It was probably only a matter of time before the two global card networks, which have already made overtures to blockchain technology, began venturing into support for central bank digital currencies. News of the latest development emerged very early Thursday with an announcement from Visa Inc. and blockchain software developer …
January, 2022
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13 January
Visa Acceptance Cloud Debuts and other Digital Transactions News briefs from 1/13/22
Visa Inc. announced a new payment platform, Visa Acceptance Cloud, which will let acquirers, payment service providers, point-of-sale system makers, and Internet of Things developers, to move the payment processing software from the hardware device to the computing cloud. Tests of the new platform are happening in North America, South America, …
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12 January
A Survey Says Consumers Who Open Multiple BNPL Accounts Are Likely to Miss a Payment
Buy now, pay later loans are extremely popular, especially among Millennials and Gen Zers, because the loans give them more purchasing power, and they can spread out the payments, usually without having to pay interest. Yet, despite the immense popularity of BNPL loans, evidence is emerging that consumers with multiple …
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12 January
82% of SMBs Anticipate Accepting Digital Payment and other Digital Transactions News briefs from 1/12/22
Visa Inc.’s Back to Business study found 82% of small businesses plan to accept some form of digital payment in 2022, with 24% saying they plan to accept digital currencies like Bitcoin. The study canvassed 2,250 small-business owners and employees in nine countries, including the United States.Payments provider Lightspeed Commerce Inc. said its merchants …
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11 January
Improved Order Accuracy And More Upsells Drove Checkers To Install Automated Voice Ordering
Having committed to rolling out automated voice ordering in drive-thru lanes at its corporate-owned restaurants, Checkers Drive-in Restaurants Inc. expects the new technology will improve order accuracy and significantly increase ticket sizes through more efficient upselling practices. Checkers’ commitment to automated voice ordering, which it announced Monday, comes at a time …
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11 January
Cash Still Looms Large for Merchants. Brink’s Is Signing Processors to Tackle the Issue
Lost in much of the conversation about digital payments, particularly since the onset of the pandemic, is what to do about the cash merchants take in. The Brink’s Co., which has been hauling and securing cash since 1859, says it has an answer, and on Tuesday it announced it also …
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11 January
PayNearMe Gets NY Sports Betting OK and other Digital Transactions News briefs from 1/11/22
Sports-betting payments specialist PayNearMe Inc. said it has gained approval from the New York Gaming Commission to provide its MoneyLine platform to licensed operators in that state.Fly Now Pay Later, a buy now, pay later provider for travel services, closed a $75 million debt funding round from Atalaya Capital Management that will …
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10 January
Restaurant Chain Checkers Rolls Out an AI-based Voice Ordering System
As part of its drive to increase operating efficiency, Checkers Drive-In Restaurants Inc. is rolling out an artificial intelligence-based voice-automated ordering system. The system will enable consumers to place orders at the drive-thru lane of corporate-owned Checkers and Rally’s restaurants without the assistance of a restaurant employee. Checkers, which specializes …
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10 January
Prepaid Card Volume Forecast and other Digital Transactions News briefs from 1/10/22
Transactions on prepaid cards worldwide reached $2.3 trillion last year and will exceed $4.1 trillion in 2026, according to Juniper Research. Over the same time span, fee revenue will grow from $22 billion to $32 billion.Payments fintech AppTech Payments Corp. said it closed on a $15-million public offering and announced its listing on the …
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7 January
New Data From Mastercard Confirm the Explosion in Online Volume Is Still in Progress
E-commerce was hitting its stride before the pandemic, but two years later it’s clear sales volume via desktop and mobile devices is exploding. Online sales in the United States jumped fully 60.4% in December compared to December in 2019, according to the latest SpendingPulse report from Mastercard Inc., released late …