Sat.Aug 18, 2018 - Fri.Aug 24, 2018

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Marketplace Merchants Sing The Blues

PYMNTS

There’s a lot of sizzle in marketplaces. In fact, they have made tiny businesses into big ones, as even the tiniest one-man operation can gain the chance to jump from a hyper-local stage to a global one — with access to professional supply chain management and logistics skills, payments simplified to one click and, most importantly, the chance to increase their world audience.

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Why Semi-Annual Financial Reporting isn’t Going to Work

Planful

The administration in Washington recently asked the SEC to study the potential for semi-annual (i.e., six-month) financial reporting for public companies. As a Chief Financial Officer with both public and private company experience, and as CFO of a company that (among other things) helps customers prepare financial reports, I thought I’d offer my perspective on this proposal.

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Trending Sources

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Why Cash Was King For The Queen Of Soul

PYMNTS

“Oooh, your kisses, sweeter than honey/ But guess what? So’s my money.”. Writing about Aretha in a 2016 profile for The New Yorker , writer David Remnick noted that as she sat readying herself for a performance, she was surrounded by small stacks of hundred-dollar bills. The money, he explained, was her fee for singing that night in Ontario, because Aretha only sang once she had been paid upfront.

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Axiom Bank Acquires Factoring Firm

PYMNTS

U.S.-based Axiom Bank is expanding its business lending capabilities through the acquisition of Allied Affiliated Funding , reports said Thursday (Aug. 23). A press release announced the takeover agreement, which will see Axiom absorbing Allied’s asset-based lending and factoring offerings. The acquisition will also bridge Allied’s existing customers to the banking and cash management offerings of Axiom, the companies said.

Banking 54
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The Human Side of Finance: The Intersectionality of People, Culture, Adaptability, and Resilience

Speaker: Melissa Hurrington

Finance isn’t just about the numbers. It’s about the people behind them. In a world of constant disruption, resilient finance teams aren’t just operationally efficient. They are adaptable, engaged, and deeply connected to a strong organizational culture. Success lies at the intersection of people, culture, adaptability, and resilience. Finance leaders who master this balance will build teams that thrive through uncertainty and drive long-term business impact.

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Amid Lira’s Lurch, Blockchain As Monetary Policy Fix?

PYMNTS

Might it be blockchain’s turn to shine amid pockets of economic turmoil? It’s no secret that blockchain is becoming ever more divorced from bitcoin, with which it has been traditionally associated. And as a form of data sharing, a form of record keeping, a direct conduit in transactions, some proponents say that decentralized ledger technology (DLT) can be a salve for an issue front-and-center, as Turkey proves a recent example of daily life roiled by rapid currency devaluation and panic: Namely

More Trending

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Browser Or Buy Button? W3C’s Jacobs On The Payment Request API

PYMNTS

Native apps are boring and the web is not dead, said Sir Tim Berners-Lee in November of 2014, on the 25 th anniversary of the commercial web. He’s entitled to that opinion: He’s the one, after all, who invented the World Wide Web. His point then, and as it remains now, was that native apps — “walled gardens” as he called them — are limiting, almost by design.

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In The Park. At A Kiosk. Using Digital Payments. Buying $1.6K Designer Jewelry.

PYMNTS

Consumers are using less cash than ever, with the average consumer carrying just $21. In response, unattended retail operators are finding new ways to embrace alternative payment methods, ranging from mobile wallets to cryptocurrencies. In the new Unattended Retail Tracker , PYMNTS charts the latest ways that companies are working to accept more non-cash payment methods, from the common credit card swipe to biometric scans.

Retail 49
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Investors Protest Following Chinese P2P Collapse

PYMNTS

PPMiao, the online peer-to-peer (P2P) lender in China, faced protests from investors in the company at its offices on Monday (Aug. 20), as the P2P lending industry continues to be plagued with problems. According to a report in Reuters , 243 P2P companies or more have gone under in China since the start of June, which prompted investors to withdraw money from multiple P2P companies and sparked protests saying that the government didn’t do enough to regulate the P2P lenders.

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TRENDING: Fixing The Last Mile Of The Global Payments Supply Chain

PYMNTS

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and the global supply chain is no exception. Companies worldwide engaged in cross-border trade are quickly learning how disruptions from the escalating trade war can cause a logistical domino effect, impacting global deliveries and causing delays in payments. The new Global Payments Architecture Report highlights how companies — including a player in the back-to-school market — are adjusting to the challenges of delivering products in the current g

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Maximizing Profit and Productivity: The New Era of AI-Powered Accounting

Speaker: Yohan Lobo

In the accounting world, staying ahead means embracing the tools that allow you to work smarter, not harder. Outdated processes and disconnected systems can hold your organization back, but the right technologies can help you streamline operations, boost productivity, and improve client delivery. Dive into the strategies and innovations transforming accounting practices.

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GM, Shell And P97 Launch In-Dash Fuel Payments

PYMNTS

Let’s just come out and say it: When it comes to the wide range of commerce activities, unless you’re a teenager with a new driver’s license, putting gas into your vehicle is never fun. The pumps are often grimy, card readers might not work, the air might be frigid or hot, and there may be an odor associated with rubber, petroleum or refuse. All you want to do is get the transaction over with, maybe grab some milk, chips or beer and get on with your day.

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Blockchain To Get Its Motor Runnin’?

PYMNTS

Blockchain, blockchain everywhere – and maybe this is where the road gets racy. The use cases have been multiplying across any number of private and public use cases. And in the latest edition of the blockchain tracker, the auto industry gets some mileage. Research shows that the transparency and immutability that have become hallmarks of the distributed ledger system have lent themselves well to this vertical.

B2B 45
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Nvidia Crypto Mining Exit A Sign Of Things To Come?  

PYMNTS

When the chips are down … you find out who your friends are. When the chips are really down … you find out that chip makers really don’t have the stomach to put up with rapidly disappearing margins. And so, at least in crypto, it seems the chips are down and some friends of the space are leaving the table, having cashed in their chips – in some cases, quite literally.

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Dark Tequila Malware Targeting Mexicans For At Least Five Years

PYMNTS

Kaspersky Lab announced on Tuesday (Aug. 21) that it discovered a sophisticated cyber-operation named Dark Tequila, which has been targeting Mexicans for the past five years. Using malware, the hacker or hackers steals bank credentials and personal and corporate data. According to a press release from Kaspersky, the malware is spread via infected USB devices, as well as through spear phishing emails that include features to evade detection.

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Smarter Card Solutions: Meeting the Challenges of Mid-Market Travel & Expense

Our 2025 Center Travel Survey is clear: as corporate travel increases, so does corporate credit cards distribution, and a rise in off-platform travel booking. This 61% rise causes various challenges: compliance, spend control, reporting problems, and a lack of visibility across organizations. To evolve with the ever-changing needs of travelers, decision-makers need a better solution.

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Darden Cyberattack Puts 567K Cards At Risk

PYMNTS

Darden Restaurants announced Wednesday (August 23) that the data on 567,000 payment card numbers may have been exposed. In a press release , the restaurant chain operator said it was notified on August 16, 2018, by federal authorities that a legacy point-of-sale system for some of its Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen restaurants, a brand acquired by Darden last year, may have been compromised via a hack that involves restaurants in 23 states.

Numbers 44
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Barclays Backs Crowdz B2B Procurement Platform With Payments Tech

PYMNTS

Barclaycard has partnered with Silicon Valley startup Crowdz to make the process of selling and finding business services easier. While consumer payments have been revolutionized through mobile technology, Barclays points out that things have been slower in the business-to-business (B2B) space. In fact, only one in four transactions in the supply chain are digitized.

B2B 44
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Why It’s Time To Retire Knowledge-Based Authentication

PYMNTS

What was the make and model of your first car? What was your elementary school? What is your mother’s maiden name? These are all questions that consumers have probably answered more times in the last 5-10 years than they did in every year of their life combined before them. Because in the era of digital services, one of the most common and accepted ways to validate a customer’s identity is simply to ask them questions that presumably only they would know the answer to.

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How Supermarkets Can Tap Into Self-Checkout Tech

PYMNTS

To help customers avoid the lengthy lines of traditional checkout counters, supermarkets are turning to self-checkout technology, along with revamped store designs. When retailers don’t have to dedicate space in their brick-and-mortar locations to cash registers, consumers can enjoy less friction during checkout. To make this a reality for established retailers, companies such as Standard Cognition are working to put self-checkout technology in existing stores.

Retail 44
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Bringing AI to Finance: How to Leverage Technology for Efficiency and Control

Finance teams are balancing more than ever, but manual processes shouldn’t slow you down. In this ebook from BILL, discover how AI is transforming finance—automating AP, expense tracking, and document management to reduce errors, increase efficiency, and improve financial control. Learn how real companies are using AI-powered automation to streamline workflows, detect anomalies, and gain deeper insights.

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More Workers See Career Path In Gig Economy

PYMNTS

Not long ago, direct sales companies — like beauty supplier Avon and health & beauty firm Amway — offered independent agents the opportunity to earn money selling their products door to door. Meanwhile, staffing agencies have provided businesses with temporary workers for decades, to cover for those who are on leave or temporarily out sick. These freelance, ad hoc jobs were examples of gig work well before anyone affixed a “gig” label to them.

Sales 43
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Deep Dive: Protecting Platform Payments

PYMNTS

Online payment platforms have no doubt changed how worldwide consumers do business. After all, they can simply open the Uber or Lyft app on their phones to go wherever they need to be, instead of stepping outside to hail a cab. Hotel reservations are out when traveling, too, and marketplaces like Airbnb or VRBO are in. Consumers and companies alike are even turning to marketplace platforms like Fiverr and TaskRabbit when hiring freelancers, handymen and other short-term or part-time workers.

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Entertainment Destinations Could Save Traditional Malls

PYMNTS

With brick-and-mortar retailers closing hundreds of stores, the future of the mall has looked bleak. But some say tales of its impending death have been exaggerated. And according to a report in The Wall Street Journal , immersive destinations that give consumers an experience they can’t get anywhere else could be just the thing to save the retail spaces.

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In China, Credit Cards And Mobile (And Beyond), Payments Yin And Yang

PYMNTS

The yin and yang concept, born in China, can be applied to so many things. The theme that opposites may be complementary is nothing new, but it sure is amusing and, at times, instructive to observe – namely, that the universe finds a way toward duality, and oneness. Look at payments in China as an example. In news reported this week, and spotlighted in the South China Morning Post , the Bank of Communications, which stands as the country’s fifth largest lender, showed a 4.6 percent gain in profi

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Say ‘Goodbye’ to Clunky Spreadsheets and Say ‘Hello’ to Month-End Automation

Technology is rapidly changing the way accountants perform and manage month-end activities. Spreadsheets, emails, and shared drives no longer need to slow you down. 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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KeyBank Turns To Mastercard For AI Fraud Detection

PYMNTS

To help make more informed authorization decisions, KeyBank is turning to Mastercard Decision Intelligence. The system, which uses artificial intelligence (AI), will allow KeyBank to increase the accuracy of real-time approvals of genuine transactions and will help enhance the cardholder experience, Mastercard said in an announcement. “We are excited to continue partnering with KeyBank to deliver client-centric solutions and artificial intelligence capabilities beyond card payments,” Raj Sesha

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The Rise Of Returnable Insta-Fashions

PYMNTS

Instagram has created a new trend among the middle-aged hoping to be hip: purchasing new clothes online, snapping a shot in them and then sending them back to the company from which they were purchased. The photos are for posting in the Instagram “outfit of the day,” and it is becoming an increasingly common practice for consumers. According to research from Barclaycard, almost 10 percent of U.K. shoppers have purchased clothing online for a social media shot, only to turn around and

Retail 42
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Jumio On The Laws Of Big (Scary) Data Breach Numbers

PYMNTS

To take a line from the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin : Every chain has got a weak link. When it comes to the bond between consumer and financial services, no doubt the relationship is a bit, well, frayed in the age of data breaches and the Dark Web. How, then, to build a “chain of trust” — one that endures, aided by technology, and one that helps financial institutions (FIs) ensure that the people on the end of the transactions are who they claim to be?

Numbers 42
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NEW DATA: 58 Percent Of Gig Workers Don’t Hold Full-Time Jobs — And Don’t Want To

PYMNTS

The gig economy was once seen as a temporary holdover — an opportunity to earn supplemental income by taking on ad hoc work designing websites, doing yardwork or driving for a rideshare service as time allowed. However, based on recent data trends, that appears to be changing. Out of approximately 10,000 gig workers surveyed by PYMNTS, only 47 percent said they had a full-time job in Q2 2018, a drop from 55 percent in Q1 2018.

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Outsourcing Vs. In-House: The Ultimate Battle For Better Collections

Speaker: Susan Richards

Your past-due accounts are growing, cash flow is tightening, and the pressure is on. The big question: Do you handle the collections internally or outsource to experts? Both strategies come with advantages and risks - but which one delivers the best impact for your business? In this session we’ll dive deep into the in-house vs. outsourcing debate, examining cost-effectiveness, efficiency, compliance risks, and overall recovery success rates.