July, 2016

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Meet YoCoin: The Bitcoin Alternative

PYMNTS

There’s another digital currency in town, and its name is YoCoin. The question is: Can YoCoin give bitcoin a run for its money? We’ll have to wait and see. But YoCoin is pitching itself as a “new cryptocurrency with mainstream appeal.” “Unlike most of the alternative cryptocurrencies, YoCoin is a decentralized, peer-to-peer digital currency based on the Scrypt mining algorithm, making it far more accessible than bitcoin is when it comes to mining.

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With Blockchain, It’s Time For Less Talking, More Doing

PYMNTS

ATB Financial just completed the sending of a payment from its home base of Canada to a bank in Germany in 20 seconds via blockchain. Admittedly, most consumers, says SAP Senior Principal of Financial Services Kris Hansen, would simply shrug at this accomplishment. But, he said, they’re missing the point. The bank first announced the payment last week, an effort completed with the collaboration between ATB Financial, SAP and blockchain fintech company Ripple.

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Visa And PayPal Partner To Accelerate Digital Payments

PYMNTS

Visa and PayPal today (July 21) announced a strategic partnership that will combine the power of the largest payments network in the world with the largest digital payments network in the world to give consumers more choice about how they pay when using their PayPal accounts. According to a release that was issued by PayPal announcing the deal, “the partnership puts PayPal and Visa on a new path with the companies working more collaboratively to accelerate the adoption of safe, reliable and conv

Account 60
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Philippines-Based Bitcoin Remittance App Enters US Market

PYMNTS

Abra , the bitcoin remittance app, has made its way to the U.S. — via the iPhone and Android app options. What that means is that Abra customers in the U.S. or the Philippines can send money to each other using the app’s digital wallet that works with their bank accounts. The company noted in its release that this is the first move in helping it expand globally.

Account 57
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Automation, Evolved: Your New Playbook For Smarter Knowledge Work

Speaker: Frank Taliano

Document-heavy workflows slow down productivity, bury institutional knowledge, and drain resources. But with the right AI implementation, these inefficiencies become opportunities for transformation. So how do you identify where to start and how to succeed? Learn how to develop a clear, practical roadmap for leveraging AI to streamline processes, automate knowledge work, and unlock real operational gains.

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Prime Day Slashes Records As Amazon’s ‘Biggest Day Ever’

PYMNTS

Amazon knows better than any retailer that sometimes a groundbreaking idea just needs to get its feet under itself before really taking off. It looks like that was the steady hand behind Prime Day’s start back in 2015 – and its phenomenal sophomore showing in 2016. Amazon released figures Wednesday (July 13) on its Prime Day sales, and the company is already calling it “the biggest day ever for Amazon.” Globally, orders were up 60 percent over Prime Day’s first iter

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Ransomware Attacks Targeted At Businesses On The Rise

PYMNTS

Ransomware may have started with consumers, but attacks against businesses and large organizations are on the rise, according to Symantec ’s Ransomware and Businesses 2016 report. The security software company said that, while individuals accounted for 57 percent of the recorded ransomware attacks in 2015, attacks on companies and larger organizations increased at the end of the year.

More Trending

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How Singapore Is Fueling A ‘Smart Nation’

PYMNTS

Singapore is on a mission to build up a Smart Nation by utilizing innovation and technology to create opportunities and strengthen communities. The country’s technology ecosystem is setting the foundation for good governance, infrastructure and increased capabilities, which makes it no surprise Singapore has gained attention for its tech initiatives.

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iPayYou Launches Pay-by-Twitter Bitcoin P2P Service

PYMNTS

Bitcoin may be a preferred method of payment for a slew of tech-savvy people, but it has yet to take off with the masses, or even micro-masses. iPayYou, the bitcoin wallet, is aiming to change that with a new service launched today (July 14). Dubbed Pay-by-Twitter, iPayYou is the first bitcoin wallet that enables Twitter’s 310 million monthly active users to make peer-to-peer payments over Twitter.

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How Big Banks Are Staying In The Mobile Payments Race

PYMNTS

Big companies like PayPal have been dominating the digital payments world for many years. And then came Apple, along with the other tech companies, like Google and Samsung. And for years, banks have caught flack for not offering digital and mobile payments options that are up to snuff with what the tech giants have brought to market. Now, however, big banks are dusting off their old-fashioned ways and getting up to speed.

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Can AI Take The Guesswork Out Of Beer Brewing?

PYMNTS

Will the wonders of artificial intelligence ever cease? In the last decade or so, artificial intelligence has been increasing at a dramatic clip, and software developers and programmers have developed AIs that can do everything from beating a world class chess champion to diagnosing medical conditions to moving and stacking heavy objects on a factory floor.

Retail 49
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Data Talks, CFOs Listen: Why Analytics Is The Key To Better Spend Management

Speaker: Claire Grosjean

Finance teams are drowning in data—but is it actually helping them spend smarter? Without the right approach, excess spending, inefficiencies, and missed opportunities continue to drain profitability. While analytics offers powerful insights, financial intelligence requires more than just numbers—it takes the right blend of automation, strategy, and human expertise.

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Why Paris Has A Heart For FinTech

PYMNTS

In this week’s edition of PYMNTS’ Weekly Tech Center Roundup , we find ourselves back in Europe, where Brexit is all anyone can talk about. But we are heading to France, where the country’s capital city is making a name for itself as a booming tech center. Before we jump into the post, here are a few quick facts about Paris and its tech scene: Paris has an estimated population of 2,241,346.

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Millennials Are So Last Year: Study Says Retailers Need To Start Thinking About Gen Z

PYMNTS

Move over millennials , there’s a new kid in town that is about to become nearer and dearer to retailers’ hearts: Gen Z. Gen-Z shoppers, defined as those between the age of 14 and 19, are about to become the most coveted demographic in all of retail, according to a study entitled “The Next Generation of Retail” by retail marketing firm Interactions.

Retail 48
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Say Hello To ‘The Internet of Loyalty’

PYMNTS

Who isn’t familiar with rewards programs that incentivize consumers to become more eager c ustomers? But one company has devised a rewards program that aims to go even further. Gregory Simon, CEO of “The Internet of Loyalty” platform provider, Loyyal Corporation, recently checked in with Karen Webster to discuss the company’s work with the Dubai government on the Dubai points program — a tourism incentive program that is expected to roll out in August 2016.

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Stub Hub Pushes Closer To Primary Ticketing Platform Status With The Acquisition of Ticket Utils

PYMNTS

It looks like StubHub is getting an upgrade – care of parent company eBay’s latest acquisition. eBay has snatched up Ticket Utils , a firm that specializes in the software that manages ticket distribution to multiple services. That technology will now be folded into StubHub – though StubHub was already integrated into the system.

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What Your Financial Statements Are Telling You—And How to Listen!

Speaker: David Worrell, CFO, Author & Speaker

Your financial statements hold powerful insights—but are you truly paying attention? Many finance professionals focus on the income statement while overlooking key signals hidden in the balance sheet and cash flow statement. Understanding these numbers can unlock smarter decision-making, uncover risks, and drive long-term success. Join David Worrell, accomplished CFO, finance expert, and author, for an engaging, nontraditional take on reading financial statements.

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Who’ll Be The ‘Netflix’ Of Payments?

PYMNTS

If you’re like most people, at some point over the weekend, you probably watched something on Netflix. Eighty-one million people consume more than 100 million hours of programming every day via this wildly popular app. I am one of those 81 million people who, this month, is hooked on the drama of the Rayburn family in “ Bloodline.” That Danny Rayburn is one bad dude.

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The Unlikely Retail Applications Of Pokémon GO

PYMNTS

For years, retailers have lamented the fact that mobile traffic so rarely translates in equal numbers to in-store traffic. An entire industry has even sprung up around leveraging digital engagement into visits to brick-and-mortar store fronts. Retailers spend millions — and would gladly spend millions more — if there was some sure-fire way to turn consumers’ phones into magnets that pull toward their stores.

Retail 47
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Is Sun Care The Next Big Thing In Retail?

PYMNTS

Your mother was right: You should always wear sunscreen. And it’s an axiom that the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) keeps repeating over and over again as a way to ward off skin cancer, including melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. According to its website, the AAD says that one in every five Americans will develop some form of skin cancer in their lifetime.

Retail 47
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A Roadie For Everyone

PYMNTS

When the average person confronts broken bathroom tiles, they can be expected to go through something like the five stages of grief described by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. The important part is that the average person gets to that last phase, acceptance, and resigns themselves to ordering new tiles and hoping for a better outcome.

Oregon 47
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Forecasting Failures Are Costly: Heres How To Fix Them

Speaker: Dave Sackett

Traditional budgeting and forecasting methods can no longer keep pace with today’s rapidly evolving business environment. Static budgets, rigid annual forecasts, and outdated financial models limit an organization’s ability to adapt to market shifts and economic uncertainty. To stay ahead, finance leaders must leverage a future-forward approach—one that leverages real-time data, predictive analytics, and continuous planning to drive smarter financial decisions.

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Masterpass Gets Connected — And Contextual

PYMNTS

Mastercard CIO Ed McLaughlin was often heard describing mastercard’s vision for commerce as one that would take it anywhere the consumer wanted to take it, including “to any connected device on the edge of the network.”. Today, we’re seeing that vision made reality. Network giant mastercard said on Thursday (July 14) that it is enhancing its digital payments service, masterpass, and making it available across a number of commerce channels and devices in an effort to bring true omnichannel shoppi

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Venezuela Turns To Bitcoin As Inflation Skyrockets

PYMNTS

The search for inflation hedges and stability of purchasing power in a world of hyperinflation has led some in Venezuela to turn to the digital currency known as bitcoin. The state of “economic emergency,” as it has been termed by some observers and officially by President Nicolás Maduro, is so acute that the International Monetary Fund has estimated that the inflation rate could be as high as 480 percent this year and grow to as much as 1,640 percent next year.

Legal 46
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Is Lyft Preparing To Sell?

PYMNTS

Ridesharing firm Lyft has been getting ready to capitalize on investor desire to delve into transports and has been exploring raising additional funding or even selling itself to outside interests, Reuters has reported. The newswire said that the firm has been working with investment bank Qatalyst Partners, which is based in Silicon Valley. Reuters cited unnamed people familiar with the dialogue.

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EU Pushes For Bitcoin Database And Transparency

PYMNTS

Anonymous is the name of bitcoin’s game. But Europe might like to make it less so. T he European Commission would like to create a central database of digital currency users to prevent terrorist financing and money laundering – for the obvious reasons. The regulators there would like to establish a central database by June 2019 whereby, “obliged entities need to collect, process and record personal data, and sometimes to share such data with public authorities (such as FIUs) or with private

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Are Robots Replacing You? Keeping Humans in the Loop in Automated Environments

Speaker: Erroll Amacker

As businesses increasingly adopt automation, finance leaders must navigate the delicate balance between technology and human expertise. This webinar explores the critical role of human oversight in accounts payable (AP) automation and how a people-centric approach can drive better financial performance. Join us for an insightful discussion on how integrating human expertise into automated workflows enhances decision-making, reduces fraud risks, strengthens vendor relationships, and accelerates R

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Three Startups Shaping The Future of Commerce

PYMNTS

Earlier this year, Visa announced the start of its second annual Everywhere Initiative , where startups go head-to-head to imagine the future of commerce. Three real-life business challenges gave 15 competing companies the chance to flex their commerce chops. Participants could use Visa’s APIs to create a payment solution, leverage social media channels to engage people at Visa-sponsored events or persuade Visa cardholders to go cardless.

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Australian Banks Launch Apple Pay Antitrust Attack

PYMNTS

The three largest banks in Australia – National Australia Bank, Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Westpac Banking Corp – have partnered up to lodge an anti-trust application with regulators in an attempt to collectively negotiate with Apple over whether or not their own in-house electronic payments apps can be set up to run properly on an iPhone.

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Vending Machines Are Retail’s Newest Frontier

PYMNTS

It was only a decade or two ago that you’d be laughed out of the room for suggesting someone buy clothes or shoes online without trying them on first. Now that that barrier has fallen, though, might there be opportunities to sell more traditional products in nontraditional spaces ? Dawn Dickson thinks so, and she had something of a proof of concept in Flat Out of Heels , her company that sells rollable flats out of vending machines aimed at the female consumer who can’t spend another

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Is Drone Delivery Economically Feasible, Practical?

PYMNTS

In a perfect future, drones would zip through the sky carrying packages containing everything from pet food to baby diapers over our heads in the most efficient, affordable and expedient manner of delivery possible, while we all went about our daily lives (and we’d all have robot butlers, too). But alas, we don’t live in a perfect world, and although the technology is increasing each and every day, it still appears as though it will be some time before the flying drone is the preferred, practica

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Book of Secrets on the Month-End Close

Based off SkyStem's popular e-Book, the book of secrets to the month-end close will be revealed in this one-hour webinar. Learn leading practices when it comes to building a strong and sustainable month-end close that has room to grow and evolve. Learn about the power of precise estimates, why reconciliations are critical to closing the books, how and when to automate, and how the chart of accounts play into your close process.

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Drones In Reno Will Now Bring You Slurpees From 7-Eleven

PYMNTS

A tech startup called Flirtey has beaten Amazon’s ambitious drone delivery efforts by making the first U.S. drone delivery to a customer’s home, according to TechCrunch. And what did it deliver? Slurpees from 7-Eleven , apparently. OK, the delivery also included a chicken sandwich, donuts, coffee and some candy. But if we had drone delivery service , we’d probably order a Slurpee right now, too.

Nevada 44
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Misinvoicing Costing Nations Billions, Warns UNCTAD

PYMNTS

Invoice mistakes are costly. For many organizations, errors across the accounts payable and accounts receivable processes can range from mismatched data between invoice and purchase order to misstated prices, often attributed to manual data entry. And for most businesses, these errors lead to time and money spent on the resolution process. Other times, misinvoicing is the work of cybercriminals against individual firms.

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Making Donations An Impulse Purchase

PYMNTS

Because many nonprofit organizations fundraise at fairs, races, roadside stands and other on-the-go locations, cash has long been their only acceptable method of payment. As a growing number of consumers abandon paper currency for cards and digital solutions, however, many charities are looking to cash in on more advanced payment methods. This means expanding beyond their cash-only roots.

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Is Fast Fashion Fizzling?

PYMNTS

For a while there, it really did look like fast fashion was actually reshaping the fashion retail business , because if millennials want anything, it’s ever more options. But as sales at some of the more popular fast-fashion brands begin to cool off or slow down and retailers increasingly shift their gaze to the coveted generation after millennials — we’re calling them Gen Z now — it appears more and more as though the fast fashion craze was just that — a fad with no real staying power.

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How To Break Digital Transformation Barriers And Accelerate AI Adoption

Speaker: Anna Tiomina, MBA

AI is reshaping industries, yet finance remains one of the slowest adopters. Concerns over compliance, legacy systems, and data silos have made finance teams hesitant to embrace AI-driven transformation. But delaying adoption isn’t just about efficiency—it’s about staying competitive in a rapidly evolving landscape. How can finance leaders overcome these challenges and start leveraging AI effectively?