April, 2019

article thumbnail

Why Small Business Owners Should Always Have An Exit Strategy

PYMNTS

Hundreds of thousands of new small businesses (SMBs) open their doors every year in the U.S., be them physical or digital. The latest estimates from the Small Business Administration (SBA) peg the number of new SMBs at 414,000 each year, spurring job creation and economic growth for the country, with millennial entrepreneurs at the helm. The high failure rate of a new small business has entrepreneurs focused on simply surviving their first few years in operation.

article thumbnail

Christie and Hayes Recognized as Emerging Leaders

Katz,Sapper&Miller

KSM directors Ashley Christie and Justin Hayes have been recognized as up-and-coming leaders in the accounting profession and the Indianapolis community.

Account 75
Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

How Retailers Are Gearing Up For Contactless Payments Via mPOS

PYMNTS

With the use of contactless payments heating up around the world, small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) and their solution providers have to prepare for their acceptance. Mobile point-of-sale (mPOS) terminals that are enabled for contactless have to meet certain specifications to gain EMVCo 3.0 certification: They must, for instance, resolve issues when a payment reader’s too-powerful field strength results in damaged smartphones and cards.

Retail 103
article thumbnail

A Marketplace For Stolen Fingerprints Has Emerged

PYMNTS

Security researchers at Kaspersky Lab revealed at the Kaspersky Security Analyst Summit in Singapore that a dark net marketplace in which hackers are selling digital fingerprints has emerged. According to a report in ZDNet , Kaspersky Lab said at the summit criminals are selling the digital fingerprints of more than 60,000 individuals. Dubbed Genesis, the marketplace emerged in the fall of last year when the creators started advertising it on forums where hackers sell payment card details they’v

Account 94
article thumbnail

How to Build the Ideal HR Team

HR doesn’t exist in a vacuum. This work impacts everyone: from the C-Suite to your newest hire. It also drives results. Learn how to make it all happen in Paycor’s latest guide.

article thumbnail

Cross-Border Payment Efforts Look To The Blockchain And Beyond

PYMNTS

It may seem that cross-border payments were in the … well … crosshairs this past week, with a number of country-by-country and company-by-company initiatives using blockchain and other methods to speed payments and lower fees. In Myanmar, Shwe Rural & Urban Development Bank has partnered with Krung Thai Bank, which is state-owned, to debut a cross-border transfer money offering that is in turn tied to the Ethereum blockchain.

article thumbnail

Visa Next: Visa’s Next ‘Digital First’ Act

PYMNTS

Visa introduced a platform on Monday morning (April 22), complete with beta application programming interfaces (APIs), that will allow issuers and issuer processors to build and test new products. The company said the platform is available for the company’s clients and partners through Visa Next, a website billed as a “new destination” for glimpsing and using new solutions in the payment giant’s ongoing pipeline.

More Trending

article thumbnail

Fraudster’s Latest Target: Dead People

PYMNTS

Back in the golden olden days of print newspapers, bad guys would regularly read the obituaries, then craft a plan to break into houses and steal valuable items during the wake or funeral. But like most analog businesses, this criminal model has gone digital. Today, the internet makes discovering and then executing creative ideas not much more than a mouse click away — which makes exploiting death for the purposes of identity fraud easy, too.

article thumbnail

Visa, Wave Team To Bring Instant Payouts To Micropreneurs

PYMNTS

“When do you want to get paid?” It’s a basic question that — when posed to anyone, particularly, a small business (SMB) — most always has the same answer, no matter who one asks or within what industry: now. Until recently, “now” was almost never an option, since it was always based on when the funds had cleared, regardless of how that payment was made.

Gaming 90
article thumbnail

Why AI Risk Tech And Banks Could Be A Match Made In Heaven

PYMNTS

While most CEO stories are about having founded a firm to solve a problem, Upstart CEO Dave Girouard and his team of former Google staffers actually started with a solution. A solution, he told PYMNTS four years ago , that had nothing to do with financial services or lending at all — they were actually studying hiring and figuring out ways to track employability over time with data.

article thumbnail

Thailand’s Largest Firm Taps Ripple For B2B Payments

PYMNTS

Petroleum exploration company PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP), Thailand’s largest corporation, is collaborating with blockchain firm Ripple to integrate its technology for cross-border transactions. Reports in Ripple Coin News on Tuesday (April 23) said PTTEP and Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) are joining Ripple to accelerate cross-border transactions for PTTEP.

B2B 87
article thumbnail

Planning Your Restaurant's Path to Profitability

Speaker: James Kahler, COO of Full Course

Ever wondered where to splurge and where to safely conserve when it comes to operating and growing your restaurant? 🤔 Join James Kahler, COO of Full Course and industry visionary, in this new webinar where he'll talk all about best practices to invest in your restaurant's success! Whether you're a new business or an established restaurant, a seasoned pro or a rookie, you'll learn the keys to sustainable success in this competitive industry.

article thumbnail

Amazon Will Soon Accept Bitcoin Payments

PYMNTS

Bitcoin, through the lightning network, will soon be available as an option to pay on Amazon and other eCommerce sites, according to reports. Cryptocurrency payment processing company Moon said any e-wallet that is lightning-enabled can also be used through the company’s browser extension. Moon previously allowed about 250 beta users to use crypto on eCommerce sites by connecting them through exchange accounts like Coinbase. “(The extension) will pop up a QR code and it will have the light

Account 87
article thumbnail

Coinbase Launches Crypto Debit Card In The UK

PYMNTS

Coinbase , the cryptocurrency exchange operator, announced Wednesday (April 10) the launch of the Coinbase Card in the U.K., which is a Visa debit card that lets customers in the U.K. spend crypto as easily as they spend money sitting in a bank account. In a blog post , Zeeshan Feroz, chief executive of Coinbase U.K., said the Coinbase Card is funded by customers’ Coinbase account crypto balances, giving them the ability to pay in-store and online with bitcoin , ethereum, litecoin and other digi

Account 86
article thumbnail

Payments Execs On 2019’s Payments Innovation Watershed

PYMNTS

One decade draws to a close, the next one looms. Only a few months into 2019, the year is already shaping up to offer a bit of a watershed in how we pay and how we get paid. The headlines may trumpet the size of multi-billion dollar deals, as Fiserv links with First Data , and FIS gathers Worldpay into its fold. As the 2010s roll off into the 2020s, the fact remains that technology is blurring the lines that used to exist before the (continuing) digitization of commerce.

article thumbnail

How Card-On-File Is Changing Online Consumer Shopping

PYMNTS

When it comes to online shopping, one of the greatest frustrations for consumers — and friction points for merchants — is having to manually enter credit or debit card information for each purchase. It’s no wonder that 78.9 percent of consumers today have account information stored online with at least one or more companies or service providers. In the latest Mobile Card Services Playbook , a collaboration with Ondot , PYMNTS surveyed more than 9,500 U.S. consumers to get a better understanding

Maine 85
article thumbnail

How Automation is Driving Efficiency Through the Last Mile of Reporting

Speaker: Jamie Eagan

As organizations strive for agility and efficiency, it's imperative for finance leaders to embrace innovative technologies and redefine traditional processes. Join us as we explore the pivotal role of digitalization and automation in reshaping what is commonly referred to as the “last mile of reporting”. We’ll deep-dive into why digitalization is no longer a choice, but a necessity for finance departments to stay competitive in a fast-paced environment touching on: 2024 trends for the Office of

article thumbnail

Cambodia, Singapore In X-Border FinTech Pact

PYMNTS

Cross-border FinTech efforts have seen increasing participation from central banks and monetary authorities. Among the most recent headlines, in Asia this past week, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the National Bank of Cambodia have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU), that Business Times said will boost partnerships on FinTech and financial services innovation.

article thumbnail

How FinTech Firms Are Tackling Africa’s Agriculture Challenges

PYMNTS

FinTech firms are tackling everyday challenges across Africa by digitizing payments and providing increased transparency. Cellulant ’s Agrikore and Tingg Marketplace offerings, for instance, seek to take on the continent’s food struggles. Cellulant Group Co-CEO Bolaji Akinboro told PYMNTS in an interview, “We believe that this solution can help solve food crises and hunger in Africa which has the landmass and climate to grow as much quantity of food that can feed the world.

article thumbnail

Jumia Stock Debut Signals Appeal Of African eCommerce

PYMNTS

It was a good day for Jumia Technologies on Friday (April 12) — and that’s a good signal about the future prospects of eCommerce in Africa, home to some 1.3 billion people, of whom at least 725 million have mobile devices. On its first day of trading, shares for the company often called the Amazon of Africa jumped some 54 percent, trading at about $22.

article thumbnail

New Wire Fraud Scam Reroutes Direct Deposit Paychecks

PYMNTS

A new type of phishing scam targets the HR departments of companies and asks for reroutes on direct deposit accounts, CNBC reported. Once the changes are made, a paycheck will go directly into a criminal’s account. KVC Health Systems, a child welfare nonprofit based out of Kansas City, has been hit with the scam. The emails look legitimate, and purportedly come from the company’s CEO, CFO or payroll director.

Kansas 83
article thumbnail

Register Now: Sneak Peek Into Close Automation SkyStem Web Demo

Technology is rapidly changing the way accountants perform and manage month-end activities. Spreadsheets, email, and shared drives no longer have to slow us down. Join us as we present a "sneak peek" recorded demo of SkyStem's month-end close solution – ART. 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.

article thumbnail

Afghanistan Turns To Bitcoin To Boost Economy

PYMNTS

Afghanistan is looking to boost its ailing economy with bitcoin. At the annual Spring Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund in Washington, Khalil Sediq, governor at the Central Bank of Afghanistan, told The Asia Times that Afghanistan might issue a sovereign crypto bond that uses blockchain technology.

article thumbnail

Can Regulating Wearables Protect Data Privacy?

PYMNTS

The Intelligence of Things (IoT) has become a fixture of everyday life, with more than 14 billion connected devices expected to be in use by the end of 2019. However, as IoT continues to proliferate in more industries and use cases, concerns about data privacy have quickly followed, with consumers and lawmakers ra ising concerns about attacks from bad actors.

article thumbnail

How Gig Work In The US Became A Career

PYMNTS

With U.S. gig workers accounting for more than $1.4 trillion in income by the end of 2018, it’s safe to say the gig economy is becoming a mainstream part of the global economy. From ridesharing drivers to freelance designers and consultants, an increasing share of gig workers are pursuing specialized jobs, often juggling multiple at once. In fact, the share of those in the gig economy with highly specialized skills rose to 32.3 percent in Q4 2018 — a 12.2 percent increase over the previous quart

Account 81
article thumbnail

Visa Rolls Out Card Payouts, Pushing Payments To Gig Workers

PYMNTS

The gig economy is growing. The desire to get paid faster is also gaining traction — along with the companies satisfying that desire. To that end, Visa announced Tuesday (April 2) that it has introduced Card Payouts, an app designed help mid- to large-sized businesses manage cash flow — and speed payments to gig economy workers, to boot. (Call it killing the check — and you may remember our own research, where 85 percent of gig economy workers surveyed said they would work more if they could get

article thumbnail

Join the Instant Payment Revolution: Read 7 Must-Know Facts for Small Businesses

Technology evolves at lightning speed, and as finance keeps changing, instant payments emerge as a game-changer for small businesses. By 2030, instant payments are projected to surge by 289% and will become the new norm in financial transactions. Our whitepaper reveals seven must-know facts about instant payments, offering to help you navigate this financial revolution effectively.

article thumbnail

Why (Win Or Lose) Apple Card May Already Be Changing Payments

PYMNTS

In technology, especially when it comes to consumer-focused technology, Apple is viewed as a disruptive force. Tick down the list of offerings spanning decades (the Mac, the iPhone, the iPod, iTunes, the iOS operating system/ecosystem), and one can find that the ways we communicate, listen, stream and, indeed, interact with technology have all shifted.

article thumbnail

How 5G Could Be Rocket Fuel To Retail

PYMNTS

The race to 5G retail is on. The new, faster mobile network technology is a big part of the plans for many commerce and payments operators, even though specific use cases have been only slowly emerging as the technology and the devices to support it are deployed. Recent news out of Asia serves as solid foreshadowing of how 5G could enhance retail in the coming few years.

Retail 79
article thumbnail

JPMorgan To Expand Blockchain Use For Payments

PYMNTS

JPMorgan Chase is planning to expand its use of blockchain technology to improve the banking industry’s payment system, as well as get FinTechs to experiment on developing the platform. The platform allows banks to quickly resolve compliance issues that can delay payments by weeks. Last year, more than 75 of the world’s biggest banks became members of the Interbank Information Network ( IIN ) to fight off threats from payment startups.

article thumbnail

SoftBank Invests $1B Into Wirecard

PYMNTS

Wirecard , the German financial company, and Japan’s SoftBank Group announced Wednesday (April 24) a deal in which SoftBank will invest about EUR 900 million in Wirecard. In a press release , the companies said the investment will come via a convertible bond mechanism. On Tuesday (April 23) Bloomberg reported a deal between the two was imminent. Wirecard said under the deal it will issue convertible bonds to SoftBank with terms of five years.

Account 78
article thumbnail

How CPA Firms Can Profit From Payroll Services Without the Extra Work

"Offer payroll and do it yourself,” they said. “It’ll be fun!” Spoiler alert: It was not fun. Most CPA firms know that they need to offer payroll services to their clients or risk losing them to another firm that will. However, many don’t really want to. It is often time-consuming and complex due to changing tax laws and regulations, and with the growing staffing shortages, most just don’t have the resources.

article thumbnail

PayPal Invests In Blockchain Startup Aimed At Digital Identity Control

PYMNTS

PayPal has invested in a blockchain company for the first time — one that’s focused on using the technology to help give users greater control over their digital identities, according to reports. The company is called Cambridge Blockchain, and PayPal participated in a Series A funding round. The company has raised $3.5 million in equity from several different investors, which follows a previous $7 million, bringing the total to over $10 million raised so far.

article thumbnail

World Bank, IMF Debut Private Blockchain And ‘Quasi-Cryptocurrency’

PYMNTS

The International Monetary Fund ( IMF ) and the World Bank are partnering up to launch a private blockchain and “quasi-cryptocurrency.”. The asset, “Learning Coin,” will be accessible only within the Washington-based multinational agencies. Since the coin has no monetary value, it’s not an actual cryptocurrency, according to The Financial Times. Instead, the coin will be used to study the technologies used for crypto assets, and how they can be utilized in the real world.

article thumbnail

Want To Build A 630M, 10 Country Financial Services Ecosystem? Here’s What Grab Did

PYMNTS

Ankur Mehrotra, managing director and head of financial services for Grab , still gets emotional when talking about the drivers and their dreams of owning cars. Not exactly in a tearful way, but one can hear something in his voice — some heartfelt tone — that signals how important it is that rideshare drivers have opportunities to own vehicles. Grab, as most know, is a financial services ecosystem that serves the 630 million citizens in Southeast Asia — and has expanded from ridesharing and foo

article thumbnail

Why Just Checking The Verification Box Doesn’t Cut It In The Digital Commerce Age

PYMNTS

For a lot of businesses, “advanced age verification” isn’t really all that advanced. Instead, the industry standard is a pop-up window that says something to the effect of, “You must be 18/21 to enter this site. Check Yes if you are 18.”. “Business owners seem to think that a pop-up is enough — that checking a box is the same thing as providing heightened age verification,” Matt Fields, VP of AgeChecker.Net , told PYMNTS in a recent conversation.

Legal 78
article thumbnail

Recruit and Retain New Blue-Collar Talent

Blue-collar jobs have a branding problem. One company, GEON, partnered with Paycor to find the solution. Learn how to attract, engage, and retain blue-collar employees, helping them build meaningful careers – and support your company’s goals.