Gyft Gives Smartphone Users a Mobile Management Tool for Gift Cards
by: Ben Jackson, Mercator Advisory Group
5/14/2013
Editor’s note This is the first in a series of Perspectives from Prepaid Senior Analyst Ben Jackson testing different prepaid mobile applications. Start up company Gyft is betting the smartphone can make gift cards more valuable for retailers and cardholders....
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The Many Combinations and Permutations of Mobile Banking Solutions
by: Ed OBrien, Mercator Advisory Group
5/13/2013
As part of Mercator Advisory Group’s research for recent (and future) reports on mobile banking, we see an ever increasing array of available products, solutions, and deployment methods. Mobile banking solutions offer something for everyone, and can include one or...
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Remain Relevant, Through Mobile Technology Adoption
by: Christopher T. Cox, First Data
5/9/2013
Today’s consumers are empowered by new online and mobile technology, driving forces behind continued, dramatic changes in banking and retail commerce. They expect to transact business and make payments electronically – anytime, anywhere and on any type of device. First...
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Electronic Identity Cards for Every European Citizen?
by: Tristan Hugo-Webb, Mercator Advisory Group
5/8/2013
Speaking at the European Citizens' Initiative last month, European Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič said he believed that all European Union citizens will be required to carry electronic identity (eID) cards in the not too distant future. With the majority...
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Taking the Temperature at NACHA 2013
by: Patricia Hewitt, Mercator Advisory Group
4/25/2013
Over the years, NACHA’s annual conference has become an important event for the larger payments industry and presents a wide cross section of the topics and issues the market is facing. This year’s conference kicked off with a keynote from...
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What is Bitcoin Really Up To?
by: Ben Jackson
4/18/2013
The payments industry, government agencies, and the media have all been intrigued by bitcoin because it purports to be a digital currency that enables anonymous transactions. Leaving aside the issues of whether anonymity is truly achievable online and the potential...
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How to Increase Customer Loyalty by Using Mobile Devices
by: Henry Helgeson, Merchant Warehouse
4/18/2013
Technology has made it easier than ever for businesses to communicate with their customers on a personal level. Mobile capabilities, in particular, provide an unprecedented opportunity to connect with customers and prospects on an individual level, giving them the incentives...
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MasterCard Teams With China’s Largest E-commerce Giant
by: Terry Xie, Mercator Advisory Group
4/1/2013
MasterCard last week signed a memorandum of understanding with Alibaba Group, the largest B2B and C2C e business in China. The objective of the agreement is to enhance the e commerce environment to benefit consumers and small businesses within and...
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