PYMNTS

DECEMBER 8, 2016

Western Union, the global payment services company, announced Wednesday (Dec. 7) it is enhancing its relationship with Viber, the mobile messaging app that counts 745 million unique users around the globe. In a press release , Western Union said it is enhancing its existing relationship with Viber by enabling Viber users in the U.K. to send money domestically and internationally to more than 200 countries and territories via the Viber app.

Start-ups 105

Start-ups Technology accountant Account 105

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 15, 2016

Tokenization as a global standard for securing transactions in a digital world gets turbocharged today. In a mutual commitment to accelerating the adoption of an open digital wallet, global card networks Mastercard and Visa announce their agreement to allow each network to request tokenized credentials from the other when consumers are transacting across any digital medium — in app, online and in store.

Start-ups 95

Start-ups accountant Account accounted 95

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 6, 2016

It’s not easy being big. Or being big and regulated. Among other things, it makes running a footrace with FinTech startups — tough. Big and regulated banks — especially these days — are not set up to sprint. Decades of legacy infrastructure and a web of regulations make it tough to adopt a “move fast and break things” mantra — even if the regulators would allow it.

Start-ups 94

Start-ups Technology accountant Account 94

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 19, 2016

Blockchain has officially entered the grocery aisles. Walmart has announced that it is now testing new blockchain technology to track and trace produce in U.S. stores and pork in China. PYMNTS covered the testing and lead-up to the kickoff back in November. Now, the technology and use of it are even closer. It’s a pilot program, where sliced apples and cut broccoli will be used to test the blockchain database technology for four months starting in the first quarter of 2017.

Technology 92

Technology Manufacturing Start-ups Retail 92

Speaker: Amanda Adams, Fractional CFO, CPA

Are you ready to elevate your accounting processes for 2025? 🚀 Join us for an exclusive webinar led by Amanda Adams, a seasoned fractional CFO and CPA passionate about transforming back-office operations for finance teams. This session will cover critical best practices and process improvements tailored specifically for accounting professionals.

Account

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 1, 2016

Visa announced today that it will acquire eCommerce payment authentication leader CardinalCommerce. The move is expected to enable Visa’s global clients and partners to accelerate, scale and secure digital commerce as payments expands to include billions upon billions of connected endpoints. Mark Nelsen, senior vice president of risk and authentication products at Visa, said that the “strategic acquisition combines Visa’s industry expertise and Cardinal’s critical role in payment authentication

90

90

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 9, 2016

Botnet attacks are not only growing in popularity among hackers, but they are also delivering a new level of sophistication and danger to businesses and consumers worldwide. In this week’s Hacker Tracker , PYMNTS caught up with security experts at digital security products provider Avast Software to gain insight into the rise of Crimeware-as-a-Service and why the industry should be taking notice of the growing threat of malicious botnets, like Avalanche and Mirai.

Manufacturing 90

Manufacturing Start-ups Maine Gaming 90

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 19, 2016

It’s a fact. While they enjoy many FinTech innovations, most millennials don’t have a snowball’s chance of earning more than their parents — ever. How big the income gap between those 70 million people and their parents depends on a few things, including how well-heeled their parents are. Not surprisingly, hardest hit are the kids born to middle and lower middle-income families — so, roughly 70 percent of the U.S. population.

Retail 88

Retail Education B2C Gaming 88

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 16, 2016

The Internet of Things may be a burgeoning industry, but according to a new survey by IAB, nearly two-thirds of American consumers, or 62 percent, already own at least one IoT device. What’s more, 65 percent of those surveyed who own IoT devices said they are willing to receive ads on their IoT screens. In a press release highlighting the survey results, IAB said 62 percent of survey respondents said they already see ads on IoT -connected gadgets.

Education 84

Education Gaming 84

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 13, 2016

Millennials just aren’t buying homes — they are the first generation of Americans since World War II who will meaningfully move away from that vision of the American Dream. Millennial homeownership rates — for those 75.4 million or so young adults between the ages of 19 and 35 — was far below historical averages and about a fifth of home ownership rate in the same age group at the turn of the 21st century.

Washington 84

Washington accountant Account accounted 84

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 12, 2016

IBM is getting into the blockchain game, announcing Friday (Dec. 9) it launched a blockchain ecosystem aimed at accelerating the creation of blockchain networks. In a press release , IBM touted blockchain, saying it has the potential to transform the way all sorts of industries conduct business transactions. In order for it to take off, IBM contends there needs to be a complete ecosystem of industrial players all working together.

Education 84

Education Gaming 84

Speaker: Abdi Ali, Sr. Lease Accounting Consultant

Join this insightful webinar with industry expert Abdi Ali, who will discuss the challenges that can arise from managing lease accounting with spreadsheets! He will share real-world examples of errors, compliance issues, and risks that may be present within your spreadsheets. Learn how these tools, while useful, can sometimes lead to inefficiencies that affect your time, resources, and peace of mind.

Account

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 2, 2016

To the average consumer, payments looks pretty simple and straightforward — especially when paying online. Enter a card number, hit buy and a millisecond later, the countdown to getting the goods begins. For those that use a mobile wallet, it’s even simpler. And while building all that simplicity for consumers is a good thing, actually making it simple — and secure — is basically what makes the digital commerce world go round.

Technology 84

Technology Sales 84

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 16, 2016

The price of bitcoin has continued its December climb this week. Bitcoin is at its highest value since early Feb. 2014. After a drop into the mid-760s on Sunday (Dec. 11), bitcoin rose to a weekly peak of $788.49 on Tuesday afternoon. The remainder of the week was spent lolling about in the mid to upper 770s. The current value of bitcoin at the time of writing was $777.14. —.

Texas 83

Texas Maryland Massachusetts New York 83

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 12, 2016

Just as businesses need to keep pace with the change of technology, the technology providers that help businesses remain successful need to stay ahead of the curve themselves. Corporations are scaling globally, integrating complex supply chains, working with small suppliers, ensuring international compliance and gaining access to more data than ever before.

Transportation 82

Transportation Sales Technology B2B 82

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 8, 2016

There are pivots and then there are wholesale about-faces. Circle’s choice to halt bitcoin trading in favor of doubling down on more traditional mobile pay certainly counts as a bit more of the latter than the former. Circle launched three years ago mostly as a consumer finance firm built on a bitcoin backbone. Customers were able and encouraged to buy and sell bitcoin on the platform — and as a blockchain-based firm, Circle was able to snap up around $70M in investor funds.

Finance 81

Finance 81

Advertisement

Join us in this webinar, where we share best practices on how to think about the reconciliation work each month, when best to do reconciliations, how they should be prepared, and some common pitfalls to avoid. Learning Objectives: This course objective is to understand how to properly prepare and review balance sheet reconciliations and its impact on the financial statements.

financial statements

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 5, 2016

Chinese B2B eCommerce platform DHgate.com is upgrading its payments infrastructure to promote faster payments for businesses transacting on the site. Reports Friday (Dec. 2) said DHgate.com revealed plans to upgrade its platform payment infrastructure to ensure that every transaction will take six seconds or less. According to reports, through optimizing existing infrastructure and acquiring additional servers across the globe, the site was able to accelerate page loading times and support faste

B2B 80

B2B 80

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 12, 2016

Retailers, already sweating bullets over the “ Amazon Effect ” on their business, now have one more reason to keep sweating. Amazon Go, Amazon’s new grocery store format in Seattle, opened last week. Right now, its only customers are Amazon employees, who are putting it through its paces, but that will change in early 2017, a spokesperson said. Few details have emerged as to how Amazon Go powers the experience that shoppers will find once they get inside the store, but the combination of the Ama

Retail 80

Retail Sales Start-ups Sports 80

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 6, 2016

The automotive industry just had a head-on collision — with technology. That’s what Marques McCammon , GM for connected vehicle solutions at Wind River , thinks anyway. He explained that the automotive industry is the one place where the concepts of IoT can be made very real to the mass market — where they will be able to see it, understand it and really feel its impact.

Technology 80

Technology Retail 80

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 15, 2016

American fugitive Joshua Aaron, who is a suspect in the massive JPMorgan hack that took place back in 2014, arrived back in the U.S. from Russia this week. Aaron’s return to the U.S. and subsequent arrest comes after seven months of negotiations between U.S. authorities and a migrant detention center near Moscow, people close to the matter told Bloomberg.

Pharmaceutical 80

Pharmaceutical New York accountant Account 80

Speaker: David Warren and Kevin O’Neill Stoll

Transitioning to a usage-based business model offers powerful growth opportunities but comes with unique challenges. How do you validate strategies, reduce risks, and ensure alignment with customer value? Join us for a deep dive into designing effective pilots that test the waters and drive success in usage-based revenue. Discover how to develop a pilot that captures real customer feedback, aligns internal teams with usage metrics, and rethinks sales incentives to prioritize lasting customer eng

Sales

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 9, 2016

At a time when the IRS is trying to find out the identities behind bitcoin users, the Pennsylvania Allegheny County District Attorney’s office revealed it had to use bitcoin to pay a ransom to get its data back. According to a report by Forbes , the ransom was only $1,400, but the fact that a government agency paid a ransom and used bitcoin is something not seen before.

Pennsylvania 80

Pennsylvania California audit Tax 80

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 9, 2016

Scotland’s economy has excelled in industrial industries such as shipbuilding, steel and petroleum, but the country is turning its attention to developing a rising digital tech scene. In this week’s installment of PYMNTS’ Weekly Tech Center Roundup , one of the country’s thriving tech clusters, Glasgow, takes center stage. Before we jump into the post, here are a few quick facts about Glasgow and its tech scene: Glasgow it the largest city in Scotland and the third largest in the U.K., with an e

Technology 79

Technology Education Start-ups Government 79

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 8, 2016

Venture capital has hit a plateau, according to some analysts. “After $100M+ checks flowed freely to VC-backed companies through much of 2015, the mega-round trend has settled into a lower range through 2016,” concluded KPMG and CB Insights in their Q3 2016 venture capital report. Data suggests the trend is global: North America VC investments for the quarter were fairly flat compared to Q2, and while Europe saw an increase in the number of deals for VC funding, there was a decline i

B2B 79

B2B B2C Technology 79

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 8, 2016

Between the Instagram selfies, Twitter hashtags and Facebook posts, millennials seem to overshare. Their life is an open book on social media, and even the tiniest of details are never too much to provide. But when it comes time to hand over information to authenticate themselves to conduct a financial transaction, that door slams shut. “The more information that’s asked of them, the less likely it is that [millennials] will finish the application,” said Johnny Ayers, cofounder of Socure.

audit 78

audit Technology Retail 78

Advertisement

The first Market Momentum Index: AI and Unstructured Data Management, conducted by Deep Analysis with support from AIIM and M-Files, surveyed 500 enterprises across various industries to assess their readiness to employ AI. The results reveal that AI is already far more embedded into organizations' operations than previously realized. These findings and more insights have been brought to you in the "Market Momentum Index: AI and Unstructured Data Management.

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 6, 2016

Chatbots’ capabilities seem to be extending and expanding weekly. They can help consumers bank easier, ship and track gifts quicker, plan a vacation with less stress and even talk to those who have passed away. Now, chatbots can even help plan a party. Beverage company Pernod Ricard launched a chatbot bartender that helps party hosts create cocktails for their event.

Entertainment 78

Entertainment Technology Retail Gaming 78

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 8, 2016

Vantiv and iModerate know that the word wallet has come to mean much more than just the accessory thrown in a purse or back pocket. Today, the word can also describe a mobile app that stores digital versions of a person’s payment cards, loyalty cards, gift cards and even coupons — enabling payment to take place with just a tap or scan. While mobile wallets can be a quick and convenient option to help consumers expedite checkout, keep their information secure, and streamline retailer discounts an

Technology 78

Technology Retail 78

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 5, 2016

[link]. Baseball is always a fecund place to find analogies about life. It’s also a great place to find analogies about life that apply to payments. Here’s one: “Never make predictions, especially about the future.” That one’s been attributed, of course, to Yogi Berra, as well as Hall of Famer Casey Stengel. And yet, we do all get into the predictions game, in every walk of life, across industries and personal endeavors, serving as roadmaps for the upcoming 12 months and beyond.

Retail 78

Retail Technology Start-ups Gaming 78

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 9, 2016

“Build a better mousetrap,” the expression goes, “and the world will beat a path to your door.”. Everyone knows the quote, including Chase Pay and LevelUp, and while not everyone knows it is a paraphrase of a longer quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson — “If a man can write a better book, preach a better sermon, or make a better mousetrap than his neighbor, though he build his house in the woods, the world will make a beaten path to his door,” — they know what it means.

Start-ups 78

Start-ups Maine 78

Speaker: Mark Stovel

When it comes to automating, many firms focus on finding the latest tech, believing that efficiency is something achieved through new tools. Yet true efficiency is achieved by delivering real value to clients, not merely by upgraded systems. Without a clear approach, no level of automation can overcome the complexities of serving every client’s needs.

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 14, 2016

KFC is the latest company to report a hack , with the bad guys breaching its Colonel’s Club loyalty program. According to a report by Forbes , which cited U.K.’s ITV, the hackers were able to steal personally identifiable information of the members of the loyalty program. The report noted that KFC is hoping to limit the impact of the breach because it acted quickly to remedy the situation.

accountant 77

accountant Account accounted 77

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 14, 2016

New insight into eCommerce growth in the third quarter of 2016 has found that publicly traded online retailers outperformed even the overall well-performing eCommerce market — with gains largely due to Amazon. The Department of Commerce released data in November that showed that eCommerce in the U.S. continued to see growth in the third quarter of 2016.

E-commerce 77

E-commerce Retail Sales accountant 77

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 1, 2016

So much changes. So much stays the same. That’s the key takeaway from the sixth year of TSYS’ U.S. Consumer Payments Study. While this year’s findings highlight the strides the industry and consumers have made towards digital payments, they also underscore how existing behaviors and patterns remain very much intact. There were five findings that Sarah Hartman , senior director of consumer issuing at TSYS , recently shared with Karen Webster regarding what TSYS found this time around and what the

Sports 77

Sports accounting and finance Finance Retail 77

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 9, 2016

SME accounting platform Xero has big hopes for artificial intelligence. A new report by IT-Online featured Xero South Africa Head of Accounting Colin Timmis, who mused on the topic of AI and how it can change accounting. “AI and smart machine-learning programs will be the next big thing, enabling automation to further disrupt the industry and the role of the accountant,” he said.

Technology 77

Technology bookkeeping accounting software accountant 77

Advertisement

Setting the stage for successful organizational change always begins with clear, thoughtful communication. When it comes to rolling out a new travel and expense (T&E) policy, establishing a well-structured communication plan is key to ensuring that all employees understand the changes and their impact. By following a step-by-step approach, you can guide your organization through the transition, fostering smooth adoption from the outset and improving compliance.