PYMNTS

JANUARY 21, 2019

A new report has revealed that Fortnite’s in-game currency is being used to launder money from stolen credit cards. According to a report by The Independent and cybersecurity firm Sixgill , a hacker will access someone else’s credit card information, and then use it to create a Fortnite account and buy V-bucks, which is the game’s currency. Once the account fills up with V-bucks, it is then sold through a legitimate vendor like eBay, or on the dark web, for lower rates that the $10 for 1,000 gam

Gaming 84

Gaming Account accountant accounted 84

Katz,Sapper&Miller

JANUARY 23, 2019

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) provides that expenses for qualified transportation fringe benefits are nondeductible. The IRS recently released interim guidance via Notice 2018-99 clarifying that a portion of taxpayers’ “parking expenses” is considered nondeductible as qualified transportation fringes. Thus, Notice 2018-99 has significantly expanded the number of taxpayers that will need to calculate the nondeductible portion of their parking expenses.

Tax 40

Tax Transportation tax return 40

PYMNTS

JANUARY 22, 2019

Mastercard was slapped with a $648.3 million fine by the European Union, which alleged that the payments company raised the costs of card payments artificially. According to a report in Reuters , citing the European Commission, the bloc’s antitrust regulator, the move is part of an effort on the part of European regulators to stamp out fees that U.S. credit card companies charge.

Retail 82

Retail 82

PYMNTS

JANUARY 24, 2019

Before consumers started to trade brick-and-mortar shopping experiences for eCommerce websites, retailers could bring customers through their doors with window displays. Now, with this shift, retailers are creating engaging experiences that digitally-connected consumers can tap into online with the help of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies.

Retail 81

Retail Technology New York Sales 81

Advertiser: Paycor

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.

PYMNTS

JANUARY 25, 2019

With PSD2 in full swing in the European Union (EU), any merchant dealing with the payment data of EU citizens must upgrade their payment protocols to stay compliant. That said, the fact that PSD2 is effectively changing how merchants transact doesn’t mean the merchants in question understand what those changes mean. In the January PSD2 Tracker , PYMNTS examines how money movement and data flow are getting an upgrade with PSD2, as well as how the upcoming SCA regulation is bound to affect user au

Retail 78

Retail Maine 78

PYMNTS

JANUARY 22, 2019

Last year brought the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) deadline, Europe’s attempt to boost online privacy and security for consumers — a law that just resulted in a $57 million fine against Google , which was accused of not doing enough to gain the consent of users when collecting data meant for targeted advertising. This year brings the Second Payment Services Directive ( PSD2 ) deadline, also in Europe, with its designs meant to encourage more security and innovation in the payments

Education 78

Education 78

PYMNTS

JANUARY 21, 2019

There’s a canary in the faster payments coalmine. It flew in on Dec. 14, the Friday before the week before Christmas, so you might not have noticed. That was the day that an advocacy group, Financial Innovation Now (FIN), submitted a public comment letter to the Fed in response to its proposal to create and operate a real-time payments system in the U.S.

Healthcare 77

Healthcare Account accountant accounted 77

PYMNTS

JANUARY 22, 2019

Last year was the year of artificial intelligence (AI), declared Brighterion CEO Dr. Akli Adjaoute for PYMNTS’ 2018 year-end eBook. The technology is proliferating financial markets, particularly for some of the world’s largest financial institutions in need of enhanced compliance solutions. Corporate treasurers are exploring AI for their own cash management and forecasting needs, while AI is also being explored among both traditional and alternative finance players for risk mitigat

Technology 77

Technology accounting and finance Finance corporate accounting 77

PYMNTS

JANUARY 25, 2019

This week, Barclays and Santander InnoVentures demonstrated traditional banks’ interest in alternative finance when they led a nearly $34 million equity fundraise for invoice financing platform MarketInvoice. However, the company wasn’t the only one landing support for its invoice finance operations: India’s M1Xchange and U.S.-based Apruve landed funding for their solutions, signaling continued interest by venture capitalists (VCs) in not only alternative finance, but in FinTe

Expense Management 76

Expense Management accounting and finance Finance B2B 76

PYMNTS

JANUARY 24, 2019

With third-party due diligence and supply chain security as increasingly critical components of organizations’ procurement operations, compliance executives are finding important positions in their firms’ purchasing processes. Understanding exposure to risk is essential for companies today, and Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) research suggests awareness is strong, with U.S. and U.K. procurement professionals identifying supplier due diligence, internal compliance training, social gov

Technology 76

Technology Manufacturing Start-ups Government 76

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.

PYMNTS

JANUARY 23, 2019

FinTech startups are introducing new ways for users to sift through information that was once hard to find: Intrinio , for instance, is now letting users search through notes and disclosures included on the SEC filings of U.S. public companies with keywords. Through the feature, users could look for “any indicators for sentiment analysis” to determine if a company is heading in “a good direction or a bad direction or any interesting events” Intrinio Founder and CEO Rachel Carpenter told PYMNTS i

Florida 76

Florida financial statements 76

PYMNTS

JANUARY 25, 2019

The Irish Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) is Twitter’s lead regulator in the European Union. On Friday (Jan. 25), the DPC said it was again looking into the social media giant because of another breach notification it received from the company, according to a report from Reuters. “The DPC has this week opened a new statutory inquiry into the latest data breach it received from Twitter on 8 January, 2019,” the Commission said on its website.

audit 76

audit Government 76

PYMNTS

JANUARY 23, 2019

If one wants to understand the complexities of the pharmaceutical supply chain, just follow the money. Contract negotiations between drug manufacturers, wholesalers, hospitals, pharmacies and their group purchasing organizations (GPOs) are ever-changing, meaning B2B payments are often incorrect, and chargebacks and disputes are common. Let’s say a manufacturer sells a drug for $100 to a wholesaler at wholesale acquisition cost (WAC).

Pharmaceutical 76

Pharmaceutical B2B Manufacturing Hospitality 76

PYMNTS

JANUARY 21, 2019

It’s been 10 full days since government workers missed their paychecks due to the prolonged government shutdown, and one of the most recognizable crowdfunding companies is stepping in to help. GoFundMe has launched a fundraising campaign targeted specifically to furloughed government workers, according to reports , and it’s raised around $90,000 from more than 1,000 people in just two days.

Government 76

Government Start-ups Maine Finance 76

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

JANUARY 21, 2019

Alphabet Inc.’s Google was hit with a $57 million fine Monday (Jan. 21) by a French regulator, in what the Wall Street Journal reported is the largest penalty under the new European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) privacy law. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal , France’s National Data Protection Commission fined Google, saying it didn’t do enough to get the consent of users when gathering data used for targeted advertising.

Start-ups 76

Start-ups 76

PYMNTS

JANUARY 23, 2019

At their core, subscription services are simple and straightforward. A consumer pays a recurring fee and, in return, receives access to a selection of goods and services. Subscription merchants have duplicated this simple formula within every industry imaginable, but few today offer subscription services that resonate with what consumers want. So, what differentiates the best from the rest?

B2C 75

B2C B2B Maine 75

PYMNTS

JANUARY 25, 2019

There are few familiar places in the regular life of a consumer other than the grocery store , and that familiarity can breed a type of trust, a sense that nothing too weird or threatening will happen there. That doesn’t mean they can’t be about innovation. Supermarkets are home to some of retail’s major and ongoing technological advances — and 2018 stands as a big year for grocery innovation.

Gambling 75

Gambling Texas Start-ups Washington 75

PYMNTS

JANUARY 21, 2019

Business confidence remains strong in the U.S., riding on the optimism of a strengthening economy that brings new opportunity for revenue growth. This is particularly true for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), most of which are anticipating revenue growth in the year ahead, according to JPMorgan Chase research. The firm’s Business Leaders Outlook report, published earlier this month, found that the majority of SMBs expect revenue, sales and profit increases in 2019, with executiv

B2B 75

B2B accounts payable Technology Non-Profits 75

Advertisement

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.

Technology

PYMNTS

JANUARY 24, 2019

Walmart is testing out a new solution designed to automatically address soft declines on its eCommerce site. Walmart Labs, the technology arm of Walmart, discovered that most declined purchases on the retail giant’s site were soft declines, which are credit card rejections due to generic issuer errors such as server timeout or issuer unavailability.

Retail 74

Retail Technology 74

PYMNTS

JANUARY 23, 2019

Bitcoin fell to a five-week low during this past holiday weekend, reaching $3,442.50, its lowest level since Dec. 17. By Tuesday (Jan. 22), the crypto was up 0.7 percent to hit $3,622.41 on the Kraken exchange, according to MarketWatch. “Bitcoin keeps bouncing along in the upper $3K range, but it was unable to extend last week’s breakout above this level,” wrote Market Analyst Jani Ziedins.

Technology 74

Technology Retail Sales 74

PYMNTS

JANUARY 21, 2019

“Can we all just agree that real-time access to money isn’t going to be an option anymore?” said Ingo Money CEO Drew Edwards. That’s how Friday’s conversation between Edwards and Karen Webster started. Yet, according to the latest Disbursements Tracker , a collaborative effort between Ingo Money and PYMNTS, hurdles remain. The Tracker found that some 74 percent of business executives cited a lack of interoperability as a major inhibitor to their real-time payments adoption, along with the opera

Start-ups 74

Start-ups Retail Technology Account 74

PYMNTS

JANUARY 22, 2019

Accounting, consultancy and technology firm Crowe is rolling out a new solution designed for hospitals to automate daily bank reconciliation processes and manage cash flow, the company said in a recent announcement. Hospitals can often struggle to manually reconcile cash flow coming from multiple sources. Crowe is addressing this friction with the rollout of its Crowe Automated Reconciliation for Healthcare tool, providing hospitals a three-way match solution between their general ledgers, patie

Hospitality 73

Hospitality general ledger Healthcare Technology 73

Advertiser: Paycor

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.

PYMNTS

JANUARY 22, 2019

The Rockefeller Foundation and the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, the two philanthropic arms of the organizations, announced a partnership on Tuesday (Jan. 22) called Data Science for Social Impact, according to a press release. The aim of the new organization is to “accelerate the use of data science by empowering nonprofit, civic and government organizations with the tools, expertise and other capabilities they need to help solve the world’s most pressing challenges.”.

Transportation 73

Transportation Government Technology 73

PYMNTS

JANUARY 25, 2019

There’s an old saying in battle that the enemy of your enemy is your friend. In eCommerce, all sorts of alliances emerge, with Amazon squarely in sight. And according to recent news on the eCommerce front, Google has lost a friend, seemingly, in at least part of its ongoing eCommerce battle against Amazon. Bloomberg reports that Walmart has “quietly” left one of Google’s key efforts against Amazon, having removed products from the latter’s Shopping Actions website, and also left Google Express,

Retail 72

Retail 72

PYMNTS

JANUARY 24, 2019

When Dutch entrepreneur Teun van den Dries started GeoPhy , an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven service that performs real estate valuations, there was nothing like it on the market. When he went to buy a house, Bloomberg reported, the appraiser he used simply asked him how much he thought it should cost. That led him to realize the potential market for his company, which he started in 2014.

Real Estate 72

Real Estate Start-ups Finance Sales 72

PYMNTS

JANUARY 23, 2019

China is expected to displace the U.S. this year as the leading retail market around the world. According to eMarketer’s worldwide retail and eCommerce forecast, in 2019 China’s total retail sales are forecast to increase 7.5 percent, hitting $5.636 trillion. That compares to retail sales in the U.S. which are projected to increase 3.3 percent to $5.529 trillion.

Retail 72

Retail Sales Account accountant 72

Advertisement

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.

Finance

PYMNTS

JANUARY 23, 2019

Another one has bitten the dust when it comes to providing the vital last-mile delivery service for online consumers (especially the hungry ones). The news that on-demand delivery startup Munchery has closed its doors — even after raising $125 million in venture capital funding — serves as reminder of how difficult it can be to gain a profitable foothold (much less a dominant position) in the on-demand food delivery space.

Pharmaceutical 72

Pharmaceutical New York Retail Technology 72

PYMNTS

JANUARY 25, 2019

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which went into effect May of 2018, has had some serious repercussions on tech companies all over Europe, but especially in the U.K. The latest company to be affected may be food delivery app Deliveroo, according to a report in the Financial Times. The U.K. data protection watchdog is looking into the company after it reported “limited fraudulent activity” on some customers’ accounts.

online accounting 71

online accounting Account accountant accounted 71

PYMNTS

JANUARY 20, 2019

Indonesian ride-hailing company Go-Jek is acquiring a “substantial” number of shares in Philippine-based blockchain services platform Coins.ph. While the details of the transaction were not revealed, it was reported that there will be no impact to Coins.ph customers and that its team “will continue in their existing roles,” according to CoinGeek. “Supporting the success of a local FinTech entrepreneurial champion like Coins.ph, with a similar ambition to empower society through innovation and te

Texas 71

Texas Washington California Technology 71

PYMNTS

JANUARY 23, 2019

There are north of 70,000 Alexa skills on the market today, capable of helping consumers do everything from booking an Uber to buying their groceries to playing a trivia game to kill some time while waiting for the pizza ordered via Alexa to arrive. But the ongoing challenge for the developers of those Alexa skills is monetizing them. While app developers have various paths to making big money on their creations, the avenues to remuneration are fewer and further between for voice skills develop

Education 70

Education Gaming Start-ups 70

Advertisement

"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.

cpa firm