Sat.Aug 04, 2018 - Fri.Aug 10, 2018

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Today In Data: Pulling Off A Good Twist Ending

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It will never be said of Apple that they lacked a flair for the dramatic – and hitting the U.S. public market’s first $1 trillion market cap two decades after it stood on the brink of bankruptcy was a pretty good twist as far as endings go. Not all twist endings are good in payments and commerce, however. The consumers who thought they were buying from a real merchant only to find that it was a fraudster surely don’t like that last-minute reversal.

Sales 64
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Dissecting the New Revenue Recognition Guidance: Step 2 of the Five-Step Framework

Katz,Sapper&Miller

Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, as amended, creates a five-step framework for entities to determine when and how much revenue should be recognized. The first article in the ‘Dissecting the New Revenue Recognition Guidance’ series discusses step 1, identifying the contract(s) with customers. This article focuses on step 2, identifying the performance obligations in the contract.

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Don’t Count Out Billboards — Amazon, Facebook And Google Haven’t

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Billboards are not going gently into that good night. In fact, the old-fashioned form of outdoor advertising is winning over digital marketing heavyweights and finding ways to thrive in the online world. Examples abound. Amid data sharing and online privacy controversies, Facebook recently promoted on billboards what Bloomberg called the social media operator’s “new approach to user safety and privacy.

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Could Grubhub Become The Amazon Of Restaurants?

PYMNTS

Grubhub made news a couple weeks ago when it simultaneously delivered a very strong Q2 2018 earnings report and announced the acquisition of LevelUp. The focus then and the subsequent coverage since has been on the positive impact of the LevelUp acquisition on Grubhub’s ability to diversify its platform offerings. With LevelUp, Grubhub can now offer restaurants that are part of its network order ahead/pickup in-store and new CRM/loyalty initiatives to their mobile wallets using LevelUp’s white l

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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.

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Wells Fargo Computer Glitch Forced Hundreds Of Foreclosures

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Wells Fargo , the embattled national bank, disclosed in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing that hundreds of individuals saw their homes in foreclosure because of a glitch in software the company used. According to a report in CNN citing Wells Fargo , software it used denied mortgage modification requests incorrectly. The bank said it set aside $8 million to compensate the customers that were impacted by the computer glitch.

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How Digitally Native Brands Can Grow With Showrooms

PYMNTS

Digitally native brands are trying on a new brick-and-mortar model for size: Instead of opening the doors to cavernous stores, they are opting to create smaller-format locations. When Indochino made the transition from a digital-only to an omnichannel retailer, for example, the Canadian fashion brand opted to open smaller stores called showrooms, where customers can shop for made-to-order formalwear.

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More Trending

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First Data’s Fodor Says Retailers Must Embrace Next Gen Omnicommerce

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“How about waking up in the morning and asking Google Home or Amazon Alexa, or your mobile phone if you’re on the go, ‘Hey Google, hey Amazon, what are my deals for the day?’” asked Glenn Fodor, SVP and head of Information and Analytics Solutions at First Data. A new generation of retailers are making use of these new forms of customer data, and applying advanced technology like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to anticipate the types of products their customers will want to buy

Retail 46
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Why Bitcoin May Not Be Ready For Commerce (Or Starbucks)

PYMNTS

Starbucks brewed up a swirl of cryptocurrency intrigue last week. The coffee chain said it is among the companies that will work with Intercontinental Exchange’s planned digital asset company, Bakkt , “to create an integrated platform that enables consumers and institutions to buy, sell, store and spend digital assets on a seamless global network.”.

Retail 46
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Investors Back Skippr Despite Australia’s AltFin Woes

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Alternative lending player Skippr has landed new funding, a sign that investors are still supportive of the industry after concerns were raised over alternative finance’s high interest rates. Reports in the Australian Financial Review Monday (Aug. 6) said Skippr raised $11.8 million in debt and equity financing from SocietyOne and Andy Taylor, co-founder of Douugh.

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China Locks Down Financial District As P2P Lending Implodes

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China has ordered a lockdown of Beijing’s financial district Monday (August 6) to prevent individuals from protesting a crisis in the peer-to-peer (P2P) lending marketplace. According to a report in the Financial Times , hundreds of police officers and security guards gathered near the offices of banking and securities regulators, as well as the entrance to the underground train stop for the financial district.

Finance 46
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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

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US Bank Looking To Sell Its Payment Unit, Elan

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U.S. Bank is reportedly looking to sell Elan, its card processing business, reported Fintech Futures. According to the report, Finastra, FIS and Fiserv are in the running to acquire the unit from U.S. Bank. Elan processes credit cards for 1,800 banks in the U.S., providing payment services, credit card issuing, prepaid card and ATM services as well as debit card processing.

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Can Grover Do For Gadgets What Netflix Did For Films?

PYMNTS

As the digital economy expands, notions of ownership and loyalty change. The so-called sharing and gig economies enable consumers and workers to use products and take jobs without full commitment. Now a young company in Germany called Grover hopes to use a fresh investment worth about $47 million to expand its business of offering rentals of phones, consumer electronics, drones, gaming gear and other products to consumers and startups.

Gaming 44
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Why Phishers Like B2B

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Businesses, get ready: The phishers are paying more attention to you. No company has ever been completely safe from criminals, whether it’s the type that steals in person or the hackers who do it digitally. But there is mounting evidence that phishers are turning more attention to enterprises and away from individuals — and at a time when pretty much every industry is moving away from a reliance on analog processes and toward more digitalization.

B2B 44
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ProofPoint Warns Of Bank Trojans: A Massive Threat Executives May Overlook

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Warnings from the Federal Bureau of Investigation have enterprises worried about cybersecurity — specifically, concerns about ransomware attacks. Business Email Compromise scams continue to grow and steal more corporate money than ever before. Phishing emails — 93 percent of which include ransomware, according to ITProPortal — should by no means be ignored.

Account 44
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No-Code Technology: The Key to Unlock the Future of Your Business

Global economies are reeling from recent upheavals—pandemic aftershocks, geopolitical conflicts, and a tech sector crunch. Mark Zuckerberg's 2023 "Year of Efficiency" ethos extends into 2024, with leaders seeking cost reductions without stunting growth. No-code technology emerges as a beacon of hope, fostering resilience and adaptability. Platforms like Make.com and Zapier empower even non-technical staff to automate and innovate, freeing IT for strategic tasks.

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Low-Cost Mobile Card Readers Have Security Flaws

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Positive Technologies researchers Leigh-Anne Galloway and Tim Yunusov are warning that new lower-cost payment systems could hurt companies because of security flaws that could enable hackers to steal credit card data or change the value of what people are purchasing. CNET reported the researchers released their findings during the Black Hat security conference being held this week in Las Vegas, saying hackers are targeting cheap card readers, which have gained in popularity because they are easy

Sales 44
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Meet The Personas Behind The Rise Of Contextual Commerce

PYMNTS

It can happen at the office. It can happen on Facebook and Pinterest. It can happen on a well-crafted blog designed to appeal to particular hobbyists, or an event and ticketing website, or an online platform devoted to travel. It can happen pretty much anywhere, given the right tools. And the people who try it seem to really, really like it — which signals good news for merchants and payments providers in the coming years.

Retail 44
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NEW REPORT: How FIs’ Top Performers Scale And Monetize Innovation

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Successful innovation is all about operationalization. The good news is that the path to operationalizing innovation looks remarkably similar for all financial institutions (FIs). Whether FIs are big or small, operationalizing innovation comes down to executing on the same four key tenets , starting with making innovation a mindset. FIs must take this mindset and bring it into every aspect of their processes, operationalizing it to align with a tangible business agenda and inform the other thre

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Blockchain Goes Local (A Bit, Anyway)

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Use cases are growing with blockchain, and while the headlines may focus on large-scale government initiatives and where distributed ledger technology (DLT) might be headed, the fact remains that smaller projects are gaining traction. Looking on a case-by-case basis, state initiatives (or local ones outside the U.S.) are showing some possibly novel ways that DLT may — at least, according to its advocates — help transform everyday activities.

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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.

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eCommerce, Delivery Firms Turn Attention To Supply Chain, Logistics

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As eCommerce and delivery companies fight an increasingly tough battle to streamline costs and compete for customers, a number of firms are moving to take control over logistics and distribution, as the cost savings and efficiencies can help accelerate growth and lower the expense of making final delivery to the customer. Domino’s , the world’s largest pizza delivery chain, said the company needed to accelerate investments in supply chain centers, as domestic volume has risen 50 percent over the

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146B Customer Records On Dark Web By 2023

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A new report has found that over 33 billion records will be stolen by cybercriminals in 2023 alone. The new findings gathered by Juniper Research and published in its report, “The Future of Cybercrime & Security: Threat Analysis, Impact Assessment & Leading Vendors 2018-2023,” shows that there will be a staggering increase of 175 percent in cybercrime in 2023.

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Singapore Provides ‘Springboard’ To Asian Markets For FinTech

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Singapore’s FinTech scene is booming: Funding for the burgeoning sector in the island country topped nearly a billion dollars in 2017, reaching $983.6 million that year. Hong Kong, by comparison, saw $596.8 million in funding for FinTechs at the time. Singapore overtook Hong Kong in FinTech funding in 2016. In that year, Singapore pulled ahead of Hong Kong with $310.5 million in funding compared to Hong Kong’s $191.2 million.

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Visa, Mastercard Cut Canadian Interchange Fees

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Visa and Mastercard have agreed to cut Canadian credit card transaction fees, which could save smaller businesses (SMBs) C$250 million ($192 million) a year. The companies agreed to reduce the average annual interchange rate in Canada by 10 basis points to 1.4 percent on cards, according to Canada’s finance department. “The voluntary commitments announced today are good news for Canadian businesses that accept credit cards, and good news for Canadian consumers,” said Finance Minister Bill Mornea

Finance 42
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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.

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How Chubbies Went From A Cult Fave To A Highly Imitated Brand

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There are brands that claim to take the customer experience to the max — and then there are brands that redefine what exactly the max means. Chubbies is among the latter. Chubbies takes its customer community seriously, and it makes it very clear that this is well beyond a marketing ploy. When one teenaged customer wrote to the brand to complain about his beloved Chubbies shorts, which had been pilfered from his locker by a local bully, Chubbies sprang into action.

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Online Food Delivery Is Having A Bright Moment — But Clouds Are Gathering

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It was once the (stereotypical) realm of ambitious teenagers and refuse-to-grow-up rockers and stoners who either needed extra bucks or found it too … uh … challenging to land better jobs. These days, however, food delivery means digital technology, entrepreneurship and global acquisition activity — and reasonable questions about how this will all shake out in the coming few years.

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McDonald’s McGold Card Promotes Online Ordering

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To help drive customers to its online ordering system, McDonald’s is rolling out a free food “for life” promotion. The winner will score a McGold Card that gives two free meals a week over a 50-year period, USA Today reported. According to the contest’s website , the prize is worth $52,350. The contest kicks off on Friday (August 10) and concludes later in the month.

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Retail Pulse: Mattress Firm Mulls Bankruptcy; Walmart Plans Robotic Grocery Pickup

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Brick-and-mortar retailers have sought to reduce their retail footprint in hard times, and Mattress Firm, Inc. is no exception. The brand could close between 600 to 1,000 of its 3,000 locations this year, according to some predictions – and is reportedly considering bankruptcy, people familiar with the matter have told Reuters. Steinhoff International Holdings NV, which acquired the company in 2016, has reportedly sought to restructure some of its subsidiaries’ debt.

Retail 42
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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.

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Alphabet’s ‘Smart City’ — Futuristic Appeal vs. Privacy Fears

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Development officials in Toronto recently signed a development agreement involving a “smart city” concept backed by Google’s parent company – but the project still faces doubts from civic officials and citizens. The project involves Waterfront Toronto — a government-created organization focused on renewal of the city’s waterfront — and Sidewalk Labs , the urban innovation company operated by Alphabet.

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Retailers Rethink Store Concepts, Digital Strategies Amid New Realities

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Traditional retail locations, ranging from fashion and home furnishings to hardware and department stores, have been forced to make significant changes in the face of heightened competition from eCommerce giants like Amazon and omnichannel powerhouses, like Walmart and its online unit, Jet.com. In many cases, the stores have been slow to develop their own eCommerce strategies.

Retail 41
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Intuit Secures Bitcoin Payment Patent

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Business software company Intuit has secured a patent for bitcoin payment processing, according to Coindesk reports on Thursday (Aug. 9). The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office published the patent , which describes a method to process bitcoin payments sent via text message that includes payment amount and validation based on a virtual payer account maintained by the payment service.

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Beam Links Blockchain, Retail Mobile Payments

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Global tech startup Beam Wallet is ready to launch a new mobile payment solution, which will link smartphones and blockchain technology to enable faster and simpler retail payments. “There are examples where adoption has been less slow,” said Beam Co-founder and CEO Serdar Nurmammedov, according to VentureBeat. “In China, 90 percent of consumers use WeChat as payment for offline purchases.

Retail 41
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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.