Top News In Payments: Amazon Nixes FedEx Ground For Prime; Paris Strikes Drive 30 Pct Drop In Retail Sales

In today’s top payments news, Amazon tells sellers they can no longer use FedEx Ground for Prime shipments, and Paris retailers suffer massive sales dips due to a public transport union strike. Also, Citi and PayPal expand their collaboration for global mass payouts.

Amazon Nixes FedEx Ground For Prime Deliveries

Amazon told sellers they can no longer use FedEx Ground for Prime shipments due to unpredictable service. The ban, which does not apply to non-Prime deliveries, will remain in effect “until the delivery performance of these ship methods improves.”

Paris Strikes Drive 30 Pct Drop In Sales For Paris Retailers

A current strike led by public transit workers in France is adversely affecting retail sales this holiday season, with some retailers even reporting sales dips of between 20 and 30 percent during the second week of the month. Union workers have been on strike since Dec. 5, over a potential pension overhaul.

Citi Treasury Services, PayPal Team On Global Mass Payouts

PayPal and Citi now allow institutional clients of Citi to make payments into their customers’ PayPal digital wallets. The move provides more flexibility and convenience, as well as higher payment speeds for customers of both companies.

Google Offers Advice To The Fed On FedNow

Google sent a letter to the Federal Reserve recommending that the U.S. central bank consider modeling FedNow after the Unified Payments Interface framework used in India. Google worked closely with the National Payments Corporation of India to build Google Pay for India, and offered to give the Fed specifics on what it learned from that experience.

Caribou Coffee Spills The Beans On Customer Loyalty In The Mobile Age

Coffee chains have been on the bleeding edge of mobile order-ahead, offering generous loyalty incentives and lightning-fast pickup. But staying competitive means constant adjustment to apps based on customer feedback. In the latest Mobile Order-Ahead Tracker, PYMNTS explores the latest in the world of digital ordering.

M10 CEO: What Central Banks Want In New Global Payments Rails

In a PYMNTS interview, Steve Kirsch, CEO of M10, an affiliate company of Token.io, talks about the drive to offer a newer type of payment rail, and getting skeptical financial institutions on board with the idea.