Cash could be put into the service using a credit card, bank wire, postal money order or other money transfer service.

BBC: Liberty Reserve

His fast-growing business, funded by IDG and Softbank, has more than 500, 000 registered users, with a goal of 1 million by next year--boosted by an escrow-based online payment service in a market where credit cards and bank transfers aren't common.

FORBES: Commentary

Martin Barnes of the Bank Credit Analyst, a research service, thinks the economy will grow more slowly than its capacity could allow at least until the end of 2009.

ECONOMIST: The economy

After working with French financial regulators, Bitcoin-Central has hammered out a deal with French payment processor Acoba and France's Credit Mutuel bank to become a payment service provider, which allows it to function much like a bank.

ENGADGET: Bitcoin-Central becomes first Bitcoin exchange licensed to operate like a bank

The total service fees that Bank of America earns from its debit and credit card business was relatively stable prior to 2009 aided by high interchange fees and card fees in the US relative to the rest of the world, which helped generate strong revenues for the card industry.

FORBES: Bank Of America Bleeds Card Fee Income, Stock Should Still Be $16

Yabuki believes that more granular information--how people are using their bank accounts, online bill-pay service, debit cards and credit cards--will make predictions of default rates more accurate.

FORBES: Global 2000

If you have the service, you probably don't even know which of your credit cards or bank accounts is hit once a year for your subscription fee.

FORBES

An NFC-based mobile payments service that lets consumers make payments to merchants and other consumers via a credit or debit card, directly from their bank account or using credit stored in their iTunes account.

FORBES: Apple, iOS 6 & Mobile Payments - One More Thing for the iPhone 5?