Sat.Feb 03, 2018 - Fri.Feb 09, 2018

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Ripple Enables Real-Time Payments Into China Via LianLian

PYMNTS

Soon after Ripple announced a collaboration with MoneyGram, the blockchain firm revealed yet another partnership, this time in China. Reports in Blockchain News on Wednesday (Feb. 7) said Ripple announced a partnership with LianLian International, a Hong Kong-based, cross-border payments company, that plans to use Ripple’s xCurrent enterprise blockchain tool to process real-time payments coming into China.

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Tax Reform: Major Changes to Meal and Entertainment Expenses

Katz,Sapper&Miller

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) largely eliminates the deduction for entertainment expenses. While there are a few unanswered questions (specifically how this provision affects meals), its effect is immediate. As a result, businesses should incorporate this change without delay.

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Own Your Program Management, Own Your Destiny

PYMNTS

Being a program manager isn’t easy. Essentially, it means handling everything other than card issuing, authorization and transaction processing. If it’s not holding money or providing a payment network, the program manager does it: AML (anti-money laundering) compliance, KYC (Know Your Customer), fraud mitigation, marketing, privacy, document review, OFAC compliance, reporting and more.

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Mercedes and Bosch Queue Up For Self-Driving Taxi Test

PYMNTS

Daimler’s Mercedes and Bosch are gearing up to test driverless taxis on the roads in the coming months. Engadget, citing German news site Automobilwoche, reported that Bosch head Volkmar Denner said the first test taxi will be on the roads in the coming months. He didn’t provide other details, reported Engadget, but did offer up more of a timetable for the initiative.

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Mid-Year Review: How to Ignite Employee Potential Through Meaningful Feedback

Mid-year performance reviews aren’t just boxes for HR to check. Paycor’s toolkit empowers leaders to: Identify high-potential team members. Boost engagement with meaningful feedback. Support struggling employees. Nurture top talent to drive results. Learn how to ignite employee potential through meaningful feedback. When you nurture top talent, everybody wins.

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NXT-ID Rolls Out The Ability To Pay With Bitcoin

PYMNTS

Fit Pay , a unit of NXT-ID , announced news on Thursday (Feb. 8) of the launch of Flip TM , a contactless payment device for cryptocurrency holders. According to a press release , Fit Pay said the new device will enable cryptocurrency holders to use their digital coins to pay for goods at retail locations. The device launch follows an announcement in December that the company would expand its platform to include cryptocurrencies.

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Predictive Analytics Are Retailers’ Crystal Ball

PYMNTS

Can predicting the future help retailers and other organizations avoid negative outcomes? It’s not just a thought exercise: By analyzing the past, organizations can shape the future they want to see, starting with creating the best possible user experience. Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it, and all that. Customer churn doesn’t have to be a total loss.

Retail 60

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Western Union’s Plans For Mass Payments

PYMNTS

Corporate T&E company Certify is integrating payment capabilities provided by Western Union to enhance its global reimbursement and supplier payment offering. The companies announced in a press release sent to PYMNTS on Thursday (Feb. 8) that they formed a partnership that allows businesses using Certify to facilitate employee reimbursements and supplier payments across borders, with transactions powered by Western Union.

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Blockchain Must Be Easy, Secure To Drive Adoption

PYMNTS

In 2017, cryptocurrency startups raised $5.6 billion through ICOs (initial coin offerings, a fundraising strategy by which creators of digital coins and tokens like bitcoin and Ethereum sell their tokens to investors in order to fund the currency’s launch). With so many ICOs underway, one might say the cryptocurrency space has quickly grown oversaturated – or at the very least, overwhelming.

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WhatsApp Testing Payments In India

PYMNTS

WhatsApp is testing a payment ability in India which will enable users to send money to other users of the mobile app. Citing sources familiar with the company’s plan, TechCrunch reported the service is currently in beta tests. WhatsApp has opted not to make an official announcement yet because the service isn’t available on a wide basis. WhatsApp’s payment solution takes advantage of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in India and includes support from a handful of banks, including State Bank

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Bon-Ton Is The Next Retailer To File For Bankruptcy

PYMNTS

After struggling for years with decreasing sales and mall traffic, Bon-Ton Stores has filed for bankruptcy. The retailer said it voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Delaware and is exploring a sale, Fortune reported. Before the announcement, Bon-Ton announced it would shutter 40 out of its 260 brick-and-mortar stores across its various brands.

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Your Accounting Expertise Will Only Get You So Far: The New Way To Lead

Speaker: Victor C. Barnes, CPA, MBA

In the climb from contributor to leader, the rules quietly change. But if you’re aiming for the summit, the air gets thinner, and what got you here won’t be enough to get you to the top. 🗻 What made you successful early in your finance career—technical accuracy, sharp analysis, flawless execution—won’t be what carries you to the next level. The higher you go, the more your effectiveness depends on how you connect, adapt, and communicate.

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Corporates Go For The ‘Coopetition’ Model Of Blockchain

PYMNTS

Corporates are now in a race to develop and deploy blockchain tools — and sure, part of the momentum behind that effort is the recognition that blockchain technology can lead to greater efficiency and speed in an array of business processes. But much of that effort is also due to the heightened sense of competition and urgency: The ability to tell stakeholders and industry rivals that blockchain is, in some way, already in use within an organization can certainly provide a competitive edge.

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Canadian Firms Spending $5 Billion On Payments Processing

PYMNTS

A new report from Ernst and Young LLP (EY) and Payments Canada finds Canadian businesses are spending as much as $5.2 billion on payments processing. The companies released their report on Tuesday (Feb. 6), highlighting both the cost of payments processing and the inefficiencies involved in the process due to a lack of transparency and data in payment messaging, especially for small businesses (SMBs).

B2B 49
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Purchase Order Matching Is A Sign Of Maturity

PYMNTS

Not every organization is diligent about matching purchase orders (POs) with invoices when handling supply chain payments and accounts payable (AP). A PO matching process ensures that a PO has already been established and approved for the vendor before an invoice is even received, so that, when the invoice arrives, the organization can guarantee it’s paying out the correct amount and not overspending.

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Half Of Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs) Offer In-Store Pickup For App Orders

PYMNTS

To run a popular burger restaurant, it’s not enough to simply have a good grill and a fresh beef patty. With advances in technology, what happens online — outside the kitchen — can make a good restaurant experience a great one. At Shake Shack, for example, CEO Randy Garutti is focusing on new digital options to make his customers leave his restaurant feeling satisfied.

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The Hidden Science Behind Why Finance Teams Resist Change—And How to Fix It

Speaker: Kim Beynon, CPA, CGMA, PMP

The most overlooked, yet most critical, element of transformation is preparing people for change. Automation and AI aren't just technical upgrades, they’re cultural shifts which can challenge identities. That’s why change management isn’t a side project—it’s the foundation. In finance, where precision and process rule, navigating change can feel especially disruptive.

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Voice: A Growing Piece Of The Omnicommerce Pie

PYMNTS

If a customer wants some red Nike running shoes in size 11, he can use his web browser or phone to navigate to Nike’s website, find the shoes, choose the color and select a size — or he can just say, “Alexa (or Google, or Siri), I want some red Nike running shoes in size 11.”. It’s clear that the natural language approach is a much faster way to get the desired result, and consumers are figuring that out: Alpine.AI CEO and Co-Founder Adam Marchick said the company’s analytics have been showing a

Retail 48
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Building A Better Lending Model To Serve SMBs Who Served

PYMNTS

According to the Small Business Administration , of the 28 million U.S. SMBs, roughly 2.5 million, or 9.1 percent, are owned by veterans of the United States Armed Forces. Those firms, according to the same SBA report, had an annual payroll of $195 billion, receipts of $1.14 trillion. And, because vet-owned firms employ about five people each, they are responsible for creating 12.5 million jobs.

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Seven US States Seek To Simplify FinTech Licensing

PYMNTS

Reuters reported news on Tuesday that banking regulators from seven states across the United States are working to, as the newswire reported, “streamline” the FinTech reporting process, with an eye on those tech firms having an easier road toward offering their products and services across the nation. The Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS), through which these states are working, said Tuesday that seven states — which include Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Texas, Tennessee an

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Team USA Launches Omnichannel Strategy For Olympic Retail

PYMNTS

With the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games not too far away, it’s high season for Team USA merchandise. Fanatics , a company that sells Team USA merchandise, has taken a novel approach to Olympic retail this year with a physical store in a major U.S. city. The store marks a milestone for Team USA: It’s their first in-person retail store outside the Olympic Training Center in Colorado.

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Doing More With Less: The Modern Finance Miracle

Speaker: Mark Gilham, FCCA, CPP

Finance used to be the function that counted, now it's the one that’s counted on. 📊 For accounting firms, controllers, and finance leaders, expectations are rising faster than headcount. Businesses want agile forecasts, granular analysis, seamless reporting, and smart automation—often without added resources while demanding uncompromised accuracy and compliance.

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Ledger Wallet Vulnerability Can Dupe Users Into Sending Cryptocurrencies To Hackers

PYMNTS

After a report indicated that a bug in Ledger Wallet ’s software could allow users to be duped into sending cryptocurrency to hackers, the hardware wallet company took to Twitter to remind customers to be careful when transferring digital coins. Ledger told users to “always verify [their] receiv[ing] address” on their screen at the bottom of each transaction, TheNextWeb reported.

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‘The Market @ Macy’s’ Pops Up

PYMNTS

As department stores reconsider their real estate and business models, Macy’s is testing out pop-up stores in 10 cities — from Las Vegas to New York — in a new concept named “The Market @ Macy’s,” CNBC reported. Through the program, brands can pay a one-time fee for a space on Macy’s first floor to advertise or sell their products while retaining all of their sales.

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Majority Of Consumers Want Digital Coupons, Rewards From Grocers

PYMNTS

H-E-B is not only the neighborhood grocery store for many communities in Texas: It’s also an eCommerce retailer with digital features to better reach its customers. The grocer has brought curbside pickup to cities such as San Antonio, Waco and Houston, while rolling out delivery from Shipt and Instacart. The grocer has also expanded its business beyond its borders to serve Texans that have moved to other states but want comfort food from home.

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Tovala’s Ovens And Meal Kits Get Investment From Tyson Foods

PYMNTS

Chicago-based startup subscription service and steam oven creator Tovala has received new funding from Tyson Ventures , the investment arm of food giant Tyson Foods, according to a Tuesday (Feb. 6) TechCrunch report. The exact amount of the funding was not disclosed, but Tyson’s investment appears to have been earmarked to finance collaborations on Tyson-branded meals through the Tovala meal prep subscription service offering.

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8 Pillars of Leadership Development

Great leadership development is the key to sustainable business growth. Are you ready to design an effective program? HR can use Paycor’s framework to: Set achievable goals. Align employee and company needs. Support different learning styles. Empower the next generation of leaders. Invest in your company’s future with a strong leadership development program.

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Justice Department Announces Three Dozen Indictments In $530M Cyber ID Crime Spree

PYMNTS

You’ve heard of a baker’s dozen. Well, here, perhaps, is the hacker’s three dozen — and might there be more? According to reports by Reuters Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Justice said it had indicted 36 people from around the globe tied to an internet identity theft ring. The cybercriminals racked up nearly $530 million in losses to consumers and enterprises.

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As Competition Heats Up, Blockchain Players Recognize The Value Of Collaboration

PYMNTS

Blockchain technology has sparked a race to see which companies will be first to implement a working distributed ledger solution. The competition is heating up: According to a recent report on the technology by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), organizations would be wise to stay informed. “Blockchain technologies have the power to disrupt many industries,” the NIST stated.

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Bitcoin Slides Again As Banks Curb Buying

PYMNTS

And the hits keep coming … to bitcoin’s price. The cryptocurrency’s value was down more than 7 percent on Monday (Feb. 5) to roughly $7,600, a level that would represent a new low not seen in more than two months. That slide occurred as global concerns come to bear on the digital currency, tied primarily to bans on buying bitcoin levied by banks. As reported by Reuters , the price, quoted from Bitstamp, now represents a fall that has taken bitcoin well off its peak of nearly $20,000 seen late la

Legal 45
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eBay/PayPal: What Everyone Missed

PYMNTS

The year was 1999. eBay, then four years old, bought payments provider Billpoint to improve the payments experience on its site. When eBay first launched in 1995, the primary way that buyers and sellers did business was via paper check and snail mail. Back then, only the very, very large merchants had merchant accounts and could accept credit card payments online.

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Protect What Matters: Rethinking Finance Ops In A Digital World

Speaker: Cheryl J. Muldrew-McMurtry

Distributed finance teams are rewriting how the back-office runs, and attackers are taking notes. Disconnected workflows, process blind spots, and rising cyber threats are more than just growing pains—they’re liabilities. The challenge isn’t just going remote. It’s building resilient systems that protect accuracy, control, and speed across every transaction and touchpoint.

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New Chargeback Rules No Sweat For Chargehound

PYMNTS

April 15, the day that Visa’s new chargeback rules go into effect, has stirred up a lot of anxiety for merchants – but for the startup Chargehound , it’ll be just another day. Merchants who respond to chargebacks manually are pulling their hair out as they picture 30 percent shorter deadlines and more stringent rules around what qualifies as evidence.

Maine 44
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Why B2B Payments Innovation Is Key To China’s Global Standing

PYMNTS

B2B payments are an instrumental component of global trade and of setting the stage for currencies to operate as global instruments of cross-border trade. China’s renminbi (RMB) is one global currency that is pushing its international standing, but new data from SWIFT released earlier this month found 2017 was a mixed year for the currency. RMB usage made up 1.61 percent of domestic and cross-border payments in December 2017, SWIFT found, with the company’s Head of Payments Markets, Asia-Pacific

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Shoppable Photos Create eCommerce Referrals For Retailers

PYMNTS

News photos can showcase the latest in fashion and style of Hollywood actors, but it’s not so easy to purchase items from a celebrity’s wardrobe. Through a partnership with eBay , Mashable is making the task of finding that suit, dress or accessory a little bit easier. While the program is still just a pilot, journalists working for Mashable will be able to take a photo of, say, a celebrity and tag elements of his or her outfit with links to similar products available for sale on eBay.

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Arizona Considers Accepting Tax Payments In Cryptocurrency

PYMNTS

Two years after legislators in New Hampshire decided that they would not allow their citizens pay their taxes with bitcoin, the Arizona state legislature is mulling a bill that would pave the way for people to pay their Arizona taxes with cryptocurrencies, Coindesk reported. In January, Arizona lawmakers had submitted a bill that would allow taxpayers to use bitcoin – and other cryptocurrencies – to pay “tax and any interest and penalties” to the Arizona Department of Revenue.

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Automation, Evolved: Your New Playbook for Smarter Knowledge Work

Speaker: Frank Taliano

Documents are the backbone of enterprise operations, but they are also a common source of inefficiency. From buried insights to manual handoffs, document-based workflows can quietly stall decision-making and drain resources. For large, complex organizations, legacy systems and siloed processes create friction that AI is uniquely positioned to resolve.