PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 14, 2018

A good forecast is a notoriously difficult thing to write – particularly if one is trying to write it about the payments and commerce ecosystem. Had we told the world a year ago today that Amazon was going to buy Whole Foods, that Walmart Pay would surpass Apple Pay as a consistently favored mobile payment method, that CES would essentially become a showdown between Alexa and Google Assistant, that Uber would take a major valuation haircut in its next funding round, that bitcoin was going to be

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Retail Technology Maine Finance 79

Katz,Sapper&Miller

FEBRUARY 16, 2018

With the introduction of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA), many veterinary hospital owners are wondering how the new law will impact the industry and how their hospitals can prepare. The following is a summary of key provisions in the new law and the implications for veterinary hospital businesses and the individuals who own them.

Hospitality 40

Hospitality Tax 40

PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 14, 2018

Western Union reported results Tuesday that showed continued momentum in its digital business, as consumer money transfers grew on a cross-border basis. The company posted 4 percent growth in the top line to $1.4 billion, which topped the Street by $40 million, while earnings of 41 cents a share missed the Street by four pennies. In remarks made on the earnings call , Hikmet Ersek, president and CEO of the company, said that the improvement in the top line came amid improved spend in the company

Government 78

Government Retail Sales Technology 78

PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 15, 2018

The conversation around B2B payments innovation and progress cannot be held without the banks. Sure, FinTechs are flocking to the industry to play their part in disruption, but traditional FIs have to be involved in addressing and solving the many, many points of friction that plague corporate payments today, from late invoice payments to clunky cross-border transactions.

B2B 65

B2B accounting and finance Finance Education 65

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.

Finance

PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 12, 2018

Transaction banking products provider Intellect Global Transaction Banking (iGTB) and cloud-based software solutions firm Pivotal are partnering to enhance corporate banking technology for businesses in the U.S. and U.K. The companies made an announcement Friday (Feb. 9) noting iGTB will lend its cash management platform, CBX 18, to Pivotal clients via its Pivotal Cloud Foundry cloud platforms.

Technology 63

Technology B2B 63

PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 14, 2018

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) have a problem. While SMB owners may be expert bakers, carpenters or designers, managing the back office activities that keep the business on an even keel is typically not their forte. That’s especially true when it comes to getting paid for their work, a process that can drag between getting invoices out and getting payments in.

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PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 13, 2018

Oracle is rolling out new mobile apps deploying artificial intelligence (AI) targeted at chief financial officers (CFOs) and other corporate finance professionals. The company issued a press release on Tuesday (Feb. 13) announcing the launch of its new Oracle Adaptive Intelligent Applications for ERP (enterprise resource planning). The tools aim to enhance existing solutions in the enterprise via automation and can be applied to an array of processes, including procurement, financial management

Finance 54

Finance B2B 54

PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 12, 2018

In a world where we’re bombarded daily — even hourly — by data points on everything from stock prices and market cap to retail sales and consumer spending to cryptocurrency’s ups and downs to the impact of innovation on the future of payments, commerce and financial services, we’re all just flying blind when it comes to the things that really matter to businesses and consumers.

Manufacturing 54

Manufacturing Retail Pharmaceutical Sales 54

PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 16, 2018

FedEx said on Thursday (Feb. 15) that it has found no evidence that private customer data was “misappropriated” when it was made visible on an unsecured server earlier in February. According to news from Reuters, the server that was made visible contained more than 119,000 scanned documents from U.S. and international citizens, including passports, driver’s licenses and security identification.

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accountant accounted Account 51

PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 14, 2018

eCommerce marketplace eBay will add new augmented reality (AR) features this year to make shopping on its site more engaging. As a result, the auction site is at work on a new AR kit, Fortune reported. With the kit, eBay could let shoppers see how something would look — like a set of new tires on a car — before bidding on or buying an item. It could also help sellers choose the right box size for an item by showing an image of a box over an item for sale.

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Retail Sales Technology 51

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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.

Technology

PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 16, 2018

While there’s been much hype surrounding venture capitalists’ growing attention on B2B FinTech, this year has largely been lackluster for the industry. This week, however, B2B startups enjoyed a solid moment of funding, as familiar names like Tipalti were joined by newcomers like Zervant to address an array of business finance needs. We break down where $77.5 million landed this week (including the blockchain company that secured most of it) below.

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B2B accounts payable Accounts Payable Automation Technology 49

PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 14, 2018

Talking about personal finance is never easy. Talking about personal finance with voice-activated assistants might not be easy, either, unless access to and management of data – oh, and interaction between user and device, of course – are seamless. As anyone who has used an Alexa skill might know, the movement toward conversational finance, or financial conversations, is a tricky one, as specific instructions or questions (okay, they are commands, really) have traditionally been needed to spur t

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PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 16, 2018

PepsiCo turned some heads with its quarterly earnings call announcement that it would take some of its tax reform windfall and reinvest it in improving the firm’s eCommerce efforts. According to PepsiCo CEO Indra K. Nooyi, that decision is entirely bottom line-driven – eCommerce was good for Pepsi last year. She told investors during the earnings call that Pepsi’s investment in “eCommerce across multiple channels, from e-grocery, to direct to consumer, to pure play, helped drive exception

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PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 14, 2018

An alternative lending conglomerate based in the U.K. just secured more than $97 million through an initial public offering. TruFin reportedly raised the funds via its float on the London Stock Exchange, according to BQ Live on Tuesday (Feb. 13). The firm is the holding company for an array of FinTech companies operating in supply chain finance, invoice finance and the dynamic discounting market.

Finance 49

Finance Government Technology B2B 49

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.

payroll

PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 12, 2018

As Amazon gears up to compete with rivals in Brazil, the eCommerce retailer is reportedly seeking to lease a 50,000-square-meter warehouse near São Paulo. The potential investment indicates that Amazon may soon distribute electronics and other goods sold on its Brazilian website, Reuters reported. Currently, third parties ship their own goods sold on Amazon’s marketplace in Brazil.

Retail 49

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PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 12, 2018

Supply chain managers are less than impressed with the current solutions in place for cost analysis. New research from the Association for Supply Chain Management (APICS) and the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) finds these professionals are struggling to grasp the insight they need into how much their companies spend on goods and services.

accounting and finance 48

accounting and finance Finance CPA accounting system 48

PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 16, 2018

Driven by demand for the iPhone X, Apple captured 51 percent of the revenue in the world’s wholesale smartphone market. Sales of its iPhones topped more than $60 billion in the fourth quarter of 2017, which was approximately seven times higher than sales of Huawei’s smartphones , MacRumors reported. Apple’s global wholesale smartphone revenue reached $61.4 billion in the fourth quarter of 2017.

Sales 47

Sales Manufacturing Retail Technology 47

PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 12, 2018

For nearly three decades, customers of McDonald’s have been able to buy burgers, fries and chance to play an in-house game of McDonald’s Monopoly. By collecting playing pieces earned through purchases, customers can get a tasty meal — and maybe win something along the way. But McDonald’s doesn’t rest on its laurels; it has to continually adapt the game to changing consumer tastes.

Gaming 47

Gaming Maine Sales Technology 47

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.

Finance

PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 16, 2018

WeChat Pay, the mobile payment arm of China’s WeChat, is running promotions to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year, also referred to as the Spring Festival. Mobile Payments Today reported that WeChat Pay will provide Chinese tourists with the chance to receive a red packet, which is a traditional monetary gift, when they shop at merchants that are participating in the promotion during the Spring Festival.

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PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 15, 2018

Think small, goes the saying, to effect big change. For community banks serving small- to mid-sized businesses (SMBs), training an eye on credit cards can translate into additional revenue streams and tap into an unmet need for those SMBs. There’s a lot of runway here. As noted in a whitepaper commissioned by ICBA Bancard and Visa, surveying more than 3,400 SMBs, A.T.

Education 47

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PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 14, 2018

Today is Valentine’s Day, and although the hours grow short, there is still time to get the special someone a special something. We all know the classics, of course, flowers, chocolates and jewelry tend to make up the love trifecta on our national annual celebration of love, with stuffed animals and lingerie getting the annual honorable mention.

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Technology Government Start-ups 47

PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 12, 2018

Ending poverty, fighting cancer, and bringing women into tech fields: all in a day’s work, along with simpler pleasures like reading a book with one’s child each night or adopting a pet from a shelter. These are the sorts of everyday extraordinary experiences Mastercard says it wants to promote with its “Start Something Priceless” campaign — a campaign which launched Jan. 18 and which last week extended its reach into Pebble Beach Resorts as Mastercard was announced as the resorts’ Official Paym

Start-ups 47

Start-ups Technology Sports New York 47

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.

CPA

PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 15, 2018

One of the newest technologies in FinTech is coming to one of the oldest American outdoor gear brands. Now arriving at L.L. Bean ? The blockchain. Through a pilot this year, the retailer plans to design coats and boots with sensors which will interface with an ethereum-based platform. A New York company, Loomia , will make the circuits for the items — and hardware that utilizes near-field communication (NFC) technology to collect data.

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New Hampshire Retail New York Technology 46

PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 16, 2018

If decentralization is everything in blockchain, what does that mean beyond just the transaction — for the actual sharing of data, of things of value, of content itself? One company, Viewly, based in Slovenia, seeks to bring a token and blockchain-based model to the video content realm, leveraging a patronage model to bring together creators and their audience, however niche (and nascent) they might be.

E-commerce 46

E-commerce Education Technology 46

PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 12, 2018

ANZ, one of Australia’s largest banks, is set to doll out nearly $8 billion in refunds to small business customers using the FI’s commercial card products. Reports in Dynamic Business on Friday (Feb. 9) said the refunds will be paid out across 52,000 credit card accounts held by business customers as a result of failure to disclose fees and interest charges.

Gaming 46

Gaming accountant accounted Account 46

PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 12, 2018

WeTravel launched in 2016 as a payment platform to help enterprising travelers and small travel companies collect money when they organize their own travel itineraries for friends or other groups. Now, the company is expanding with fresh seed funding. According to TechCrunch reports from Friday (Feb. 9), WeTravel closed a $2 million seed funding round from The House Fund and former TubeMogul chief executive Brett Wilson; 500 Startups, Amino Capital and the First Round Capital Dorm Room Fund, as

B2B 46

B2B 46

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

Spend Management

PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 16, 2018

Uber is reportedly gearing up to sell its ridesharing business in Southeast Asia to Singapore-based Grab. In return, Uber would obtain a substantial stake in Grab, sources close to the potential deal told CNBC. Still, Uber and Grab have not reached a deal as of the writing of this article. And it is not clear when, or if, the companies might do so. But, if the deal goes through, it would be in line with Uber’s previous moves.

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PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 14, 2018

SAP is rolling out a new solution to help companies detect fraudulent transactions and mitigate risk. The cloud company said Tuesday (Feb. 13) that its SAP Business Integrity Screening application is now available to address financial risk within business transactions. The solution analyzes data to detect any anomalies in payments and to predict potential future fraud and compliance risks.

Finance 45

Finance B2B 45

PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 14, 2018

Thanks in part to a rising number of mortgage loans, the debt levels of Americans increased during the last three months of 2017. Reuters, citing the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, reported that household debt for the U.S. hit $13.15 trillion in the fourth quarter ending in December, which is a $193 billion increase from the third quarter. On a year-over-year basis, the household debt of Americans was $402 billion higher than the fourth quarter of 2016.

Real Estate 44

Real Estate New York Maine 44

PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 12, 2018

Following an announcement from an Italian cryptocurrency exchange that $200 million worth of virtual currency was stolen from its servers, investors and developers are taking in the news with skepticism, RT stated. BitGrail reported that 17 million Nano coins have been stolen through unauthorized transfers. With a value of above $11 a token, the stolen amount would be worth around $200 million.

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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.