2012 will go in the payments history books as the year that was … well… by and large mobile. Payments innovation fueled by the IP-enablement of devices used by consumers and merchants to interact drove payments innovation into high gear. Players large and small flooded the market with new applications, new business models, and new approaches to transforming the shopping experience. As a result, there was no shortage of news, blogs and commentary related to what was happening in payments and the new ideas being introduced to the consuming public. In fact, just about every day, there were, on average, 30 news announcements chronicling “the latest” — from names that are familiar and from many that are not. I thought it would be fun to look back at some of the major developments that happened in payments and separate what was really news from the noise that, at times, drowned out the important developments that will set the stage in 2013 and beyond for how consumers and merchants will interact at the point of sale – whatever and wherever that may be.