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Latest /payments expert opinions

John Cant

John Cant Managing Director at MPI Europe Ltd

Faster Payments on track

It seems appropriate to start blogging about UK Faster Payments (UKFP), the scheme to provide cheaper and easier "near real-time" via internet and phone banking, by a reference to the most recent APACS announcement. At face value it is reporting good news - the scheme is on track. However, there is the strong hint in the text that even t...

/payments /retail UK Faster Payments

Paul Penrose

Paul Penrose Head of Research at Finextra

Digital Monopoly

Dave Birch at Consult Hyperion has come up with a splendid wheeze for the tenth annual Digital Money Forum. The goal of the not-for-profit Forum is to encourage discussion and debate around electronic money in all its forms. This year, Dave has got together with toymakers Hasbro UK to run a charity Monopoly tournament at the end of the first day...

/payments /retail

Paul Penrose

Paul Penrose Head of Research at Finextra

Microsoft micropayments

Further to my recent musings on Microsoft Points (The Virtual Bank of Microsoft), Dow Jones reports on CNN that Microsoft boss Bill Gates has been looking into the possibility of developing an online payment system that will be cheaper than credit card transactions, making it possible for companies to charge small fees for Web-based content and se...

/payments /retail Trends in Financial Services

Paul Penrose

Paul Penrose Head of Research at Finextra

Funny money

Online universe Second Life has been lauded by the serious business press as a glittering land of opportunity, a rapidly-expanding economy where fortunes can be made by game-players buying and selling land and turning tricks in return for convertible Linden dollars. But when venture consultant Randolph Harrison and a hedge fund manager friend sunk...

/payments /retail

Paul Penrose

Paul Penrose Head of Research at Finextra

The virtual Bank of Microsoft

Is Microsoft trying to create its own online currency? It’s an issue worthy of consideration, following the Zune music player release late last year. Consumers wanting to buy and download songs from the Zune music store are finding that their greenbacks are not accepted at Microsoft’s virtual checkout. Instead you have to convert your hard cash to...

/payments /retail

Paul Penrose

Paul Penrose Head of Research at Finextra

Moving the deckchairs at CSFI

So farewell then David Lascelles, the former banking editor of the Financial Times who co-founded respected City think tank The Centre for the Study of Financial Innovation with Andrew Hilton in 1993. After 14 years at the helm of CSFI, Lascelles is taking up a backroom position as a senior fellow. Over the years the CSFI has forged a reputation a...

/payments /retail

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