PYMNTS

MARCH 1, 2018

Banking and financial services firm HSBC says its blockchain-based trade finance solution is ready to launch — in pilot phase, at least. According to Wednesday (Feb. 28) reports by the Global Trade Review , the bank’s senior innovation manager, Joshua Kroeker, held a media call and announced that after developing the trade finance solution for about two years, HSBC is “confident enough to actually do a live transaction” using its blockchain technology.

Finance 79

Finance Technology Banking Securities 79

PYMNTS

MARCH 1, 2018

Commercial payments provider FLEETCOR Technologies, Inc. announced news on Thursday (March 1) that it has entered a pilot program with enterprise blockchain solution firm Ripple and Cambridge Global Payments , the international payments provider focused on B2B and owned by FLEETCOR. The companies said in a release that under the terms of the agreement with Ripple , Cambridge — which processes more than $20 billion in B2B cross-border payments annually, across 13,000 business clients — will pilo

B2B 76

B2B Communication Technology 76

PYMNTS

MARCH 1, 2018

NACHA and the Interactive Financial eXchange (IFX) Forum have announced plans to combine their organizations to improve the development of standardized Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). The partnership, which is expected to be finalized at the end of the first quarter, will speed up the creation and rollout of standardized banking APIs. “The powerful combination of IFX Forum’s established leadership in financial industry standards, along with additional technical expertise in the area o

Leadership 64

Leadership Planning Banking 64

PYMNTS

MARCH 2, 2018

For their alleged roles in a massive stock fraud and money laundering scam involving a Picasso, the U.S. Department of Justice has criminally charged 10 defendants. Prosecutors named U.K.-based Beaufort Securities Ltd and two of its managers, among others, in the case, according to news from Reuters. Prosecutors said Beaufort and managers Peter Kyriacou and Vinesh Canaye manipulated the prices of U.S. stocks through “pump-and-dump schemes,” while hiding their ownership in the companies.

Invoicing 64

Invoicing Securities Banking Finance 64

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

FEBRUARY 28, 2018

DICK’S Sporting Goods — one of the United States’ major gun retailers — has decided it no longer wants to be in the business of selling assault-style weapons like the one used in the Parkland, Florida, high school shooting. While the retailer is limiting its stock, DICK’S has also decided it will no longer sell high-capacity magazines that allow shooters to fire more rounds than a traditional weapon would without having to stop and reload.

Retail 63

Retail Sales 63

PYMNTS

MARCH 2, 2018

TransNational Payments is launching a payments application programming interface (API) for developers, the company announced on Thursday (March 1). In a press release , TransNational revealed the launch of Pi, short for “perfect integration,” to support developers’ implementation of its payments processing solution into their own solutions. The API was created using JSON, a JavaScript data interchange format, which, according to TransNational EVP Mark London, makes the solution “more agile, sinc

Securities 55

Securities Banking Technology Planning 55

PYMNTS

MARCH 2, 2018

Millennials are apparently reporting losing money to fraud more often than seniors. But when seniors do become financial victims, they typically take a bigger hit than millennials do, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said in a press release. Forty percent of those aged 20-29 who reported fraud indicated they lost money, while only 18 percent of those 70 and older said they lost any funds.

Education 55

Education Securities 55

PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 26, 2018

Of the initial coin offerings that blasted onto the scene in 2017 along with the price of bitcoin , 46 percent have failed. That’s according to Engadget , which — citing data from TokenData — reported that of the 902 ICOs in 2017, 46 percent have failed. Among that percentage, 142 never got the funding and another 276 have faded away or were scams. What’s more, the report noted that another 113 ICOs have stopped talking about their project online or haven’t had enough adopters that success will

Planning 52

Planning Technology 52

PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 27, 2018

The gig economy is out in full force, spanning the globe and any number of jobs, from welding to wedding planning, from knitting to pet sitting. The platform’s the thing, then, that brings the supply and demand together. Or, it should. In the latest Data Drivers, PYMNTS’ Karen Webster, along with Hyperwallet’s Michael Ting, senior vice president of digital markets, delved into the friction that exists in online marketplaces that brings together the gig worker and the gig worker employers …

Invoicing 52

Invoicing Communication Banking Numbers 52

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

MARCH 2, 2018

Push payments. Instant payments. Real-time payments. Every endeavor has its vocabulary, and the payments arena is no different. Although industry observers and participants use the above terms interchangeably, there are differences in transaction timing that can make all the difference to recipients. In short, when it comes to speed, all payments are not created equal.

Risk Management 48

Risk Management Banking Accounting 48

PYMNTS

MARCH 2, 2018

Of all the loan options available to small businesses today, the merchant cash advance (MCA) may not be a borrower’s first choice. Like the payday loan, the MCA has a reputation for high fees, and is sometimes the only option for borrowers with poor credit histories. “The merchant cash industry first started as a product for unbankable clients,” said Andrew Mallinger, COO of PIRS Capital, in a recent interview with PYMNTS.

Technology 47

Technology Economics Banking Securities 47

PYMNTS

MARCH 2, 2018

Toward the start of 2018, analysts began to highlight the potential for venture capital (VC) to embrace the B2B business model. American Banker reported last December that Silicon Valley Bank Head of Payments Strategy and Solutions Reetika Grewal predicted B2B payments to be one of the top targets for FinTech investors, while other focuses with B2B applicability — including blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI) and RegTech — would also be popular with VCs in the coming year.

B2B 47

B2B Finance Investments Securities 47

PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 24, 2018

Germany’s Degussa Bank and FinTech Giromatch are teaming up to help businesses procure via Amazon Business and manage cash flow. An announcement last week said corporate customers of Degussa will be linked to a virtual card they can use to make purchases off Amazon Business. Giromatch will integrate its “digital account view” capabilities for Degussa via application programming interface (API), enabling the bank to make faster business loan decisions with access to transaction data.

Banking 47

Banking B2B Accounting 47

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

FEBRUARY 27, 2018

Enterprise software company Zensoft wants to accept cryptocurrencies from its corporate clients and has announced a partnership with OPEN to facilitate that goal. The companies said Monday (Feb. 26) they are working together to enable Zensoft to accept digital currencies as payment for enterprise software development projects. The software company will deploy OPEN’s API, its blockchain Scaffolds and its State transaction receipts solution.

Currencies 46

Currencies Technology B2B 46

PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 26, 2018

In an effort to bring more investments to the financial sector, the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) has overhauled rules to make things easier for foreign investors. According to a report in Reuters , citing a statement made by state media agency Xinhua, the CBRC overhauled regulations for foreign banks, eliminating the steps a foreign investor must take in overseas wealth management products and portfolio investment funds.

Investments 46

Investments Banking Economics 46

PYMNTS

MARCH 2, 2018

In a possible deal to strengthen its delivery network in China, Alibaba reported plans to buy out Baidu and other investors in food delivery startup Ele.me. If the deal goes through, Alibaba would control a large portion of the online food delivery business in China, Bloomberg reported. Already, Alibaba owns 23 percent of Ele.me — which translates to “hungry yet?

Valuation 46

Valuation Forecasting Startups eCommerce 46

PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 27, 2018

Shipping — by road, sea, air or rail — is becoming more costly as operators across shipping routes push for higher margins. That push has left some of America’s larger retail players like General Mills and Tyson in a rather difficult bind, according to a recent Reuters article. Such firms can either pay more for deliveries and see their own margins take a hit, or pass the costs to customers and risk alienating them with higher prices.

Transportation 46

Transportation Retail 46

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Reconciliations

PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 26, 2018

JPMorgan Chase’s chief financial officer has emerged as the top contender to replace the company’s current Chairman and Chief Executive James Dimon, who will step down in five years. According to The Wall Street Journal , Marianne Lake, one of the most senior women in finance, is on the bank’s short list of possible successors. If it turns out to be true, she would become the first female chief executive of one of the largest U.S. banks.

CFO 46

CFO Banking Finance Investments 46

PYMNTS

MARCH 2, 2018

For street performers who swallow fire or twist into contortions, not getting hurt might seem like their biggest concern. But, increasingly, buskers are facing a new hurdle, one that threatens their income rather than their bodies. The problem? With more consumers turning to mobile and card-based payments, few carry cash that can be spared for tips.

Currencies 46

Currencies Sales Technology Retail 46

PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 27, 2018

What would you do if you met a digital human? It is not an idle question, nor are we asking how you would handle yourself if you suddenly landed in an alternative universe surrounded by robots and avatars. As it turns out, digital humans are already among us. Autodesk users have been interacting with them since the end of last year, when calling into customer support.

Communication 45

Communication Banking Construction Technology 45

PYMNTS

MARCH 2, 2018

If Amazon wants everyone to rely on its voice-activated smart assistant Alexa, today revealed that many, many people are doing exactly that; Alexa complaints lodged with the service Down Detector spiked massively on Friday morning (March 2). It appears a regional outage that affected Amazon Web Services (AWS) caused the voice assistant to go temporarily silent.

eCommerce 45

eCommerce 45

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

FEBRUARY 28, 2018

Reports out this morning indicated that a whistleblower inside Denmark’s biggest bank warned the institution that its Estonian branch was being used by members of the Putin family as a front for money laundering. That warning was reportedly in 2013. A leaked report allegedly indicated that the leadership at Danske Bank knew “of far more serious conditions than previously stated.

Banking 45

Banking Leadership Accounting Securities 45

PYMNTS

MARCH 2, 2018

Why steal bitcoin when you can steal the technology that enables one to make more of it? Clearly, this is the question a group of Icelandic thieves pondered before making their move on 600 computers used to “mine” bitcoin. The hardware was reportedly snatched from data centers in Iceland in what local law enforcement calls the biggest theft in the island nation’s histor y.

Financial Systems 44

Financial Systems Currencies Economics Securities 44

PYMNTS

MARCH 2, 2018

As new payment technologies — such as digital coins make it less necessary for people to handle cash, Cardtronics said cryptocurrencies could impact its business. The disclosure was made in a 10-K report to shareholders and was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), CoinDesk reported. “New payment technology, such as Venmo , Zelle and virtual currencies such as bitcoin or other new payment method preferences by consumers, could reduce the general population’s need or dem

Currencies 44

Currencies Banking Technology Securities 44

PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 27, 2018

In the digital identity space, biometrics have become all the rage. In several markets around the world, biometric solutions are gaining ground among consumers, companies and government organizations. These solutions could shift the way national security agencies in several countries operate, or force employers to change how they authenticate and identify their employees.

Numbers 44

Numbers Securities Advertising Economics 44

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