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Apple wants to change the way you pay for things. Credit card companies are embracing its new mobile payment system as a boost to security, but analysts say Apple could disrupt the payments industry.

Thursday is the beginning of the end for magnetic-stripe credit cards. With the change, banks say stores will have to pay for fraudulent purchases. The shift may be hard for some small retailers.

Host Jennifer Ludden looks at how the credit card industry markets to teenagers. Legally, banks may not issue credit cards to minors, but solicitations for cards often go out to kids under 18. It seems the card issuers are counting on parents to bail their kids out when they overcharge.

Credit card companies are targeting children as young as 13 with products that allow them to pay with plastic instead of cash. Parents can monitor their children's spending habits, but there are potential pitfalls if users aren't careful.

NPR's Jennifer Ludden talks with Frontline reporter Lowell Bergman about The Secret History of the Credit Card, a new documentary by PBS and The New York Times. The film traces the rise of America's credit card industry and raises concerns about some if its business practices.

Companies including PayPal and Apple are competing to convince merchants and consumers to use their swipe-and-go mobile payment systems. Credit card breaches may speed up the use of digital wallets.

Congress has passed a bill that would enact sweeping new restrictions on the credit card industry. The bill does away with arbitrary rate hikes and bans issuing cards to minors.

Economists are saying that October's surprisingly strong job growth will encourage the Federal Reserve to hike interest rates next month. So holiday shoppers may pay more for using credit cards.

Mastercard and Visa collect billions of dollars in fees each year from the nation's retailers. Merchants have long complained about the way those fees are determined. A lawsuit accusing Mastercard and Visa of antitrust violations is expected to go to trial in Brooklyn soon.

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have sent President Obama a bill that would rein in credit card fees and interest rates, while allowing gun owners to carry concealed weapons in national parks. The Senate passed the measure Tuesday. The House acted on Wednesday.