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Shell's UK petrol stations let you PayPal at the pump
Although Apple Pay is currently enjoying the limelight, companies all over Britain are working to get their own mobile payment strategies in order. Once such company is Shell, which after months of testing has begun rolling out its new PayPal-powered "Fill Up & Go" service across hundreds of its UK petrol stations. The idea is simple: download the Shell Motorist app, connect it to your PayPal account and scan a giant QR code at the pump -- no more queuing or worrying whether you've brought your wallet.
eBay and PayPal officially part ways today
We knew eBay and PayPal were headed to splitsville this year, and now it's actually happening. The auction site and the payment service separated into two disparate companies today, PayPal is getting its own stock ticker, starts trading on the New York Stock Exchange come Monday and, according to Business Insider that doesn't look so good for eBay. As the site tells it, PayPal's been the reason for "most" of eBay's gains for the past three years, and "nearly all" of it for 2015. eBay revenues have already jumped seven percent thanks to higher demand for PayPal, according to Reuters. Maybe the online auction house can use the $925 million it got from the PayPal sale to figure out a way to become profitable -- crazier things have happened. [Image credit: Associated Press]
PayPal to buy money-transfer startup Xoom for $890 million
Wiring money home (especially as cash) can be an awkward, expensive and time-consuming ordeal -- but it's about to get a whole lot easier. PayPal announced on Wednesday that it is acquiring San Francisco-based digital money transfer startup Xoom (no, not the tablet maker) to make "international remittances simpler, safer and more affordable," according to the company's blog. Xoom transferred more than $7 billion for its 1.3 million customers over the 12 months preceding last April, primarily on mobile devices between family and friends. PayPal (which has up to now focused on business payments) hopes to leverage this platform in its planned expansion into markets like Mexico, India, the Philippines, China and Brazil. The acquisition is expected to be complete by the end of the year, assuming it passes muster with regulators and Xoom's investors.
PayPal explains when it will hit you with robocalls
When PayPal updated its user agreement with language suggesting that it had broad powers to make automated calls (aka robocalls) and texts, customers were understandably nervous. Was the company going to spam you until you bought more stuff using its online wallet? Well, you can relax. PayPal is tweaking the agreement once again to make it clear just when it will (and more importantly, won't) send a recorded message your way. The only times the firm will robocall is when it needs to collect debt, warn you about shady activity or tackle fraud cases. You won't deal with marketing spiels unless you give explicit consent, and you can revoke that permission at any point.
PayPal will refund $15 million to customers if the CFPB has its way
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau alleges that PayPal engaged in unfair, abusive and deceptive practices in the marketing and management of its PayPal Credit service, formerly known as Bill Me Later. To rectify the (many) outlined abuses, the CFPB filed a complaint and proposed consent order that directs PayPal to refund $15 million to affected consumers, plus pay a $10 million fine to the CFPB's Civil Penalty Fund. The proposed consent order isn't an official ruling just yet -- a judge with the US District Court for the District of Maryland must approve the order for it to be enforced.
PayPal's simple One Touch payments reach the web
PayPal helped fast-track your online shopping when it rolled out One Touch payments on phones last year, and today it's bringing that simpler system to the web. As with mobile apps, you shouldn't have to sign in more than once to use your PayPal balance for purchases on any device with a browser -- it'll remember your details, so you only need to acknowledge that you're draining your account. You should see One Touch today at numerous web-based shops that already take PayPal, and it should reach other countries in the months ahead. [Image credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu]
PayPal's failure to spot sanctioned accounts just cost it $7.7 millon
PayPal has has agreed to pay the US Department of the Treasury $7.7 million, after the financial giant processed transactions for a number of companies and individuals on the US sanctions list. A total of 486 violations of US regulations had apparently been committed by PayPal "for several years" after repeated failures in the firm's screening process, a reports explains. While the severity of each instance will vary, the Treasury highlighted a number that relate to Turkish national Kursud Zafer Cire -- an individual on the list after suspected involvement in the movement of weapons of mass destruction. The Treasury's report states that Risk Operations Agents at PayPal manually overrode at least four alerts flagging Cire as blacklisted -- resulting in transactions totalling over $7,000. Since 2013, PayPal has introduced a "long term solution" that checks for violations in real time. An investment we imagine that's a little more cost effective, than predicting future malware.
PayPal acquires Israeli company that can predict future malware
It's always good news when a service that processes a lot of cash improves its security measures. PayPal, for instance, has just established a security center in Israel by acquiring a local company called CyActive. The company already has a Fraud and Risk Detection Center in Tel Aviv, but CyActive is a totally different beast: it "specializes in technology that can predict how malware will develop." It's sort of like Minority Report's PreCrime, except it uses predictive analytics instead of human precogs to foresee new cybersecurity threats. The startup's employees will now be in charge of implementing technology that will protect the payment platform from future cyberattacks.
PayPal's new Here card reader can handle NFC payments
PayPal is no stranger to mobile payment solutions, but at Mobile World Congress, the company is making a useful upgrade to its Here card reader. In addition to being able to handle payments from those chip-and-PIN credit/debit cards, the new version of PayPal's transaction tech will also support NFC. This means that not only will the latest version of Here wrangle touchless payments from the aforementioned cards, but it'll also allow retailers to accept funds from mobile devices. It's said to work just like terminals in retail stores, except this add-on connects with a separate mobile device to power the whole thing. That's good news for the PayPal faithful as Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Android Pay all leverage NFC to transfer funds. There's no word on pricing just yet, but the new version of Here will hit the UK and Australia this summer, with a US debut slated for later this year. Don't miss out on all the latest news, photos and liveblogs from MWC 2015. Follow along at our events page.
Shell petrol stations to let you pay with your phone using PayPal
Those of us in the know are patiently waiting for QR code technology to take off, as it inevitably will, but Shell and PayPal aren't willing to stand by and end up falling behind the curve. Pouncing on the flourishing standard, the two have shaken hands on a deal that'll soon let patrons at Shell petrol stations pay for fuel using only their phones, PayPal details, and some well-placed QR codes. Having successfully trialed the mobile payment method way back in 2013, it's ready to roll out to the "vast majority" of Shell garages in April, though will initially be reserved for members of Shell's Drivers' Club programme before randoms can get involved later this year. "Using a debit or credit card to pay at the pump simply isn't convenient enough," a fictional spokesperson commented, adding that booting up the Android/iOS Shell Motorist or Paypal apps, and pairing with a pump via a QR code so your PayPal credentials can be charged is the stuff futuristic nightmares dreams are made of. A receipt of the transaction will also be sent to your phone when you're done, confirming you've successfully completed the process and not screeched off with a full, free tank.
The big phone carriers might sell Google their mobile wallet
Remember Softcard (formerly Isis, but renamed for obvious reasons)? It's a joint venture that AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile started in 2010 to get into mobile payments without ceding the market to Google Wallet and Apple Pay. That hasn't quite worked out, since few want to put a $70 case on their iPhone to use mobile payments, and a caseless option for the iPhone 6 has yet to arrive. Tonight Techcrunch first reported rumors that it's in talks for a sale to Google, while Paypal and Microsoft are apparently interested too. The initial report puts its pricetag at under $100 million, less than the hundreds of millions the mobile carriers invested in it. Google and Softcard have both declined to comment on the rumor, but it seems more a matter of when and who will pick up the pieces, not if.
Apple online store now accepting payment via PayPal
Ahead of the busy holiday shopping season, Apple has made shopping from its online store that much easier. According to a report from Re/Code, Apple's online store for U.S. and U.K. based customers now accepts payment via PayPal. As you can tell from the screenshot below, Apple is also touting the ability for users to make payments via PayPal Credit, a service which enables users to pay for items that cost over US$250 in either 6, 12, or 18 month installments. Even better, the installments carry no interest. It's refreshing, not to mention smart, to see Apple giving users even more payment options, especially since Apple and PayPal have been slightly at odds ever since Apple unveiled Apple Pay this past September. Shortly thereafter, PayPal released an ad in the New York Times taking a not so subtle jab at Apple's mobile payment service by referencing the celebrity iCloud hack that made waves this past Summer. It's also been rumored that PayPal wasn't included as an Apple Pay partner due to PayPal's decision to partner up with Samsung for mobile payments on the Galaxy S5.
Apple's online store now accepts PayPal, lets you spread the cost
Apple already provides a variety of ways to pay for Macs and iPhones, but there's certainly nothing wrong with adding another alternative. Perhaps that's why the company has decided to add PayPal to its online store in the US and the UK. While you'll now be able to charge the cost of a new iPad to one of your connected PayPal accounts, Apple is also promoting interest-free instalments via PayPal Direct. For orders over $250/£99, the company will let you split payments into equal monthly payments, letting you get your gear now and gradually pay it off by next Christmas.
Add $60 from PayPal to your PSN wallet, get bonus cash back
Got a PayPal account? Here's an easy way to get some free PlayStation Network cash: Just add $60 to your SEN wallet via PayPal between now and December 16 and you'll get an additional $10 in credit by the end of the month. Eligible shoppers will receive a PSN code for $10 in wallet credit by December 23, which can then be used to buy games, movies, or anything else featured in the PlayStation Store. You may want to spend your newfound fortune on Strider, Valiant Hearts: The Great War, and other games offered in this week's PSN sale lineup, or you can put it toward new releases like Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris and Suikoden 2. Codes expire on January 22. [Image: Sony]
Tech industry completes its standards for banishing passwords
Hate typing passwords? You might not have to enter them for much longer. The FIDO Alliance (backed by Google, Microsoft, PayPal and Samsung, among others) has just published the completed versions of its password-free standards for both regular and two-factor authentication. Apps and websites using the technology can now rely on a number of easier and typically more secure ways to sign you in, such as fingerprint readers and USB dongles, without having to worry about the exact device you're using. There are already some hardware and software solutions that play nicely with FIDO, but the existence of firm specs should significantly boost your choices in 2015.
PayPal debuts mobile payments app for Pebble smartwatch
PayPal today announced that it was expanding its mobile payments app to the Pebble smartwatch platform. The app also is available iOS and other wearables including Samsung's Gear smartwatch series and Android Wear devices. The mobile payments app allows Pebble owners to make PayPal purchases when they visit a store where the payment service is accepted. Pebble owners making a PayPal payment can authorize a purchase with their smartwatch using either a check-in to pay or a payment code option. Users also can receive payment notifications on their wrist-worn device. The app is available now in the Pebble app store and requires an active PayPal account.
Pebble owners can now use PayPal on their smartwatch
Starting today, you will have access to PayPal right from your Pebble. The payments company announced earlier that there's now a compatible application for the smartwatch, which is available free of charge from Pebble's app store. Once installed, it can be used to make payments at any PayPal-friendly location around you, including restaurants and other local brick-and-mortar businesses. There's also support for notifications, allowing you to use the Pebble wearable to easily, and at a glance, keep up with your account. A few months ago, PayPal became one of the first apps to come to Android Wear, so the company has definitely made sure it is well covered in this space.
PayPal now lets you pay for packages days after you order them
Wish you didn't have to pay for online orders before they showed up? You won't have to, if you've loaded up a PayPal account. In the wake of a trial run, the company has formally rolled out Pay After Delivery, a service that gives you up to 14 days after your order to cough up the necessary funds. PayPal gives retailers money right away -- it's just waiting for you to pay the difference. Suffice it to say that this will come in handy if you have a high-priority order (say, a holiday gift) that can't wait until you have the necessary funds.
Apple Pay is helping re-ignite another round of Burger Wars
When Apple announced that Apple Pay would be accepted by McDonalds locations across the land Burger King must have been feeling pretty left out. So much so, in fact, that the well known eatery chain went and got itself a new significant other in the form of PayPal. The payment giant revealed today during the Money2020 conference in Las Vegas that it is teaming up with the second largest burger brand in the world to launch a new mobile payment service. The deal is a bold response to the announced partnership between Apple and McDonalds, and it will be interesting to see how it pans out. With McDonalds being the biggest fast food chain in the world, not to mention Apple already feeling upbeat about Apple Pay's adoption after just the first couple of weeks, Burger King and PayPal will surely have their work cut out for them when the mobile payment option launches early in 2015.
PayPal reportedly axed from Apple Pay due to its partnership with Samsung
When Apple announced Apple Pay earlier this month, PayPal was conspicuously absent from Apple's list of secured partnerships. Now comes word via Ian Kar of BankInnovation that PayPal was initially part of Apple's vision of Apple Pay, but that negotiations fell apart due to Pay Pal's relationship with Samsung. Apple and PayPal started talking early on in Apple's development of Apple Pay, as Apple was setting up partnerships with the card issuing banks and card networks. Since PayPal's a payments industry leader, it would have been shortsighted for Apple to not reach out to PayPal. But while these talks were going on, PayPal went ahead and partnered with Samsung on the Galaxy S5 fingerprint scanner, a move that was reportedly forced onto PayPal by eBay CEO John Donahoe. PayPal's now-former president David Marcus was purportedly categorically against the Samsung deal, knowing that it would jeopardize PayPal's relationship with Apple. Donahoe won the day, however. The Galaxy S5 was originally unveiled in February of 2014, right around the same time Apple reportedly started making inroads on securing Apple Pay partners. Karr adds that Apple was furious to learn of the PayPal/Samsung partnership and effectively kicked PayPal to the curb. What's also interesting is the claim that eBay forced PayPal folks into the Samsung deal, especially in light of today's news that eBay will be spinning off PayPal into a separate publicly traded company. Reports of an Apple/PayPal fallout also helps explain PayPal's somewhat bizarre and baseless jab at Apple Pay security a few weeks ago. Apple Pay isn't yet live, but is expected to go operational sometime in mid-to-late October. Early hands-on reviews of the service, however, have been overwhelmingly positive.
