Competitive Strategies

Card Concepts Inc. will license mobile-payments technology from PayRange Inc. as part of a settlement of a patent-infringement lawsuit PayRange had brought against rival Card Concepts. Both companies provide payments technology for unattended machines, such as laundry equipment. Unattended payments specialist Cantaloupe Inc. said it will provide the point-of-sale technology and Suites management system for …

Department-store chain Bealls Inc. is adding buy now, pay later as a payment option at its more than 650 stores nationwide. The provider is Minneapolis-based Sezzle Inc. The Bradenton, Fla.-based chain, which operates stores in 23 states, says it is adding the payment option to provide holiday shoppers more flexibility …

CargoSprint, a payments processor for the cargo industry, has acquired Advent Intermodal Solutions LLC, which provides technology for port operations, including payments. Terms were not disclosed. The payments network Modern Rails has begun using the FedLine Direct Solution to support connections to the Federal Reserve’s payment-settlement network for banks and credit unions. …

Ackroo Inc., a Canadian gift card and loyalty platform, announced early Friday it has reached a “definitive” agreement to be acquired by Paystone, a Canadian-based gift card and loyalty processor, in an all-cash deal for $21 million. Paystone will acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of Ackroo at …

So-called hidden costs—such as overdraft charges, late fees, and identity fraud—linked to bill payments amount to $196 billion on an annual basis, up 18% from last year, according to a study from bill-payment platform doxo. Mastercard Inc. released its 2025 payment trends forecast that discusses AI, small business, and contactless payments, which …

Slope, a provider of buy now, pay later solutions for business-to-business transactions, announced early Thursday it will use Marqeta Inc.’s card-issuing platform to issue a B2B credit card that features BNPL payment options. The card is expected to make it easier for businesses to manage purchases and cash flow by …

Visa Inc.’s move to speed up its Visa Direct service to no more than one minute, starting in April, is likely to cement the global card network’s place in the payments industry’s steady movement toward real-time transfers, some observers say. The network, which announced the move early Thursday, says it …

Canada-based processor Nuvei Corp. announced an expansion of its Google Pay offering to merchants throughout Latin America. The company already offers the wallet in the U.S., European, Asia-Pacific, and Australian markets. Grocery e-commerce platform eGrowcery said it and Forage, a payments provider that can process online EBT SNAP payments, are working on a service …

HungerRush, a provider of restaurant-management and online-ordering solutions, has sought to strengthen its hand in the highly competitive restaurant point-of-sale market with the launch of a new order-management application. Called Order Notifications, the app automates order status by automatically sending customers text updates on the status of delivery and pickup …

Merchants using the CardFlight SwipeSimple app have gained easier access to managing customer data and a way to charge to card-on-file credentials. In related acquiring news, Bill Holdings Inc. launched its 1099 Filing service, which enables small businesses to simplify their 1099 taxes. New York City-based CardFlight says the new …