PYMNTS

SEPTEMBER 27, 2018

Western Union is reportedly considering a sale of its business payments operation, unnamed sources told Bloomberg on Wednesday (Sept. 26). The sources said a deal could give Western Union a $500 million boost, and that the institution plans to start discussing a sale with potential buyers in a few weeks. They noted, however, that Western Union has not definitively decided to sell its business payments unit and that its plans remain confidential.

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Sales B2B corporation tax Finance 79

Katz,Sapper&Miller

SEPTEMBER 27, 2018

Andy Manchir, director in Katz, Sapper & Miller’s ESOP Services Group, will present at the 4th Annual Great Lakes Regional ESOP Conference. Taking place on Oct. 18-19 in Sandusky, Ohio, the conference will bring together the Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio/Kentucky chapters to discuss current topics pertinent to the ESOP community.

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Ohio Kentucky Indiana Michigan 40

PYMNTS

SEPTEMBER 27, 2018

Origins are all the rage in modern life: origin stories, family origins via DNA and digital ancestry databases. Add to that Walmart ’s latest effort to gain more grocery market share: using blockchain technology to trace the origin of the food sold by the retailer back to the farms from which it came. The idea is to introduce more transparency into the process, which could serve to prevent outbreaks of foodborne illnesses and encourage consumer trust of the grocery goods on Walmart shelves.

Retail 78

Retail B2B accounting and finance Start-ups 78

PYMNTS

SEPTEMBER 24, 2018

Digital commerce channels are presenting new opportunities for bad actors, making cybercrime a colossal problem for companies of all sizes. All told, U.S. businesses and consumers lost more than $1.4 billion in 300,000-plus reported cyberattacks last year, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Perhaps more troubling, however, is digital fraud’s projected future.

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Technology Account accountant accounted 78

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PYMNTS

SEPTEMBER 24, 2018

What can you say about a cryptocurrency that shows a meteoric rise, surging more than 80 percent in a day? That maybe … you wished you had some in hand? Beyond that, we’re talking about cryptocurrencies, so the question must be posed, as always, when separating hope from hype: Is it different this time? That means looking into not just “what” happened, but also “why” it happened.

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Government 76

PYMNTS

SEPTEMBER 24, 2018

Before there was Alexa , Bixby , Siri and Google Assistant , there was Emma Nutt. Emma Nutt, born in 1860 in a small town in Maine, was hired by Alexander Graham Bell in 1878 to be the world’s first female telephone switchboard operator. When Bell’s invention — the telephone — was first introduced, phones were sold in pairs, and calls could be made between those two parties only.

Technology 76

Technology Start-ups Maine Transportation 76

PYMNTS

SEPTEMBER 28, 2018

To allow ATM operators and acquirers to use Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) around the world, Visa is growing its Visa/Plus ATM services and updating its rules. The changes will become effective in mid-April of next year, Vending Times reported. Through DCC, which is an optional offering, an acquirer, merchant or ATM operator gives cardholders a choice: They can make a transaction in their home currency or the local currency.

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Account accountant accounted 74

PYMNTS

SEPTEMBER 26, 2018

Stripe, the payments startup, has raised $245 million in a new round of venture funding, giving the company a valuation of $20 billion. According to a report in a tech outlet , citing the payments company, the round of fundraising was led by Tiger Global Management and included new investors DST Global and Sequoia. Existing investors Andreessen Horowitz, Kleiner Perkins, Khosla Ventures, General Catalyst and Thrive Capital also participated in the round.

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PYMNTS

SEPTEMBER 26, 2018

Square has announced the launch of the Square Payroll App , a self-serve tool that makes it easier for employers to manage the payroll process. With this new app, employers can go from signup to sending a pay run within minutes, with features including push notifications and automatic payroll. “And the app’s mobile-first design offers an elegant, seamless experience across both the Payroll App and on desktop.

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payroll New York Start-ups Tax 73

PYMNTS

SEPTEMBER 27, 2018

Alibaba Group announced Thursday (September 27) that it signed up with Banking Circle to use its infrastructure and global network for digital payments. In a press release , Alibaba said the partnership with Banking Circle showcases the effectiveness of Banking Circle being a provider of mission-critical infrastructure for online cross-border payments.

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B2B Technology Account accountant 73

Speaker: James Kahler, COO of Full Course

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PYMNTS

SEPTEMBER 25, 2018

Easy come, easy go? For XRP, the maxim holds true into a new week. Bulls are no doubt looking wistfully at last week’s action, when the price rose more than 100 percent and headlines held promise over XRP’s adoption into (a bit) more mainstream, everyday financial life. As of today (Sept. 25), the price has fallen by more than 18 percent, rebounding a bit and trading at about 46 cents.

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Start-ups Sales 73

PYMNTS

SEPTEMBER 24, 2018

Before Ankush Sehgal co-founded Try.com , he saw the benefits of try-before-you-buy with his family’s luxury discount store that sold high-end designer brands in London. As was common for luxury retail shops, the store had a black book of VIP customers. Each time a new collection would come into the store, Sehgal’s family would send them VIP items that they might like.

Retail 73

Retail Sales 73

PYMNTS

SEPTEMBER 25, 2018

Fusion Risk Management is expanding its corporate risk management software offering by integrating new functionality into the tool, the company said in a press release on Monday (Sept. 24). The updates include connectivity with third parties, allowing its Fusion Framework System users to engage with their suppliers and other third parties in supply chains to streamline the vendor risk assessment process.

Technology 73

Technology B2B 73

PYMNTS

SEPTEMBER 25, 2018

eBay announced on Tuesday (Sept. 25) that it has started managing payments on its Marketplace platform in the U.S. In a press release , the company said that earlier this year, it announced plans to intermediate or manage the payments flow on its platform, and that it has now started doing that. “The introduction of eBay’s new payments experience in the U.S. marks a significant milestone in our managed payments journey,” said Steve Fisher, senior vice president of payments at eBay.

Start-ups 72

Start-ups Sales 72

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

SEPTEMBER 26, 2018

Circle announced on Wednesday (Sept. 26) that, along with the CENTRE open source consortium, it has launched a service to tokenize U.S. dollars and use them on public blockchain on the internet. In a company blog post , Circle said individuals and institutions can enroll in the service to deposit U.S. dollars from bank accounts, convert those into tokens and redeem USDC tokens and cash them out to bank accounts.

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audit Technology Account accountant 72

PYMNTS

SEPTEMBER 24, 2018

After its controversial Colin Kaepernick ads appeared earlier in September, the market value of Nike has grown by $6 billion. All in, the retailer’s stock has risen by 36 percent during the year, with 5 percent of the gain occurring after the release of the ads, Fortune reported. Riley FBR Chief Market Strategist Art Hogan said of the move, according to reports, “I don’t think they just randomly decided to put this ad out, thinking, ‘Let’s commit political-correctness suicide.’ Peopl

Retail 72

Retail Sales 72

PYMNTS

SEPTEMBER 27, 2018

Want to understand payments innovation in Latin America ? First, let’s talk about ingredients — as in food. Imagine a shopping bag full of common ingredients, the staples that are familiar and affordable for a wide range of consumers. Consider all the ways in which those common ingredients can be combined into a tasty dish — a few tweaks here and there, resulting in something totally different than what someone down the street might create in their own kitchen.

Transportation 71

Transportation Gaming Start-ups Technology 71

PYMNTS

SEPTEMBER 24, 2018

Lease-to-own services are making a comeback with eCommerce retailers. Overstock.com is bringing a lease-to-own purchase option to its financial service offerings. The option, provided by Progressive Leasing , allows customers to lease products for as long as a year and is available for over three million products on the retailer’s website. Overstock.com is no stranger to offering financial services — it already provides credit cards, lending, investments and insurance services to its customers

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West Virginia Vermont Wisconsin New Jersey 70

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Technology

PYMNTS

SEPTEMBER 24, 2018

Commercial card startup Brex is seeking unicorn status with its next funding round, The Wall Street Journal ( WSJ ) reported Friday (Sept. 21). Unnamed sources told the publication that DST Global is set to lead the firm’s next funding round, which could push its valuation to $1 billion. Brex, founded by two Brazilian entrepreneurs, emerged on the market as a FinTech issuing corporate cards to other startups.

Expense Management 70

Expense Management accounting and finance Finance Government 70

PYMNTS

SEPTEMBER 27, 2018

Chegg , a technology giant specializing in textbook rental, suffered a data breach affecting around 40 million customers. According to CNBC , Chegg’s shares fell more than 12 percent on Wednesday (September 26) after the news broke. The breach, which happened in April but was only discovered a week ago, was revealed in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Technology 69

Technology Account accountant accounted 69

PYMNTS

SEPTEMBER 26, 2018

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón announced on Wednesday (Sept. 26) that they have reached a settlement with Uber Technologies Inc., in which Uber will pay $148 million to resolve allegations that it violated state laws pertaining to data breach reporting. In a press release , the two AGs said the settlement also covers charges that Uber violated reasonable data security laws with its 2016 breach of driver and customer information.

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California Technology Account accountant 69

PYMNTS

SEPTEMBER 25, 2018

To paraphrase a certain defense secretary from earlier in the millennium: There are known unknowns and unknown unknowns. When it comes to FinTech firms and lending, might it be that what we don’t know could hurt us? A report by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) found that when it comes to credit done through nascent technological platforms, boons and risks are afoot.

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Technology Government Account accountant 68

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PYMNTS

SEPTEMBER 24, 2018

A research firm has discovered that the number of material accounting mistakes made by U.S. public companies has gone up this year. Massachusetts-based Audit Analytics looked at disclosures from more than 9,000 U.S.-listed companies since 2005, finding firms that had to reissue their financials due to errors. While the number of mistakes has declined every year since 2006, during the first six months of 2018, 65 companies found accounting mistakes that required them to restate and refile entire

corporate accounting 68

corporate accounting Account accountant accounted 68

PYMNTS

SEPTEMBER 26, 2018

JPMorgan Chase is reportedly in discussions with Lyft about being the lead banker on its pending initial public offering (IPO). CNBC , citing people familiar with the matter, reported that JPMorgan is seen as in the lead to be the underwriter after Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley opted not to go after the Lyft IPO, as they are working with Uber Technologies about its potential IPO.

Technology 67

Technology 67

PYMNTS

SEPTEMBER 25, 2018

Enhanced data security and analytics are at the top of chief financial officers’ priority lists among both private and public companies, according to new data from auditing and advisory service provider Protiviti. The firm’s latest research examined CFOs and other financial executives’ views on the future of their functions and processes.

Technology 67

Technology accounting and finance Finance Education 67

PYMNTS

SEPTEMBER 27, 2018

Amazon has opened Amazon 4-star, a new store in New York City where every product is rated 4 stars and above, is a top seller or is new and trending on Amazon’s website. The store is located in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood, on Spring Street between Crosby and Lafayette Streets. “We created Amazon 4-star to be a place where customers can discover products they will love.

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Finance

PYMNTS

SEPTEMBER 24, 2018

Some digitizations are clearly an upgrade — consumers prefer doing their Black Friday shopping from their couch as opposed to the mall, and businesses prefer that their cross-border payments not be a source of surprise when it comes to arrival times. However, some innovations are, perhaps, a harder sale. We may live in the era of voice automation, but consumers don’t always love talking to non-human voices.

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Sales Retail 66

PYMNTS

SEPTEMBER 25, 2018

Emergent Technology, the blockchain technology company, announced on Tuesday (Sept. 25) that it has made a strategic investment in T Stamp Inc. In a press release , Emergent Technology said T Stamp, which is known as Trust Stamp, makes artificial intelligence and biometric hashing technology for the purpose of verifying identities. Emergent Technology said it is deploying Trust Stamp’s technology across its G-Coin and Responsible Gold businesses. “Across our business, we strive to fa

Technology 66

Technology Real Estate New Mexico Maine 66

PYMNTS

SEPTEMBER 24, 2018

Stripe, the digital payments startup, is reportedly testing a new cash advance service for its business customers. According to reports , the new service would provide business owners with access to funds one to two days after applying for the money. Stripe has started to alert customers about the service and issue loans. The test, noted the report, is being conducted under the Advance brand name.

Retail 65

Retail Start-ups Sales Finance 65

PYMNTS

SEPTEMBER 25, 2018

Subscription fatigue is one of the biggest challenges merchants must conquer if they want to ensure longevity. In recent weeks, several subscription-based businesses have revised their offerings to try new tactics in an effort to keep customers renewing their subscriptions. In the September Subscription Commerce Tracker , PYMNTS highlights how subscription-based models offering consumers access to food, video games, books, medical care and even vehicles are changing to keep customers engaged.

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Gaming Healthcare Maine 65

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"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.

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