Digital Transactions Authoritative, insightful and timely information for payments professionals

Card-data analytics company Cardlytics, which went public Friday, was trading at nearly $16 a share at mid-morning Monday, up 18% on the day to that point. The stock is up 30% since its debut. YapStone, which processes payments for apartment and vacation rentals, announced the first closing in a Series …

ATM manufacturer NCR Corp. reported Thursday that its ATM revenues declined 21% in the fourth quarter, but point-of-sale hardware revenues grew 23%. Total revenues at Atlanta-based NCR came in at $1.78 billion, down 1% from $1.8 billion in 2016’s fourth quarter and off 3% on a constant-currency basis. The company …

The stock market may have tumbled this week, but cryptocurrencies are enjoying a generalized comeback. All of the 10 largest currencies by market capitalization are up since early in the week, with third-ranked Ripple’s XRP token surging 20% just since late Thursday to lead the pack, according to Coinmarketcap.com. It …

The National Retail Federation predicts total industry sales this year will increase 3.8% to 4.4% over 2017’s levels, with online and other non-store retail sales rising 10% to 12%. A startup called WeTravel, which streamlines travel planning, booking, and payments for small businesses, has closed a $2 million funding round. …

The prepaid market can expect to grow more than 7% annually over five years, but unlike its early days in which plastic gift cards and government payments dominated, much of the growth will come from new virtual uses for prepaid products, according to a new Aite Group LLC report. Boston-based …

A July 1 PCI Security Standards Council deadline is prompting payments providers to act well before then, with many establishing their own compliance deadlines in February. What has provoked this eagerness? It could be that noncompliance with the PCI mandate could halt merchant transactions that rely on the Internet. The …

It was probably only a matter of time before someone combined contactless payment, wearable devices, and cryptocurrencies. On Thursday, Fit Pay Inc. announced a device that will let users convert digital currency holdings into fiat currency for transactions at any point of sale capable of contactless interaction using near-field communication. …

Fresh from its $85 million acquisition of Cantaloupe Systems Inc., USA Technologies Inc. reported Thursday that it added 311,000 net new connections to its network of vending machines and other unattended card-accepting merchant locations in the quarter ended Dec. 31. Approximately 270,000 of the new connections came from Cantaloupe, a …

Payment-processing hardware and software provider VeriFone Systems Inc. said the Apptizer mobile order-ahead app is now integrated with its Verifone Carbon point-of-sale devices. In related news, VeriFone said Helsinki-based Euroloan Group Plc’s Mash application is now integrated into the Verifone Connect system, enabling consumers to select a pay-later option when …

Criminals target signature-based debit cards for fraud attempts far more than any other payment method, according to new findings from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. The Minneapolis Fed’s survey last summer, which garnered responses from 283 banks and credit unions across the country, found that more than 90% of …

ProPay, a unit of Total System Services Inc. (TSYS), announced the debut of the ProPay Payment Network Wednesday. The service targets software-as-a-service providers and aims to make it easier for them to make payments among merchants, marketplaces, affiliates, consultants, and partners. TSYS says it does that through a single point …

Thanks to the seemingly unending epidemic of data breaches—capped by the huge breach last summer at credit-reporting titan Equifax Inc.—consumers are becoming both more aware and more cynical about the problem, according to research released Tuesday by Javelin Strategy & Research. In the wake of the Equifax case, in which …

Point-of-sale products seller General Credit Forms Inc. said it purchased Paper Systems Inc., a manufacturer of paper rolls for POS and ATM systems. Paper Systems will continue to operate as PSI. Terms were not disclosed. Euronet Worldwide Inc., which is based in the United States but operates ATM and other …

Shift4 Payments LLC, owner of the Harbortouch point-of-sale service, announced Tuesday it purchased three POS brands specializing in hospitality payments. Restaurant Manager, POSitouch, and Future POS are now part of Shift4 Payments. Terms were not disclosed. The acquisitions add 90,000 merchants to Shift4 Payments’ portfolio, and include customers such as …

Data-services provider Womply announced Womply Engage, a customer relationship management service for small businesses that enables merchants to create and manage email marketing programs. In an effort to address data breaches in the financial-services industry, the Accredited Standards Committee X9 Inc. said it is seeking experts for an initiative to create …

In an effort to streamline operations, Interac Association, Canada’s nationwide debit network, and its corporate cousin Acxsys Corp. have reorganized into a single entity known as Interac Corp., the company announced Monday. “This is an important milestone for Interac and a critical step in our continued success as one of …

When news broke last week that eBay Inc. will begin moving away from its tight embrace of PayPal Holdings Inc. for payment processing, investors immediately punished PayPal’s stock, interpreting the move as a big blow to the company’s business. But the frenzy of PayPal shorting may have overlooked one thing: …

The electronic funds transfer networks continue to diversify their services as competition for merchant and issuer business in debit payments intensifies. The latest example comes from processor Fiserv Inc.’s Accel network, which says Walmart Inc. is using its service for signature-based debit card transactions. Walmart typically prompts customers paying with …

Consumers may be ready to pull back from using credit cards if a survey from Auriemma Consulting Group is correct. Only 14% plan to increase their borrowing on credit cards in 2018, compared with 28% who said so in 2017. “Increased spending around the holiday season is normally predictive of greater …

Curiosity, and a bit of confusion, about what constitutes credit card surcharging and cash-discount programs surfaced this week at the Northeast Acquirers Association annual conference in Uncasville, Conn. During a panel discussion about the benefits and challenges of credit card surcharging and cash-discount programs for merchants, participants explained how their …