Today In Payments: Afterpay, Adyen Team On BNPL; Eastern Bank, Century Bancorp To Merge

In today’s top news, Adyen will now offer Afterpay’s buy now, pay later (BNPL) solution to its merchants, and Boston-based mutual Eastern Bank and Century Bancorp announced their plans to merge. Plus, Amazon is opening two grocery stores in the D.C. area.

Afterpay, Adyen Team On Installment Payments

Adyen merchants can now offer Afterpay’s pay-in-four installment service to customers in the United States, the U.K., Canada, Australia and New Zealand. British footwear brand Hunter is the first retailer to add Afterpay with Adyen.

Eastern Bank, Century Bancorp To Merge With $22 Billion In Assets

Eastern Bankshares, a Boston-based mutual that recently went public, and Century Bancorp have entered into an agreement to merge companies, with an aggregate transaction value of $642 million. The combined merger creates $22 billion in assets.

Amazon To Open Two Grocery Stores in Washington, DC Area

Two brick-and-mortar Amazon grocery stores are near opening in the Washington, D.C. region. One location, in the Franconia area of suburban Virginia, will be an Amazon Fresh store, and the other, in the Logan Circle neighborhood of D.C., will be an Amazon Go store.

Envestnet Buys FinTech Startup Harvest Savings

Wealth management technology firm Envestnet has acquired FinTech startup Harvest Savings & Wealth Technologies for an undisclosed amount to optimize its API-based financial wellness platform.

New Report: Trading Places: Tech Firms Need To Move AR from Back Office To Front Office

Technology companies have made instant, one-click payments a reality, but how do these firms fare when innovating their own accounts receivable (AR) processes? Not so great: 75 percent consider their payments operations just somewhat effective at best. In the Smart Receivables Playbook, PYMNTS highlights survey results from 459 payments professionals and interviews with leading firms to reveal AR friction points — and how they can be addressed.

Blackhawk CEO: eGift Cards Find New Life As Gaming Currency

For many consumers, eGift cards are a digital on-ramp. For gamers, they’re an essential currency. As Blackhawk CEO Talbott Roche told Karen Webster in a recent conversation, they are becoming embedded in the digital-first economy.

Taco Bell President: ‘Restaurants Of The Future’ Will Tap Targeted Experiences

Quick-service restaurants (QSRs) are rethinking everything from design to payment formats as they look at the post-pandemic economy. As Taco Bell President and Chief Operating Officer Mike Grams told PYMNTS, staying flexible in formats and features will create unique environments and experiences for the consumer.

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