the first big victim of slow NFC adoption. Read more…

Payvia Launches Mobile Payment Service in the U.S.

Payvia has launched a new U.S. mobile payment platform that enables users to purchase digital goods and services from their mobile device and pay via their carrier bill. Payvia is part of carrier billing transaction network m-Qube. Currently, the direct carrier billing service is limited to customers of Sprint and T-Mobile. Read more…

MPowa Debuts Mobile Payment App for Android

UK-based mobile payment service mPowa is now also available for mobile phones using Google’s Android operating system. Android users can now download the mPowa mobile payment app from the Play Store to accept card payments on the go.

Paymentwall, a payment service provider specialized in digital content and virtual goods, has released a HTML5-based payment alternative to iTunes and Android based App markets. The new Paymentwall Mobile service enables developers to offer local payment options (such as: credit card, debit card, mobile, landline, prepaid, ATM, terminal, bank transfer, direct debit, offers …) to their customers in more than 200 countries.

Honor Gunday, Paymentwall CEO, commented “Although iTunes is a well executed, easy to use platform, the 30 percent fee the publishers need to swallow and the Western-oriented approach to monetizing only via credit card is not sustainable and HTML5 will emerge as the future of mobile application development.”

Adyen Report: iPad is the Market Leader in Mobile Payments

Payment service provider Adyen has published the findings of a payment analysis, showing that the worldwide share of mobile transaction has more than doubled from 3.6% in late 2011 to 8.4% in June 2012. For the study Adyen compared the number of payments that came from mobile devices with the number of total transactions processed. The figures show that 3.6% of all payments where completed using an iPad, with users spending 20% more on average than on other mobile devices. The iPhone comes in second with 3%, followed by Android devices with 1,5%. Read more…

iZettle Brings Mobile Card Payment to Android

iZettle is working on an Android version of its mobile card payment service. iZettle users in Sweden with an Samsung smartphone (compatible devices: Samsung Galaxy S II, S III, and the Galaxy Note) can sign up for an iZettle account to receive a free chip-card reader during the test period. iZettle for Android has the same features as the iZettle iOS version for iPhone. Unlike the chip-card reader for iPhone and iPad, the Android version plugs into the device’s audio jack. Read more…

iZettle for Android

NFC Mobile Payment Market to Reach $180B by 2017

According to the latest research report by Juniper Research the NFC retail payment market will exceed $180 billion worldwide by 2017, that’s more than a seven-fold increase over 2012. The report finds 2011 was the breaking point for NFC payments with major network operators committed to the NFC standard and the launch of new NFC-enabled smartphones. Read more…

Onebip, the mobile payment arm of Neomobile, adds a new one-click purchase feature to its mobile payment solution Onebip Mobile Browser. Using the one-click payment service, users can pay for digital goods and services with a single click on the Onebip icon.

Mobile payment service Onebip was acquired by mobile commerce company Neomobile in March 2011. Onebip’s Mobile Browser payment service provides an optimized payment flow for mobile devices and is available in over 70 countries. The new one-click payment feature enables users to buy digital goods with a single click, without having to enter their mobile number, pin code or password. Onebip uses a secure process to recognize the user’s phone number and authenticate the user. The purchase is then charged directly to the user’s mobile phone bill.

Massimiliano Silenzi, Head of Onebip, commented: “Merchants, publishers and content providers at last have a simple, secure, single-click mobile purchasing solution. No PIN codes, no passwords, no SMS confirmation, and no need to pre-register for an account – with Onebip, you literally click to buy with one touch on your mobile phone or tablet.”

Hamburg-based startup myTaxi has introduced a mobile payment solution for its taxi app that connects passengers and taxi drivers, making conventional taxi dispatch services obsolete. From now on myTaxi passengers can use the myTaxi app to order a taxi and pay for the journey.

The myTaxi founders Niclas Mewes and Sven Külper point out that their solution is the first mobile payment system that works without relying on additional hardware such as an external dongle, NFC-tags or QR-codes. “With myTaxi Payment, from now on, passengers will be able to travel by taxi without needing cash. They simply pay both cardless and cashless“, commented Mewes.

In order to use myTaxi, users have to download the myTaxi app. If they want to use the mobile payment feature they have to enter their payment details as well. MyTaxi is working with PayPal and payment service provider Wirecard to provide the payment service. The cab driver has to pay a 3.9% fee + €0.21 for each successful myTaxi journey – there is no extra charge for the passenger.

Germany-based technology provider for the banking industry Giesecke & Devrient (G&D) has developed a sticker for mobile phones, enabling contactless payment even if the device itself is not NFC-enabled. The Deutsche Genossenschafts-Verlag is supplying the new technology to the banks as part of a trial conducted by the cooperative financial group.

The sticker was developed for the German market. It runs on the Secure Chip Card Operating System (SECCOS), and fully meets the specifications of the German banking industry. G&D’s payment sticker is certified for MasterCard PayPass, allowing users to use the existing contactless payment infrastructure with more than 350,000 PayPass Terminals in 37 countries worldwide. Depending on the requirements of the issuing bank, the stickers can be configured as prepaid, debit, or credit cards.

PayPal Acquires Visual Credit Card Scanner card.io

PayPal has acquired card.io, a startup that enables developers to capture credit card data using the build-in camera of a smartphone. With card.io, customers don’t have to enter their card information manually; it is retrieved automatically when the customer holds its card in front of the phones camera. The companies already had a close relation before the acquisition, card.io’s technology is powering the new PayPal Here product. Read more…

MasterCard Launches MasterCard Business Network for Small and Mid-Size Business

MasterCard is partnering with Rearden Commerce to launch the MasterCard Business Network site, a platform that helps small and medium sized business to manage and record their expenses. The platform is powered by Rearden Commerce’s Deem network that connects buyers and sellers across various industries. The MasterCard Business Network service is currently in beta status, a mobile app for Android, iPhone or Blackberry devices will be released soon. Read more…

Gift Card Payment Network Openbucks Raises $4.8 Million

Openbucks has closed $4.8 million in a funding round led by Yahoo co-founder, Jerry Yang. The Openbucks gift-card payment network allows consumers who don’t have credit cards or a bank account (or who prefer to keep their banking details private) to buy goods and service online. The company will use the investment to support its growth plans and increase its acceptance network. Read more…

LevelUp Drops Mobile Payment Processing Fee

LevelUp, the mobile payment arm of SCVNGR, is dropping its payment processing fee to zero. LevelUp offers a QR code based mobile payment and reward app for iOS and Android devices. With LevelUp merchants can start marketing campaigns (such as offering a $5 credit to 100 new clients) to win new customers and create loyalty programs. When the customer redeems the offer, LevelUp charges the merchant 35% of the credit redeemed. Read more…

Starbucks Rolls out Mobile Payment App in Canada and the UK, Adds PayPal Support

Starbucks has launched its popular (last year Starbucks processed more than 26 million mobile transactions) loyalty and mobile payment app in the United Kingdom and Canada. The new version of the official Starbucks app also provides some new features such as PayPal support and an account history. The app enables customers to pay with their mobile phone and collect reward points at the coffee company’s participating stores. Read more…

Virtual Currency Startup Pocket Change Raises $5M

Google Ventures has led a $5 million Series A round of funding for Pocket Change, a virtual currency startup. The California-based company is working on a universal virtual currency that can be uses across multiple platforms. Read more…

Paysafecard Launches in Canada

Paysafecard’s prepaid payment service for online purchases is now also available in Canada. The prepaid online vouchers are especially popular for all kinds of micropayments. With the launch in Canada, Paysafecard is now available in 31 countries around the globe. Just recently Paysafecard was acquired by Skrill, one of Europe’s largest payment service providers for approximately €140 million.

Payment Startup Stripe Gets $20M Funding

Online payment processing startup Stripe recently secured $20 million in a Series B round of funding led by General Catalyst. Stripe is based in California and provides a developer-friendly way for business to accept online payments. Read more… 

Telefonica and Visa Partner for Mobile Money Service in Europe

Visa Europe and Telefónica agreed a strategic partnership to unlock new business opportunities in mobile commerce in Europe. The two companies plan to launch several products and services such as a mobile wallet, NFC-based contactless payment services, and mobile point of sale solutions together. This is not the first partnership of a credit card company and a mobile carrier: Earlier this year Visa has teamed up with Vodafone and just recently Deutsche Telekom and MasterCard partnered for mobile payments. Read more…

UK Mobile Payment Joint Venture Project Oscar to Start Soon?

UK carrier mobile payment joint venture – formed by Orange, Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone and Telefonica – Project Oscar could get regulatory approval this summer. The operators want to create a platform that enables retailers and banks to offer a mobile payment solution to their customers. Read more…

Mobile POS Payment Service Streetpay Partners With E-Plus

German mobile payment company Streetpay joins forces with Germany mobile carrier E-Plus to promote and distribute its mobile POS payment service. Streetpay offers a Square-like mobile payment service in Germany. As of now, E-Plus will be offering a complete mobile POS package: the Streetpay card reader, the Streetpay App, and a tablet together with a data plan. The package is available for €15 per month and a one-time activation fee of €45. Streetpay charges 2.75% for each swiped transaction. Read more… (in German)