MasterCard snaps up DataCash

MasterCard has completed a $526 million acquisition of electronic payment services company DataCash, reports Bloomberg Businessweek.

The move is expected to help MasterCard increase online use of cards that bear its name, particularly in Asia and Europe.

MasterCard's rival, Visa, made a similar acquisition earlier in April. Visa's $2 billion deal for CyberSource was also intended to boost use of its branded cards, in part by strengthening its fraud-prevention technology.

Irish telecoms regulator has told mobile phone company O2 that it cannot bill customers electronically without consent, states Irish Times.

The Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) notified O2 it was violating terms of its licence by switching customers to online billing without their explicit agreement.

The company has been given one month to remedy its non-compliance. ComReg may apply to the High Court if, at the end of the one-month period, if it decides O2 has not complied with its obligations.

Starbucks reveals people in New York City and Long Island can now swipe their iPhones and BlackBerrys over a barcode scanner in 300 Starbucks stores to make a purchase, says Tech Flash.

“Mobile technology is part of our customers' daily routine and with the expansion of mobile payment in our test cities, we're seeing more and more customers using their smartphones as their mobile wallets,” says Brady Brewer, vice-president Starbucks Card and Loyalty.

The payments feature is available through the Starbucks Card Mobile App for iPhone, iPod touch and BlackBerry. The app lets people check their Starbucks Card balance, add money to their account with a credit card, and make purchases at Starbucks.