All articles by Douglas Blakey

PayPal snaps up Xoom ahead of demerger

Since eBay snapped up PayPal in 2002 for $1.5bn, it has acquired a further 20 firms, the most notable recent examples including Braintree less than two years ago.

AXIS Bank blazes innovation trail with PingPay

The launch of what claims to be India’s first multi-social payment app deserves a favourable mention. Douglas Blakey writes

CBA goes live with Albert

It’s been a long few months: in July 2012, Commonwealth Bank of Australia announced plans to launch an innovative payment tablet dubbed ‘Albert’ with the aim of improving the electronic payments landscape.

Apple Pay: the big question-when it will it reach Europe?

Following its initial success in the US, just when will Apple Pay come to Europe? And will the UK be one of the first markets to witness Apple Pay? Douglas Blakey writes

Monitise puts itself on the block

Following sharp drops in its share price, Monitise is considering all options, including a possible sale.

More of the same; more evolution not revolution

The world of electronic payments continues to excite like no other sector of consumer finance and 2014 was no exception. Bringing together diverse players such as established banks, venture capitalists, fintech entrepreneurs, mobile telcos, retailers, e-commerce players and payment systems the sector is a goldmine for analysts, bloggers and the media.

Banks come through Black Friday with flying colours

So far, so good.

It may be tempting fate but so far as I can see the websites of the major banks, cards programmes and payments processors have coped admirably with the frenzy that is Black Friday/Cyber Monday.

Banks have little to learn from telcos service levels

Not a week seems to go by without news of another leading bank teaming up with a major telco.To take this week at random: India’s largest telco by subscribers Bharti Airtel is in talks with the country’s largest lender State Bank of India about a possible joint venture.
Elsewhere, Italy’s UniCredit has snapped up a 6% stake in O2 Czech Republic (formerly O2 Telefonica Czech Republic) and is now the second largest shareholder in the telco.

ANZ smashes South Pacific m-banking targets

It is not every month that one has the opportunity to write about the emerging banking markets of Samoa, Vanuatu, The Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea, writes Douglas Blakey

Electronic Payments International reader survey

Electronic Payments International would like to hear from you, the reader, on how to make this service more useful to you. Please fill out this short questionnaire and let us know.