Today In Payments: Klarna Rolls Out CSS Tool To Help European Retailers Save; Stripe Unveils Identity Verification Tool

In today’s top news, Klarna has launched a new tool to help retailers increase customer reach, and Stripe has launched an online identity verification tool. Plus, Facebook Oculus has acquired BigBox VR to expand social, virtual gaming experiences.

Klarna Rolls Out CSS Tool To Help European Retailers Save

Digital bank Klarna is rolling out a new Comparison Shopping Service (CSS) solution to help its European partner retailers increase their return on Google ads by driving traffic from high intent customers.

Stripe Unveils New Identity Verification Tool

Stripe has announced the launch of Stripe Identity, a tool that lets online businesses securely verify consumer identities, using the same infrastructure as the company’s own onboarding compliance and risk management system.

Facebook Acquires BigBox VR

BigBox VR, maker of the virtual reality game “Population: One,” has been acquired by Oculus owner Facebook for an undisclosed amount. Oculus said the tie-up helps developers that foster social gaming, and for BigBox VR the partnership will help advance current and future projects.

BoA CEO: Consumer Spending Up, Fed Accommodation Should Go Down

Consumer spending is 20 percent higher this year than 2019, a signal Bank of America (BoA) CEO Brian Moynihan said is a sign that federal accommodation should go down. Almost every spending category except travel has shown near full recovery.

New Report: 53 Pct Of Upper-Income Americans Live Paycheck-To-Paycheck

Living paycheck to paycheck is not unusual. In fact, a majority of U.S. consumers are in this situation — including 53 percent of those earning between $50,000 and $100,000. In the inaugural edition of Reality Check: The Paycheck-To-Paycheck Report, PYMNTS taps insights from nearly 30,000 U.S. consumers to reveal a fuller picture of household finances in these unprecedented economic times.

New Report: Selfie IDs Check The Digital Security Box For 76 Pct Of Millennials

Selfies are for more than just Instagram: 76 percent of millennials are very satisfied with using their phones to take pictures of their faces for authentication purposes. In Selfie ID: Consumers And The Use Of Facial Biometrics To Secure Digital Commerce, PYMNTS surveys 2,580 consumers to learn how businesses can tap the selfie method to boost trust and convenience among customers.

Amid Top Line Growth, Boxed SPAC Deal Hints At Online Grocers’ Profit Challenge

Boxed is going public through a SPAC deal that could be worth nearly $900 million. The company sees being adjusted EBITDA positive within just a few years, in a hyper-competitive space. Will fulfillment costs upend those projections?