September, 2021

• 1 September

  Is It Surcharging’s Time?

  

  Only two states now ban merchants from adding a charge for credit card usage. As it turns out, though, the strategy works better for some merchant categories than others. Down to just two states, bans on surcharging credit card transactions have eased. Does this herald further adoption? If so, how …

July, 2021

• 1 July

  Has King Cash Finally Been Deposed?

  

  The combination of restrictions on in-store visits and concerns about the safety of cash has been a boon for digital payments. But not all agree cash’s reign is over. Cash is resilient. So are electronic payments. Cash been around for millennia and exists as paper currency and coins. It also …

June, 2021

• 1 June

  How the Pandemic Reshaped Merchant Sales

  

  With less face-to-face sales in 2020, merchant acquirers quickly adapted to other selling methods. Some of these methods will stick around. The Covid-19 pandemic has become known as the catalyst that gave contactless payments the adoption rate it once struggled to achieve. Now, a similar transformation appears to have happened …

April, 2021

• 30 April

  The New Point of Sale

  

  Challenged in the past year, merchants are readying for major point-of-sale hardware and software upgrades to adapt to new consumer expectations. Some merchants have had to delay much-needed point-of-sale system upgrades. Others are adding them to stay afloat in the immediate moment. And still others are incorporating make-shift steps to …
• 1 April

  What To Expect from the CFPB

  

  How much attention will the payments industry draw from the regulator and its new director? History would indicate the industry won’t be ignored. PayPal Holdings Inc.’s win earlier this year in its lawsuit against the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and its prepaid rule may have appeared to push back on …

February, 2021

• 28 February

  No Time Like Now

  

  The EMV liability shift for fuel pumps arrives next month. After two deadline extensions, is the petroleum industry finally ready? The date set for the EMV liability shift for U.S. gas pumps is finally upon merchants and the payments industry. There’s no expectation in the industry that the April 16 …

January, 2021

• 29 January

  Parking Apps Look to Upshift

  

  When the pandemic ends, demand for parking places is likely to skyrocket. That augurs well for apps that find just the right spot—and let you pay for it. “There’s an app for that” has become a cliché, but most users and experts agree mobile apps have drained the difficulty and …
• 1 January

  Worldline/Ingenico Is Just Getting Started

  

  Its big merger behind it, the new Worldline is flexing its muscles in the global market for processing and point-of-sale technology. As with so much else in the payments arena, scale is vital to continued success. That appears to be the case with Worldline S.A.’s $8.6-billion acquisition of Ingenico Group …

December, 2020

• 1 December

  It’s Now for Buy Now, Pay Later

  

  This versatile point-of-sale option is growing fast. Is it threatening credit and debit card traffic? Many merchants can’t say no to buy now, pay later (BNPL) options, which are arriving in force as retailers and consumers gear up for a holiday shopping season that may be busier than usual. Though …

November, 2020

• 2 November

  Poised for Huge Growth—And Potential Trouble

  

  The rapidly rising payoff for acquirers from the state-by-state legalization of online sport betting comes with flashing caution signs. Online sports betting has become a big business since the Supreme Court in 2018 opened the door for states to legalize it (“The Sporting Chance,” July 2018). But now it’s poised …