Новости за 05.02.2021

The U.S. Senate approved President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package early Friday (Feb. 5), The Wall Street Journal reported. The House had passed its own budget resolution and will consider the Senate’s version. The tie-breaking vote was cast by Vice President Kamala Harris in her first tie-breaking vote. The House and Senate have […]

The Federal Trade Commission said it received more than 100 Robinhood-related complaints between Jan. 24 and Feb. 2, CNBC reported on Friday (Feb. 5). The consumer watchdog said some of the complaints stemmed from users saying they are not able to cash out holdings and change to different stock investment firms. By way of comparison, the […]

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) suspects that a recent spike in unemployment assistance claims in the state may be due to an uptick in fraudulent filings. The U.S. Labor Department reported on Thursday that Florida’s unemployment insurance claims hit their highest level since August for the second straight week, according to the Miami […]

In today’s top news, Walmart pushes deeper into the advertising business, and Peloton hit its first $1 billion quarter. Plus, Instacart is offering same-day delivery from over 6,000 Family Dollar stores. Walmart Buys Ad Tech Platform As Rivalry With Amazon Intensifies Walmart is buying up the technology and assets behind Thunder, which uses automation to […]

In today’s top retail news, PriceSmart, Inc. announced a 5.2 percent rise in net merchandise sales between January 2020 and January 2021, while Walmart is acquiring the technology and assets behind Thunder. Plus, Costco reported its January sales data and stimulus checks have shored up its January same-store sales. PriceSmart Reports 5.2 Pct Rise In […]

Clover Health said Friday (Feb. 5) it would cooperate with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on an investigation prompted by a scathing report on Clover Health’s actions as it went public last month, CNBC reported. Clover, however, argued that some claims in the report — issued by short-selling specialist Hindenburg Research Thursday (Feb. 5) […]

Luckin Coffee, which saw two of its top executives fired last year for mismanagement, said it has filed for Chapter 15 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. so it can move forward with its restructuring efforts. The Beijing-based company, which is publicly traded in the U.S., filed the bankruptcy petition with the U.S. District Court for […]

Shares of GameStop and other stocks rose after Robinhood removed trading restrictions on  Friday (Feb. 5), Reuters reported. GameStop escalated 8.4 percent in U.S. pre-market trading.  The commission-free investing startup said on Thursday (Feb. 4) that it had removed all buying restrictions following a surge in clearinghouse deposit requirements. A rush of investors, many springing […]

The U.S. unemployment rate fell slightly in January to 6.3 percent as nonfarm payroll employment changed little, rising by 49,000, according to the figures released Friday (Feb. 5) by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The increase in the number of jobs was roughly in line with economists’ predictions. The economy remains stuck in low gear […]

Though a diligent financial strategy is essential for companies across verticals during times of economic volatility, certain industries have been more exposed to the market fluctuations resulting from the coronavirus crisis. One of them is the travel sector,  a space that continues to experience significant shifts as business travel remains muted, and as consumers widely […]

2021 continues to be a busy year for B2B FinTechs and their investors, with this week securing nearly $300 million in combined funding for the sector. Newly-funded B2B startups include marketplaces offering a range of services, from funding to talent, as well as technology firms looking to streamline the B2B payment workflow. But it was […]

Hotels are still reeling from the global travel slowdown, but adopting emerging technologies such as contactless identity verification could give travelers the confidence they need to rest easy when booking rooms. In the Digital Identity Tracker, PYMNTS spoke with Graham Perry, managing director for Best Western Hotels & Resorts Australasia, about mobile tools, contactless experiences and voice authentication's potential in the industry.

Talk about a growth industry. By the end of 2022, the global cannabis industry will have a $22 billion market value, with a jump to $146 billion expected in just three years. It creates an incredible opportunity for payments players looking to add innovation to the field in many ways. Without competition from the major […]

Millions of eyes will be on the Super Bowl kickoff Sunday. And there may be a kickoff of a different sort that same day, where small businesses, wrestling with the pandemic's headwinds and challenges, may begin their digital payments journeys. As announced this week, on Feb. 7, which of course is Super Bowl Sunday, Visa’s […]

By now, the surge in online shopping and the commensurate rise in cyberfraud over the past year are well-established themes. But what many people don’t know is how the frontline battle in that fight has changed. According to Jason Tan, founder and executive chair at the digital trust and safety firm Sift, the average attempted […]

All subscription companies want to reduce churn — especially in the digital age, where switching costs can be low. Consumers, on the other hand, want options to negatively affect that churn, with PYMNTS research showing that the most common reason prompting them to cancel relates to their inability to make changes to their subscription plans. […]

Demand for meal delivery continues to surge, with consumers still favoring the safety of at-home dining. But the challenges built into the business model are becoming clearer by the day. Restaurants struggle to afford the third-party fees, while the delivery services have to fight to survive against restrictions placed on those same fees. All the […]

The pandemic has created a sense of urgency among corporates and small businesses to digitize, and financial workflows are no exception. Now unable to physically enter offices to cut checks and receive paper invoices, finance leaders have been forced to accelerate modernization efforts in order to keep business moving. With organizations gradually settling into this […]

Analyses of investor sentiment and other factors point to the price of Nigeria-based online marketplace Jumia Technologies soaring through 2021 and beyond, London Loves Business reported. The price of Jumia’s American Depository Receipt (ADR) at the close of trading on Jan. 3, 2020, was $6.51. On Dec. 31, 2020, Jumia’s ADR closed at $40.35. At […]

Federal prosecutors in New York announced Thursday (Feb. 4) in a press release the indictment of three people linked to private equity firm GPB Capital Holdings on charges including securities fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy. According to the release, the Department of Justice alleged the three individuals and colleagues told investors in several private equity […]

Metal Pay, a U.S.-based peer-to-peer (P2P) cryptocurrency payments platform, has filed for a national bank charter with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), CoinDesk reported. The bank would be named the “First Blockchain Bank and Trust, N.A.” and incorporated in South Dakota, the report stated. Metal Pay also plans to file charter […]

Global branded payments provider Blackhawk Network has launched its new virtual universal prepaid Mastercard for Canadian businesses, according to a press release. Businesses can issue the prepaid cards as a customer reward option and tailor them to include their brand logo in the delivery email, the release stated. The cards can be spent anywhere Mastercard […]