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Artificial Intelligence
PetSmart Used AI to Drive a 22% Lift in Salon Bookings
August 07, 2026

Even pets have stylists. At PetSmart, it’s a serious business. Get the Full Story Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content — no additional logins required. yesSubscribe to our daily newsletter, PYMNTS Today. By completing this...

Investments
Live Commerce Platform Whatnot Raises $545 Million to Speed AI Expansion
August 07, 2026

Whatnot raised $545 million in a Series G funding round to grow its live commerce platform, the company said in a Friday (Aug. 7) press release emailed to PYMNTS. Get the Full Story Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access...

Artificial Intelligence
Financial Firms Put AI to Work Across 27 Tasks, Study Finds
August 07, 2026

Financial services firms are finding their strongest artificial intelligence results in the parts of the business customers rarely see. Get the Full Story Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content — no additional logins required. yesSubscribe...

Artificial Intelligence
OpenAI Aims to Redefine Smart Speakers With First AI Device
August 06, 2026

OpenAI‘s upcoming portable smart speaker, the company’s first device, will be doughnut-shaped, the size of a hockey puck, will have moving parts and likely cost between $300 and $400, Bloomberg reported Thursday (Aug. 6), citing unnamed sources. Get the Full Story Complete the form to...

Banking
FIS Expands Commercial Banking Platform to APAC Region
August 06, 2026

FIS has completed the global rollout of its Digital One Commercial platform by launching it in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, the FinTech company said in a Wednesday (Aug. 5) press release. Get the Full Story Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited...

Artificial Intelligence
OpenAI Drops ChatGPT Limits for Free Users and Upgrades Paid Tiers
August 06, 2026

OpenAI is adding unlimited text chats for Free users, and a new option that delivers more reliable answers for Plus and Pro users, the company said in a Thursday (Aug. 6) blog post. Get the Full Story Complete the form to unlock this article and...

Artificial Intelligence
DeepSeek Resumes Funding Round to Raise $8 Billion
August 06, 2026

DeepSeek has resumed its second funding round and is looking to raise close to $8 billion, Bloomberg reported Thursday (Aug. 6), citing unnamed sources. Get the Full Story Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content —...

Banking
Zaria Seeks Trust Bank Charter for Crypto-Backed Loans
August 06, 2026

Zaria Systems, a builder of real-time infrastructure for mark-to-market credit and structured finance, aims to secure a charter for a special-purpose national bank that will limit its activities to the operations of a trust company and related activities, the company said in a Wednesday (Aug....

Retail
Amazon and Walmart Want to Beat the Consumer to Their Next Purchase
August 06, 2026

Amazon’s $3 trillion valuation, achieved this week, is being treated as an artificial intelligence and cloud computing milestone. For retail leaders, it should be read as a broader signal that investors value the infrastructure surrounding commerce as much as the sale itself. Get the Full...