The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. did not overstep its regulatory authority when it told banks to not do business with payday lenders, according to a just-released report to Congress. What's more, the regulator was not in cahoots with the Department of Justice as the latter agency pursued its controversial Operation Choke Point anti-fraud program. Meanwhile, a federal district court judge declined to dismiss a lawsuit claiming the FDIC and other regulators put undue pressure on banks not to do business with payday lenders and thereby depriving them of their constitutional rights to hold bank accounts and engage in their chosen businesses.

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The Electronic Funds Transfer Association hosted a day-long Electronic Payments & Innovation Council meeting on Sept. 23, 2015, at The Meritage Resort and Spa in Napa, Calif. The Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit trade organization launched EPIC as an open forum for exchange between traditional and upstart companies that are involved in the advancement of electronic commerce and payment technology. Jim Stahley, Senior Vice President, Enterprise Strategy Group at Wells Fargo & Co., opened the discussion with fresh perspectives on emerging payments, noting that the partnership model has become more prominent in banking, especially as new players enter the ecosystem.

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We received the following notice from Verifone about fraudulent phone calls placed by scammers impersonating Verifone personnel: Verifone continues to receive reports that scammers are posing as Verifone Help Desk agents and asking customers to “test” their payment terminals with phone cards. #h2How it works: Merchants receive a phone call from someone posing as a Verifone Help Desk associate stating that they need to test the payment terminal with a phone card. The fraudster asks the cashier to authorize several phone cards by providing the Personal Identification Numbers (PIN) located on the card for verification.

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The Girl Scouts of the United States of America added Visa Inc. and Dell Inc. to its Digital Cookie recipe. The interactive platform, initially launched in 2014, is designed to improve the efficacy and reach of Girl Scout cookie sales. The 2.8 million-member organization revealed on Sept. 21, 2015, that it collaborated with Visa and Dell to develop a new version of the program, which is scheduled for wide release in December. Digital Cookie 2.0 will combine online courses in entrepreneurship with tools for developing the Girl Scout Cookie Program's Essential 5 Skills, which the organization summarized as goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills and business ethics.

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Brookfield, Wis.-based Fiserv Inc., a financial services and technology company, launched CardFree Cash, a new version of the mobile cash solution Popmoney, following a four-month pilot. The company credits partners VyStar Credit Union, Accel debit network, and Payment Alliance International for contributions to the program's proof of concept and ongoing rollout. The new Popmoney scheme enables consumers to withdraw cash at participating ATMs without using a debit card. Enrolled consumers can prestage withdrawals on connected devices to generate a single-use, tokenized PIN that can be used at any Popmoney ATM.

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MasterCard Worldwide launched Digital Enablement Express (Express) on Sept. 8, 2015, a program designed to enhance and scale the MasterCard Digital Enablement Service (MDES). Express makes it easier for digital wallet and payment providers, device manufacturers, and merchants accepting MasterCard to set up MDES accounts with card issuers and financial institutions, the company stated. Established in 2013, MDES replaces a cardholder's primary account number with a token that is digitally transmitted to a mobile device. Consumers using this method can securely tap, wave or click their connected devices to make payments.

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New York-based Zooz, a global payment technology provider, hosted its third quarterly Twitter Roundtable on Sept. 9, 2015, engaging with panelists from around the world on trending topics in retail and payments. Participants included industry analysts, journalists and consultants, senior-level executives and professors of economics and finance. Panelists used hashtag #paytech2015 on TweetChat, HootSuite, TweetDeck and other social media dashboards to participate and remain visible to others throughout the discussion thread. In opening comments, Moderator @Zoozpayments welcomed newcomers and returning guests and invited non-panelists to introduce themselves when posting commentary.

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Google Inc. began its official rollout of Android Pay Sept. 10, 2015. The new app will enable Android phone users to make payments at more than 1 million near field communication- (NFC) equipped U.S. locations, the company stated. At launch time, Android Pay supported all four major card network-branded credit and debit cards, and was aligned with most major U.S. banks and credit unions, as well as popular nationwide franchises. According to Google, Android Pay was built as an open platform, meaning users can activate the service through Google or any available bank-supported app. The app will come preloaded on NFC devices from AT&T, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile USA Inc.

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Social media's year-long experiment with "buy" buttons is shifting into high gear as Facebook, Google, Twitter and Pinterest incorporate impulse buying features into their websites. The four social networking leaders reportedly completed pilot tests and plan to make 'buy' buttons available to broader segments of the merchant community. While the brands did not disclose detailed test results, their collective march toward broader implementation validates consumer interest in purchasing products and services on social networking sites. Ronald G. Mazursky, Managing Director of New York-based Marketing Innovations Inc. views buy buttons as a natural next step for blogging and social media sites that dispense information about products and services. Consumers are generally ready to make a purchase when they complete their research, he stated.

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MyECheck, an electronic check company established in 2004 and based in Folsom, Calif., released a two-sided mobile payment application for merchants and consumers on Aug. 28, 2015. Available on the Internet, Google Play and Apple iTunes Store, eMobile Pay facilitates “card-free, hardware-free” payments on smart phones and Internet browsers for a low, flat fee, the company said. Consumers can link a checking account from any U.S. bank to the eMobile Pay wallet. Merchants pay 25 cents per transaction to process eMobile Pay transactions.

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Payments industry stakeholders have noted Ingenico Group's bid to acquire Worldpay Ltd., reported by Reuters on Aug. 28, 2015. The POS vendor's offer would value Worldpay at $9.2 billion (or 6 billion British pounds). The merger, if successful, would follow Ingenico's January 2015 acquisition of ROAM Data Inc. ROAM's mobile commerce platform, now part of Ingenico Mobile Solutions, helped Ingenico expand its North American footprint. In a similar fashion, analysts expect Worldpay, the dominant merchant acquirer in Europe and the United Kingdom with a strong presence in the United States, to enhance Ingenico's global holdings.

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