Digital Transactions Authoritative, insightful and timely information for payments professionals

That visual, machine-interface technology we all know from the grocery store is experiencing a renaissance. The first item to be marked with a Universal Product Code or barcode tracks back more than forty years. But now the technology is brand new again, expanded in form to the quick-response (QR) code …

U.S. retail sales in January, excluding automobile-related spending, grew 7.2% year-over-year, with online sales increasing 10.4%, according to the Mastercard SpendingPulse report. Sales were propelled by such factors as accumulated savings and wage growth, the report says.Payments-processing giant Global Payments Inc. reported revenue of $2.19 billion on a GAAP basis for the fourth quarter, …

As part of its strategy to enable application developers to create solutions fully compliant with open-banking regulations around the world, Cloudentity, a provider authorization technology, has joined the Google Cloud Partner Advantage program as a technology partner to Apigee, Google Cloud’s API Management platform. The partnership combines Apigee’s API management platform with Cloudentity’s …

Apple Inc. rattled the payments industry on Tuesday with its announcement of technology that will let merchants accept card and Apple Pay transactions directly on an off-the-shelf iPhone with no attachments, but rivals say they’re taking the news in stride. “We’ll feel some impact, we’ll feel it a little bit, …

Stripe Inc. said it will use technology from Celonis SE to improve its user onboarding process for e-commerce merchants.Payments provider Adyen NV said it will open technology hubs in Chicago and Madrid as it builds out a global processing platform. The company maintains more than 25 offices around the world.In related news, Adyen reported it processed …

While the number of publicly disclosed data breaches totaled 4,145 globally in 2021, a 5% decline from 2020, the bulk of those breaches occurred in the United States. Disclosed data breaches in the U.S. totaled 2,953, or 71% of the global total, according to Risked Based Security Inc. The number …

Apple Inc. launched Tap to Pay on iPhone, a service that enables U.S. merchants to accept Apple Pay and other contactless payment services with an iPhone and an iOS app. Long speculated, especially since Apple’s 2020 acquisition of Mobeewave Inc., which developed the ability to accept payments via an NFC link, Tap to Pay …

Fiserv Inc. has been an acquisitive company since its merger in 2019 with First Data Corp., and on Tuesday its top management said its latest acquisition will accelerate the company’s penetration of the growing market for digital-banking services provided not locally but through a cloud configuration. The $650-million deal for …

As banks pull ATMs from underperforming off-premise locations, it is creating an opportunity for independent ATM deployers to fill the void, says a report for RBR, a London-based research and consulting firm. The trend, which is being driven in part by banks’ growing emphasis on providing cashless paymentsolutions to their …

If the nation’s second-largest bank is any indication, total consumer payments are booming despite the pandemic, while digital alternatives are gaining ground fast, in part because of the pandemic. Bank of America Corp. reported early Monday spending by consumer customers in January rose 17% compared to January last year, resulting …

Processor Fiserv Inc. said it has agreed to acquire digital-banking developer Finxact Inc. Fiserv, an early investor in Finxact, will acquire total ownership interest for $650 million.Israel-based payments provider Nayax Ltd. said it has submitted a draft registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a potential U.S. initial public offering of …

Cantaloupe Inc. has come a long way since its turbulent times in 2020. The specialist in technology and processing for vending machines and other unattended locations on Thursday announced its dollar volume processed in the December quarter totaled $553.3 million, up 31% year-over-year, while active customers grew 16% to 21,315. …

After years of trailing fintechs such as Square Inc. when it comes to merchant satisfaction with payment processing, big banks find themselves atop the leader board, according to J.D. Power’s 2022 U.S. Merchant Services Satisfaction Study.  Bank of America Merchant Services leads the way, posting a satisfaction score of 894 …

Payments technology provider Bill.com processed $56.4 billion in volume in the Dec. 31 quarter, up 62% year-over-year, with 9.8 million transactions on its platform, a 35% increase. It also processed 5.3 million Divvy card transactions worth $1.9 billion.Abaca, a fintech specializing in cannabis payments, said it has processed $2 billion in transactions …

Given the wild success of buy now, pay later loans, it’s no surprise fraudsters have found a way to get in the game. To help card issuers offering BNPL installment options post-purchase reduce the risk of fraud, Outseer, an authentication subsidiary of Bedford, Mass.-based data-security services provider RSA, on Wednesday …

The pandemic has “fast-tracked” adoption of the automated clearing house network for business-to-business payments, while transactions cleared and settled through the network on the same day they’re initiated are booming, according to full-year 2021 numbers released Thursday by Nacha, the governing body for the nationwide network. The annual results complement …

Small-business satisfaction with merchant processors stands at 859 on a scale of 1,000, up 23 points from 2021, according to the J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Merchant Services Satisfaction Study. Banks lead the way in the survey, with Bank of America and Chase ranking first and second, followed by Square.Payments provider Payliance announced it …

Spurred by rising demand from consumers and businesses alike for real-time digital payments, the peer-to-peer payments service Zelle continued to post strong double-digit growth in transactions and dollar volume in 2021. The bank-owned network, operated by Early Warning Services LLC, reported its latest results early Wednesday. Consumers and businesses sent …

Nayax Ltd., a payments processor for vending machines, announced it has launched an EMV-compliant platform allowing multiple choices with a single transaction authorization.Hospitality-technology provider Bite Ninja said it has acquired Zenu, a provider of ordering and payment technology for restaurants. Terms were not announced.BlueOne Card Inc. said it is launching its BlueOne Card, …

As all payments companies know, some active accounts are more active than others. On Tuesday, PayPal Holdings Inc.’s top executives made it plain the company’s 2022 priority is to emphasize—and pour money into promoting—accountholder activity. “The shift is, we’re not going to throw marketing dollars at low-value customers coming in,” …