Monday , November 25, 2024

Kevin Woodward

Kevin's role at Digital Transactions is to write news and features stories for publication on the Web site and in the magazine. He also oversees the digital editorial aspect of the site and the Digital Transactions News daily newsletter.

PayPal Lines up Adyen as a Fastlane Checkout Provider

Having just launched earlier this month, PayPal Holdings Inc.’s Fastlane checkout has lined up processor and competitor Adyen NV as a partner. Designed to accelerate guest checkout flows, Fastlane is meant to help e-commerce retailers boost their conversion rates. Reducing friction in the guest-checkout process can help boost conversion rates for e-commerce …

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With Little Fanfare, Apple Will Make Its Secure Element Available to U.S. Developers

U.S. third-party developers soon will have new capabilities to access the secure element piece of Apple Inc.’s iPhone when iOS 18.1 eventually is released, a move that could herald further app development and cement Apple’s position among mobile-wallet providers. Apple, without fanfare, revealed this long-desired access Thursday in a simple …

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Eye on Fraud: Most Say AI Will Make Fraud Worse; ClearSale’s New Fraud Prevention Tools

It’s early days for artificial intelligence use, but already most consumers—74%—are concerned it could be used to advance further fraud attacks. That’s the word from risk-management provider Abrigo in its latest survey. In related news, ClearSale launched a suite of tools to help retailers counter online fraud. Fraud worries are …

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Most Consumers Use a Tech-Based Mobile Wallet as Retailer Ones Lag

Mobile wallets vie for consumer attention, but tech-based ones are most favored as 54% of credit cardholders use one of the big three—Apple Pay, Google Wallet, or Samsung Pay—finds new research from Auriemma Group. Tracked by the New York City-based advisory firm since 2016 in its Mobile Pay Tracker, mobile …

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Eye on POS Technology: Grocer Adopts Instacart Smart Cart; Stinker Picks NCR Voyix

Another grocery chain is adding Caper smart shopping carts to its store, Instacart announced. Meanwhile, convenience-store chain Stinker Stores has adopted point-of-sale technology from NCR Voyix. San Francisco-based Instacart says Davis Food & Drug, which operates three stores in Utah, will replace most of its traditional shopping carts with Caper …

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Eye on Point of Sale: Paris Baguette Enlists Olo for Online Ordering; Elo Debuts 22-Inch Kiosk

As bakery chain Paris Baguette refreshes its rewards program and its mobile app, its online-ordering process has also been updated with help from Olo Inc. In related news, Elo Touch Solutions Inc. releases a 22-inch contactless payment-enabled device. Moonachie, N.J.-based Paris Baguette, which has 160 U.S. locations, according to its …

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Why Setting Expectations Is a Critical Part of ISV and VAR Partnerships

There’s more than pricing and revenue agreements that’s necessary to the working relationships between independent software vendors and the value-added resellers. Understanding this is important as the ISV segment gains ground as a payments channel, experts say. It starts with communication, says Gary Liu, chief financial officer of Bold Integrated …

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The Nuances of Surcharging And Cash Discounting Draw Many Questions From VARs and ISVs

Value-added resellers and independent software vendors enticed by the attractiveness of surcharging and cash-discount programs find there’s no one-size-fits-all approach for enrolling merchants. Questions about the programs abound at RetailNow 2024, the annual conference sponsored by the Retail Solutions Providers Association and in progress this week in Las Vegas. The …

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How Acquirers Prepare for AI’s Utility in Retention and More

Artificial intelligence tools may still be in development, but their utility for acquirers is quickly becoming apparent. “A lot of people think it’s a ‘nice to have,’ but it’s no longer a ‘nice to have,’” Sebastian Builes, cofounder and chief executive at Arcum, a merchant-retention firm that uses AI, told …

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FedNow Financial Institutions Now Total More Than 900

Of the now 900 financial institutions on the FedNow real-time payments network, 78% of them are community banks and credit unions, the Federal Reserve says. The 900 figure, found in updated data released on the FedNow Web site, comes as the instant payment service marks its first year of service. …

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