Both Apple and Google are engaged in conversations with mobile payments startup BOKU (http://www.boku.net/) about a potential acquisition “or a wide-reaching partnership at the very least,” reports “TechCrunch” (http://techcrunch.com/2010/11/01/apple-google-boku/), quoting “people familiar with the talks, which are ongoing.”

BOKU President and CEO Mark Britto and co-founder Ron Hirson have held multiple meetings with executives at the helm of Apple’s iPhone business in the course of the past three weeks, the article adds. Neither one would comment on the rumors.

BOKU is a mobile online payments company. The company is based in San Francisco with offices in Europe, Asia and Latin America.