Sat.Apr 18, 2020 - Fri.Apr 24, 2020

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Texas Hotelier Nets $59M In PPP Loans

PYMNTS

The biggest benefactor of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is a Dallas, Texas-based hotelier named Monty Bennett, who has received $59 million from the program intended to help small or medium-sized businesses with the economic crisis. Bennett is the chair of Ashford Hospitality Trust , which manages a number of hotels including Atlanta’s Ritz Carlton and the Marriott Beverly Hills.

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The Paycheck Protection Program and Loan Forgiveness

Katz,Sapper&Miller

The CARES Act (the “Act”) hallmark provision is the potential for loan forgiveness under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). As PPP funds are received by businesses, now is the time to strategize for maximum loan forgiveness. The PPP has been advertised as a grant, and, in many respects, it can function like one. However, the onus is on businesses to earn 100% loan forgiveness.

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IRS $1,200 Stimulus: Why Your Check Is Not In The Mail

PYMNTS

If your $1,200 federal COVID-19 stimulus payment has been deposited into your bank account by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), consider yourself one of the lucky ones. An IRS spokesman told PYMNTS that only about 80 million payouts – about half of the expected total – had been issued as of last Friday (April 17). That leaves many taxpayers waiting, but the spokesman couldn’t provide a schedule of when payments will be issued.

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Royal Bank Of Canada Rolls Out Digital ID Verification For Account Opening

PYMNTS

COVID-19 has changed daily routines around the world as more consumers have had to stay at home, only venturing out into public for necessities. This is leading companies of all kinds to navigate how to reach them remotely. Financial institutions (FIs) are among the entities that are working to securely meet clients where they are through mobile and online channels to complete tasks that would more often be completed in person.

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The Human Side of Finance: The Intersectionality of People, Culture, Adaptability, and Resilience

Speaker: Melissa Hurrington

Finance isn’t just about the numbers. It’s about the people behind them. In a world of constant disruption, resilient finance teams aren’t just operationally efficient. They are adaptable, engaged, and deeply connected to a strong organizational culture. Success lies at the intersection of people, culture, adaptability, and resilience. Finance leaders who master this balance will build teams that thrive through uncertainty and drive long-term business impact.

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Marriott Plans For Reopening And Keeping Guests, Workers Safe From COVID-19

PYMNTS

Arne Sorenson, Marriott International Inc.’s CEO, said the deadly coronavirus pandemic will change the experience of staying in a hotel — at least temporarily — according to a report by Bloomberg. He told Bloomberg Television’s Leadership Live broadcast on Monday (April 20) no one knows when the lodging industry will rebound from impacts of COVID-19.

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The Race To The Cloud: Will Digital Banks Win?

PYMNTS

Financial institutions (FIs) are feeling the pressure to offer increasingly personalized, digital-first services to keep customers satisfied. Crafting the seamlessness customers want means FIs are overhauling their digital infrastructures to enable access to fast, interactive and engaging banking experiences. More banks are therefore moving away from legacy core systems to embrace cloud-native architectures to power automation and meet the speed expected by consumers, securely.

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Stemming The SIM-Swapping Tide In Fraud Friendlier Times

PYMNTS

While being the victim of fraud is never good, there is something to be said for at least being able to identify where exactly one went wrong. Clicked the wrong link in an email, trusted the wrong authoritative voice on the other end of the phone, downloaded the wrong app hiding a malicious little piece of malware. It doesn’t make the resulting data theft any more pleasant, but at least one can hope to learn something and resolve to do better in the future.

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SoFi Deals Point To Question: ‘Just What’s a Bank?’

PYMNTS

The rise of FinTech, the increasing globalization of finance — and even ravages of the coronavirus, which is making us all bank and transact across phones — all have pointed to one simple, urgent question: Just what is a bank, anyway? We wouldn’t go so far as to say an existential crisis is in the works. But we would state that deal by deal, partnership by partnership, the evolution of the centuries-old industry is one that is quickening and is likely to be shaped at least in part by the current

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Why AI’s Early Adopters Are Laser-Focused On Credit Risk And Payments

PYMNTS

There is a great deal of economic uncertainty in the world today, as many banking managers and executives are acutely aware. These circumstances have brought to the fore what has long been a central concern for lenders: assessing and managing credit risk. This vital task is complicated even in normal times due to the multitude of financial risk factors in play at any given time.

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Deep Dive: How Banks Use Digital Technologies To Outlast The Coronavirus

PYMNTS

The coronavirus outbreak is still ravaging countries worldwide, but it has not eliminated consumers’ and businesses’ need to transact, finalize complex arrangements like trusts, or speak with their bankers about financial products. Financial institutions (FIs) are thus confronted with having to serve customers who can rarely venture outside amid stay-at-home and quarantine directives but may need to visit physical branches to complete certain actions.

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Maximizing Profit and Productivity: The New Era of AI-Powered Accounting

Speaker: Yohan Lobo

In the accounting world, staying ahead means embracing the tools that allow you to work smarter, not harder. Outdated processes and disconnected systems can hold your organization back, but the right technologies can help you streamline operations, boost productivity, and improve client delivery. Dive into the strategies and innovations transforming accounting practices.

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Oxford, Mastercard To Launch Online Course On Digital Ethics, Privacy, AI

PYMNTS

A partnership between The University of Oxford , Saïd Business School and Mastercard will launch an online education program to teach business leaders about the strengths and perils of the modern day internet. Called the Oxford Cyber Future Program , the six-week class will cover artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, threat analytics, data privacy and digital ethics, a press release states.

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Payments Startup Paay Left 2.5M Credit Card Info Exposed

PYMNTS

Paay, a startup credit card database storing millions of transactions, has been unsecured for weeks and only now closed again, according to a TechCrunch report. The database works with other payment processors, verifying payments to make sure there is no fraud going on for outside vendors. Paay’s mistake was not having a password installed on its server, which allowed anyone to see the data inside.

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Picking The Gig Economy’s Winners And Losers

PYMNTS

In some ways, the rapid onset of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. and around the world has meant massive changes for the gig economy — both for the platforms that power it and the workers that staff it. But the effects of those changes complex and nuanced, Wonolo Head of Supply Monica Plaza noted during PYMNTS’s latest On The Agenda conversation with Payoneer CEO Scott Galit; Roadie Founder and CEO Marc Gorlin; and Karen Webster.

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Helping Entrepreneurs Reimagine A Borderless Economy

PYMNTS

While the digital age has opened up doors for businesses to expand internationally, it’s a bit misleading to say that it’s easier than ever for small firms to step foot into new geographic markets. Online-native companies and the cloud-based applications they run on have indeed lowered barriers for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to connect with customers, business partners and even employees across borders.

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Smarter Card Solutions: Meeting the Challenges of Mid-Market Travel & Expense

Our 2025 Center Travel Survey is clear: as corporate travel increases, so does corporate credit cards distribution, and a rise in off-platform travel booking. This 61% rise causes various challenges: compliance, spend control, reporting problems, and a lack of visibility across organizations. To evolve with the ever-changing needs of travelers, decision-makers need a better solution.

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Ripple Files Lawsuit Against YouTube For Not Removing Crypto Scams Fast Enough

PYMNTS

Ripple announced on Tuesday (April 21) that it is filing a lawsuit against YouTube , alleging that the popular video platform isn’t doing its due diligence to identify and remove crypto-related scams, according to a company blog post. Ripple said it wants to protect its customers from disingenuous online giveaways and impersonations pretending to be from the company.

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Getting The Plumbing Ready For Banking-As-A-Service

PYMNTS

In times of turmoil, you go toward whom you trust. The coronavirus pandemic — which has forced all of us online — is exposing just who in financial services has embraced digitization, and who is truly digital native. We now must bank entirely online, by necessity. And many of us must transact entirely online, by necessity, to get the goods and services we need on a daily basis.

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How Banks Have Adapted Their Digital Banking Systems To Serve Customers During The Pandemic

PYMNTS

Branch visits are vital to customers’ financial lifestyles, despite mobile and online banking’s growing popularity. All generations, including 64 percent of baby boomers and 56 percent of those from Generation Z, largely prefer opening accounts in person rather than doing so online, for example, meaning in-branch experiences at financial institutions (FIs) need to be just as advanced as their online offerings.

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Lord & Taylor Joins Retail Bankruptcy Watch

PYMNTS

The retail bankruptcy watch intensified Tuesday (April 21) as the department store sector was hit by reports of yet another major player looking at that option. Lord & Taylor, now joining Neiman Marcus, is considering a bankruptcy filing as the COVID-19 lockdown continues to decimate non-essential retail. According to Reuters , chapter 11 protection is one of several options being explored including relief from creditors and alternative financing.

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Say ‘Goodbye’ to Clunky Spreadsheets and Say ‘Hello’ to Month-End Automation

Technology is rapidly changing the way accountants perform and manage month-end activities. Spreadsheets, emails, and shared drives no longer need to slow you down. In under four weeks, your team can start reaping the benefits of month-end close automation by vastly reducing spreadsheets, cut down on reconciliation work, speed up the month-end close, and better manage your remote team.

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NEW DATA: How We Will Change: Consumers And Life After COVID-19

PYMNTS

California became the first state to issue a stay-at-home order on March 19. All 50 states have since issued social distancing guidelines, with consumers everywhere wondering when the mandates will be lifted, when the economy will reopen and whether it will be possible to resume living their pre-COVID-19 lives. But regardless of their states of residence, consumers’ lives had already changed dramatically since the pandemic was first announced.

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Allstate On Using AI To Fight Insurance Claims Fraud

PYMNTS

Cybersecurity experts are scrambling to fight the sheer number of different digital fraud forms that are on the rise, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated this problem. Approximately 22 percent of U.S. consumers have been targeted by fraud attempts related to the virus, such as phishing emails claiming to be guidance on how to avoid infection that actually contain malware.

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Expedia Agrees To $1.2B Deal, Names New CEO

PYMNTS

Expedia Group has announced a new CEO and said it has agreed to a buyout, according to The Wall Street Journal. Vice Chairman Peter Kern will take the helm of Expedia, which contains Travelocity, Orbitz and Vrbo under its umbrella, and has been without a CEO since last December. Acting Chief Financial Officer Eric Hart will now serve in his role permanently.

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How Today’s COVID-19 Pivots Are Paving The Way For Tomorrow’s Innovations

PYMNTS

Inertia is a powerful force in the world of payments and commerce, and one that explains the persistence of things that seem like they should have been disrupted long ago. Paper checks , the biweekly pay cycle, contact-based payments — the technology has long existed to banish those antiquated ideas and replace them with a digitized variation that is faster, smoother, more accessible and more secure.

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Outsourcing Vs. In-House: The Ultimate Battle For Better Collections

Speaker: Susan Richards

Your past-due accounts are growing, cash flow is tightening, and the pressure is on. The big question: Do you handle the collections internally or outsource to experts? Both strategies come with advantages and risks - but which one delivers the best impact for your business? In this session we’ll dive deep into the in-house vs. outsourcing debate, examining cost-effectiveness, efficiency, compliance risks, and overall recovery success rates.

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Hard Rock CEO: Tourists Need To Come Back For Business To Recover

PYMNTS

Hard Rock International is not expecting business to rebound before 2021. “There’s going to be a real challenge, especially here in the United States, as far as ramping the business back up,” Hard Rock Chairman James Allen told CNBC Wednesday (April 22) regarding the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. “We’re planning on that taking a year.”. Founded in London in 1971 and based in Florida, Hard Rock operates hotels, casinos and restaurants in 76 countries, according to the Hard Rock website.

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Starbucks Among 19 Firms Trialing China’s Digital Yuan

PYMNTS

The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) is launching a pilot program to trial its new digital currency yuan with 19 local businesses, including the U.S. chains Starbucks, Subway and McDonald’s. The digital currency trial is being held in Xiong’an New Area, a city being built south of Beijing. China is the first country to launch a central bank digital currency (CBDC) or digital currency electronic payment (DCEP).

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Deep Dive: COVID-19 Spurs Biometric Innovations For A Contactless Global Society

PYMNTS

Global concern over the coronavirus spreading on contaminated surfaces in public places is unleashing rapid development of innovative biometric products that could assist a touchless society. The New York City Police Department recently stopped using its fingerprint identification security procedure for employees entering buildings, for example, contributing to a spike in demand for contactless identification alternatives.

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Cannabis Companies Would Be Eligible For COVID-19 Relief Under Bill

PYMNTS

Representatives from Colorado and Oregon, states known for liberal cannabis laws, want the cannabis industry to be included in future Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) legislation. Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Ed Perlmutter (D-CO) introduced legislation this week to ensure that that happens, allowing cannabis companies to be eligible for the PPP, along with Economic Injury Disaster Loans and other emergency loan advances.

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AP Automation: The Competitive Advantage Your Business Needs

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 technology to drive productivity and cost savings. So, how do you make the case for automation within your organization?

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Helping Banks Get Rid Of ‘Technical Debt’

PYMNTS

Call it “technology debt” — legacy systems and architecture, hardware and software — that has to be worked down. As banks increasingly go digital, as they seek to leverage mobile devices to reach consumers where they live — and especially as the coronavirus has kept us all hunkered down and sheltered in place — they’ve got to pay down their technical debt.

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How Curve, Neat Are Keeping Up With Customers’ Digital Banking Needs

PYMNTS

Digital transformation is essential for financial institutions’ (FIs) success, but what such a transformation entails has shifted in recent years. Consumers and small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are not just searching for financial partners with online platforms and mobile apps, but rather those offering such tools with greater degrees of efficiency, personalization and support for their specific needs.

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Bitcoin Daily: Alleged Chinese Crypto Mining Scam Nets $11M

PYMNTS

An alleged new digital currency Ponzi scheme out of China, Antimatter Kingdom (AK), has seemingly brought in bitcoin valued at $11 million in under a single month of operation, Cointelegraph reported. AK reportedly called itself “a super mining application group” running on the CXC chain with its rollout in April. It maintains that it has taken in 180,000 bitcoins, but it seems that the effort brought a figure nearer to $11 million in bitcoin.

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Corporates Play Payment Rail Musical Chairs

PYMNTS

The coronavirus pandemic has some organizations playing payment rails musical chairs in their accounts payable (AP) departments as they adjust payment strategies (and methods) to suit their needs in a volatile, remote working environment. For many AP teams, the paper check has presented immediate challenges with staff no longer able to step into the office to print and send checks (and no one on the accounts receivable end to accept them).

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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.