Blog

Amazon calls Honey app a security risk
E-commerce

Amazon calls PayPal’s Honey discount shopping app a security risk

When we last covered Honey last November, it was just acquired by PayPal for $4 billion. Analysts weren’t quite sure what to make of PayPal’s strategy and the price paid for the acquisition. In an unusual move just before Christmas, Amazon began posting messages calling ...
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Visa's Tap to Pay turns Samsung smartphone into POS device
Banking E-commerce Mobile Payments Payments Technology

Visa, Samsung collaborate on payments and smartphone POS solution

A new collaboration between Visa and smartphone maker Samsung electronics brings simple mobile point-of-sale (mPOS) payment capability to millions of businesses without the need for expensive hardware, maintenance, and training. Visa’s Tap to Phone makes it easy for sellers to use Samsung’s new Galaxy XCover ...
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Standard Chartered Bank SWIFT gpi
Banking Payments Technology Payments Trends

Standard Chartered launches first payments tracking ahead of SWIFT Nov 2020 deadline

Back in July 2019, more than 50 banks and corporations signed up with SWIFT to initiate SWIFT GPI tracking of international payments as a way to enhance e-commerce and cross-border business in advance of the November 2020 deadline for users of SWIFT’s payments clearing system. ...
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Mastercard augmented reality app
Banking Loyalty

Mastercard holders get augmented reality app to view benefits

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) brought an interesting launch by MasterCard for an augmented reality (AR) app designed to give cardholders a 3-D, 360-degree view of their credit card benefits. Say what? That’s right, MasterCard users will be able to see, explore, and access their ...
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Lamborghini Huracan EVO voice services
Mobile Payments Payments Technology Payments Trends

Hey Alexa, fill up my gas tank

It’s getting to the point where voice skills like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant can do just about everything except give the kids a bath. The timing of announcements about services around the US Consumer Electronics Show (CES) shows how Amazon hopes to dominate in-your-auto ...
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digital banking
Banking Fintech

Research: Digital banking on the horizon for most consumers

A new study by global card provider Marqeta shows many US and UK consumers are poised to pick digital-only banking as a financial services option. The Marqeta Digital Banking Survey shows digital-only banking–mobile banking apps have surpassed physical branches as the most critical touchpoint of ...
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Happy New Year 2021
Slider

Happy New Year

Best wishes for 2021! Wishing our payment industry colleagues, collaborators, and co-sponsors many happy, healthy horizons ahead in 2021! ...
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record 2019 US e-commerce sales
E-commerce Retail

Happy holiday online sales get retailers smiling

While overall retail sales grew during this year’s holiday season, it was mostly online sales that delivered results with in-store sales stagnant or down in most department stores and retail outlets. Super Saturday sales, the last Saturday sales day before Christmas, reached a record $34.4 ...
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Happy Holidays 2019
Disruptive Technologies Retail

10 new disruptive holiday spirits for gifts and celebration

The spirits and beverage industry is being disrupted just like the payments and financial world. Craft beers have displaced Bud and Miller. Craft distilleries are doing the same with tequila, vodka, rum, and other hard spirits. And of course, boutique wineries have thrived for years ...
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holiday returns may hit $41.6 billion
E-commerce Payments Research Retail

Holiday e-commerce returns could hit $41.6 billion

There’s a costly hitch to the happy e-commerce sales estimated at $138.5 billion for 2019. CBRE Group and Optoro estimate the cost of product returns from US online customers during the busy holiday season could reach $41.6 billion. The cost of this reverse logistics problem ...
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