PYMNTS

SEPTEMBER 9, 2020

In a move that lets users place and get phone calls through their Alexa gadgets, Amazon is launching a new collaboration with AT&T that will enable consumers to connect their phone numbers with their Alexa accounts, The Verge reported. Users can connect their AT&T accounts to their Alexa gadgets by selecting “settings,” choosing the communication secondary menu, tapping the AT&T button and adhering to the directions.

Management 165

Management Technology Report Payments 165

PYMNTS

SEPTEMBER 9, 2020

Pet owners now have a new way to get their animals' food delivered to their front porch. PetSmart and DoorDash are linking up to deliver the goods straight to Fido. In a press release, PetSmart said it would offer delivery service from more than 1,400 of its store locations nationwide. The company will accomplish that through DoorDash Drive, which offers “direct delivery for any business.”.

United States 131

United States Retail Training Online 131

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SEPTEMBER 9, 2020

High-flying Walmart is set to launch a pilot project that will have the retailer’s goods delivered by drones. Walmart said in a press release that the test program will be ready for takeoff on Wednesday (Sept. 9) in Fayetteville, North Carolina with the aid of Flytrex , which delivers goods with drones. The deliveries will carry “select grocery and household essential items from Walmart stores using Flytrex’s automated drones," the release notes.

North Carolina 164

North Carolina Company Technology Innovation 164

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SEPTEMBER 9, 2020

Visa Inc. has acknowledged the European Commission (EC) has opened an investigation into the company’s eWallet rules. In its second-quarter filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the global financial services corporation reported the executive branch of the European Union (EU) informed Visa that it has opened a preliminary investigation into its digital wallet rules and requested information about them.

Google 223

Google Survey Report Retail 223

PYMNTS

SEPTEMBER 9, 2020

Deel has notched a $30 million Series B investment headed up by Spark Capital, whose General Partner Yasmin Razavi is joining the company’s board, according to a Wednesday (Sept. 9) company announcement. Deel said its aim is to take down the barriers of workforces gathered in specific physical areas, enabling companies to hire any person in any location, according to the post.

Compliance 141

Compliance Capital Conference Video 141

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SEPTEMBER 9, 2020

It’s the last chance for taxpayers to collect a stimulus payment check. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced on Wednesday (Sept. 9) that it plans to mail letters to approximately nine million Americans who typically don’t file federal income tax returns and may be eligible for, but failed to claim, an economic impact payment. The letters will urge recipients to register at IRS.gov by Oct. 15 to receive their payment by year's end. .

Taxes 199

Taxes Payments Analysis Tools 199

PYMNTS

JULY 21, 2020

The global pandemic’s emergence radically shifted the entire small- to medium-sized business (SMB) landscape almost overnight in terms of digitizing operations, according to Alex Burgin , vice president at Authorize.Net (a Visa solution), and Kirsten Potenza , CEO and founder of POUND – Rockout. Workout. The pair told PYMNTS in a recent conversation that merchants who thought of themselves as in-person service providers have been pushed into a big digital pivot.

Innovation 190

Innovation Community Payments Technology 190

PYMNTS

JULY 21, 2020

Open banking is appealing to financial institutions (FIs) and regulators in many markets, even as the pandemic sweeps across the world. The European Union’s financial authorities are monitoring how the pandemic may be affecting banks’ and FinTechs’ compliance with rules such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the revised Payment Services Directive (PSD2), for example.

Mobile 229

Mobile Report America Regulation 229

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JULY 21, 2020

COVID-19 has hit the U.S. economy hard, but few areas were hit harder than small businesses. Roughly 90 percent of them are dubbed “microbusinesses,” which have fewer than 10 employees (and in many cases, just one). In spite of their small size, they play a critical role in both their local and national economies. As PSCU President and CEO Chuck Fagan told Karen Webster in a recent conversation, that’s why credit unions (CUs) are working hard to help microbusinesses survive the pandemic.

Cards 208

Cards National Tools Innovation 208

PYMNTS

JULY 21, 2020

Some recently unemployed Americans who have attempted to file for jobless benefits are encountering a nasty shock: They’ve been robbed by canaries. Not the birds, of course, but a Nigerian hacker ring called “Scattered Canary” that has successfully lifted millions of dollars through scam unemployment filings in at least six states. Washington state has been particularly hard hit, GIACT Co-founder and CEO Melissa Townsley-Solis told Karen Webster.

Fraud 160

Fraud System Maryland Michigan 160

PYMNTS

JULY 21, 2020

Crypto boosters have spent the better part of the past decade promoting the idea that great fiat-currency disruptions are coming care of blockchain and literally hundreds of thousands of variations of cryptocurrency circulating in the world today. Crypto enthusiasts proclaim that you can front the best-known players like bitcoin or the most obscure blockchain-backed currencies circulating the world and tap into the future of money.

cryptocurrency 318

cryptocurrency blockchain Bitcoin Examples 318

PYMNTS

JULY 21, 2020

Cybercrime is a constant concern for banks, credit unions and other financial institutions (FIs), with more than 25 percent of all malware attacks targeting the financial industry specifically. Compromised credit card fraud increased 212 percent year over year in 2019, while customer credential leaks increased 129 percent during the same period. Many of these fraud and cybercrime attempts are the result of fraudsters working together, either selling each other data or sharing techniques to break

Fraud 167

Fraud United States Cards Industry 167

PYMNTS

JULY 21, 2020

Global identity verification provider Trulioo has expanded its services to Vietnam with the GlobalGateway marketplace, according to a press release. GlobalGateway provides identity verification services in over 100 countries including Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. The service is intended to help businesses automate their customer onboarding processes, powering fraud prevention and compliance for numerous financial institutions, payment companies, banks and other such institu

Guidelines 181

Guidelines Compliance Fraud Security 181

PYMNTS

JULY 21, 2020

In a deal expected to create the world’s largest online classifieds company, eBay Inc. has agreed to sell its ad division to Adevinta ASA, the Norwegian online marketplace, for $9.2 billion, the companies announced Tuesday (July 21). The combined companies will solidify 20 markets containing 1 billion people and is likely to attract 3 billion monthly visits, the companies said.

San Jose 130

San Jose Online Branding National 130

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JULY 21, 2020

A panel established to grow the United Kingdom’s (UK) financial technology (FinTech) sector plans a review of the industry to identify opportunities for growth, the government announced Tuesday (July 21). “The UK is one of the leading places in the world to start and grow a FinTech firm, and I am determined to ensure this continues,” said John Glen, the nation’s Economic Secretary to the Treasury, in a statement.

Fintech 174

Fintech Ohio Financial Technology Innovation 174

PYMNTS

JULY 20, 2020

After a boardroom battle in which one side wanted eBay to get back to its roots, the company was rewarded Monday (July 20) by word that it’s close to selling its classified ad business to Norway’s Adevinta for $9 billion. What should eBay do next as a company once the sale closes? First, eBay will continue to maintain a minority stake in the classified ad business, according to several reports.

Maine 174

Maine Company Analysis Mobile 174

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JULY 20, 2020

The increasingly likely scenario that many students in the United States, Europe and the United Kingdom will be resuming school at their kitchen tables has retailers that usually cash in every late summer biting their financial nails. Reuters reported on Monday (July 20) that “major retailers in the United States, EU and UK are aggressively discounting back-to-school backpacks and uniforms and airing new advertisements featuring students happily taking classes at home.” According to

Retail 130

Retail United States Survey Analytics 130

PYMNTS

JULY 20, 2020

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), the biggest banking enterprise in Japan, is scheduled to release a cryptocurrency later this year, CoinDesk reported. The digital currency will be rolled out with the help of a holding company in Japan called Recruit Group that runs Hot Pepper Gourmet, an eatery search service. At first, the cryptocurrency will be used in a mobile payment app for member firms that are on the website of Recruit, which has approximately 1 million member stores.

cryptocurrency 131

cryptocurrency social media Bitcoin Payments 131

PYMNTS

JULY 20, 2020

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has recorded record-high numbers of complaints every month since the pandemic hit in mid-March, according to a press release from the U.S. PIRG Education Fund. However, according to an analysis from the PIRG Fund released Friday (July 17), the CFPB has shirked its duty somewhat during the pandemic by weakening protections against predatory payday lenders.

Fraud 162

Fraud Analysis Groups System 162

PYMNTS

JULY 20, 2020

The payments program from messenger service WhatsApp will be allowed to go forward in Brazil, the country’s central bank said, so long as all rules are respected, Reuters reported. Brazil suspended services on the implementation of the new payment system last month, saying it was worried about the potential for monopolies to arise from the partnership between WhatsApp and large international companies like Visa and Mastercard.

Payments 244

Payments Regulation Cards Operations 244

PYMNTS

JULY 20, 2020

The President Donald Trump administration has shot down propositions to continue the $600-a-week jobless benefits that have buoyed Americans as unemployment reached record highs due to the pandemic, according to the Financial Times (FT). The decision is now a point of contention in the continuing talks about another stimulus bill to continue aid during the pandemic.

Taxes 263

Taxes Report 263

PYMNTS

JULY 20, 2020

IBM ‘s revenue fell 5.4 percent in the second quarter due to the reduced spending on computer equipment during the pandemic in lieu of going digital on the cloud, Financial Times (FT) reported. Areas like applications development, transactions processing and consulting saw dramatic drop-offs, which caused the company to lose ground, FT reported.

Company 170

Company Report Technology System 170

PYMNTS

MAY 4, 2020

Financial institutions (FIs) face tough decisions when trying to keep their clients safe. Customers and merchants rely on their banks and credit unions (CUs) to ensure they have secure, convenient online transactions, and many FIs work to detect fraud by looking for abnormal purchasing behaviors that could indicate something is amiss. Seeing consumers’ cards suddenly used in new cities or for making unusual types of purchases could be a major red flag that indicates the cards have been stolen, f

Fraud 197

Fraud Data Tools Online 197

PYMNTS

MAY 4, 2020

Economists, policymakers and epidemiologists have been modeling the cost/benefit of reopening the U.S. economy since governors began asking their citizens to #stayathome in mid-March, and even well before that. A decision to reopen, even partially, must weigh the economic impact of keeping the economy locked down against the availability and effectiveness of treatments that will mitigate or eliminate the risk of another serious outbreak, as well as illness and deaths, within months of reopening

Study 209

Study Online Course Millennials 209

PYMNTS

MAY 4, 2020

Private equity firm Silver Lake is investing $750 million in India’s telecommunications giant Jio Platforms, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal on Sunday (May 3). The deal follows Facebook’s recent $5.7 billion Jio investment, which gave the social media giant an almost 10 percent stake in Jio, which is a subsidiary of Reliance Industries.

social media 144

social media Video Groups Google 144

PYMNTS

MAY 4, 2020

Advances in technology are making consumer transactions seemingly more secure, but cybercriminals are still finding sophisticated ways to beat systems and commit financial fraud. A 2018 study on payment fraud mitigation reported that 75 percent of financial institutions (FIs) experienced fraud losses. Three common forms of fraud that can threaten credit unions (CUs) are check fraud, card fraud and automated clearing house (ACH) fraud, and fraudsters often deploy phishing emails to deceive and d

Analytics 141

Analytics Data Security San Diego 141

PYMNTS

MAY 4, 2020

Two years ago, Singapore launched its SMEs Go Digital campaign, a government effort to enable small businesses to modernize and embrace the cloud that continues today. Indeed, amid the coronavirus pandemic, this digitization push has become even more paramount than before, and Singapore is calling on not only small businesses, but their service providers and partners, to support the effort.

blockchain 168

blockchain Industry Online Examples 168

PYMNTS

MAY 4, 2020

As the data around the economic toll of the coronavirus pandemic rolls in, rallying cries from around the world are growing louder to support small businesses. Increasingly, those cries include calls to action for corporates to pay their small suppliers as more vendors struggle with late and delayed payments — and for government entities to support those measures.

Payments 161

Payments Chicago National Data 161

PYMNTS

MAY 4, 2020

“Buy now, pay later” (BNPL) options are very popular — when people know they exist, that is. In the April-May 2020 edition of the Buy Now, Pay Later Tracker® , done in collaboration with Afterpay , we discover that the draw of instant credit has greater potential than it has already shown and, as awareness grows on this concept, there’s plenty of headroom for growth.

Retail 223

Retail Cards Payments Report 223

PYMNTS

MAY 4, 2020

Mastercard has appointed Mark Barnett as president of its European business headquartered in Brussels. He will be tasked with developing strategy, direction and comprehensive success of Mastercard’s operations across 53 countries in Europe. Mastercard’s European businesses cater to more than 950 million people via business partnerships with retailers, financial institutions (FIs) and other companies.

Operations 141

Operations Regulation Regional Retail 141

PYMNTS

MAY 4, 2020

Payment orchestration platforms (POPs) are suddenly everywhere as solution-shopping for the great American reopening gets underway in earnest. The inaugural edition of the Payments Powering the Platform Economy Report , a collaboration of PYMNTS and Payoneer , offers an in-depth examination of how tailoring payments to geographic markets helps online sellers connect customers with goods during periods of upheaval, or in the regular course of business.

Payments 130

Payments Customer Experience Regional Online 130

PYMNTS

MAY 4, 2020

Amid the coronavirus pandemic and recessions, the old saying in life might hold true in business, and in particular for firms that rely on consumer spending to drive top and bottom lines: Plan for the worst, hope for the best. The sentiment has shown up repeatedly this earnings season, where companies across all verticals have withdrawn guidance, have cited lack of visibility in what comes next, and have girded for losses tied to souring loans.

Payments 195

Payments Trends Cards America 195

PYMNTS

MAY 4, 2020

Office closures and remote working mandates have created an uncomfortable wakeup call for accounts payable (AP) and accounts receivable (AR) departments that continue to rely on manual, paper-based processes. And there are a lot of them. The Optimizing AP and AR Playbook , a collaboration between PYMNTS and OnPay Solutions , found last month that an estimated nine billion paper invoices are processed every year in U.S.

Cards 165

Cards Payments Data Fraud 165

PYMNTS

MAY 4, 2020

The coronavirus has spurred a seismic shift in commerce, moving shopping into the digital realm. . Consumers are buying anything (and seemingly everything) and conducting all manner of everyday business online because that is their only option. . In an interview with Karen Webster, Scott Galit, CEO of Payoneer , said the impact will continue to be global in scope and deeply felt across all avenues of commerce — giving new rise to cross-border commerce. .

Online 256

Online Regional Retail Meeting 256

PYMNTS

MAY 4, 2020

Among the more unnerving surprises of the coronavirus pandemic for most people was learning just how vulnerable and thinly stretched some areas of our healthcare system really are. Between the panic over personal protective equipment (PPE), the concern over not having enough hospital beds and the interstate bidding wars for ventilators — the worries became so severe that shutting the entire economy down to flatten the curve seemed the only way to be certain that the entire system would not colla

Innovation 229

Innovation Data System Technology 229

PYMNTS

MAY 4, 2020

Phone data complied by Google’s parent Alphabet shows that many people initially ignored stay-home mandates but were increasingly compliant in April, according to a Reuters report on Friday (May 1). As the coronavirus curve flattened in the U.S. and Australia, more people made their way to parks and work, while Brazil, Japan and Singapore continued to stay home, the data indicates.

Google 153

Google Data Compliance Georgia 153

PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 27, 2020

European FinTech PayFit has introduced a new receipt capture technology to help corporations with reporting of payments and expenses, according to a release. The company has been consistently growing; it recently entered new markets in 2019 and increased its staff to more than 500 employees. “PayFit is an enterprise SaaS (Software as a Service) company that provides integrated and HR management software products,” the release said.

Software 131

Software Management Tools Fintech 131