PYMNTS

JUNE 21, 2018

A connected world is a convenient world for both work and play. Too often, however, the price of convenience is privacy. If data within the Internet of Things (IoT) is not secured properly, it puts people’s overall safety in jeopardy — and it’s not just about loss of sensitive personal data. In fact, according to UL , the even greater threat is that an attacker could take over the functionality of poorly secured devices.

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Technology Manufacturing Start-ups 79

Katz,Sapper&Miller

JUNE 21, 2018

As the clock struck midnight Wednesday, March 14, chaos ensued at the Indiana Statehouse. Having not addressed several important topics – such as school safety, school finance, and tax reform – during the 2018 Indiana legislative session, Gov. Holcomb called the Indiana General Assembly back for a one-day special legislative session. This special session ended May 14 with the passage of only five bills.

Indiana 40

Indiana Tax Finance 40

PYMNTS

JUNE 21, 2018

What’s a currency to do when it can take down the internet ? Gain in price, amid growing clamor for it, of course. No need to trace the minute details of bitcoin’s pricing. $6,500 or $6,600. Maybe more. Maybe less, and maybe a lot more or a lot less. Check back with us in a few minutes! Beyond the vagaries of price — where some watch technicals, looking for a “floor” or a “peak” and signs amid volatility and rolling averages — fundamentals matter.

New York 65

New York Start-ups Finance Sales 65

PYMNTS

JUNE 20, 2018

Banks are turning to digital technology to enhance the customer experience — and reduce payment friction — in an effort to boost top and bottom lines. In meetings and calls with analysts last week, executives from top banks such as Bank of America , JPMorgan Chase and Citi — along with payment companies such as Visa — explained how they are leveraging technology to drive innovation.

Technology 60

Technology Ohio Washington B2B 60

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

JUNE 22, 2018

As BBVA steps up its digital efforts, the bank is merging its Beeva and i4S units to form a company called BBVA Next Technologies. The company’s 1,200 tech workers will focus on areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), the blockchain and cloud computing, according to their press release. “BBVA Next Technologies is a company that specialises in emerging and disruptive technologies, that strives to stay ahead of the curve, looks at the future and aims to recruit the best tech talent,” BB

Technology 57

Technology 57

PYMNTS

JUNE 21, 2018

Putting a digital spin on makeup try-ons, L’Oréal is using augmented reality (AR) to enable beauty advisers to virtually put suggested products on a customer’s face as part of a consultation. The feature, which is dubbed Live Makeup Consultation, will launch for L’Oréal’s NYX Cosmetics brand, Retail Dive reported. With L’Oréal’s technology, customers can ask for product recommendations through video chat.

Technology 56

Technology Retail 56

PYMNTS

JUNE 18, 2018

Walmart has been awarded three patents for blockchain-backed technology, according to a report Monday (June 18) in Cryptovest. One of the patents covers a system that would let households manage their electricity bills through cryptocurrency, and would be operated with a public blockchain. “Currently, energy providers deliver energy to locations that inefficiently use the energy, which leads to increased energy costs for consumers,” the Walmart patent filing said.

Retail 56

Retail Technology 56

PYMNTS

JUNE 21, 2018

What is the key to meeting consumers’ payment preferences? According to a survey of 2,300 respondents, it all comes down to the three Cs: convenience, certainty and choice, the latest edition of the Disbursement Satisfaction Index reveals. In terms of convenience, speed is priority. When it comes to getting paid, consumers want quick and easy access to their funds – without the common frictions involved with a paper check.

accountant 55

accountant accounted Account Maine 55

PYMNTS

JUNE 19, 2018

Pity the poor fraudster. Fraud has no choice but to roll with the punches, and the flurries are enough to daze a boxer as skilled as Ali. Get a toehold in a consumer’s account with a card and whammo, here comes EMV. Grab a piece of an ID and blam! Machine learning rears its mechanical head. We’re being tongue in cheek, of course. We pity no fraudsters.

Gaming 55

Gaming Sales accounted Account 55

PYMNTS

JUNE 21, 2018

Facebook announced that it is testing out subscriptions with a small number of groups to support group admins who lead the communities. “Group admins build safe and supportive communities that people come back to every day,” wrote Alex Deve, Product Director, Groups, at Facebook. “We know that admins invest their time and energy to maintain their groups, and some have told us that they would like tools to help them continue to invest in their community and offer more to members.”.

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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

JUNE 20, 2018

Perhaps not since the adoption of chip and PIN payments has there existed so much potential for disruption in the point-of-sale market. The rise of mom-and-pop entrepreneurs, the coffee truck operators, craft makers and others has opened the door for the smaller POS operators to capture new business. That’s how Andrew Byrne, chief operating officer at London-based payment services firm myPOS , told it during a recent interview with PYMNTS.

Construction 54

Construction Sales Technology Government 54

PYMNTS

JUNE 21, 2018

It’s one of the ideals of payments and commerce, a vision that drives so much research and experimentation: Making it through a store checkout lane without fishing for a card or waving a mobile phone, or even checking into a hotel after an exhausting flight without producing a driver’s license and credit card to gain access to the room. Transactions anchored around biometrics , and biometrics only, represent a seemingly utopian future that seems to get closer every year.

Florida 51

Florida Retail Technology 51

PYMNTS

JUNE 19, 2018

Big-name eTailers like Amazon, eBay and Walmart have made it easier than ever to buy just about anything online. When it comes to shopping for big-ticket items like pre-used or new commercial vehicles, though, the online shopping process is anything but easy. In fact, it is frequently rife with friction. For sellers, the process might entail anxiously waiting to receive payments.

Real Estate 51

Real Estate Sales accounting and finance Construction 51

PYMNTS

JUNE 21, 2018

As the world continues its path to becoming more digital, risks are increasingly finding their way into transaction processes, and that calls for a different approach to transaction monitoring. FinTech companies have been doing their best to take disruptive approaches that are more automated and efficient than those of their traditional financial services counterparts.

Start-ups 51

Start-ups Government 51

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

JUNE 18, 2018

Emailage , the online fraud prevention startup that uses email addresses to assess risk, announced this week that it’s expanding its geographical footprint and establishing new offices in regions of interest, which has included strategic hires and reappointments. The news is significant because, although Emailage had customers in Asia Pacific (APAC) and Europe, the Middle East and Asia (EMEA), it has not always had a formal presence there.

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accountant accounted Account 51

PYMNTS

JUNE 18, 2018

Square , the payments company founded by Jack Dorsey, has received a license to enable residents in New York state to buy and sell bitcoin via its Cash App. In a press release , the New York State Department of Financial Services Superintendent Maria T. Vullo said the agency approved Square ‘s application for a virtual currency license. The payments company has a money-transmitter license from the Department of Financial Services (DFS).

New York 51

New York 51

PYMNTS

JUNE 20, 2018

Danny Meyer is defending his restaurant group’s decision to test out cashless transactions, saying they are not looking to exclude prospective guests. Meyer owns Union Square Hospitality Group , and five of its restaurants are now cashless: Daily Provisions , Martina , Caffe Marchio , Vini e Fritti and Tacocina. In addition, Shake Shack had previously experimented with going cashless at one location.

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Hospitality accountant accounted Account 50

PYMNTS

JUNE 19, 2018

WhatsApp , the Facebook-owned messaging app that counts more than 200 million monthly users, has launched a payments feature in India during the past several months which now has around a million users. According to a report in Quartz citing sources, WhatsApp is in the process of fixing any issues with the payment feature and adding more functionality during beta testing of the service, which kicked off in February.

Start-ups 50

Start-ups Government accountant accounted 50

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

JUNE 19, 2018

PayPal said on Tuesday (June 19) that it will buy payments payout platform Hyperwallet for $400 million in cash. The deal will give PayPal greater strength in eCommerce and online marketplaces, PayPal said in a statement. Marketplace sales accounted for 50 percent of all online sales in 2017, according to an estimate provided by PayPal. “eCommerce platforms and marketplaces are leveling the retail playing field by connecting buyers who have specific needs with groups of sellers that can meet the

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Retail Sales accounted accountant 50

PYMNTS

JUNE 21, 2018

Source-to-pay solutions provider Zycus is teaming up with CRM software firm Salesforce to enhance its own digital transformation strategy, the companies announced Wednesday (June 20). Zycus said it will use Salesforce’s marketing automation solution Pardot to enhance customer engagement and acquisition in India. “B2B marketing automation is the best way to make sure an entire organization is aligned around the customer journey — from awareness to acquisition, to advocacy teams,”

Technology 49

Technology B2B Sales 49

PYMNTS

JUNE 21, 2018

Sources say Robinhood Markets is in talks with regulators about offering banking services to its more than 4 million users. According to Bloomberg , one source claims that the California-based firm is engaging in conversations with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, which charters and regulates all national banks and federal savings associations.

accounting and finance 49

accounting and finance California Start-ups Finance 49

PYMNTS

JUNE 20, 2018

Workplace , the enterprise communications app owned by Facebook , announced Wednesday (June 20) that it has launched Workplace For Good, which gives Workplace Premium free to nonprofits and staff at educational institutions around the globe. In a blog post , Workplace said the goal is to help nonprofits and educational institutions create change around the world. “Over the last 18 months, we’ve seen thousands of nonprofits and educational institutions transform the way they work on our pla

Education 49

Education Technology 49

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

JUNE 20, 2018

Following a beta accessible by invitation only, Amazon is rolling out Prime Wardrobe to all of its U.S. Prime customers. An executive with Amazon said the idea behind the service was to take the “pain points” out of shopping, ABC News reported. Kate Dimmock, the fashion director at Amazon Fashion, told ABC News, “What we kept hearing from our customers was that they wanted to shop for fashion with us, but they wanted to try things on.

Retail 49

Retail Sales 49

PYMNTS

JUNE 20, 2018

The U.K.’s accounting watchdog, the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), has now levied more fines in two days than it has in the entirety of 2017, according to Bloomberg reports on Tuesday (June 19). The FRC issued fines totaling $19 million against PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and KPMG last week, while the regulator also sent KPMG an unprecedented warning that its auditing processes are subpar.

institute of chartered accountants 49

institute of chartered accountants Account accounted accountant 49

PYMNTS

JUNE 20, 2018

Warehouse clubs are designing smaller stores , with a focus on omnichannel features and a carefully chosen selection. They are also seeking to borrow from Amazon by offering free shipping benefits to members. In the restaurant space, third-party aggregators are becoming a popular preference as QSRs are turning to in-store kiosks. And gig workers are expected to be a large chunk of overall U.S. income this year. 32,000: The square footage of a new Sam’s Club store in Texas, with a smaller select

Texas 48

Texas Retail 48

PYMNTS

JUNE 20, 2018

There are only so many new variations of coffee for the summer: There’s cold brew, nitro and … and citrus-flavored coffee soda? Keepers Co. seeks to shake up the cold coffee beverage industry by putting a spin on a beverage once confined to, say, french vanilla or hazelnut. “We’re trying to change the perception of what coffee could be,” Keepers Co.

New York 48

New York Start-ups Retail 48

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

JUNE 21, 2018

States can collect sales taxes from online retailers thanks to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Thursday (June 21) that addressed one of the most controversial and longstanding issues in eCommerce. The 5-4 decision essentially overturns the court’s 1992 ruling that states can collect sales taxes only from retailers that maintain a physical presence in those states.

South Dakota 47

South Dakota Sales Tax North Dakota 47

PYMNTS

JUNE 18, 2018

Sometime in the near future, a gig economy or remote worker who lives in an apartment building in Austin, Texas might start their day like this: They will leave their apartment and walk downstairs to a coffee shop where they will grab an iced latte. Instead of having to leave the building to travel to a coworking space, they will simply walk past the coffee bar to their desk at a coworking space — within their own building.

Texas 47

Texas Start-ups accountant accounted 47

PYMNTS

JUNE 21, 2018

To condense business conversations and tasks into one place, Shopify has launched a new mobile app dubbed Shopify Ping. Through the app, merchants can manage tasks through messaging without needing to switch between apps and tools, Shopify said in an announcement. “Shopify merchants are conducting many business conversations across multiple apps every day, not only to run their day-to-day operations, but also to manage customer inquiries,” Shopify Director of Product Michael Perry said in the a

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Sales accountant accounted Account 47

PYMNTS

JUNE 22, 2018

Sports fans can’t get enough of their favorite players and teams: Their social media accounts oftentimes have hundreds of thousands or millions of followers. But how can teams harness the eCommerce potential of these accounts? They can turn their followers into ticketholders to the next game. There has been much ado about Instagram and shopping in this area: Instagram, the Facebook-owned photo-sharing social network , announced news on June 12 that it is expanding shopping beyond its Feed to I

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Sports Gaming Sales Retail 47

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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.