With the rise of the independent software vendor, do traditional independent sales organizations still have a role to play—and if they do, what is it? That question may have been unthinkable a few years ago, but now some observers see ISVs shoving ISOs aside as they code new applications for …
Read More »In Its Latest U.S. Gambit, Klarna Helps TaylorMade Sell More Golf Clubs
You’ve heard of subscriptions for magazines and concert tickets. Now the subscription model is coming to golf clubs. TaylorMade Golf Co. on Monday said an online purchasing and financing program it started in April has generated a 30% increase in conversions and a 5% jump in average order value. The …
Read More »Blockchain Tech And ICOs Get the Attention of a New Unit Formed by the SEC
A new unit formed by the enforcement division of the Securities and Exchange Commission will have among its responsibilities “violations involving distributed-ledger technology and initial coin offerings,” according to an announcement from the SEClate Monday. What the agency calls its Cyber Unit will also focus on market manipulation via social …
Read More »Checks Still Have Life in Them, But Do Banks Hold the Key to Killing Them off?
For years, experts have predicted electronic payments would finally turn the check into an historical artifact. But data released last year indicate that the long-term decline in check volume has slowed, and now experts are trying to figure out why and what the ultimate check-killer will be. When the Federal …
Read More »Only a Year After Admitting Credit Cards, Aldi Says It Will Accept Contactless Payments
The Aldi Inc. supermarket chain, which only last year began accepting credit cards, said in a press release on Thursday it now “accepts all forms of contactless payment,” including Apple Inc.’s Apple Pay and Alphabet Inc.’s Android Pay mobile wallets. The Batavia, Ill.-based company has already activated contactless payments chainwide, …
Read More »The Debit Card, Long ‘the King of Payments,’ Finds Itself Under Siege, Expert Says
For decades, debit cards have been reliable revenue generators and relationship builders for financial institutions of all sizes. But now that bulwark for banks is under threat from multiple alternatives, putting financial-services executives on the defensive and forcing them to rethink their card strategies, argues a new paper out this …
Read More »Why Aliant Payment Systems Is Getting Set To Apply the ISO Model to Bitcoin Acceptance
Years ago, when banks wanted to sign up more merchants for credit card acceptance, they turned to non-bank third parties to sell the service. Now, these same third parties are starting to sell Bitcoin acceptance along with credit and debit cards. Aliant Payment Systems Inc., a Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based independent …
Read More »Bitcoin Shows Some Life After a Rough Week. But Will More Merchants Accept It?
Showing resilience after recent actions that pummeled its value, Bitcoin shot up from the depths early Monday and was trading above $4,000 again. As of 10:30 Eastern Time, its price stood at $4,056, after plunging as low as $2,981 in recent days on some exchanges, according to Coindesk, which tracks …
Read More »A Year After Same-Day Credits, the ACH Gets Set to Launch Same-Day Debits Friday
The nation’s automated clearing house network launches same-day clearing and settlement on Friday for debit transactions, and top officials at NACHA say the Herndon, Va.-based network administrator is making final preparations. “We’re looking forward to tomorrow,” Jane Larimer, chief operating officer and general counsel at NACHA, told Digital Transactions News …
Read More »High-End Merchants Look to Cash in on Wealth Effect From Run-up in Bitcoin’s Value
Bitcoin has taken a beating in recent days, but investors who bought earlier this year are still enjoying handsome returns. Now, some merchants of high-end goods are signing up to accept the virtual currency, hoping to cash in on that wealth effect. Bitcoin was trading at $3,498 early Thursday morning, …
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