Новости за 22.01.2024

The farther payments travel, the greater the potential is for failure. Cross-border transactions, as they wend their way across currencies and time zones, with any number of parties and counterparties in the mix, are rife with complexities. Streamlined, standardized messaging, at least conceptually, aids straight-through processing by eliminating many of the manual steps that go […]

As gaming consoles and game developers alike compete for consumers’ recurring spending, Fortnite parent company Epic Games is reportedly looking into launching its own subscription service.   According to Game Rant, a new leak shows that the video game and software developer and publisher may soon announce a subscription service for its Epic Games Store, noting that […]

2023 saw governments around the world grapple with the commercial emergence of artificial intelligence (AI).  From the White House’s Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of AI, to the European Union’s (EU) AI Act, China’s already implemented policies, and Japan’s “Hiroshima Process,” the world’s largest economies took their own distinct approach to balancing oversight of AI’s implications with […]

In recent years, split-pay options have gained popularity among consumers of all demographic groups looking for greater flexibility in managing their expenses. Among all consumer segments, the leading users of installment purchase plans are neither millennials nor lower-income earners but high-income consumers. This applies for all forms of split-pay options, including those offered by general […]

Blockchain/payments firm Nukkleus has teamed with Tantel Group to expand its footprint in Africa. The partnership, which involves Nukkleus’ subsidiary Digital RFQ (DRFQ), will help Nukkleus tap into Africa’s $1.5 trillion B2B payments market. “This collaboration aims to address the challenges of costly, slow, and unreliable cross-border payments in Africa, factors that have hindered economic growth in the region,” the company said […]

Investment banks are reportedly trying to win back leveraged finance deals from the private credit space. Banks such as Goldman Sachs, Citi and Barclays are among the banks in talks with buyout firms about loans issued during more volatile periods, Bloomberg News reported Monday (Jan 22), citing sources with knowledge of the matter. Now that loan markets are calmer and interest […]

As consumers increasingly expect seamless convenience across all their daily routines, health and wellness services are increasingly relying on subscription models. In an interview with PYMNTS, Shane McCarthy, senior vice president of digital and marketing at strength training company Solidcore, noted that the wellness industry is shifting toward subscription models as consumers look for convenient, predictable […]

Ford and its luxury brand Lincoln are enabling customers to access apps and services in their vehicles through a new integrated native experience.  Drivers will also be able to do so with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the company said in a Monday (Jan. 22) press release.  “From the moment customers enter a vehicle with a […]

Visa Canada will support the entrance of accelerator and venture capital (VC) firm Plug and Play into the Canadian FinTech market. This collaboration will enable Canadian FinTechs to access Visa’s global network; join exclusive, interactive events; and connect with new partners, the companies said in a Monday (Jan. 22) press release. “As a leader in digital payments, we work […]

When a paradigm shift occurs, it is not always obvious to those affected by it.  But there is no “eye of the storm” equivalent when it comes to generative artificial intelligence (AI).  The technology is here. There are already various commercial products available for deployment, and organizations that can effectively leverage it in support of their business goals are likely to […]

Six months after the implementation of New York’s City’s artificial intelligence (AI) hiring law, only 18 out of 391 employers analyzed by researchers at Cornell University have complied with the requirement. The law, known as Local Law 144, requires companies to disclose how algorithms influence their hiring decisions, with the goal of identifying and eliminating […]

Fiserv says members of its uChoose program can now use card reward balances to buy gas. The new offering, announced by the payments FinTech Monday (Jan. 22), lets users purchase fuel at roughly 7,000 BP and Amoco stations. “Expanding our rewards redemption options to include uChoose Rewards gives our consumers different ways to save on their fuel purchases, and […]

Online commerce carries a number of risks related to digital fraud and payment failure that can result in lost sales and an erosion of brand reputation. This is common to any company that operates online, regardless of its industry and size. However, PYMNTS Intelligence data shows that online trading in international markets carries higher risks […]

In the world of retail, generative artificial intelligence (AI) has taken up the conversation.  Although the idea is not new, its importance has escalated, especially since November 2022, when OpenAI unveiled ChatGPT, expanding accessibility to this technology for consumers and businesses.  In fact, following NRF 2024, the National Retail Federation’s annual trade show, it’s been […]

Voice technology firm ElevenLabs’ value has topped $1 billion after its latest funding round. The company announced its $80 million Series B Monday (Jan. 22), saying the funds would be used for — among other things — deploying new products and improving safety measures to “ensure responsible and ethical development of AI technology.” While ElevenLabs did not include a […]

Trying to get rid of the middleman seems to be a universal business pastime. Companies spend billions trying to “go direct” to gather first-party data, exert more control over the customer experience and cut out the middleman fees. Investors pour tens of billions into startups with tech to make it easier for brands to open […]

Would you pay a subscription to use Amazon’s voice assistant Alexa? Inside the company, that’s apparently the subject of some debate. A recent Business Insider report — citing internal documents and sources familiar with the matter — says that Amazon is reconfiguring Alexa as it gets ready to roll out a paid subscription plan later […]

Omnichannel commerce has transformed how we pay for things and the length of time in which we expect to get what we pay for. Delivery windows are shrinking. Where once we waited days or weeks to get packages delivered to the doorstep, we’re now accustomed to turnaround times measured in next-day service or even hours. […]

Loyalty programs have become a ubiquitous part of the retail landscape, offering consumers enticing rewards and incentives for sticking with their favorite brands. However, as retailers expand their offerings, the proliferation of multiple loyalty programs can complicate the consumer experience and pose challenges for both customers and retailers.  CVS Pharmacy, the retail division of CVS Health, […]

Artificial intelligence is giving the fitness category a workout. Ranging from personalized workout routines to dedicated app-based workouts and even one-on-one virtual training sessions, the pattern recognition and predictive analytics capabilities of the technology are proving to be a good match for consumers of different demographics. In a litmus test for exactly how big a […]

Pay-by-bank payments, also known as account-to-account (A2A) payments, allow consumers to transfer funds between bank accounts in real time. These payments bypass traditional card networks and utilize intermediaries like peer-to-peer (P2P) service providers such as Venmo or PayPal. One of the main benefits of A2A payments is their simplicity. They eliminate the need for users […]

The CE 100 Index lost 0.6% as gains from the Have Fun segment were blunted by double-digit plunges from the likes of iRobot — where concerns over the firm’s takeover by Amazon (and possible derailment) sent investors fleeing.  Within the Have Fun group, which got a 3.3% boost, shares of Flutter Entertainment soared 23%. Flutter […]

Open banking promises to forge new financial ecosystems as data is shared among banks, corporates and consumers. Easier said than done. Banks must be on board. Corporates must be on board. And the technological underpinnings must be in place to connect and transmit information in the first place. Ximena Aleman, co-founder and co-CEO of Uruguayan […]

How ubiquitous have digital payments become in India? As Australia’s Sydney Morning Herald reported Saturday (Jan. 21), street-side produce vendors in the country now include QR codes among their vegetables, one of many signs of the digital transformation of the world’s most populous country. Among the others: India has about 1.2 billion mobile phone subscribers, […]

How can artificial intelligence (AI) create opportunities for small businesses? That question was the subject of a Friday (Jan. 19) White House meeting designed to examine ways to support competition as AI becomes more widely used. “This included a focus on the challenges participants raised about the high levels of concentration in the production of critical inputs including semiconductors, […]