Today In Payments: Uber Mulls Franchise Model In California; Amazon Tells Sellers To Ship On Prime Schedule

In today’s top news, Uber is considering switching to a franchise model in California to avoid reclassifying its gig workers, and Amazon wants third-party sellers to deliver at the same speed as its Prime program. Plus, Walmart’s earnings were boosted by stimulus checks, but the benefit is already disappearing.

Uber Mulls Switching To Franchise Model In California

Uber Technologies Inc., facing a Thursday (Aug. 20) deadline to reclassify its freelance drivers in California as employees, is considering licensing its brand to independently operated franchises, which would be an alternative to classifying them as employees.

Amazon Tells Sellers To Ship On Prime 2-Day Schedule

Amazon said it would be requiring members of its Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP) program, which allows third-party merchants to make two-day shipping without paying for Amazon’s fulfillment services, to provide delivery coverage all over the U.S. and implement delivery and pickups on Saturdays beginning in February 2021.

Walmart Earnings Fuel Concerns Over Retail’s Stimulus-Fueled Recovery

Government stimulus checks that made their way into consumers’ purses and wallets stirred up some spending, but those gains might already be waning.

BoA: Replacing Chinese Suppliers Comes With $1T Price Tag

U.S. and European companies will have to spend as much as $1 trillion to replace Chinese suppliers, but the expense will be worth it, according to Bank of America research.

HomeLight CEO On Residential Real Estate’s Contingency-Free Future

Home is where the heart is — along with increasingly big pantries and a home office. HomeLight CEO Drew Uher tells Karen Webster that the biggest real estate boom in years puts new pressure on agents to bring buyers and sellers together faster to get deals done. And why giving agents tools to eliminate the uncertainty of any contingency is at the core of the firm’s recent Disclosures.io buy.

Barclaycard: Why It’s Time To Rethink Everyday B2B Spend

Remote workers use many digital tools to remain productive while away from the traditional office — except when it comes to managing work-related expenses. There, said Maria Parpou, chief product officer at Barclaycard, the invisible bank of the employee still rules. Parpou explains in the first B2B Workforce Spend Playbook how companies are using mobile apps and virtual cards to streamline spend — and keep it in check.

Census Says eCommerce Sales Grew 44 Pct YOY – Why It Could Be Even More Than That

New U.S. Census Bureau data show eCommerce sales soared 44.4 percent year over year even as total retail sales slipped 3.4 percent. Can you spell digital shift? But a closer look at the figures show that eCommerce might be doing even better than that already phenomenal performance.