As the effects of the economic stimulus pumped into the economy by the federal government during the pandemic wear off, consumers are having a harder time paying their recurring debts on time. A study released Monday by Achieve, a San Mateo, Calif.-based provider of debt-management programs for consumers, reveals that …

Text-to-pay technology received a boost late Thursday as San Francisco-based fintech EarnUp Inc. launched a text-to-pay app for mortgage lenders. The white-label app allows lenders to send text reminders of upcoming mortgage payments with an embedded link to make payments using a debit card. Consumers can initiate payment using Apple …

After months of speculation that Shift Payments Inc. was an acquisition target, company founder and chief executive and founder Jared Isaacman confirmed Thursday the company had indeed received multiple offers. The acknowledgment came at the outset of Shift4’s first quarter earnings call early Thursday. Despite the offers being “materially higher” …

Open banking has been attracting the attention of bankers, merchants, and card networks. It’s also drawing notice from regulators. The concept of making a payment through a direct transfer from a bank account can appeal to consumers because it’s fast and easy, and to merchants because the transaction is reportedly …

The U.S. payments industry has celebrated the emergence in recent years of two major platforms for real-time payments, but what has insiders particularly excited is the potential for something called the request for payment, or the RFP, as they style it. “The RFP is the first real shift in how …

Square, the acquiring arm of Block Inc., is the latest to launch a dedicated kiosk for quick-service restaurants. Announced Tuesday, Square Kiosk combines hardware and software to enable self-ordering and payment. Available later this summer for all Square for Restaurants merchants, Square Kiosk accepts multiple payment methods including contactless and …

When cryptocurrency prices rise, spending may dip, but only for a short time before users accelerate their purchases with Bitcoin and other digital coins, according to a report released Thursday by BitPay Inc., an Atlanta-based payments-service provider for crypto users and crypto-accepting merchants. The ”2024 BitPay Spending Report,” which covers …

Block Inc. chief executive Jack Dorsey fired back at news reports that the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating the company for alleged compliance lapses at Block’s Square and Cash App units. The reports “lack full context,” Dorsey said during Block’s quarterly earnings call late Thursday. News of the investigation …

The top management at Global Payments Inc. said early Wednesday the company is beginning to reap the benefits it planned for when it paid $4 billion to acquire EVO Payments Inc., a processor with international merchant connections. The deal, which is now more than a year past its closing date, …

Real-world living can be a hard, grinding affair, but sometimes some folks are granted what we might call a “holiday” from reality—a chance to escape from the cares of everyday living, brought on, perhaps, by a big raise, a winning lottery ticket, or a substantial inheritance from dearly departed Aunt …