Block Inc.’s Square point-of-sale technology unit announced late Tuesday it completed development work on a new platform it says offers improvements in ordering and payments. According to the brief announcement, the new technology offerings will include capabilities such as pre-authorization of transactions and bar tabs “to sellers of all sizes …

Open-banking platform Plaid is collaborating with digital-wallet provider Ansa to offer a pay-by-bank capability to restaurants and other merchants, with wallet transactions handled via the automated clearing house. Payments-technology platform Modern Treasury launched widened support for connectivity to FedNow and The Clearing House’s RTP network for real-time payments, as well as other moves to …

Diners visiting the Famous Foods Street Eats food hall at Resorts World Las Vegas soon will use one of 34 kiosks to order and pay for their meals. Alpharetta, Ga.-based Agilysys Inc. announced the food hall will deploy its kiosks, which use the Agilysys InfoGenesis POS platform, for use at …

The national legal battle over an Illinois interchange law continues to broaden in scope. Several national organizations representing merchants are expected to file amicus briefs with the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Friday in support of the Illinois Interchange Fee Prohibition Act. The briefs are …

A report from prepaid card platform Blackhawk Network indicates consumers will spend $760 on holiday-season gifting this year, flat with 2023, though they say they will spend 48% of their holiday budget through gift cards, up from 39% last year. The company surveyed 2,000 U.S. consumers in July. Pye, a hospitality point-of-sale …

Online grocery delivery provides recipients of SNAP benefits with increased access to food and helps them feel less self-conscious about using their benefits, says a survey Monday from online food-ordering and -delivery service DoorDash Inc. Some 74% of the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) recipients surveyed said online shopping helps …

Point-of-sale and payments-platform provider Lightspeed Commerce Inc. said Thursday it is exploring “strategic alternatives” in the wake of reports the company might put itself up for sale. “While it is the long-standing policy of Lightspeed not to comment on market rumors, the company notes the recent media reports concerning a …

Payments processor Nuvei Corp. launched a number of new services, including decoupled pay-ins and payouts, and split payments. Embedded-finance fintech Sunbit announced an integration with payments-technology platform Stripe. The move will bring Sunbit’s services to a wider array of in-person service businesses, the company says. Business-automation provider BlueBean Technologies Inc. said it has completed an integration …

Acquirers and independent sales organizations wanting to improve their standing among merchants should take note of four trends affecting payments today, according to Bill Dobbins, head of acquiring and enablement at Visa Inc. Dobbins, speaking at the Western States Acquirers Association conference in Las Vegas this week, outlined why the …

Echelon Payment Solutions Group may be a new name in the acquiring industry, but its roots extend to 2006. Once affiliated with EVO Payments and known then as EVO Platinum Services Group (EPSG), Echelon is its own entity offering payment services and providing support for its sales partners. Melville, N.Y.-based …