There were 47 merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions on the merchant acceptance side of the card payment business in 21 countries last year. Collectively, those deals were valued at more than $6.40 billion. The $4.30-billion acquisition in the U.S. of Heartland Payment Systems by Global Payments was the biggest transaction. The next 5 largest mergers and acquisitions occurred in Europe, where 7 of the top 10 took place. M&A activity involving credit cards, mobile payments, loyalty companies, processors, and other businesses that impact consumer payments continues this year. Last ...