Point-of-sale

March, 2020

• 27 March

  Card Networks To Postpone Interchange Adjustments

  

  The payment card networks plan to postpone until July changes in their interchange schedules that they had planned to take effect in April, Digital Transactions News has learned. The delays come as many merchants, especially restaurants, hotels, and local retailers have closed or greatly reduced their operations as part of governmental attempts …
• 27 March

  Diebold Nixdorf Withdraws Full-Year Financial Guidance and other Digital Transactions News briefs from 3/27/20

  

  ATM and retail-checkout equipment manufacturer Diebold Nixdorf Inc. withdrew its full-year financial guidance, saying that in some locations it “is seeing instances of product installation disruptions from coronavirus-related logistics challenges, which impacts the company’s ability to forecast product revenue.” The company also postponed its planned May 21 Investor Day event.PAR Technology Corp., …
• 26 March

  Shift4 Data Quantifies a Heavy Coronavirus Impact on Restaurants And Hotels

  

  Sobering data from Shift4 Payments LLC shows that U.S. hospitality-industry transaction volume plummeted in mid-March as consumers sheltered in place and travel, both business and personal, waned. Restaurant volume fell from 42 million transactions to 11 million, a 74% decrease for the period from the week of February 2 to …
• 26 March

  Lightspeed’s 3-Month Fee Pause and other Digital Transactions News briefs from 3/26/20

  

  Lightspeed POS Inc. said it is offering its Delivery, eCommerce, and Loyalty services free for the next three months because of the Covid-19 impact on merchants.Online fraud-prevention provider Signifyd released its Covid-19 Business Continuity Package that offers new clients free access to some Signifyd products.Payments provider Fattmerchant said it is now an official gateway partner …
• 25 March

  SMBs Expect Further Demand Drop and other Digital Transactions News briefs from 3/25/20

  

  A national survey of 850 small businesses found 69% have seen a “large drop” in demand because of the coronavirus pandemic, while 60% say they believe demand will drop further. The survey was conducted by America’s Small Business Development Centers and Thryv Inc., a software vendor specializing in small businesses.The U.S. Faster Payments …
• 24 March

  Square, Alliance Data Feel Merchants’ Covid-19 Pain

  

  Merchant processor and business-software provider Square Inc. says some of its sellers have seen declines of 45% in payment volume in recent days, and private-label and cobranded card issuer Alliance Data Systems Corp. says business at its client merchants is softening.  Both companies held conference calls with analysts after the …
• 24 March

  In Response to Infection Concerns, the U.K. Raises Its Contactless Payment Cap by 50%

  

  With much of the world locked down in combatting the novel coronavirus pandemic, a financial trade group in the United Kingdom said Tuesday the country would increase the spending limit on contactless transactions by 50% effective April 1. The move will allow consumers to pay without touching a keypad or …
• 23 March

  Bridge, Tollway Authorities Toss Cash Acceptance Overboard, But Canadian Central Bank Urges Otherwise

  

  Cash is fighting an uphill battle to remain a payment option during the novel coronavirus pandemic. Over the past week, a number of toll-highway and bridge authorities have ceased accepting cash to limit the spread of the highly infectious disease. According to local press reports, the Pennsylvania Turnpike, the Illinois …
• 23 March

  PayPal, Square Boost Hiring and other Digital Transactions News briefs from 3/23/20

  

  PayPal Holdings Inc. and Square Inc. are moving to increase hiring as consumers reportedly shift to mobile payments as a result of calls for social distancing.Arguing that “the [coronavirus] pandemic will pass, but the economic impact will last,” a collation of payroll processors and trade associations issued an open letter to President Donald …
• 20 March

  Contactless Payment Use Drops, But Not As Much As Chip And Magstripe, a Report Finds

  

  With students not in school, the closure of restaurants and bars, and work-from-home edicts in place, consumer spending is shifting. Witness that in the week of March 9-15, the payment volume made with dipped EMV cards fell 5.17% from the week prior and mag-stripe volume fell 13.07%, according to the …