PYMNTS

DECEMBER 8, 2016

Western Union, the global payment services company, announced Wednesday (Dec. 7) it is enhancing its relationship with Viber, the mobile messaging app that counts 745 million unique users around the globe. In a press release , Western Union said it is enhancing its existing relationship with Viber by enabling Viber users in the U.K. to send money domestically and internationally to more than 200 countries and territories via the Viber app.

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Start-ups Technology Account accountant 105

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 19, 2016

Blockchain has officially entered the grocery aisles. Walmart has announced that it is now testing new blockchain technology to track and trace produce in U.S. stores and pork in China. PYMNTS covered the testing and lead-up to the kickoff back in November. Now, the technology and use of it are even closer. It’s a pilot program, where sliced apples and cut broccoli will be used to test the blockchain database technology for four months starting in the first quarter of 2017.

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Technology Manufacturing Start-ups Retail 92

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 1, 2016

Visa announced today that it will acquire eCommerce payment authentication leader CardinalCommerce. The move is expected to enable Visa’s global clients and partners to accelerate, scale and secure digital commerce as payments expands to include billions upon billions of connected endpoints. Mark Nelsen, senior vice president of risk and authentication products at Visa, said that the “strategic acquisition combines Visa’s industry expertise and Cardinal’s critical role in payment authentication

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PYMNTS

DECEMBER 9, 2016

Botnet attacks are not only growing in popularity among hackers, but they are also delivering a new level of sophistication and danger to businesses and consumers worldwide. In this week’s Hacker Tracker , PYMNTS caught up with security experts at digital security products provider Avast Software to gain insight into the rise of Crimeware-as-a-Service and why the industry should be taking notice of the growing threat of malicious botnets, like Avalanche and Mirai.

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Manufacturing Start-ups Maine Gaming 90

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PYMNTS

DECEMBER 7, 2016

The American Express that exists today would look pretty foreign to its first employees of 166 years ago — since, to state the obvious, a lot has changed over that period of time. Long before American Express was a credit card issuer and a closed loop payments network, it was in the business of moving mail (and other things) quickly from one coast to the other.

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Start-ups Sales 90

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 16, 2016

The Internet of Things may be a burgeoning industry, but according to a new survey by IAB, nearly two-thirds of American consumers, or 62 percent, already own at least one IoT device. What’s more, 65 percent of those surveyed who own IoT devices said they are willing to receive ads on their IoT screens. In a press release highlighting the survey results, IAB said 62 percent of survey respondents said they already see ads on IoT -connected gadgets.

Education 84

Education Gaming 84

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 2, 2016

To the average consumer, payments looks pretty simple and straightforward — especially when paying online. Enter a card number, hit buy and a millisecond later, the countdown to getting the goods begins. For those that use a mobile wallet, it’s even simpler. And while building all that simplicity for consumers is a good thing, actually making it simple — and secure — is basically what makes the digital commerce world go round.

Technology 84

Technology Sales 84

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 16, 2016

The price of bitcoin has continued its December climb this week. Bitcoin is at its highest value since early Feb. 2014. After a drop into the mid-760s on Sunday (Dec. 11), bitcoin rose to a weekly peak of $788.49 on Tuesday afternoon. The remainder of the week was spent lolling about in the mid to upper 770s. The current value of bitcoin at the time of writing was $777.14. —.

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PYMNTS

DECEMBER 12, 2016

Just as businesses need to keep pace with the change of technology, the technology providers that help businesses remain successful need to stay ahead of the curve themselves. Corporations are scaling globally, integrating complex supply chains, working with small suppliers, ensuring international compliance and gaining access to more data than ever before.

Transportation 82

Transportation Technology Sales B2B 82

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 8, 2016

There are pivots and then there are wholesale about-faces. Circle’s choice to halt bitcoin trading in favor of doubling down on more traditional mobile pay certainly counts as a bit more of the latter than the former. Circle launched three years ago mostly as a consumer finance firm built on a bitcoin backbone. Customers were able and encouraged to buy and sell bitcoin on the platform — and as a blockchain-based firm, Circle was able to snap up around $70M in investor funds.

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Finance 81

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PYMNTS

DECEMBER 5, 2016

Chinese B2B eCommerce platform DHgate.com is upgrading its payments infrastructure to promote faster payments for businesses transacting on the site. Reports Friday (Dec. 2) said DHgate.com revealed plans to upgrade its platform payment infrastructure to ensure that every transaction will take six seconds or less. According to reports, through optimizing existing infrastructure and acquiring additional servers across the globe, the site was able to accelerate page loading times and support faste

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B2B 80

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 12, 2016

Retailers, already sweating bullets over the “ Amazon Effect ” on their business, now have one more reason to keep sweating. Amazon Go, Amazon’s new grocery store format in Seattle, opened last week. Right now, its only customers are Amazon employees, who are putting it through its paces, but that will change in early 2017, a spokesperson said. Few details have emerged as to how Amazon Go powers the experience that shoppers will find once they get inside the store, but the combination of the Ama

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Sales Retail Start-ups Sports 80

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 6, 2016

The automotive industry just had a head-on collision — with technology. That’s what Marques McCammon , GM for connected vehicle solutions at Wind River , thinks anyway. He explained that the automotive industry is the one place where the concepts of IoT can be made very real to the mass market — where they will be able to see it, understand it and really feel its impact.

Technology 80

Technology Retail 80

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 9, 2016

At a time when the IRS is trying to find out the identities behind bitcoin users, the Pennsylvania Allegheny County District Attorney’s office revealed it had to use bitcoin to pay a ransom to get its data back. According to a report by Forbes , the ransom was only $1,400, but the fact that a government agency paid a ransom and used bitcoin is something not seen before.

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Pennsylvania California audit Tax 80

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

Technology

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 9, 2016

Scotland’s economy has excelled in industrial industries such as shipbuilding, steel and petroleum, but the country is turning its attention to developing a rising digital tech scene. In this week’s installment of PYMNTS’ Weekly Tech Center Roundup , one of the country’s thriving tech clusters, Glasgow, takes center stage. Before we jump into the post, here are a few quick facts about Glasgow and its tech scene: Glasgow it the largest city in Scotland and the third largest in the U.K., with an e

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Technology Education Start-ups Government 79

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 8, 2016

Venture capital has hit a plateau, according to some analysts. “After $100M+ checks flowed freely to VC-backed companies through much of 2015, the mega-round trend has settled into a lower range through 2016,” concluded KPMG and CB Insights in their Q3 2016 venture capital report. Data suggests the trend is global: North America VC investments for the quarter were fairly flat compared to Q2, and while Europe saw an increase in the number of deals for VC funding, there was a decline i

B2B 79

B2B B2C Technology 79

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 8, 2016

A chatbot is on the horizon for regular users of the Starbucks mobile app. Called My Starbucks Barista, the new technology’s announcement came out during an event for investors where current and future CEOs of the firm, Howard Schultz and Kevin Johnson, outlined the company’s five-year growth plan. During the investor event, Starbucks premiered a demo video of the technology, with a customer speaking into the phone to interact with a chatbot that asked contextual follow-up questions.

Technology 79

Technology Retail 79

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 8, 2016

Between the Instagram selfies, Twitter hashtags and Facebook posts, millennials seem to overshare. Their life is an open book on social media, and even the tiniest of details are never too much to provide. But when it comes time to hand over information to authenticate themselves to conduct a financial transaction, that door slams shut. “The more information that’s asked of them, the less likely it is that [millennials] will finish the application,” said Johnny Ayers, cofounder of Socure.

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audit Technology Retail 78

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Technology

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 8, 2016

Vantiv and iModerate know that the word wallet has come to mean much more than just the accessory thrown in a purse or back pocket. Today, the word can also describe a mobile app that stores digital versions of a person’s payment cards, loyalty cards, gift cards and even coupons — enabling payment to take place with just a tap or scan. While mobile wallets can be a quick and convenient option to help consumers expedite checkout, keep their information secure, and streamline retailer discounts an

Technology 78

Technology Retail 78

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 9, 2016

“Build a better mousetrap,” the expression goes, “and the world will beat a path to your door.”. Everyone knows the quote, including Chase Pay and LevelUp, and while not everyone knows it is a paraphrase of a longer quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson — “If a man can write a better book, preach a better sermon, or make a better mousetrap than his neighbor, though he build his house in the woods, the world will make a beaten path to his door,” — they know what it means.

Start-ups 78

Start-ups Maine 78

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 14, 2016

KFC is the latest company to report a hack , with the bad guys breaching its Colonel’s Club loyalty program. According to a report by Forbes , which cited U.K.’s ITV, the hackers were able to steal personally identifiable information of the members of the loyalty program. The report noted that KFC is hoping to limit the impact of the breach because it acted quickly to remedy the situation.

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PYMNTS

DECEMBER 14, 2016

New insight into eCommerce growth in the third quarter of 2016 has found that publicly traded online retailers outperformed even the overall well-performing eCommerce market — with gains largely due to Amazon. The Department of Commerce released data in November that showed that eCommerce in the U.S. continued to see growth in the third quarter of 2016.

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E-commerce Retail Sales Account 77

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Technology

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 9, 2016

SME accounting platform Xero has big hopes for artificial intelligence. A new report by IT-Online featured Xero South Africa Head of Accounting Colin Timmis, who mused on the topic of AI and how it can change accounting. “AI and smart machine-learning programs will be the next big thing, enabling automation to further disrupt the industry and the role of the accountant,” he said.

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Technology bookkeeping accounting software Account 77

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 12, 2016

No small business is an island. SME owners need help to be successful, and that aid can come from nearly anywhere — from close friends and family members, to financial institutions, to government agencies. And we’re not just talking about financing. The latest research finds SMEs need support in cybersecurity, employee management and technology.

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Finance Florida payroll Education 77

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 7, 2016

Vending machines. They’ve come a quantum leap from the days when you’d plunk some change into the slot, watch the candy bar — or whatever you were hoping to buy to satisfy that impulse purchase itch — get stuck between the dispenser and the glass, shake the machine, risk death by flattening and eventually claim your slightly stale prize. In an interview with PYMNTS’ Karen Webster, Mike Lawlor, chief services officer of USA Technologies, dove into the innovations that have marked the unattended r

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Retail Technology Entertainment Sales 76

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 9, 2016

For startups, 2016 wasn’t the best year in venture capital. Analysts say that investors’ wallets could be opening up as we enter 2017, though. “VCs used 2016 to manage costs, set priorities and valuations,” explained Rahul Khanna, managing partner at Trifecta Capital, in an interview with Business Standard published Wednesday (Dec. 7). “It was important for investors to pause, focus on the basics, which sent a message to the founders that raising money is not going to be easy.

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B2B Manufacturing Finance Technology 76

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Finance

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 8, 2016

Southeast Asia, including Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia, with its population of over 620 million, is predicted to be the next site of an eCommerce boom. The region’s internet economy is projected to become a $278 billion market by 2025 , with immense growth expected in all online sectors, but especially in mobile payments as companies across the region invest more in digital infrastructure.

Sales 76

Sales Technology 76

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 6, 2016

The speed at which digital banking is being transformed by new technologies is rapidly increasing. From behavioral biometrics to new selfie technology, financial institutions are being presented with even more ways to distribute their services across digital channels to meet customers where they want to interact. Whether that’s on their mobile device on the go or in their kitchen while they make dinner.

Start-ups 76

Start-ups Technology Government 76

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 16, 2016

It’s the most wonderful time of the year… especially if you’re a hacker. As consumers race to catch the shopping deals and retailers battle it out for their attention and dollars, hackers lurk in the shadows, ready for a chance to strike. This year, they have their eyes on the point-of-sale (POS) system prize. Carolyn Crandall, CMO of Attivo Networks , joined this week’s Hacker Tracker to share the vulnerabilities impacting POS systems and discuss whether massive data breaches are on the horizon

Retail 76

Retail Sales Technology 76

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 9, 2016

Vantiv, a provider of payment processing services and technology for merchants and financial institutions, announced it, along with PPRO Group, a cross-border ePayment provider, are partnering up to provide international alternative payment methods (APMs) to Vantiv’s merchants. In a press release, Vantiv said the new relationship enables Vantiv customers to be able to offer non-card payment methods — including direct debit, bank transfers, cash-based ePayments and eWallets — to international c

Start-ups 76

Start-ups Technology Account accountant 76

Advertiser: Paycor

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