Uber Money, Alexa Bill Payments And Super Apps Top This Week’s News

It’s the end of the workweek and the beginning of a new month. And the PYMNTS Weekender is here to make sure you didn’t miss anything — and that you start off November right, with the latest in payments and commerce news.

We have a deep, data-supported dive on accounts receivables, an outlook on everyday apps, and news on the Uber Money rollout.

Top News

Uber Money Wants To Be The Bank Account For Uber Drivers

The rollout of Uber Money brings a new portfolio of financial services to Uber drivers, with the inclusion of real-time earnings deposited after each ride into a fee-free, Uber-branded debit product with unlimited overdraft protection.

Why Super Apps Could Have Superpowers

Everyday apps don’t have to do everything — but to be effective, they have to take away the friction associated with jumping among the slew of apps with cards on file that consumers use today to get things done, or to fill the gaps in access that exist.

Amazon Taps Into Bill Payments With Alexa

Amazon announced during its Money 20/20 keynote address that Amazon Pay users will soon be able to pay utility bills using Alexa. Amazon is teaming with FinTech firm Paymentus to add the new feature.

Walmart’s Daniel Eckert On Why TailFin Is Retail’s Next Big Thing

Worlds are colliding when it comes to payments and commerce. One of the most recent examples of that movement comes from Walmart and Green Dot. The two businesses will create and roll out a FinTech accelerator.

Daniel Eckert, senior vice president of Walmart Services and Digital Acceleration told Karen Webster shortly before the news broke, “The next big thing in retail is the integration of FinTech and retail tech.”

Apple Embraces Paying On Installment

Apple plans to work hard to make both its iPhone products and its wearables more accessible to its customers — if those customers happen to have gotten to the new Apple credit card. The tech company will not be lowering prices or offering a discount; instead, it will be embracing paying for Apple products on installment.

Trackers And Reports

When AR Meets Social Networking (AmEx Accounts Automation Report)

Accounts receivable (AR) departments suffer from overreliance on paper-based invoices, which can create complications when buyers, as well as sellers, have to reach out to clarify invoice details or dispute payment records. Digital AR platforms equipped with communication tools can help, however, according to FinTech VersaPay’s CEO Craig O’Neill.

OfferUp’s General Counsel On Keeping Marketplace Shoppers Safe From Scammers

The marketplace that can keep fraud levels minimal is the marketplace that will survive, according to Nathan Garnett, general counsel of OfferUp, a marketplace for person-to-person (P2P) sales. In a feature story, Garnett explains how to use machine learning tools to detect early signs of fraud, and provide customers with verification options as well as safety tips.

Trending: The Rise Of Instant Payments In Lending

Consumers no longer consider instant lending processes instant if they don’t come with an equally fast disbursement experience, said Paul Gu, co-founder and head of product for online lender Upstart. That means instant disbursements are about to become pivotal for lenders, he explained in a recent PYMNTS interview.

Fun, Cool and Otherwise Interesting

The White House Startup That’s Taking On Healthcare Payments

Launched about a year after Healthcare.gov’s initial debacle, the U.S. Digital Service (USDS) has been tasked with bringing the federal government’s tech up to speed by harnessing the skills of specialists. They work in teams for defined tours of duty to help civil servants modernize government tech infrastructure to be more useful and responsive to citizens.

Why Voice Is Connected Commerce’s Killer App (Just Say To Pay)

Consumers have a strong demand for voice-enabled commerce, regardless of which devices they buy through. And many consumers report making voice-enabled commerce on multiple devices.

Mastercard: It’s The End Of Rewards Points As We Know It

Points-based programs aren’t very effective at building loyalty as they don’t offer what customers say they need to become loyal. Francis Hondal, president of loyalty services, managed services and labs as a service at Mastercard, told Karen Webster in a recent interview, “Points are easy, so they have become ‘Chapter One’ of the loyalty playbooks for everyone.”

Hondal continued, “To get beyond that and to start writing the next chapters, people have to operationalize all the other things that drive loyalty. To get beyond engaging the consumer with that easy but not too effective earn and burn formula — it is about rethinking the whole way they interact with the customer.”