July, 2019

article thumbnail

Hacker Arrested In Capital One Breach Affecting 100M+ 

PYMNTS

A former Amazon systems engineer working for Capital One is said to be the woman behind a breach that accessed the data of over 100 million people. Software engineer Paige Thompson, 33, allegedly boasted about the hack and left crumbs for investigators to follow, The New York Times reported. Thompson formerly worked for Amazon Web Services, which hosted the Capital One database that was breached.

article thumbnail

Accounting Jokes, Videos, Puns and Humor

AdviceForTaxpreparers

Advice for Tax Preparers Making tax preparers lives easier one blog at a time HOME. ABOUT. CONTACT. BOOK. Accounting Jokes, Videos, Puns and Humor. by Bill Meador, CPA, JD. If you are going to be an accountant then you have to be able to laugh at yourself. I put together this post to bring together any funny and entertaining accounting and tax videos, puns, jokes, pictures, etc. that might brighten your day.

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

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

article thumbnail

i2c On Brex And ‘Fast Twitch’ Innovation

PYMNTS

The good old days of a two-year product development cycle are pretty much over. These days, no matter how creative, innovative and disruptive an idea a financial services player may have, the reality is they don’t have a lot of time to sit around developing it. “Speed to market is critical, more so today than it has ever been in history. In a couple of months, your great idea will have two or three competitors,” Joseph DeRosa, executive vice president of global sales at i2c , told PYMNTS in a re

article thumbnail

Why Blockchain Holds Promise For Cross-Border Payments

PYMNTS

The rise of the global economy and the demand for swift and secure cross-border payments is driving the development of more efficient infrastructures, and spurring financial institutions (FIs) to experiment with emerging tech. According to the new Smarter Payments Tracker , cross-border business-to-business (B2B) payments generated approximately $125 billion in revenue last year, a figure that continues to grow as the economy becomes more global.

B2B 84
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

Lawmakers Push To Fast-Track Crypto Regulation

PYMNTS

Are new bitcoin rules coming? According to The Wall Street Journal , “the Internal Revenue Service is expected to update its 2014 guidance on cryptocurrencies in coming weeks, following an April request from a bipartisan group of 20 lawmakers. It is part of a broader push to boost the nascent cryptocurrency industry.” Not only that, but the newspaper said the U.S.

Legal 82
article thumbnail

Banks, Govs Show Continued Resistance To Facebook’s Libra

PYMNTS

Many traditional banking institutions and governments have shown skepticism, silence and resistance to Facebook’s proposed cryptocurrency Libra, according to reports. . Though the currency could potentially alter the financial landscape for good, many banks have simply not responded to the issue. “We’re still learning what it is and trying to work out where we stand on it — are we an opponent, partner or do we ignore?

More Trending

article thumbnail

PayPal On Its Xoom Into The Continent And The UK

PYMNTS

Call it remittance on a global scale, or P2P without borders. PayPal said on Monday (July 15) that it is launching Xoom, its international digital money transfer service, in the United Kingdom and 31 markets spanning Europe. The company said “the service will benefit millions,” including more than nine million people living in the U.K., and will pay out remittances to other individuals living in Nigeria, India, China, the Philippines and beyond, across 130 countries.

Account 80
article thumbnail

Apple Credit Card With Goldman Sachs On Track For August Release

PYMNTS

Despite some hiccups along the way with Goldman Sachs, the Apple credit card is on track for an August release, according to a report by Bloomberg. The collaboration between the two companies was sometimes tense and the stakes were high if it wasn’t successful. The Apple Card could be launched as early as the second half of August, which would meet its originally scheduled date for release when the card was announced in March.

article thumbnail

How Visa’s Using Blockchain Tech To Simplify X-Border Payments

PYMNTS

Global payments revenues are at an all-time high, and experts predict that they could even climb to be a $2 trillion industry by 2020. Cross-border payment revenues currently account for approximately $200 billion, a significant slice of the payments pie. Currently, there are 0.7 international transactions per capita every year, up from 0.5 in 2014.

article thumbnail

US Reps, Senators Present Faster Payments Legislation

PYMNTS

To reinforce the Federal Reserve’s authority to create a real-time payments system and mandate that the Fed brings about its own process, two U.S. representatives and two U.S. senators have introduced the Payment Modernization Act of 2019. The legislation was brought forward by Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García (D-IL), according to an announcement.

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

Cannabis Law Reform Gains Momentum In Congress

PYMNTS

In a first-ever congressional hearing on marijuana law reform, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security convened July 10 to debate altering federal law around cannabis, CNBC reports. The consensus is that major cannabis reform is needed but disagreement still remains over what legislation should look like and the best strategy to advance it.

Legal 79
article thumbnail

Jack Ma’s Digital Bank Offers Three-Minute Loans To SMBs

PYMNTS

Jack Ma ’s MYbank is aiming to change the way China lends to small businesses. The 4-year-old bank uses real-time payments data and a risk-management system that analyzes more than 3,000 variables to allow borrowers to apply for a loan on a smartphone and receive cash almost instantly if approved. The whole process takes three minutes. So far MYbank has lent 2 trillion yuan ($290 billion) to nearly 16 million small companies, with a default rate of only about 1 percent.

article thumbnail

PayPal And Visa Launch Instant Transfer SMB Tool In Canada

PYMNTS

Payment bottlenecks cause problems for all types of consumers and companies, not the least of which are small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). But a new offering from PayPal and Visa could help ease those frustrations and hassles. The two payments firms announced on Tuesday (July 2) the launch of PayPal’s Instant Transfer in Canada for SMBs and individual consumers.

Account 79
article thumbnail

As 5G Looms, Retail Possibilities Become More Clear

PYMNTS

Retailers surely have more than enough to worry about these days. For one, the pace of innovation keeps speeding up – and that holds true for all types of retail niches, from apparel to grocery to others. Closely tied to that is the increasing demand from consumers for all types of fuller, interconnected, omnichannel experiences – shopping and transactions that not only combine offline and online channels, but are frictionless while also being fun and even memorable.

Retail 77
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

How Bitbuy Is Keeping Crime Out Of Crypto

PYMNTS

More than $1.2 billion is estimated to have been lost to cryptocurrency scams, thefts and fraud in the first quarter of 2019, and cybercriminals and scammers are not the only ones putting digital asset users at risk. Canadian exchange QuadrigaCX ’s former CEO, Gerald Cotten, allegedly embezzled approximately $195 million of clients’ money, for example, and his recent death left the company without the passwords required to access most of its customers’ holdings.

audit 77
article thumbnail

Vesicash Uses Escrow To Ignite eCommerce In Africa

PYMNTS

The common view about Africa – once found in recent PYMNTS coverage – is that the vast, varied and massively populated continent represents the next frontier for eCommerce. The middle-class and disposable incomes are growing in many African countries. Although consumers are still without formal access to traditional financial services, a growing number of them are closely tied to their mobiles phones, and all the commerce and payments opportunities offered by those devices.

Legal 77
article thumbnail

Visa Acquires Germany-Based Payworks

PYMNTS

Visa said early Wednesday (July 17) that it has acquired Payworks , a payment gateway based in Germany focused on the point of sale (POS). The company said in a release that Payworks will be integrated into CyberSource ’s portfolio of services offered to clients. In its release, the company said that Payworks’ cloud-based solution for in-store payments processing will be brought together with the CyberSource digital payment management platform, which will create, in Visa’s words, “a fully integ

Sales 77
article thumbnail

Japanese FinTech Rakuten Applying For US Banking Charter 

PYMNTS

A Japanese FinTech company is applying for a banking charter in the United States, according to a report by American Banker. The eCommerce firm Rakuten currently runs a shopper rewards program in the States, and said would file the necessary paperwork on Friday (July 26) with Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) and the state of Utah for an industrial loan company (ILC) charter.

Utah 77
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

Visa Ups Innovation Ante With US FinTech Fast Track Launch

PYMNTS

Even in 2019, there persists this idea in the mainstream that invention stems from the epiphany and late-night toil of the solitary scientist. The image stems from about two or three centuries ago, when medieval superstitions were being seriously challenged by empirical thought, and the view has been reinforced countless times — even into the early 21st century if you look hard enough — by books, movies, TV shows and other methods of cultural communication.

Sports 76
article thumbnail

Samsung, Tech And Banking Cos Team To Use Blockchain For Mobile Identity

PYMNTS

A group of companies in South Korea are collaborating on a blockchain network to be used for mobile authentication services, according to reports. . Samsung Electronics; banks KEB Hana Bank and Woori Bank ; telecom companies SK Telecom , LG Uplus and KT ; and Koscom , an IT service subsidiary from the Korea Exchange, are all part of the group. The companies want to let users protect their own data with the service, which will also allow people to save information from institutions as well as oth

article thumbnail

Autonomous Vehicles Run Into Serious Roadblocks

PYMNTS

Sometimes, when an idea – especially one that has long stewed in popular imagination – makes serious and well-funded moves toward becoming reality, the excitement becomes almost irresistible, and the idea takes on a sense of immediacy and inevitability. That’s been the case over the past year or so for self-driving cars. Sure, skepticism about the coming age of autonomous transportation was always out there.

article thumbnail

London FinTech Glint Pay Launches Gold-Backed Debit Card

PYMNTS

A company called Glint Pay has launched a debit card that’s backed by gold instead of currency, according to a report in The Denver Post. The company is London-based, and its U.S. office is in Boulder, Colorado. The card was released in the U.S. on Monday (July 29). Glint Pay was started by entrepreneur Jason Cozens. “We want gold to be considered like any other currency,” Cozens said.

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

What Digital ID Will Mean For Daily Life In 2020 And Beyond

PYMNTS

The questions that seem simplest tend to be the most complicated. The answers to such questions also usually end up having more significance than the answers to other inquiries. Excuse the detour into pop philosophy or Jedi teachings, but that is the case when it comes to the question “Who are you?” Those three words strike at the heart of identity, and mean so very much when it comes to the efficient operation of the global digital economy and its continuing growth, whether via retail, payments

article thumbnail

Flutterwave Teams With Alipay To Enable China-Africa Transactions

PYMNTS

FinTech startup Flutterwave is teaming up with Alipay to offer digital payments between Alipay and African merchants. Founded in Nigeria, Flutterwave is a a payments API that makes it easier for banks and businesses to process payments across Africa. “We’ve managed to connect African countries…to each other, so it was about time we connected Africa to the world.

article thumbnail

Amex To Acquire Digital Payments Automation Firm

PYMNTS

American Express has announced that it plans to acquire acompay, a digital payment automation platform, from ACOM Solutions. Acompay, which helps business customers make supplier payments, manage business spending, and improve cash flow, “will be the newest addition to a series of B2B payment collaborations, strengthening our accounts payable automation capabilities and equipping our customers with the tools they need to improve the way they process and settle supplier payments,” Anna Marr

article thumbnail

Mastercard Inks Bahrain Blockchain Partnership

PYMNTS

Mastercard is collaborating with Bahrain’s Electronic Network for Financial Transactions ( BENEFIT ) to develop a blockchain-powered B2B payments solution, according to a press release Tuesday (July 30). Together, the firms are developing a platform to enable faster, more secure cross-border corporate payments that would allow companies to more seamlessly move funds to beneficiaries and banks to directly share payment data with each other without the need for intermediaries.

B2B 76
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

Why Mastercard Bit On Flybits

PYMNTS

In the art and science of reaching a consumer, some things never change. The gold standard of marketing is, was and ever shall be the same: Put the right product in front of the right consumer at the right time. Though much has changed in how that is done, that basic tenant remains the same. “Digital has created a really interesting opportunity to engage the customer throughout their journey and make it possible to use the services that will help them have a better experience all around,” Franci

article thumbnail

Does Skincare Need To Be More Data Driven?

PYMNTS

There are all kinds of skin care startups on the market that promise to deliver some kind of epidermal miracle, particularly on one’s face. Sometimes the secret is in the ingredient list, such as collagen that will fill in the wrinkles. Other times the magic is in the routine — K Beauty regimens, for example, aren’t just about using the right products, but using a long list of the right product in the right order multiple times a day.

article thumbnail

FIS Closes Acquisition Of Worldpay

PYMNTS

In a move that enhances its global technology position serving merchants, banks and capital markets, FIS closed its acquisition of global payments firm Worldpay, Inc. The combined company will have over 55,000 employees and more than $12 billion in pro forma revenue, according to an announcement. FIS Chairman, President and CEO Gary Norcross said in the announcement, “This is an exciting day for FIS and Worldpay , and for the industry as a whole.

article thumbnail

WhatsApp Moves Payments From Pilot To Rollout In India

PYMNTS

Following a year-long pilot, WhatsApp is now officially introducing a payments utility in India. The Facebook-owned messaging app is responding to the increased demand for digital payments in its largest market, Reuters reported on Friday (July 26). “It’s a regulatory approval question in India at this point,” Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said on Thursday (July 25) during the company’s earnings conference. .

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.