PYMNTS

OCTOBER 10, 2016

National treasure Kim Kardashian has taught us all a series of invaluable lessons over the years: how to break the internet, that there is no such thing as too much eyeliner and that, if you are on the phone with Taylor Swift, the smart money is on hitting the record button. But of all the lessons we have learned from Kim — and later, Kimye — the most crucial, deepest and most fundamental is that, if one can get themselves behind the velvet rope, one should do so because life in the VIP suite is

Technology 102

Technology Investments Sales Banking 102

PYMNTS

OCTOBER 24, 2016

While hacks have been nearly endemic over the last several years, they have, at this point, mostly faded to the level of background noise for the average consumer. Sure, the aftermath of having a card compromised is often annoying and involves changing cards stored in digital wallets and with subscription sites, but consumers know that their bank has their back.

Securities 99

Securities Numbers Technology Accounting 99

PYMNTS

OCTOBER 7, 2016

It’s not yet the holidays, but it’s almost Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, a fitting theme for today’s bitcoin news. Diwali lasts for five days beginning Oct. 20, and bright lights, colorful decorations and fireworks mark the occasion. The Indian people celebrate by lighting diyas and candles around the home, seeking divine blessings from the goddess of wealth and exchanging gifts, such as gold coins.

Currencies 99

Currencies Foreign Exchange eCommerce Banking 99

PYMNTS

OCTOBER 24, 2016

Toasting new employment? Odds are increasingly good that you may be clinking your glass over your latest gig. The number of Americans working gig jobs — or short-term, ad hoc positions — grew at a rate of 50 percent from 2005 to 2010, while the gig economy gained 9.4 million new workers, outpacing the U.S. economy as a whole. But there is still much not known about this rapidly expanding portion of the economy, as the Bureau of Labor Statistics stopped collecting data on gigs in 2005 and won’t b

Invoicing 94

Invoicing Planning Numbers Marketing 94

Speaker: Michael Veatch, Senior Director, Implementations & Ella Aguirre, Director of Solution Consulting

Embedding payments can be a transformative step for software companies looking to enhance their platform capabilities, boost customer satisfaction, and drive long-term growth. However, the success of payments hinges on a single thing: implementation. Drawing on real-world insights and experiences, payments implementation experts Michael Veatch and Ella Aguirre will explore actionable strategies that can lead to a transparent, friction-free launch and mitigate potential challenges like technical

Investments

PYMNTS

OCTOBER 10, 2016

Is closing on Thanksgiving day becoming the new being open on Thanksgiving day? This week, Mall of America, the nation’s largest shopping mall, announced it was bucking the recent trend of opening stores to shoppers on Thanksgiving. Instead, Mall of America said it would close on Thanksgiving so its 14,000 or so employees could have the day off to spend time with their family, although the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that the more than 520 stores inside Mall of America will have the option

Retail 93

Retail Planning Sales Marketing 93

PYMNTS

OCTOBER 11, 2016

Payments take the football field, but consumers call the plays. That’s how Dan Charron , EVP and Head of Global Business Solutions for First Data , sees it and how he describes the latest rollout of its commerce technology solution at CenturyLink Field Event Center and CenturyLink Field, home of the Seattle Seahawks , aimed at taking the fan experience to the next level.

Sales 90

Sales Securities Retail Technology 90

PYMNTS

OCTOBER 5, 2016

Did you know that physical trainers and fitness instructors only get paid a very small fraction of the cost you pay the gym per hour? After they’ve pushed you to do a hundred burpees or gotten you to achieve that perfect yoga Crow Pose, they may end up with only $20. When your endorphins wear off, you’ll also notice that your wallet could be a $150 per hour lighter.

Startups 89

Startups Marketing Planning 89

PYMNTS

OCTOBER 17, 2016

Ever seen a UFO? Could it have really been a bird, plane or you-know-who? That’s where 47-year-old nonprofit MUFON comes in to debunk or detail what you saw. “Sometimes, people say they saw a UFO, and immediately, people think they said, ‘I saw a flying saucer,’” said Rodger Roeser, spokesperson for MUFON, which literally investigates unidentified flying objects.

Nonprofit 89

Nonprofit Technology 89

PYMNTS

OCTOBER 24, 2016

Coyote, bobcat, armadillo and … human skulls. Perhaps counterintuitively, Skulls Unlimited , a company that sells skulls — yes, animal and human skulls — sees its biggest uptick in purchases closer to Christmas, rather than before Halloween. “This time of year, we start getting in more orders. Halloween, not as much, but most people looking for Halloween decorations quickly realize that we’re not offering skulls for that purpose,” said Josh Villemarette , co-owner and son of the fou

Education 87

Education Marketing eCommerce 87

Speaker: Amanda Adams, Fractional CFO, CPA

Are you ready to elevate your accounting processes for 2025? 🚀 Join us for an exclusive webinar led by Amanda Adams, a seasoned fractional CFO and CPA passionate about transforming back-office operations for finance teams. This session will cover critical best practices and process improvements tailored specifically for accounting professionals.

Accounting

PYMNTS

OCTOBER 3, 2016

Though for a few years there it really looked like it might simply become retail standard, it seems that starting the Thanksgiving weekend sales crush on Thanksgiving may fizzle out after all. According to reporting over the weekend, an increasing number of big retailers are actually taking the national day of thanksgiving off. So far, the known opt-outs include Home Depot, Nordstrom , Costco, BJ’s, Fred’s Pharmacy, GameStop, Harbor Freight, Lowe’s, Pier 1 Imports, Petco, PetSmart, Sam’s C

Retail 87

Retail Sales Numbers Accounting 87

PYMNTS

OCTOBER 5, 2016

Small and medium-sized businesses eager to attract and retain loyal customers are even more eager to harness the power of machine learning and artificial intelligence. Software based on these technologies can make predictions on customers’ behavior, assess their potential as repeat purchasers and automate communications that will stimulate buying behavior, or even do it for them.

Communication 86

Communication eCommerce Investments Leverage 86

PYMNTS

OCTOBER 13, 2016

Canadian startup Ask The Doctor announced Ask The Doctor To Start Accepting Bitcoin As Payment on Wednesday (Oct. 12) it is now accepting bitcoin as a new way to further help protect its patients’ privacy. In a press release , the company said that users can choose to pay for advice from a physician by bitcoin on Ask The Doctor’s desktop platform.

Currencies 84

Currencies Startups Finance Banking 84

PYMNTS

OCTOBER 7, 2016

Oberthur Technologies (OT) is partnering with payments service provider Nets to deliver support for mobile payments to Scandinavian banks. The collaboration, announced on Thursday (Oct. 6), is aimed at helping to service banks in the Nordics with a financial platform that supports future international mobile payment methods. Nets and OT will combine their capabilities to offer an end-to-end mobile payment solution, which will include Host Card Emulation (HCE) and tokenization to secure payments

Leadership 84

Leadership Securities Banking Technology 84

Speaker: Abdi Ali, Sr. Lease Accounting Consultant

Join this insightful webinar with industry expert Abdi Ali, who will discuss the challenges that can arise from managing lease accounting with spreadsheets! He will share real-world examples of errors, compliance issues, and risks that may be present within your spreadsheets. Learn how these tools, while useful, can sometimes lead to inefficiencies that affect your time, resources, and peace of mind.

Accounting

PYMNTS

OCTOBER 31, 2016

American consumers have big plans for the holiday season when it comes to their shopping, according to a report. A new survey by Deloitte revealed that 50 percent of shoppers plan to shop online for their holiday gifts, spending roughly half (47 percent) of their budget online. More than 5,000 consumers in the U.S. were surveyed, and the research showed that physical stores are not likely to see a surge in traffic. “Retailers must cater to that digital mindset long before someone walks int

eCommerce 82

eCommerce Budgeting Retail Planning 82

PYMNTS

OCTOBER 6, 2016

Retailers continue to rely on paid search and email marketing channels, but mobile marketing and social media are continuing to increase in popularity as a way for businesses to grow their customer acquisition, according to a new study. The study, entitled “ The State of Retailing Online 2016: Marketing and Merchandising ,” by the National Retail Federation and Forrester, a research and advisory firm for the retail industry, polled 240 companies from June through July.

Budgeting 82

Budgeting Retail Advertising Planning 82

PYMNTS

OCTOBER 14, 2016

Versatility is an attribute that many value — that kind of all-around utility player who can substitute for a key player or employee in a pinch. That’s also the skill set of the “Arch Fraudster,” which makes them efficient as a fraudster and a dangerous nemesis to the online retailer. In the most recent installment of the Meet The Fraudsters series, Gilit Saporta , senior fraud analyst at Forter , sheds light on this somewhat mysterious but dangerous fraudster profile.

eCommerce 81

eCommerce Retail Investments Numbers 81

PYMNTS

OCTOBER 6, 2016

Apple Pay and Masterpass digital wallet technology are making their way to New York, with Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announcing the addition of the two payment methods to MTA eTix, the mobile ticketing app that enables Metro-North Railroad and Long Island Rail Road customers to buy tickets whenever they want. According to a report, starting Thursday (Oct. 6), customers will be able to use both services to buy one-way, round-trip, 10-trip, weekly and monthly passes and CityTickets on MTA eTix.

Securities 81

Securities Technology 81

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Reconciliations

PYMNTS

OCTOBER 13, 2016

When expense management firm Emburse launched only a year ago, the company entered the market with a commercial card service, issuing virtual and physical prepaid debit cards for specific purchases in an effort to help companies more closely manage employee spend. But as the company has grown, so have its clients, said Cofounder Roger Gu in a recent interview with PYMNTS.

Numbers 81

Numbers Technology Securities Marketing 81

PYMNTS

OCTOBER 26, 2016

When one door closes, another (connected) one opens. At least that may be the mindset for the cybercriminals reportedly flocking to connected devices as an entry point into the networks and systems of businesses. From Wi-Fi hotspots to printers, unsecured routers to digital video recorders — connected devices can be vulnerable to hacks and, when compromised, are being used by hackers to launch significant distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks.

Securities 81

Securities Auditing Compliance Retail 81

PYMNTS

OCTOBER 19, 2016

Out of the ever-growing list of things retailers have as priorities, stopping fraud — not selling more goods and services — has now claimed the online retailer’s top spot. That’s the finding of Forrester’s 2016 “State of Retail Payments 2016” report. Michael Reitblat , CEO of Forter , isn’t at all surprised. The mere increase in the number of fraud attempts year over year and quarter over quarter is enough to shake even the most hardened eTailer to her knees.

Retail 81

Retail Sales Securities eCommerce 81

PYMNTS

OCTOBER 7, 2016

It appears Manchester may be giving London a run for its money as the next great FinTech sector in the U.K. In recent years, Manchester has been a go-to location for people looking to leave London — and it’s not just because of the city’s cheap housing or attractive work/life balance culture. It’s also the region’s thriving tech environment. In this edition of PYMNTS’ Weekly Tech Center Roundup , we head back to England to check out what unique characteristics are driving tech success in Manches

Startups 80

Startups Investments Communication Numbers 80

Speaker: David Warren and Kevin O’Neill Stoll

Transitioning to a usage-based business model offers powerful growth opportunities but comes with unique challenges. How do you validate strategies, reduce risks, and ensure alignment with customer value? Join us for a deep dive into designing effective pilots that test the waters and drive success in usage-based revenue. Discover how to develop a pilot that captures real customer feedback, aligns internal teams with usage metrics, and rethinks sales incentives to prioritize lasting customer eng

Sales

PYMNTS

OCTOBER 11, 2016

Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) became the new face of scandal on Monday (Oct. 10) when leaked documents surfaced that seem to show new evidence the bank profited from the demise of small and medium-sized businesses. It’s a riveting saga involving allegations of an internal project codenamed “Dash For Cash,” emerging from internal documents obtained and outlined by BuzzFeed News and BBC “Newsnight.” But the story of claims that RBS gained from SME failures dates back t

Restructuring 80

Restructuring Treasury Banking Finance 80

PYMNTS

OCTOBER 26, 2016

Etsy buyers and sellers are about to get a boost in enhanced payment experience. Payments company Adyen announced crafting a global partnership with online marketplace Etsy, covering both the U.S. and European markets, as well as other key markets where Etsy maintains a presence. Peer-to-peer eCommerce site Etsy includes a marketplace of 1.7 million sellers offering unique, vintage and handmade items.

Currencies 80

Currencies Leverage eCommerce Technology 80

PYMNTS

OCTOBER 25, 2016

If you’re playing the slots in Vegas this week, there’s a good chance they’re coming up: Biometrics; EMV chip cards; Mobile security. Again. And if you’ve been following the Digital Identity Tracker™ (or just the industry itself) in the 12 months since last year’s Money20/20 conference in Las Vegas, these three topics have been constant newsmakers, as security providers and businesses alike look to offer top-notch protections in an age of rising fraud and cybercrime.

Securities 80

Securities Technology Accounting Banking 80

PYMNTS

OCTOBER 21, 2016

Visa and Chain today [October 21] announced that Visa B2B Connect – a B2B payment platform based on blockchain – will be piloted in 2017. Visa hopes that Visa B2B Connect will give financial institutions fast and secure processing of global B2B payments. The announcement of B2B Connect also marks the second stage of Visa’s relationship with Chain.

B2B 80

B2B Securities Banking Technology 80

Speaker: Mark Stovel

When it comes to automating, many firms focus on finding the latest tech, believing that efficiency is something achieved through new tools. Yet true efficiency is achieved by delivering real value to clients, not merely by upgraded systems. Without a clear approach, no level of automation can overcome the complexities of serving every client’s needs.

Marketing