Live Nation Merchandise is offering consumers mobile gift cards and product discounts via a mobile loyalty application.

Verizon Communications’ $400,000 investment in mobile loyalty specialist CardStar proves that value-added services are key to driving adoption of mobile payments.

Qualcomm’s Firethorn Holdings has partnered with Discover Financial Services to create the transactional backbone for its new Swagg mobile gift card application.

Outdoor Retailer Bass Pro Shops is letting consumers pay for virtual gift cards via Facebook and deliver them directly to mobile phones.

Fifth Third Processing Solutions is offering mobile infrastructure, commerce and marketing company Transaction Wireless’s virtual gift card platform to its merchant partners.

Micros Retail Systems, a provider of enterprise applications, has partnered with Mocapay to mobile-enable its customers’ loyalty and gift programs.

To keep up with consumers’ increasing dependence on their mobile phones, Target is letting customers use their wireless devices as gift cards.

National gourmet pizza, sandwich and salad chain zpizza has mobilized its gift and customer loyalty program to support its marketing and sales initiatives.

High-street fashion retailer Oasis has taken gift cards mobile with what it claims is the world’s first peer-to-peer SMS gift voucher.

Smart Transaction Systems has tapped mobile marketing and payments company Mocapay to mobilize STS’ card-based payment systems.