2017

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Passport, the technology business for city transit systems, raises $43 million

PYMNTS

Passport, company that’s managing much of the technical aspects of how people pay to use public transportation resources in cities like London, Miami and Los Angeles, has just raised $43 million. The money, from Bain Capital Ventures, will go to help the company expand its payment and transaction services nationally and internationally. Read More.

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NEW REPORT: Can Western Union Leverage Its Heritage To Build A Better X-Border API?

PYMNTS

There was a time when the telegraph was as important to keeping people connected as the smartphone is today. And while the telegraph’s heyday may well be over, the network it once rested upon can still be put to good use, especially with an assist from API solutions. As more merchants and smaller businesses seek to engage in global commerce, several companies are stepping up their efforts to help merchants address the complexities presented by international trade.

B2B 108
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Blockchain Starts 2017 With A Bang

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Whether you believe the hype or not, blockchain technology is attracting massive investments, exploration and competition across the globe. In the last week alone, top players in the distributed ledger space have made progress in their own initiatives, from membership growth within blockchain consortia to the pursuit of distributed ledger-related patents by top banks.

B2B 99
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Big Data For Big Returns At Retailers Big And Small?

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“Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is, I don’t know which half.”. That’s a quote from department store maven John Wanamaker, illustrating a conundrum for retailers (and merchants in general): Namely, you’ve got to reach out to consumers if you are going to convince them to buy your wares. But reaching out involves time and money — both precious commodities.

Retail 93
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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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The Wonder Of Wegmans

PYMNTS

Supermarkets aren’t generally the sorts of things that generate massive, dedicated fan bases. Certainly most shopper have a preferred grocery store (or at least one they tend to frequent more often than others) — but in general, it is not something most people talk all that often about since on the whole shopping for groceries doesn’t register all that highly on the excitement meter.

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eBay Mulling Accepting Bitcoin As A Payment Method

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Online retailer eBay , following in the footsteps of Overstock.com, is contemplating allowing bitcoin as a payment method. In an interview with Yahoo Finance , Scott Cutler, SVP of eBay Americas, said the eCommerce retailer is “seriously considering” accepting bitcoin payments but noted the company is “not quite there yet.” He noted that eBay is currently focused on the holiday shopping season, which is turning out to be a strong one for online retailers. .

Retail 88

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Chase Acquires WePay Payments Platform

PYMNTS

Can big banks be nimble of foot when it comes to FinTech? One giant — JPMorgan Chase & Co. — is taking some definitive steps on that stage. JPMorgan announced today (Oct. 17) it is acquiring payments platform WePay. The combination will create an ecosystem of platform developers and small businesses, powered by WePay’s ability to integrate payments functionality into software and fueled by Chase’s global reach, small business product portfolio and network of 4 million small businesses.

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UPS Hits Retailers With Holiday Shipping Fee Surprise

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With the holiday shopping season in full swing, retailers are facing a new challenge: extra shipping fees during the busiest weeks. The Wall Street Journal reports that United Parcel Service (UPS) is adding on a surcharge to packages shipped to homes around Black Friday and the week before Christmas in a move to compel retailers to send their orders outside those peak periods.

Retail 86
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Building A Faster, Safer Network On The Blockchain

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When it comes to business, it’s no secret the competition is fierce. But in an increasingly interconnected world, even competing companies need to collaborate. Rival banks and financial institutions (FIs) need to work together to serve customers and transfer money between banks. Car dealers need parts from competing suppliers and manufacturers to keep repair shops and vehicles running without a hitch.

B2B 86
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Girl Scouts Will Get The Chance To Earn Badges In Cyber Security

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Girl Scouts will soon get the chance to earn their first ever cyber security badges. The Huffington Post reports that Girl Scouts can earn the first of 18 cyber security Girl Scout badges beginning in September 2018. The program will reach as many as 1.8 million Girl Scouts in kindergarten through sixth grade and is being developed in a partnership between the Girl Scouts and Palo Alto Networks, a security company.

Maine 86
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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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Hive Project Taps Into Cryptocurrency For Invoice Finance

PYMNTS

The Hive Project, a company that uses cryptocurrency and Ethereum blockchain for trade financing , has launched its platform. The company announced Friday (June 30) that its portal is up and running to link SMEs to trade financing by turning unpaid invoices into tradable assets. Every invoice is assigned a unique fingerprint, the firm said, by tokenizing each bill and linking them onto the blockchain.

Finance 86
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AI/BOTS: AI’s Impact on The Digital Retail Revolution

PYMNTS

The digital retail revolution is well underway. Fusing technology into in-store experiences has officially gone mainstream, and retailers are looking for ways to go beyond the traditional mobile app. As we’ve reported in the past, places like Sephora have installed various tablets with embedded augmented reality (AR) features to help customers pick and choose what makeup shades look best on their skin tone.

Retail 85
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Why savvy investors should focus on Kazakhstan (and other frontier markets)

PYMNTS

If I told you that you could travel back in time, to the end of the nineteenth century, and invest in a country that was recently war-torn, and in great transition, would you do it? You’d need to know that the government was primarily one ethnic group, but immigrants with different languages, customs, and religions were arriving in that country, at unprecedented levels, crowding the cities and looking for jobs.

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Mastercard Begins Offering B2B Blockchain Tech

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On Friday (Oct. 20), Mastercard announced news that it will be opening up access to its blockchain technology through its developer’s API. Initially, the technology will be made available for B2B transactions, specifically to address the demands of cross-border payments. Mastercard is not the only firm delving into blockchain. The company joins Google, Overstock, Citi and Goldman Sachs in embracing the distributed ledger technology.

B2B 84
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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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Using AI And Machine Learning To Make Payments Faster, Safer

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What do track and field stars, NASCAR drivers and millions of businesses owners around the United States have in common? They all have an appreciation for speed. While more speed may mean more endorsement money for athletes, it means faster settlements and more efficient business for commercial banking customers. With a growth in demand, banks and FinTechs are working to give business owners the speed they need.

B2B 83
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Belk Works On Building Its New Legacy

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In some ways, Belk department store is the last of a dying breed — and not just because it is a department store in the United States in the year 2017. Small and regional — outside of the Southeastern United States, most people haven’t heard of it. But Belk may have something to teach its more nationalized equivalents, because it is doing something that its counterparts nationwide, by and large, are not.

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Mobile Commerce To Break $250B By 2020

PYMNTS

After something of a slow start, mobile eCommerce is set to make up half of all online sales by the year 2020 — worth nearly $250 billion annually. That forecast comes care of “A Mobile Mindset,” the second volume in the five-part series, “The 2017 UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper.” The UPS-backed report is derived from the input of over 5,189 comScore panelists who made at least two online purchases in a typical three-month period.

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How APIs Are Fostering Collaboration Between FinTechs And Banks

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Banks and FinTech companies have a complicated history. To put it mildly, the two sides have not always worked harmoniously together. Why the tension? Both types of institutions contend for the same business in the competitive financial services world. While traditional banks offer a more established and tested set of products, the offerings of newer FinTech companies — such as real-time data, streamlined payments and quick notifications — are helping these new players encroach on banks’ t

B2B 80
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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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EY To Use Blockchain For Auto Industry, Ride-Hailing Services

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Blockchain, the technology that makes cryptocurrency like bitcoin possible, is moving into the auto and ridesharing markets. According to a news report in Reuters , EY, the consulting unit of Ernst & Young Global, announced Wednesday (Aug. 30) it is launching a blockchain system that will let companies and/or individuals share vehicle ownership more easily.

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The Secret World Of APIs

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From an acronym known mostly by programmers in the early 2000s to something thousands of innovators have embraced to ignite numerous innovative solutions, it’s been an electric journey for the application program interface (API). According to David Koch, chief commercial officer at financial services provider FI.SPAN — a company that build an API-based platform to connect FinTechs and corporate customers to financial institutions (FIs) — APIs have unleashed an incredible number of opportunities

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MasterCard Brings Tap-To-Pay To Public Transit In 80+ Cities

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Just in time for the summer travel season, Mastercard has announced a series of partnerships in over 80 cities worldwide, which will enable card carriers to tap to pay for public transit. “With a Mastercard in their wallet, more and more people have a go-to transit pass for the city they’re in,” said Ian Slater, senior vice president, enterprise partnerships at Mastercard.

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Chatbot Tracker: Helping Productivity

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Chatbots have moved into a unique position over the past few years. Rather than using chatbots to resolve customer service issues solely on company websites or for inside use at organizations, businesses have begun branching out to help optimize both internal and external organizational needs. While chatbots may be traditionally thought of as the standard instant message chat windows, they have evolved to meet the needs of today’s fast-paced consumer.

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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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How A Bank And A FinTechs Are Jointly Cracking The Code On Financial Inclusion

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The favored narrative about banks and FinTech startups is generally not a love story. Usually, it is more of an all-out war story. Banks represent the old way of handling financial services – and in fairness, they carry a lot of responsibilities that deposit-taking institutions don’t necessarily have. Of course, banks have to be run with safety and soundness to protect those deposits, but they also have myriad public mandates, like fair lending, anti-money laundering and customer privacy.

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How Food And Retail Can Collaborate Via Blockchain

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Although many people equate blockchain technology with the banking and computer worlds, the technology is changing the food landscape as well. Companies like Walmart, Kroger and Nestle recently joined a partnership effort involving blockchain, signaling that the Internet of Things is making its way into Americans’ kitchens. But what hasn’t been so deeply explored is how that technology can help food producers and retail firms collaborate more deeply, helping both succeed and strengthening the in

Retail 79
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What API Standardization Could Mean For Payments Fraud

PYMNTS

API technology is opening new doors for the world of financial services, a trend that cultivates cooperation and collaboration between FinTechs and banks, once considered competitors. With the speed of payments accelerating and Same Day ACH initiatives continuing to roll out, NACHA has pulled together a group of industry experts to explore API standardization as a way to facilitate faster payment speeds and greater transaction security, among other use cases.

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The One Industry That Stands To Gain The Most From Blockchain?

PYMNTS

This year could be the year that blockchain emerges from its current status as a largely hypothetical game-changer to one that’s put to the test. While few working applications of blockchain technology are in use today by financial service providers, the industry continues to place its confidence — and money — behind the technology. The latest is global consulting firm McKinsey, whose new report has put a price tag on the potential of blockchain: $110 billion.

B2B 79
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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.

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NEW REPORT: As Business Priorities Shift, APIs Go White-Hot

PYMNTS

Are the stars aligning for companies to make API investment a top priority? The April B2B API Tracker™ looks at how companies engaged in cross-border trade are turning to API solutions to reduce the friction that some players encounter when engaged in cross-border trade. A Passport to Simpler X-Border B2B Payments. Over the past few weeks, several companies made investments in APIs with a focus on improving the flow of cross-border trade.

B2B 79
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AI/BOTS: AI Bank Tech And Millennials

PYMNTS

Being connected via modern technology is something that’s becoming an expectation among consumers. From groceries to home buying, back-to-school shopping and more, there doesn’t seem to be many facets of everyday life that aren’t intricately connected to help provide an enhanced experience for consumers. One of the latest industries to start exploring in connected technologies are banks.

Finance 78
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AI/BOTS: Machine Learning Tips Online Fraud Scales

PYMNTS

Technological advances are pushing the boundaries for what’s possible in a variety of industries. Within the retail industry specifically, artificial intelligence (AI) is moving the ball for a lot of merchants looking to not only streamline their business operations but provide a more personalized experience for consumers. Stemming from AI, machine learning is helping technology move at a swifter rate, and as more people bring their shopping needs into the online world, it’s likely that machine

Maine 78
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Citi Links To Treasurers Via API

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Citi announced Tuesday (Feb. 28) the launch of an API to connect its clients operating in the treasury services industry to critical Citi services. According to a release , the bank’s Treasury and Trade Solutions (TTS) unit is rolling out the CitiConnect API to help treasury service providers link their own treasury and ERP solutions into Citi. The bank’s API enables treasurers to manage transaction banking activity straight from existing treasury platforms already in use within the enterprise.

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Predictions You Can Rely On: How Data Drives Successful Financial Forecasting

Speaker: Robbie Bhathal, Founder & CEO, and Matthew Acalin, Head of Credit Intelligence

In today's volatile financial environment, how confident are you in your company’s financial forecasting? To get the most accurate cash predictions that will lead to long-term financial survival, real-time data is critical. Innovative cash management strategies can lead to better credit opportunities, more sustainable growth, and long-term financial prosperity.