A prominent merchant group says that in the face of declining authorization, clearing, and settlement costs, it is time for the Federal Reserve to lower its regulated debit card interchange rate. The Retail Industry Leaders Association issued its call after the Fed last month released its latest bi-annual study of …
Read More »ACH Fraud up, Says AFP and other Digital Transactions News briefs from 4/9/19
There has been a “noticeable increase” in fraud on credits and debits on the automated clearing house network, according to the latest “Payments Fraud and Control Survey Report” from the Association for Financial Professionals. Some 33% of responding organizations reported ACH debit fraud in 2018, up from 28% in 2017, …
Read More »COMMENTARY: It’s Time We Finally Got a True Picture of Acceptance Costs
A recent Forbes article attempted to refute many of the conclusions of a prior Wall Street Journal article that had illustrated how the card schemes (Visa Inc. and Mastercard Inc.) have dramatically increased their fees in recent years. In response, the Forbes article challenged the Journal article by completely changing …
Read More »Younger Consumers Are Pushing for E-Gift Cards, Blackhawk Survey Finds
Physical gift cards may want to look over their shoulders, so to speak. Digital gift cards are gaining ground, especially among younger consumers, finds new research from Blackhawk Network Holdings Inc., a Pleasanton, Calif.-based gift card specialist. Chief among the results is that 41% of Generation Z consumers, generally those …
Read More »C-Stores Saw Card-Acceptance Costs Rise Faster Than Sales in 2018
Convenience stores saw their payment card acceptance costs rise nearly 10% in 2018 even though sales increased only 9%, according to data reported Wednesday by the trade association NACS. NACS, formerly known as the National Association of Convenience stores, says credit and debit card fees paid by its members rose …
Read More »How Apple Card Heralds a Push for Greater Digital Authentication—And for Apple Pay
Apple Inc.’s forthcoming Apple Card is another push from the computing giant to move payments into a digital realm under Apple’s control, according to analysts. Apple last week announced the card, which bears a Mastercard Inc. brand and will be issued by Goldman Sachs Group Inc. The product, which eschews …
Read More »Wells Fargo Debuts Tap-and-Go Cards and other Digital Transactions News briefs from 4/2/19
Wells Fargo & Co. has introduced contactless credit and debit cards for point-of-sale transactions. Information on how many cards will be issued was not immediately available. Tapping at ATMs will be introduced nationwide later this year at more than 13,000 machines, the bank said. Advanced Solutions International, a software developer …
Read More »The Prepaid Business Adopts a Sanguine Approach As the CFPB’s Big Rule Finally Takes Effect
A day long dreaded by the U.S. payments industry came and went on Monday with little fanfare and not much more gnashing of teeth. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s voluminous prepaid card rule finally took effect with sweeping provisions governing matters ranging from fee disclosures to error-resolution rights to consumers’ …
Read More »Stolen Payment Cards For Sale Linked to Breach at Restaurant Operator Earl Enterprises
Mark the latest data breach as another conquest for hackers. Earl Enterprises, owner of the Buca di Beppo, Bertucci’s, Planet Hollywood, and the Earl of Sandwich restaurant chains, among others, said point-of-sale malware captured credit and debit card information from May 23, 2018, through March 18, 2019, at a variety …
Read More »NACHA Notes 27 Billion ACH Transactions and other Digital Transactions News briefs from 3/29/19
NACHA, the regulatory body for the automated clearing house network, reported 27 billion ACH transactions for 2018, including 23 billion on the network and 4.1 billion off-network transactions, including mostly on-us volume. PayPal Holdings Inc. is closing two offices in Hunt Valley, Md., and will lay off their 380 workers …
Read More »