The numbers are in, and it turns out the holiday shopping season was not only better than expected, but also better than the one in 2019, weeks before the coronavirus pandemic struck in the United States. Retail sales in November and December totaled $789.4 billion, up a healthy 8.3% over …
Read More »Transit App Gets Onboard and other Digital Transactions News briefs from 1/18/21
The Berks Area Regional Transportation Authority in Reading, Pa., will launch its Go Mobile payment app Jan. 26, allowing riders to use a mobile device to pay for bus fares and passes. The app was developed by Modeshift Inc., a specialist in technology for transit agencies.Bestpass, a processor of toll payments for …
Read More »Pineapple Payments Furthers Its Expansion With Its Deal for 1st Payment Systems
Payments provider Pineapple Payments announced Friday it has acquired 1st Payment Systems, a provider of private-label payment processing and omni-channel payment technology for integrated software vendors (ISV) in the powersports and health-care industries. Terms were not disclosed. The acquisition strengthens 1st Payment’s ability to service its customers by leveraging Pineapple’s Transax …
Read More »With a New ACH Rule Looming, Open Banking Takes on Added Urgency
Online account debiting has grown in usage and prominence as consumers and businesses turn to e-commerce in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. But now many businesses are reckoning with a rule that will take effect in March that requires sellers using the automated clearing house to perform more rigorous …
Read More »Givingli Picks Blackhawk for Digital Gift Cards and other Digital Transactions News briefs from 1/15/21
Givingli Inc., an app provider for virtual greeting cards and gifts, will use the Blackhawk Network platform to allow app users to send digital gift cards.Gateway NMI outlined its 2021 ambitions, including launching a tap-on-phone solution that will build on its recent partnership with Mastercard Inc.’s Cloud Tap on Phone.Gamber-Johnson LLC, a maker of mounting …
Read More »Frictionless Payouts Are Key When It Comes to Online Sports Betting, Paysafe Says
As consumers’ comfort level with online sports betting grows, a quick and frictionless payout of winnings will play a key role in their choice of an online gaming vendor, says a study released Thursday by payment-platform provider Paysafe Group. Of the more than 2,000 online-sports bettors surveyed by Paysafe across …
Read More »More Debit Card Use Translates Into More Debit-Based Returns, PSCU Data Finds
The holiday shopping season may be over, but the holiday returns are coming in at full force. Data from PSCU, a credit union service organization, showcases the impact the rise in e-commerce spending is having on returns. Return purchases using debit cards were up 76.2% for the week ending Jan. …
Read More »Vanco Acquires SmartcareOS and other Digital Transactions News briefs from 1/14/21
Vanco Payment Solutions Inc., a payments provider specializing in the educational and faith-based sectors, said it acquired SmartcareOS LLC, a software provider for child-care centers. Terms were not announced.Entrust Corp., a provider of technology for identity, payments, and data protection, announced it acquired HyTrust Inc., a vendor of data-encryption, key …
Read More »CardFlight Enters the Register-Replacement Arena With a Trio of Devices for Multiple Markets
CardFlight Inc., a provider of payment hardware and software-as-a-service payment applications, announced Wednesday a major product line expansion into the burgeoning market for countertop point-of-sale devices that can function as cash-register replacements. The new line of terminals, on which merchants can run CardFlight’s SwipeSimple software, includes a trio of models …
Read More »COMMENTARY: PCI And EMVCo Have No Business Setting Standards
Standards are the prerogative of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for most industries around the world. According to ISO, “ISO standards are internationally agreed by experts” and “should be thought of as a formula that describes the best way of doing something.” Unfortunately, the roles of ISO and its …
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