Google Checkout recently launched in the UK and I wanted to share some statistics about the take up so far in the US where Google Checkout has been available for just less than a year and in the UK where it has just launched.

Redwood City, Calif. - Obopay, a provider of mobile payments technology, announced on Tuesday the launch of a new Sponsored Accounts service that lets children under 18 send and receive money using their mobile phones. Parents can provide funds to an Obopay account linked to their childrens' mobile phones, while retaining the ability to track and control the account -- which can be used for online purchases or to provide emergency funds.

London - Neteller, a U.K.-based provider of online payment processing services, announced that it will lay off 250 employees in Canada and the U.K., citing the recent U.S. crackdown on Internet gambling sites and related services, Silicon.com reported.

San Mateo, Calif. - Bitpass, a four-year-old provider of online payment processing services, has announced that it is discontinuing operations, due to "circumstances beyond our control," CEO Matthew Graves wrote in an e-mail to customers.

Zug, Switzerland - European digital payments firm ClickandBuy announced on Thursday that it has received an undisclosed investment from Intel Capital.