March, 2018

article thumbnail

Tips for Scaling Your Small Business Efficiently and Effectively

DuctTapeMarketing

 Services Online Audit. Strategy First. Marketing Training for your team. Website Review. Local Marketing System. Professional Services Marketing. A la carte SEO. Websites. Pay Per Click. Guides Local Marketing. Professional Services. Consulting Business. Marketing Strategy Plan. Content Marketing. Customer Journey. Referrals. Mobile Marketing.

Start-ups 102
article thumbnail

Consumers Paid $34.3B In Overdraft Fees In 2017

PYMNTS

Overdraft fees have reached their highest level since 2009, which was at the end of the Great Recession. Consumers paid $34.3 billion in overdraft fees during 2017 compared to $33.3 billion in 2016, The New York Post reported. Despite the increase, consumers aren’t, in fact, overdrawing their accounts. Instead, Moebs Services says the uptick was caused by credit unions increasing their overdraft fees.

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

HSBC Ready To Test Blockchain Trade Finance

PYMNTS

Banking and financial services firm HSBC says its blockchain-based trade finance solution is ready to launch — in pilot phase, at least. According to Wednesday (Feb. 28) reports by the Global Trade Review , the bank’s senior innovation manager, Joshua Kroeker, held a media call and announced that after developing the trade finance solution for about two years, HSBC is “confident enough to actually do a live transaction” using its blockchain technology.

Finance 79
article thumbnail

Entrepreneurs Know What’s Holding Them Back – And What They Need To Succeed

PYMNTS

A lack of access to capital. The red tape of regulation. The burden of administrative tasks. These are all common reasons why a small business owner may struggle to grow their company, and the latest analysis on the topic certainly points to these factors as having an impact on SMB growth across the world. But the most recent research suggests entrepreneurs are also clear about what is helping them grow, and what they are looking for in terms of technology, professional support and beyond.

Finance 77
article thumbnail

Building a Business Case for Finance Automation

Speaker: Danny Gassaway and Wayne Richards

Finance leaders are prioritizing efficiency and digital transformation, yet many hesitate to automate due to uncertainty. Without a clear understanding of its impact, organizations risk falling behind competitors who are leveraging automation to drive productivity and cost savings. Join Wayne Richards and Danny Gassaway from AvidXchange for a practical guide on bringing accounts payable (AP) automation to your organization.

article thumbnail

Amex Files Blockchain Faster Payment Patent

PYMNTS

American Express has reportedly filed a patent related to faster payments and blockchain technology, reports in CoinDesk said. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office released the patent application filed by American Express Travel Related Services Company, the payment technology firm’s travel unit, which outlines the use of blockchain technology to accelerate payments between two parties.

article thumbnail

FLEETCOR And Ripple In Payments Pilot Program

PYMNTS

Commercial payments provider FLEETCOR Technologies, Inc. announced news on Thursday (March 1) that it has entered a pilot program with enterprise blockchain solution firm Ripple and Cambridge Global Payments , the international payments provider focused on B2B and owned by FLEETCOR. The companies said in a release that under the terms of the agreement with Ripple , Cambridge — which processes more than $20 billion in B2B cross-border payments annually, across 13,000 business clients — will pilo

B2B 76

More Trending

article thumbnail

BofA On Using APIs To Boost B2B Payments

PYMNTS

If some is good, more is better. That seems to be the idea among banks both big and small when it comes to APIs , as several players from around the financial services industry recently increased their investment in APIs, rolling out new solutions aimed at making B2B payments more efficient. . But it isn’t all about efficiency. Several financial institutions are turning to APIs to provide their corporate clients with new products and services that deliver flexibility and put them in control. .

B2B 72
article thumbnail

OANDA API Opens Real-Time FX Tech To Third-Party Apps

PYMNTS

Foreign exchange solutions company OANDA is enhancing its application programming interface (API) that opens up its foreign exchange (FX) technology to third-party apps. The company announced news on Thursday (March 8) that its Exchange Rates API has been updated to include real-time FX rates. According to OANDA, the API supports updates to FX rates every five seconds, enabling third-party developers to integrate this solution into their own mobile apps.

article thumbnail

Cloud Elements CEO: Too Many APIs, Not Enough Integration

PYMNTS

APIs – that is, application program interfaces, or bits of code that allow two software programs to communicate with one another – are a hot topic and a hot commodity within financial services, as well as many other spaces. The API defines the correct way for a developer to write a program that requests services from an operating system (OS) or another application.

article thumbnail

UK Bank Industry Trade Group Launches Review Of SMB Mistreatment

PYMNTS

UK Finance , an industry trade association, is launching an independent investigation into the way the market’s banks treat small businesses (SMBs), according to Reuters reports on Thursday (March 29). The group appointed Simon Walker to lead the review, which will specifically look at the way banks handle complaints filed by small business borrowers.

Finance 66
article thumbnail

Fall In Love With the Month-End Close

It's the time of year to give our close process some TLC. Join us in this one hour webinar where we discuss how to adopt leading practices and infuse technology into the month-end close process to improve our experience and increase our productivity during month-end and quarter-end close. Learning Objectives: This course's objective is to understand how the month-end close can be improved with automation and adoption of leading practices.

article thumbnail

HSBC Enables PayPal For Supplier Payments

PYMNTS

HSBC is introducing PayPal support for corporate payments across borders. An announcement Thursday (March 29) said HSBC now lets its corporate customers use PayPal for supplier payments via a partnership between the two entities. “Our collaboration with PayPal will significantly expand the payments network accessible to our clients through HSBC, allowing them to send payments to a much wider range of counterparties in a fast and efficient manner,” said HSBC Global Head of Payments in Global Liqu

B2C 65
article thumbnail

How Analytics Can Help Fashion Brands And Retailers

PYMNTS

What does it take for a fashion brand to stay on top of the trends? A lot of market data. But not all brands excel at crawling the web for information relevant to their businesses. “A lot of brands are having a hard time keeping up with the pace of consumer changes,” StyleSage ’s Director of Marketing and Digital Strategy Elizabeth Shobert told PYMNTS in an interview.

Retail 65
article thumbnail

Uphold Rolls Out Support For Ripple’s XRP

PYMNTS

Adding to the list of cryptocurrencies that users can buy or trade on its platform, Uphold has announced that it has added support for Ripple ’s XRP currency. Already, users can exchange digital currencies such as bitcoin, Ethereum and Bitcoin Cash on Uphold, CoinDesk reported. Uphold’s decision comes after the company conducted a Twitter poll that revealed Ripple was the digital currency voters most wanted added to the platform out of four choices.

article thumbnail

Curing Medicine’s Epidemic Of Noncompliance

PYMNTS

The New York Times wrote in April 2017 that the U.S. was in the throes of an epidemic for which there was not only a cure, but one that would cure every single adult suffering from it. The disease: medication nonadherence. According to data from the National Association of Chain Drug Stores , as many as 30 percent of prescriptions are never filled, and 50 percent of those prescribed for chronic diseases don’t take their medication properly.

article thumbnail

Navigating Payroll Compliance: Future-Proofing Payroll in an Evolving Regulatory Landscape

Speaker: Jennifer Hill

Payroll compliance is a cornerstone of business success, yet for small and midsize businesses, it’s becoming increasingly challenging to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of federal, state, and local regulations. Mistakes can lead to costly penalties and operational disruptions, making it essential to adopt advanced solutions that ensure accuracy and efficiency.

article thumbnail

How Affirm Wants To Push ‘Honest Financing’ Into Physical Retail

PYMNTS

Despite the nearly continuous drumbeat of doom and gloom from the world of physical retail, there is, according to Affirm CRO Rob Pfeifer, something of a curious side phenomenon unfolding at the same time: Online brands – famous and famously successful online brands – are branching out into physical retail. “Brands are moving to the real world for a reason,” Pfeifer said.

Finance 64
article thumbnail

Whole Foods May Test 10 Percent Prime Discount

PYMNTS

It’s possible that Amazon Prime members may see more discounts at Whole Foods. The grocer reportedly displayed signs that advertised 10 percent discounts for prime members at a store in Texas, CNBC reported. The signs were reportedly placed in a store in Austin on Wednesday (March 28). But the signs had apparently been removed by Thursday (March 29).

article thumbnail

NACHA And IFX Forum Join Forces To Boost API Development

PYMNTS

NACHA and the Interactive Financial eXchange (IFX) Forum have announced plans to combine their organizations to improve the development of standardized Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). The partnership, which is expected to be finalized at the end of the first quarter, will speed up the creation and rollout of standardized banking APIs. “The powerful combination of IFX Forum’s established leadership in financial industry standards, along with additional technical expertise in the area o

article thumbnail

Amazon, Walmart Announce New Blockchain Ventures

PYMNTS

Blockchain is now an official word in the Merriam-Webster dictionary. Of course, the FinTech industry doesn’t have to look it up, but the dictionary now defines blockchain as a technology that enables the keeping of records of financial transactions in a digital database as part of a publicly accessible network. The addition of blockchain to the dictionary is symbolic of the technology’s continuing proliferation.

article thumbnail

Next-Level Fraud Prevention: Strategies for Today’s Threat Landscape

Speaker: Sierre Lindgren

Fraud is a battle that every organization must face – it’s no longer a question of “if” but “when.” Every organization is a potential target for fraud, and the finance department is often the bullseye. From cleverly disguised emails to fraudulent payment requests, the tactics of cybercriminals are advancing rapidly. Drawing insights from real-world cases and industry expertise, we’ll explore the vulnerabilities in your processes and how to fortify them effectively.

article thumbnail

Feds File Charges In International Fraud Scheme Involving A Picasso

PYMNTS

For their alleged roles in a massive stock fraud and money laundering scam involving a Picasso, the U.S. Department of Justice has criminally charged 10 defendants. Prosecutors named U.K.-based Beaufort Securities Ltd and two of its managers, among others, in the case, according to news from Reuters. Prosecutors said Beaufort and managers Peter Kyriacou and Vinesh Canaye manipulated the prices of U.S. stocks through “pump-and-dump schemes,” while hiding their ownership in the companies.

Sports 64
article thumbnail

TSYS’ McHugh: Why Integrated Payments Is What’s Next

PYMNTS

In technology, and especially in payments, the competitive landscape is a heated one. The question, when eyeing the competition and trying to stay ahead of the curve, usually boils down to “build or buy?” But sometimes the strategy can be tweaked a bit to “buy and build.”. In an interview with PYMNTS’ Karen Webster, Philip McHugh, EVP and president of TSYS Merchant Solutions , laid out the strategy in a space — namely merchant services — that is rapidly evolving, and where TSYS has made a string

article thumbnail

PayPal Files Patent Application To Speed Up Crypto Payments

PYMNTS

PayPal looks to increase the adoption of cryptocurrency as a payment method by recently filing for a patent application. CoinDesk , citing an application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office titled “Expedited Virtual Currency Transaction System,” lays out a method by which private keys are traded from buyer to seller in an effort to cut down on the time it takes for payments to go through between a customer and a merchant.

article thumbnail

How To Battle The Friendly (And Not So Friendly) Fraudster? APIs, Rich Data And Collaboration

PYMNTS

Whether friendly fraud or genuine fraud, for merchants and card issuers, the impact is growing and comes with a host of negative consequences for the entire ecosystem — especially customers. Lost revenues and chargebacks. Friction. Bad customer experiences. And sometimes — in the case of friendly fraud — relationships severed altogether. To that end, on Thursday (March 15) Ethoca debuted its Integrated Solution Suite, which spans offerings across Ethoca Eliminator, Ethoca Alerts and Enhanced Rep

Retail 61
article thumbnail

Cash Flow Secrets Every Upskilled CPA Should Know

Speaker: Debra L. Robinson

CPAs know the drill: taxes, compliance, rinse, repeat. But what about the sneaky cash flow that’s quietly messing with your organization’s success? It’s time to step into the spotlight and expose the “dirty little secrets” of cash flow to fuel strategic growth. By upskilling your accounting practices and shifting focus from tax compliance to the strategic movement of money, you can transform your role from reactive accountant to proactive financial strategist.

article thumbnail

The AI Method To Fighting Fleet Card Fraud

PYMNTS

Credit card skimmers are a headache for fuel retailers, but there is more than one way that fraudulent actors can target fleet spend. In addition to stolen credentials and skimmed cards at the fuel point-of-sale, employees are often able to overspend with their commercial fleet card products, or file fraudulent expense reports. These tactics cast a wide net of fraud over the fleet card industry – from issuers and acquirers to fleet managers, employers and employees themselves.

article thumbnail

Cascade To Power Crypto Card Loading

PYMNTS

This time last year, if a customer asked Cascade about cryptocurrency loading, the startup had to tell them, “We don’t do that.” Its partner banks weren’t supporting the feature, so neither could Cascade. But as more and more people started asking about it, Founder and CEO Spencer Schmerling began to recognize the big opportunity in front of him. That’s why Schmerling said the startup is now launching a crypto loading capability, among other new services and API enhancements.

article thumbnail

NEW REPORT: Wells Fargo On Leveling Up Its Digital Banking Game

PYMNTS

Online and mobile banking interfaces have become must-have features for financial institutions in the digital age. Fifty-five percent of Americans have a full-service banking app on their phone, and 16 percent check these apps at least once per day. Customers think of these digital offerings as crucial to their banking decisions. More than 50 percent reportedly believe it’s important for banks to provide mobile deposits, P2P services and account openings.

Gaming 60
article thumbnail

Shopify: Online’s Biggest Liability Is A Friction-Filled Checkout

PYMNTS

Losing out is always a bitter pill to swallow, but the worst defeats are the ones that are seemingly snatched from the very jaws of victory. The Bill Buckner between-the-legs-bauble, the Aaron Boone Green Monster killer, the David Tyree helmet catch – the moments when fate intervenes in the form of a small bad choice cascading out of control. The unforced errors that take wins that looked like sure things and nudge them ever so slightly – but permanently – out of reach.

Retail 60
article thumbnail

Profit in the Details: Rethinking Spend for Monumental Impact

Speaker: Aaron Berson

Managing spend is more than a cost cutting exercise – it's a pathway to smarter decisions that unlock efficiency and drive growth. By understanding and refining the spending process, financial leaders can empower their organizations to achieve more with less. Explore the art of balancing financial control with operational growth. From uncovering hidden inefficiencies to designing workflows that scale your business, we’ll share strategies to align your organization’s spending with its strategic g

article thumbnail

Why Toys R Us May Signal The Start Of An Insolvency Spike

PYMNTS

It was a coincidental happening that the same month Atradius released its latest insolvency forecast – which found that insolvencies around the world are low, thanks to a strong economic outlook and low interest rates – news of the Toys R Us bankruptcy hit the headlines and sent shockwaves throughout its supply chain. The backlash continues, as suppliers have reportedly criticized ongoing bankruptcy proceedings that could lead to the defunct retailer leaving more than $450 million in invoices un

Retail 60
article thumbnail

Retailers See A Future For Drones Beyond Delivery

PYMNTS

Ever since 2013, when Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said the eCommerce giant was working on a 30-minute drone delivery program called Prime Air, people have been saying that delivery is the big retail use case for drone technology. Domino’s furthered the point by delivering a pizza by drone in 2016. Regulatory red tape has so far kept either delivery program from becoming a reality, but the technology was there and the value proposition was clear, as retail and logistics companies worldwide struggle to

Retail 60
article thumbnail

How Gift Certificates Evolved From Paper To Wearables

PYMNTS

In the 1930s, gift certificates made their debut at major department stores. But they weren’t available to everyone. Clerks were told to hide the certificates and only sell them to select customers who asked for them. Years later, McDonald’s brought gift certificates to the masses with its Christmas gift certificate program. With their fast food debut, other merchants — along with malls — started offering them.

Retail 59
article thumbnail

Ripple And 61 Japanese Banks To Roll Out New Payment App

PYMNTS

Ripple — the blockchain company whose technology powers the cryptocurrency XRP — has created a new payment app in which transactions are settled instantly. According to news from CNBC , the new app was created with a group of 61 banks in Japan. Dubbed Money Tap, the mobile app will launch in the fall and will be initially offered through SBI Net Sumishin Bank, Suruga Bank and Resona Bank, three of the consortium partners.

Account 58
article thumbnail

Navigating Bleisure Travel: A Guide for Mid-Sized Companies

Bleisure travel — where employees combine work and leisure — has been around since the advent of corporate travel and is here to stay. Successful bleisure policies strike a balance between employee preferences and company goals — workers report a 64% improvement in work-life balance, while companies benefit from reduced travel costs and increased workforce innovation.