July, 2017

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Jet.com Tests Try Before You Buy

PYMNTS

In eCommerce news: The tug-of-war game just got a bit tighter, and Amazon may be in the crosshairs. Walmart’s Jet.com is helping to push the envelope with its new “ try before you buy ” approach. Approximately 300,000 online product samplings and exclusive offers will be included in monthly eCommerce packages. Through this new promotional effort, Jet.com is hoping to enhance its customer engagement process and is likely to continue to increase its status as a tier one eCommerce company.

Gaming 87
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Hive Project Taps Into Cryptocurrency For Invoice Finance

PYMNTS

The Hive Project, a company that uses cryptocurrency and Ethereum blockchain for trade financing , has launched its platform. The company announced Friday (June 30) that its portal is up and running to link SMEs to trade financing by turning unpaid invoices into tradable assets. Every invoice is assigned a unique fingerprint, the firm said, by tokenizing each bill and linking them onto the blockchain.

Finance 86
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AI/BOTS: AI’s Impact on The Digital Retail Revolution

PYMNTS

The digital retail revolution is well underway. Fusing technology into in-store experiences has officially gone mainstream, and retailers are looking for ways to go beyond the traditional mobile app. As we’ve reported in the past, places like Sephora have installed various tablets with embedded augmented reality (AR) features to help customers pick and choose what makeup shades look best on their skin tone.

Retail 85
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Mastercard Taps APIs With An Eye Beyond Plastic

PYMNTS

In a classic scene from the 1967 Mike Nichols film The Graduate , protagonist Benjamin Braddock is pulled aside and given advice for his future that can be condensed to a single word: “Plastics.” If the film were remade today, it’s not hard to imagine that one-word piece of advice would be “APIs” instead. To address customers’ needs as commerce goes digital, financial services giant Mastercard is weighing the benefits of APIs over plastic after several decades of heavy investment in the latter.

B2B 83
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Your Accounting Expertise Will Only Get You So Far: The New Way To Lead

Speaker: Victor C. Barnes, CPA, MBA

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What API Standardization Could Mean For Payments Fraud

PYMNTS

API technology is opening new doors for the world of financial services, a trend that cultivates cooperation and collaboration between FinTechs and banks, once considered competitors. With the speed of payments accelerating and Same Day ACH initiatives continuing to roll out, NACHA has pulled together a group of industry experts to explore API standardization as a way to facilitate faster payment speeds and greater transaction security, among other use cases.

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AI/BOTS: Machine Learning Tips Online Fraud Scales

PYMNTS

Technological advances are pushing the boundaries for what’s possible in a variety of industries. Within the retail industry specifically, artificial intelligence (AI) is moving the ball for a lot of merchants looking to not only streamline their business operations but provide a more personalized experience for consumers. Stemming from AI, machine learning is helping technology move at a swifter rate, and as more people bring their shopping needs into the online world, it’s likely that machine

Maine 78

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PayPal Helps SMBs Go Global In The Flip Of An API

PYMNTS

Selling goods across borders is a big opportunity for small businesses in the U.S. and around the world. That’s not lost on them. The trouble is in how to get started — so most just don’t. According to new figures released by PayPal about the growing digital footprint of American SMBs in the global digital marketplace, less than 5 percent of all U.S. small businesses import.

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Can APIs Save Traditional Banks?

PYMNTS

Banks were once the great riverbed of financial activity. Today, the flow of cash is gradually being diverted through other, third-party channels because of services that are unavailable from banks. It’s not totally the banks’ fault — their hands are often tied by regulations and processes — but the reality remains that, if they don’t adapt, the commercial banking establishment will slowly evaporate.

Gaming 73
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Chatbots: Friend Or Foe Of Retail?

PYMNTS

Automation has come to several industries. From manufacturing to customer service, there have been several parts of today’s workforce that have been automated by some form of smart technology. One in four Americans are currently at risk of having their jobs automated, according to a research paper from Ball State University, “ How Vulnerable are American Communities to Automation, Trade, and Urbanization?

Retail 71
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Open Banking Rolls Out Payments Initiation API

PYMNTS

Open Banking, the U.K. bank-funded entity that was mandated by the Competition and Markets Authority to provide new ways for customers to share their financial data with non-bank providers, has released an API specification for accounts and transaction information and payments initiation. In a press release Open Banking said the new spec was released on its website for review and development by banks and third-party service providers.

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The Hidden Science Behind Why Finance Teams Resist Change—And How to Fix It

Speaker: Kim Beynon, CPA, CGMA, PMP

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What’s Next For European eCommerce?

PYMNTS

According to the latest findings of the European Ecommerce Report 2017 , it is a good time to be selling online in Europe — especially since online retail growth has been “exponential” over the last several years. During 2016 alone, eCommerce activity increased by 15 percent to €530 ($602 billion U.S., 30 percent of global eCommerce). The 2017 forecast indicated a projected 14 percent growth to €602 billion ($684 billion, 34 percent of global retail sales).

Maine 71
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Internet Of Things Nears The Tipping Point

PYMNTS

The world’s not ready for the Internet of Things (IoT). Oh, consumers are excited, and they have embraced connected commerce with both thumbs — and their voice. People have embraced smart technology such as the Apple Watch, Amazon Echo, Fitbit and even connected scales and blood pressure monitors by Withings. PYMNTS’ study in collaboration with Visa, “ How We Will Pay ,” quantifies just how many people are on board.

Retail 68
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NEW REPORT: Fiverr Finding Future Outside The Gig Bargain Bin

PYMNTS

Searching for a different kind of lodging or the perfectly priced graphic designer to help give a startup the right look? These days, the best place to look may just be on an online platform. The July PYMNTS Payments Powering Platforms Tracker™ , powered by WePay, features a roundup of last month’s headlines on how payments are powering new businesses in industries from freelancing to financing, and everything in between.

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CFOs Are Better Off Handing Fraud-Fighting Reins To The Pros

PYMNTS

Fraud is like gluten. It’s in almost everything, and it often goes completely unnoticed. Most organizations have resigned themselves to the fact that, despite their defenses, fraud is just a part of doing business. But fraud costs an average of 7.5 percent of revenue, and the numbers for e-tailers — who never handle a physical payment card — are much higher.

Retail 64
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Doing More With Less: The Modern Finance Miracle

Speaker: Mark Gilham, FCCA, CPP

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Nesta Chooses 20 FinTechs For SME Banking Competition

PYMNTS

Innovation foundation Nesta has announced the 20 FinTechs chosen to compete for a $6.5 million prize as the company looks to boost innovation in the small business banking space. As part of its Open Up Challenge, announced in February, Nesta called for FinTechs that are using APIs to disrupt small business banking. The 20 chosen companies will compete for the prize money used to develop next-generation services and apps for U.K. small businesses, Nesta explained, adding that each of the 20 firms

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PayBee Launches To Digitize AR For Indian SMEs

PYMNTS

A new company is launching in India to support accounts receivable and invoice management for businesses. Announcing its rollout on Tuesday (July 25), PayBee said it is looking to digitize the B2B payments process to help companies enhance cash flow management. The company said it integrates with existing accounting, ERP and distribution management solutions already in place within business clients.

B2B 61
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Swiss Corporates Urge Global Banks To Join SWIFT Gpi

PYMNTS

A group of six multinational corporations in Switzerland is urging banks around the world to join SWIFT’s gpi initiative, news reports said Wednesday (July 19). ABB, Nestle, SBB and others reportedly sent an open letter to banks promoting their support for SWIFT’s gpi (global payments innovation) initiative and urging those FIs to take part in exploring how to improve cross-border payment processes.

B2B 59
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Mastercard Expanding Scan-To-Pay QR Program

PYMNTS

Mastercard is expanding its QR-based programs to create greater choice in retail mobile payments. The company today announced news of its plans to offer QR codes for scan by customers and merchants, building on its QR efforts in India, Thailand, the Middle East and Africa, as well as its collaborations with industry players to create new global QR standards.

Retail 59
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8 Pillars of Leadership Development

Great leadership development is the key to sustainable business growth. Are you ready to design an effective program? HR can use Paycor’s framework to: Set achievable goals. Align employee and company needs. Support different learning styles. Empower the next generation of leaders. Invest in your company’s future with a strong leadership development program.

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Ethereum Price Jumps After Mastercard Joins Alliance

PYMNTS

Cryptocurrency Ethereum price has jumped more than 50 percent, recovering from losses over the last several days. According to a report , not only did the cryptocurrency that competes against bitcoin have its biggest percent gain during the past 24 hours, but it also had double the volume of bitcoin. The report noted that as of Wednesday (July 19) there is a $10-billion difference between the market caps of bitcoin and Ethereum, and if the prices for Ether continue to increase Ether will be a re

Maine 59
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Cashless Society, Crossing Borders

PYMNTS

The cashless payments movement has a calendar attached to it, at least in China. Cashless Week in China is little more than a week away — running Aug. 1 through Aug. 8 — as Ant Financial Services Group announced earlier this year. The cash-free week will see the firm encouraging China to embrace digital payments, an offshoot of the company’s goal to make China as cashless as possible in five years — using Alipay as a springboard, of course.

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Vantiv On Why Electronic Payments Are SMBs’ Next Natural Evolution

PYMNTS

While there are many reasons why small merchants should be able to take digital and online payments — including better conversion rates, wider exposure to a bigger audience and better data about consumers — Dusty Gomez, SMB product leader at Vantiv , says it all comes down to one main idea: The consumer lifestyle is evolving to a point where customers are constantly on the go.

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The New Colossus

PYMNTS

It used to be that small businesses needing loans could wait weeks or months for a decision from the provider, with pre-qualification steps taking up a huge chunk of the time – and after all that, there was no guarantee that the provider would find them creditworthy. Today, artificial intelligence can do a lot of the heavy lifting at the front end of the process.

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Automation, Evolved: Your New Playbook for Smarter Knowledge Work

Speaker: Frank Taliano

Documents are the backbone of enterprise operations, but they are also a common source of inefficiency. From buried insights to manual handoffs, document-based workflows can quietly stall decision-making and drain resources. For large, complex organizations, legacy systems and siloed processes create friction that AI is uniquely positioned to resolve.

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For Millennials, Traditional Banking Is Not Anathema

PYMNTS

Turns out millennials are not the different-kind-of-banking-breed some had thought. It also turns out the much-vaunted social media generation is less inclined to use social media than you’d think. In a survey held from the end of June into early July and conducted by SurveyMonkey , the web-based survey firm queried more than 1,000 adults above the age of 18, 290 of which were defined as 18- to 34-year-olds: millennials.

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Are Contactless Payments Making Cash Obsolete?

PYMNTS

Think long and hard about the last time you carried physical cash or a business asked for cash only as a payment. While there are still some retailers today that have either a cash-only policy or still take cash, most consumers do not typically carry it on them. Just three years ago, The Washington Post reported eight out of 10 people carried less than $50 in their wallets on a regular basis, according to research from Bankrate.com.

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Groupon And The Big Business Of Beauty

PYMNTS

Beauty is and always has been one of humanity’s favorite topics. English poet Thomas Overbury famously observed that it is only skin deep, while Irish poet Margaret Wolfe Hungerford noted that it is “in the eye of beholder.” And while no one knows who exactly originated the phrase “beauty is pain,” it is quoted widely and liberally in salons, shoe stores and bridal salons nationwide.

Maine 56
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USAT Raises $43.1M In Underwritten Public Offering

PYMNTS

USA Technologies, the payment technology service provider of integrated cashless and mobile transactions in the self-service retail market, announced news Tuesday (July 25) of the closing of its underwritten public offering of 9,583,332 shares of its common stock at a public offering price of $4.50 per share. In a press release, the company said the foregoing included the full exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase 1,249,999 additional shares from USA Technologies (USAT).

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Data Talks, CFOs Listen: Why Analytics Are Key To Better Spend Management

Speaker: Claire Grosjean, Global Finance & Operations Executive

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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The Lines Are Blurring Between Alternative, Traditional SME Finance

PYMNTS

Alternative lending has shifted from a competitor of traditional FIs to a collaborator, often lending a digital hand to banks in need of upgrading their systems to provide faster, more agile financing to SMEs. A new report from the state-backed British Business Bank (BBB), however, suggests alternative lenders are becoming an increasingly important part of its operations in a different way, highlighting how the lines between alternative finance (AltFin) and traditional finance continue to blur.

Finance 55
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The Buyers: Omnichannel Customer’s Impact On Retailers

PYMNTS

Connecting with consumers has seen a significant change over the course of the past few decades. No longer are retailers working with marketers to figure out a way to mass market products and services. With the advent of connected devices in the palm of almost every consumer’s hand, the retail ecosystem has certainly seen a shift. Retailers are working hard to not only adjust but also enhance the approach to securing and maintaining sales.

Retail 54
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EML Lends Virtual Payments To Mize Houser Franchise AP Solution

PYMNTS

EML Payments is integrating its virtual payment capabilities into the accounts payable solutions offered by Mize Houser as the two look to help companies replace paper checks in B2B payments with virtual or ACH. Mize Houser provides accounting and AP solutions to franchisee owners; according to an announcement Tuesday (July 25), the company will begin offering those clients virtual payment capabilities to pay suppliers using EML Payments technology.

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Repair Man Locked Inside ATM And Rescued

PYMNTS

Working in the ATM business can be dangerous. From potentially getting robbed when reloading the ATM with money to installing the heavy machine, it’s possible to sustain severe injuries. However, it’s being reported out of Corpus Christi, Texas, that a repair man accidentally locked himself inside an ATM he was working on. The room located behind the machine that allows workers to repair it was the place where the man was stuck.

Texas 54
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Protect What Matters: Rethinking Finance Ops In A Digital World

Speaker: Cheryl J. Muldrew-McMurtry

Distributed finance teams are rewriting how the back-office runs, and attackers are taking notes. Disconnected workflows, process blind spots, and rising cyber threats are more than just growing pains—they’re liabilities. The challenge isn’t just going remote. It’s building resilient systems that protect accuracy, control, and speed across every transaction and touchpoint.