In addition to merchant processor Shift4 Payments Inc., another payments-industry initial public offering of stock is in the offing. This one comes from Bill.com Holdings Inc., a provider of cloud-based invoice-management and payment services for small and mid-sized businesses. Palo Alto, Calif.-based Bill.com hopes to raise approximately $158.9 million after …
Read More »Canadians Embrace Contactless Payments, but They’re Still Wary of Using Mobile Devices
Like their American cousins, Canadians are rapidly adopting newer payment methods. In fact, they’re doing so even faster than U.S. consumers in some respects. The report, “Canadian Payment Methods and Trends: 2019,” released last week by Payments Canada, says contactless payments grew 30% year-over-year in 2018. Card- and mobile-based contactless …
Read More »Debit Cards Overtake Cash as the Most Popular Payment Type, According to Fed Diarists
The growing popularity of debit cards and the displacement of cash by card and electronic payment alternatives is nothing new, but a Federal Reserve banks’ report released Thursday shows debit cards for the first time have surpassed cash as the most-used payment type. The findings come from the 2018 Diary …
Read More »Security Standard Released for Contactless Payments on Off-the-Shelf Mobile Devices
A new standard unveiled Wednesday by the PCI Security Standards Council could pave the way for more acceptance of contactless payments with no more hardware needed than a merchant’s off-the-shelf mobile phone or tablet. The standard is dubbed Contactless Payments on COTS (commercial off-the shelf devices), or CPoC. It spells …
Read More »Eye on E-Commerce: Black Friday Dethrones Cyber Monday as Busiest Online Shopping Day
Formerly distinct holiday spending patterns are blurring, according to new data. The National Retail Federation reported Tuesday that Black Friday, traditionally known for swarms of consumers in stores, for the first time topped Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving, for online shopping. And Adobe Inc.’s research unit reported that consumers …
Read More »The Fed Plans To Raise Payment-Services Fees by an Average of 2.4% in 2020
Prices for Federal Reserve payment services to depository financial institutions will go up by an average of 2.4% on Jan. 2 under a new fee schedule approved last week by the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. The Fed estimates Check Services customers will see average price increases of 3.3%. Users …
Read More »Retail ATMs, Prepaid Cards Partially Fill Growing Void as Banks Close Rural Branches
Banks have closed thousands of branches in recent years, hitting rural America especially hard and leaving retail ATMs, prepaid cards, and services from non-bank providers to fill the void, according to a new Federal Reserve report. The “Perspectives from Main Street: Bank Branch Access in Rural Communities” report released Monday …
Read More »MoneyGram Expands Blockchain Services as Ripple Invests Another $20 Million
Following up on a $30-million investment in June, blockchain-services provider Ripple Labs Inc. has made another $20-million equity investment in wire-transfer provider MoneyGram International Inc., making Ripple the owner of nearly 10% of MoneyGram’s common stock. Announced Monday, the new investment is no surprise. The companies indicated in June it …
Read More »A Tide of Online Fraud Engulfs a Group of Businesses Surveyed by American Express
Researchers and risk-control firms have been monitoring the increase in e-commerce fraud for years, and it’s hit home for a group of merchants surveyed by American Express Co. A newly released AmEx survey that included 400 business leaders says they estimate 27% of their firms’ annual online sales are fraudulent …
Read More »Eye on Contactless: Credit Unions’ Contactless Cards Grow; Mastercard’s New Transit Partner
A leading credit-union service organization reported Wednesday that it has distributed half a million contactless payment cards through some of its members, and Mastercard Inc. has paired up with a French investment firm with an eye on bringing new fare technology to mass-transit systems. St. Petersburg, Fla.-based PSCU says it …
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