The Merchant Risk Council (MRC), a merchant-led trade association focused on electronic commerce risk and payment strategies, has announced the results of its Annual Merchant Fraud Survey, sponsored by CyberSource Corporation. According to the MRC, "this year’s survey again confirms that MRC Platinum Members are best in class at reducing revenue losses due to cyber theft, while also leading the way in reviewer productivity for both domestic and international orders."

The UK Payments Council has released new data on fraud losses for the full year 2009 that show that "total fraud losses on UK cards fell by 28 per cent between 2008 and 2009 to £440.3 million – a decrease of £170 million on the previous year’s total."

According to the Council, "the combined force of industry initiatives such as: chip and PIN; the increasing use of sophisticated fraud detection tools by banks and retailers; and the work of the DCPCU , the banking-sponsored special police unit, have all helped contribute to this fall. It is the first time that card fraud has decreased since 2006."

The NFC Forum has announced 19 new members from 14 countries. "The new NFC Forum members are from several sectors of the NFC ecosystem, the numerous industries that are stakeholders and contributors to NFC technology. Industries represented include semiconductor and terminal manufacturers, higher education, service providers, compliance and testing organizations and systems integrators."

Vindicia has announced the addition of two game publishers, HitGrab and Arbopals, to its customer portfolio providing on-demand billing solutions in the online gaming industry. According to the company, "with these additions, Vindicia's CashBox continues to expand its reach into a wide variety of game genres, such as MMOs, casual games, social games and virtual worlds. With the online game market expected to reach $24.8 billion in 2013, according to Strategy Analytics, publishers who seek to stand out from the pack must establish a business model that is fine-tuned to monetize their games, regardless of genre or style."

First Data Corporation has released its First Data SpendTrend™ analysis for February 2010 - finding that "same-store dollar volume was up 8.4% (7.4% excluding gasoline stations) with employment showing signs of stabilization. Average tickets were up 1.4%, the first year-over-year increase since July 2008." SpendTrend tracks same-store consumer spending via credit, signature debit, PIN debit and EBT cards at U.S. merchant locations.

• Official Google Blog: Open for business: the Google Apps Marketplace
• AsiaPay Launches PesoPay Online Payment Service with Globe GCASH
• USATODAY.com: Bank of America to deny debit card overdrafts
• USATODAY.com: Lower credit card debt traced mainly to charge-offs
• Huffington Post: Patrice Peyret: Green Dot vs. Kwedit: Innovation vs. Exploitation
• YellowPepper Meets Growing Demand for Mobile Financial Solutions in Latin America
• Carlson Restaurants Worldwide Taps Merchant Links TransactionVault to Secure T.G.I. Fridays(R) Restaurants Credit Card Data
• Guardian Analytics: Independent Study Reveals Banks Have a New Troubled Asset: Their Customers
• hyperWALLET Launches Global Mobile Airtime Top-Ups for Canada
• ContactlessNews: Miami-Dade makes launching a contactless fare collection system easy
• GigaOM: Pay for Drinks at SXSW Using Your iPhone (TabbedOut iPhone app)
• Official Obopay blog: Obopay CEO Shares Strategy to Transform Mobile Payments
• pymnts.com: How the iPhone Invisible Engine Provided a Catalyst for the Mobile Phone Industry
• The San Diego Union-Tribune Consolidates Paper and Electronic Payments on Hosted US Dataworks Platform
• epay Powers PlayStation(R)Network Cards
• ProfitStars(R) Reports Strong Remote Deposit Capture Growth with Record Transaction Volume
• New Aite Group Report: The Branded Prepaid Market in 2010 and Beyond
• New Mercator Advisory Group Report: Healthcare Payments: Pay Now or Pay Later - Preparation Meets Opportunity
• Mobile Commerce Daily: Contactless payments tipping point is at hand: First Data
• Scott Galit Joins i2c Inc. as President
• CreditCards.com: Credit card issuers' financial cell phone apps
• NACS Online: Ottawa Puts Credit Card Industry on Notice

Note: Throughout the day, as Payments News happens, this post is updated. For job opportunities available for payments professionals, visit PaymentsJobs.com. Employers looking to hire payments professionals can post their job openings there as well.

Vesta Corporation has announced the launch of Prepaid.com, a recharge portal that allows mobile customers to send airtime to friends and family worldwide. According to Vesta, "the portal features immediate, no-fee recharging for prepaid mobile phone accounts and allows expatriates and immigrants to maintain strong family ties, regardless of distance and borders."

The Mobey Forum has released a new white paper titled "Alternatives for Banks to Offer Secure Mobile Payments" that "examines the important role of the secure element in delivering mobile payment services to end users." (Both the white paper itself and accompanying slides are available for download). It provides an analysis of the mobile financial ecosystem, the stakeholders, and the value chain positions that can be achieved by banks though different business models.

According to the Forum, "the paper’s key focus is on the role of the secure element, a tamper-resistant hardware element located within a mobile device, which is required to securely facilitate mobile financial services, such as near field communication (NFC) and contactless payments. It highlights the features, application and impact of different secure element technologies including stickers, secure micro SD cards, universal integrated circuit cards (UICC), embedded secure elements and trusted mobile bases."

• Magento and PayPal Expand Relationship to Drive e-Commerce Innovation
• TechCrunch: Forrester Forecast: Online Retail Sales Will Grow To $250 Billion By 2014
• Washington Post: Second Life's virtual money can become real-life cash
• Los Angeles Times: Blippy.com gives the world a peek inside your wallet -- and that's the point
• Mobile Viewpoints by Bob Egan: Mobile Payments have to be as easy as mobile voice
• CreditCards.com: Consumers shying away from credit cards when shopping online
• Rush Card® Joins Green Dot® Network, Providing Additional Cash Reload Options for All Cardholders
• Increasing Online Identity Fraud Highlights the Need for Consumers to Better Protect Themselves
• Visa Inc. Appoints Elizabeth Buse Group Executive, International
• Vancouver Sun: Wirelesss carriers offer a system to turn your cellphone into a payment machine (Zoompass/Canada)

Note: Throughout the day, as Payments News happens, this post is updated. For job opportunities available for payments professionals, visit PaymentsJobs.com. Employers looking to hire payments professionals can post their job openings there as well.

In a post titled "Is Square a Threat to Verifone?" on his blog, Aneace Haddad writes about whether Square would pass his basic framework to evaluate the chances of success of a new project or venture. In his analysis of new ventures, he asks "three fundamental questions: so what, who cares, and why me?" Read his post to see what he concludes about Square.

Test post - please ignore.

Today's G.19 Consumer Credit report from the Federal Reserve shows that revolving consumer credit continued to decline in January at a 2.3% annual rate. While still shrinking, the rate of decline has slowed significantly from 2008. Overall consumer credit grew in the month at an annual rate of 2.4%.

• Western Union Announces No Fee Money-Transfer Services to Chile from the U.S.
• AP: Banks goose credit card rewards to push card use
• Kwedit - BlogA very long post (Response to Stephen Colbert)
• Upcoming: ProPay's 3rd Data Security Summit, March 9-10, 2010 at the Canyons Resort in Park City - Use promotion code (P115) and save $50 on registration
• WSJ.com: Analysts Fear Late-Fee Crunch for Capital One
• GigaOM: Can Cardpool Solve the Unused Gift Card Problem?
• CSMonitor.com: What is the easiest way to save money? Automate it!
• Apple: iPad Available in US on April 3 - Pre-Order on March 12
• Credit Slips: The Ban on "Universal Default"
• Forbes.com: Time To Rethink That Cash-Back Credit Card
• BusinessWeek: Credit Union Rule Change Challenges Bank Dominance in Canada
• Straits Times: Banks step up card security (EMV in Singapore)
• Campus Cards Go Contactless With Blackboard
• GiftCards.com Launches iPhone Application
• TheStreet.com: First Data Deal Produces Mountain of Debt

Note: Throughout the day, as Payments News happens, this post is updated. For job opportunities available for payments professionals, visit PaymentsJobs.com. Employers looking to hire payments professionals can post their job openings there as well.

Next week, on Wednesday and Thursday, March 10-11, we're holding the next Glenbrook Payments Boot Camp in Santa Clara, CA. If you want to join us, please register right away. The 2010 editions of our Boot Camps include a special focus on mobile payments.

Speaking of mobile payments, Glenbrook's Carol Coye Benson has recently published a Glenbrook research report titled "Musings about Mobile Payments" based upon a series of interviews she conducted late last year with the major players in mobile payments.

Watch a video by Carol Coye Benson about Glenbrook's Payments Education offerings.

• GetDebit.com: NetSpend vs. Green Dot – Which Prepaid Card Company is Doing Better?
• CNN.com: Cashmore: Why I'm banking on Facebook
• Detroit Free Press: New credit law means you'll see what you pay in long term
• American Banker: Mocapay Cites Security as Mobile Payment System Edge
• NetSpend Cardholders Load More Than $1 Billion onto Prepaid Debit Cards in February
• WalletPop: Interchange fees cost you more than you realize
• Planet Money Blog : NPR: Credit Card Fees May Go Down; Interest Rates May Not
• Qualcomm Names Rocco Fabiano President of Firethorn
• TSYS Champions Prepaid Development in Brazil and India
• TopLine Federal Credit Union: Financial Smarts Delivered to Local High Schoolers
• Next-Generation Powered Display Card Released by NagraID Security
• U.S. Bank ReliaCard Visa Named “Best Government-Funded Program” at 2010 Paybefore Awards
• Fitch: U.S. Credit Card Defaults Surge 11%; Delinquencies Fall Again
• Wireless Week: U.S. Mobile Payment Market Expands
• Inside the Underbanked: What’s the Sweet Spot for Green Dot?
• NetBanker: USAA Makes Mobile Banking Better than Online Banking
• WSJ.com: China Mobile's Banking Plans
• CyberSource to Host Fraud Management Webinars

Note: Throughout the day, as Payments News happens, this post is updated. For job opportunities available for payments professionals, visit PaymentsJobs.com. Employers looking to hire payments professionals can post their job openings there as well.

In a post on PaymentsViews.com titled "ACH and the Future of Electronic Payments: BAI Convenes the Ultimate ACH Panel", Glenbrook's Erin McCune describes the "dream panel" that discussed ACH at the BAI Payments Connect conference in Orlando this week. The panelists were: Jan Estep (CEO NACHA), Rich Oliver (EVP Retail Product Manager, Federal Reserve), Rossana Salaris (SVP Payments Products, The Clearing House), and Stephanie Sturgis-Griffin (CEO Pariter Solutions); the moderator was Fred Brothers of eCom Advisors.

The Federal Reserve Board has proposed a rule amending Regulation Z (Truth in Lending) to "protect credit card users from unreasonable late payment and other penalty fees and to require credit card issuers to reconsider increases in interest rates."

"This proposal addresses two key costs of using a credit card--fees and interest rates," said Federal Reserve Governor Elizabeth A. Duke. "The rule would prevent credit card issuers from charging large penalty fees for small missteps by consumers and would require issuers to reevaluate rate increases imposed since the beginning of last year."

Chase Card Services has announced it is increasing the cash back rate on its Chase Freedom credit card to 5 percent on popular seasonal spending categories, like home improvement, gas and department stores.

TSYS has announced that Mark D. Pyke has been named president of TSYS Acquiring Solutions. Prior to joining TSYS Acquiring Solutions, Pyke served as president of Bank of America Merchant Services in Louisville, KY.

Glenbrook's Erin McCune is attending BAI's Payments Connect Conference in Orlando this week. You can follow Erin's tweets in real-time on Twitter - and read her coverage on PaymentsViews.com of yesterday's panel discussion exploring the most pressing issues in e-payments. She'll be posting more articles from the conference soon!