The payouts platform Onbe said it will enable instant payment on virtual Mastercard cards to consumers who want to sell unused gift cards on the CardCash secondary gift card market. Buy now, pay later platform Affirm Inc. said it is expanding to self-checkout kiosks in more than 4,500 U.S. Walmart stores. U.S. households spend …
Read More »Google Settles a Play Store Antitrust Lawsuit, But Its Payments Troubles May Not Be Over
Google has settled an antitrust lawsuit over its Google Play payment practices. The suit, filed in 2021, alleged the Alphabet Inc. unit levied fees up to 30% for app purchases made in its Google Play store. The practice, along with Google Play’s 90% share of all U.S. Android app distribution, …
Read More »Bold Checkout Options Expand And Other Digital Transactions News briefs from 12/19/23
Technology provider Bold Commerce launched a feature for its Bold Checkout platform that aims to make it easier for clients to expand the range of payment options they accept. Eastern Bank PLC, based in Dhaka, Bangladesh, will issue what is said to be the world’s first biometric metal card, with fingerprint-recognition technology from …
Read More »A Fee Arrangement Lies at the Heart of a Lawsuit Against Apple, Mastercard, and Visa
An Illinois merchant has filed suit against Apple Inc., Mastercard Inc., and Visa Inc., alleging their efforts to develop Apple Pay prevented competition. Filed last week by Mirage Wine + Spirits in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, the suit specifically claims the agreements among the …
Read More »COMMENTARY: Payments Fraud Is Unrelenting. So Are the Hidden Battles Against It
The digital revolution in payments, characterized by a surge in online transactions and the emergence of novel payment technologies, has been a double-edged sword. While innovations have streamlined commerce, they have also spawned intricate fraud mechanisms, compelling businesses to recalibrate their strategies for safeguarding their operations, reputation, and financial survival. …
Read More »Visa’s Fast Track Expands And Other Digital Transactions News briefs from 12/18/23
Visa Inc. said it is expanding its Fintech Fast Track program, originally focused on card issuing, to include Visa Direct, the card network’s real-time payments platform. Visa has signed 42 new clients in the past year for Fintech Fast Track, which offers various Visa payment technologies to non-bank payments providers. In …
Read More »With Sale Rumors Swirling, Shift4 May Be Traveling Down An Alternative Path
With the payments industry abuzz since late Thursday with reports that the big processor Shift4 Payments Inc. is in talks to be acquired by Global Payments Inc.—reports Global Payments has denied— questions are emerging as to whether Shift4’s plans to grow through the exploration of strategic initiatives include a sale. …
Read More »FedNow’s Rising Adoption Buoys Its Biggest Rival, As Well
A big movement among financial institutions to join the Federal Reserve’s FedNow real-time payments network appears to be benefiting its biggest rival, as well. “Ever since FedNow launched, we’ve seen a surge of interest in real-time payments,” says a spokesman for the Real Time Payments network operated by The Clearing …
Read More »Presto Voice Tally Predicts 1,270 Locations and other Digital Transactions News briefs from 12/15/23
Presto Automation Inc. forecast its new, artificial-intelligence-based Presto Voice ordering system for drive-through restaurants will have been adopted by 1,270 locations by the end of 2024, up from the current count of 404. River, a provider of technology and financial services related to Bitcoin, launched River Link, a service that lets users send …
Read More »Repay Partners With Green Dot to Enable Cash-Based Bill Payment
Repay Holdings Corp., a provider of payment-processing services, has partnered with Green Dot Corp. to enable Repay merchants to accept cash-based bill payments at more than 45,000 locations in the United States. The service depends on Green Dot’s eCash technology, which enables users to present a barcode that serves as …
Read More »