Competitive Strategies

CardFlight Inc., a provider of payment hardware and software-as-a-service payment applications, announced Wednesday a major product line expansion into the burgeoning market for countertop point-of-sale devices that can function as cash-register replacements. The new line of terminals, on which merchants can run CardFlight’s SwipeSimple software, includes a trio of models …

Standards are the prerogative of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for most industries around the world. According to ISO, “ISO standards are internationally agreed by experts” and “should be thought of as a formula that describes the best way of doing something.”  Unfortunately, the roles of ISO and its …

Visa Inc. has dropped its year-old, $5.3-billion bid for the data network Plaid Inc. in the wake of an antitrust lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice. The DoJ feared Visa could use Plaid’s links to financial institutions to stifle competition in the debit market, a contention Visa denied.The big drugstore chain Walgreen …

Unlike many fintech startups, Walmart’s Inc.’s new financial company is expected to be a formidable player right out of the gate. The retail giant unveiled plans late Monday to partner with Ribbit Capital to create a fintech that will provide what Walmart describes as “modern, innovative, and affordable financial solutions.” …

Mobile point-of-sale specialist CardFree Inc. announced Torchy’s Tacos, with 83 locations across seven states, has adopted its contactless ordering and services technology. Also, restaurant commerce provider GoTab Inc. debuted a contactless ordering starter kit for hospitality operators. San Francisco-based CardFree says the Austin, Texas-based Torchy’s Tacos started with online ordering and …

Wells River Bank has agreed to join the Real Time Payments network operated by The Clearing House Payments Co. LLC. The bank will connect to the network through the Shazam EFT network’s Shazam Pay faster-payments gateway.Payments provider Lightspeed POS Inc. launched its Lightspeed Supplier Network, a platform aimed at North American merchants to …

Mastercard Inc. will test contactless payment acceptance using common Android smart phones and tablets in the United States. The technology, relying on software developed by Mastercard Labs, enables these off-the-shelf devices to accept contactless payments with no special hardware.  Announced Monday, the service, called Tap on Phone, intends to capitalize …

With consumers and businesses flocking to online commerce, companies of all sizes are reinforcing their technology for accepting transactions and rating them for risk. The latest example is the giant credit-reporting company Equifax Inc., which on Friday said it is paying $640 million to buy Kount Inc., a 14-year-old Boise, …

NCR Corp. confirmed it is the party that has made a $39-per-share cash offer to acquire international ATM network operator Cardtronics plc. The last-minute bid trumps a previous, $35-per-share offer from investment firms Hudson Executive Capital and Apollo Global Management.Citizens Financial Group Inc. said it has expanded the reach of its point-of-sale …

Nearly three weeks after reaching a definitive agreement with Hudson Executive Capital and Apollo Global Management to be acquired for $35 per share, ATM network operator Cardtronics plc has received an unsolicited offer from an unnamed buyer for $39 per share. The offer was disclosed by Cardtronics in a proxy …