Purchases for goods and services from merchants worldwide in 2013 grew by USD2.786tn or 22.0% to USD15.422tn according to the Nilson Report.

VeriFone Systems has announced the VX 690 – its first handheld EMV-capable payment terminal featuring Bluetooth, 3G radio and Wi-Fi connectivity for fast transactions and flexible payment capabilities.

Fiserv has announced a new real-time electronic payment monitoring capabilities to prevent fraud. The solutions protect clients from payments fraud and complement the enhanced SWIFT sanctions screening capabilities.

Sequent Software has received approval from Visa for its Trusted Services Manager (TSM) systems. The Sequent platform is now commercially available for banks and mobile phone operators launching new digital issuance and mobile wallet services worldwide.

WorldPay and ZNAP have agreed a global partnership which will enable multi-channel commerce for new and existing businesses. The joint offering has already been deployed by the Rugby Football Union at Twickenham Stadium.

Xoom Corporation has announced that Banco Popular Dominicano is offering Xoom’s fast deposit services to the bank’s checking and savings accounts in less than 15 minutes to the Dominican Republic.