payments

After an embarrassing snafu that left Google Wallet prepaid card users in a potentially worrisome situation, the search giant has reportedly given customers an extra $5 to bring them back.

According to The Verge, Google Prepaid Card customers recently had all their funds restored and received an additional $5 for all their trouble. The Verge says Google sent e-mails to Wallet customers updating them on the move, but the company has not publicly said that it has, in fact, given customers $5 for its mobile-payment service's recent issues.

Researchers last month discovered a way to hack Google Wallet and potentially steal a user's financial information. … Read more

Since PayPal launched its new payment service "PayPal Here" last week, it has raked in thousands of sign-ups. In fact, in the first 24 hours of its introduction, the online payment company says it was getting 1,000 sign-ups per hour.

"To say there's been some interest in our new offering would be an understatement," PayPal spokesman Anuj Nayar said in a statement today. "Clearly there's a need for a secure, global solution that provides small businesses the flexibility to get paid anytime, anywhere, any way."

The idea of PayPal Here actually … Read more

PayPal is expected to launch a mobile payment dongle that would allow small businesses to process credit card transactions with a smartphone, according to a GigaOm report.

The dongle, expected to be unveiled at an event Thursday in San Francisco, would put the payment processor in competition with Square, Verifone, and Intuit, sources close to the matter told the blog.

PayPal representatives declined to comment on the report but confirmed the company plans to make a product announcement Thursday.

"While we cannot comment on rumors and speculation, what we can tell you is that at the PayPal event on … Read more

If you've ever tried to pay for a cab with plastic, you're likely aware that the experience is a nightmare. While New York City cabs have been equipped with card readers for a few years now, drivers are often combative about accepting credit due to service charges and the time it takes them to actually get paid.

If Square has its way, however, using a credit card for cab fare could suck a little less--and might even become fast and easy.

The service, founded by Jack Dorsey, the seemingly sleepless creator and chairman of Twitter, has aimed … Read more

Apple today was awarded a patent for "parental controls," a system that lets adults manage purchases made on and made with a phone.

The patent, which was discovered by Patently Apple, outlines a system that lets adults control access to particular linked credit cards, as well as limit the stores at which goods are purchased. Apple originally filed for it on January 9, 2009.

In its filing, Apple makes the case that society is becoming "more mobile" and "fast-paced," with parents giving their children payment cards instead of cash--a solution that can result in … Read more

It's becoming increasingly clear that in order for Isis's mobile-payments system to achieve critical mass, the big wireless companies backing it will need to ink some deals.

That's why the joint venture between AT&T, T-Mobile USA, and Verizon Wireless announced today that it has signed agreements with VeriFone, Ingenico, ViVOtech, and Equinox Payments. Those companies will integrate the near-field communication-enabled Isis Mobile Commerce Application into their existing and future products. VeriFone, for example, will integrate Isis into its payment systems. Ingenico said today that Isis' NFC-enabled payments have been integrated into its Telium payment terminals.… Read more

Square is well-known in the payments business. Now it wants to replace a retailer's register.

The payments company has launched a new iPad application, called Square Register. Available for free in the App Store, the app is designed to replace a brick-and-mortar retailer's register, and can accept everything from credit card to cash payments.

According to Square, the application lets users input the many products they sell in their stores and assign prices to them. Those items can also be placed into a "favorites" list for easy access when customers buy a product. As with any … Read more

Mobile World Congress isn't just about introducing new cell phones. No, the world's largest wireless show in Barcelona, Spain, also is about showing off the latest mobile technologies that may or may not change your life.

Take, for example, NFC or near field communications. Not only did many of the new devices unveiled at the show come NFC-capable, but also the NFC Cafe displayed a gallery of solutions for mobile payments technology.

Making a purchase is a prime example, of course, but NFC also can be used to secure your motorcycle, navigate your way through an unfamiliar subway … Read more

Not sold yet on the magic of mobile payments? Sprint's recently posted YouTube video hopes to sway you to the light. This comes hot on the heels of Google saying it plans to bring Google Wallet to 10 phones this spring, one of which is Sprint's own Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

Though Sprint's version of the Galaxy Nexus isn't scheduled to hit stores until sometime in the first half of this year, it's clear the carrier is already revving up its PR and marketing machine. The quick two and a half minute video expounds the theoretical virtues of using your smartphone to shop in the physical world with virtual cash. … Read more