Amazon Walmart Whole Paycheck Tracker

In fact, our data shows an unprecedented drop in share of overall consumer spend for each of them. But within these numbers lies an insightful picture into the growth of the digital-first economy in 2020. And in order to gain those insights, it’s necessary to do something no one would be excited about in these first hopeful weeks of 2021.

AML/KYC Tracker

• An interview with Anthony Botticella, CEO of BitGo, about how the cryptocurrency exchange deploys a multilayered system to prevent money laundering on its platform
• The latest AML/KYC developments, including how 56 percent of cryptocurrency exchanges have weak or nonexistent KYC procedures and why 47 percent of American banks report that regulatory compliance is their primary challenge this year
• A Deep Dive analyzing the pressures cryptocurrency exchanges face to step up their AML/KYC compliance processes

The Banking As A Service Playbook: Powering The Next Generation of FinTech Innovation

• An interview with Morten Sønderskov, chief operating officer of Lunar, on how the Denmark-based FinTech transformed itself from a card app provider to a licensed bank offering financial services to small businesses

• The latest BaaS headlines, including a digital service launched by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia that could allow SMBs to receive pandemic-related loans within minutes

• A Deep Dive examining BaaS’s trillion-dollar potential to transform inefficient business processes in B2B invoicing, disbursements and other verticals

Buy Now Pay Later Tracker

• A look at how more consumers turned to buy now, pay later plans as they stretched their dollars during the holidays and why more merchants intend to offer BNPL solutions in 2021
• The latest BNPL headlines, including a look at numerous retailers that are integrating flexible payment plans at their brick-and-mortar locations and why millennials and parents appear especially fond of BNPL solutions
• A Deep Dive analysis on how consumers’ in-store and online payment behaviors shifted during the 2020 holiday shopping season and how these changes could boost demand for BNPL options in the year ahead

CFO’s Guide To Digitizing B2B Payments

• An interview with IBM Payments Center senior partner and head Mike Cook and chief architect Sridhar Narayanan on how businesses are turning to virtual cards and real-time payments for speedier, more secure payments
• Recent headlines from around the space, including new data on firms’ attitudes toward automation of AR and AP processes and how digital cards can streamline international transactions
• A Deep Dive examining how automated virtual card processing helps buyers and suppliers transact more smoothly

Credit Union Tracker

• An interview with Nancy McNeill, senior vice president of operations at Coast Capital Savings Federal Credit Union, on the challenges credit unions have faced during the pandemic, how CUs are addressing them with digital-first solutions and how physical branches will factor into CUs’ futures
• The latest credit union developments, including a new fraud-detection solution launched by PSCU and an examination of brick-and-mortar branches’ evolving roles in the credit union space
• A Deep Dive analyzing how credit unions can reflect on their digital shifts during the pandemic to bring innovative technologies into their operations in 2021

Digital Banks And The Power Of The Cloud Tracker

• An interview with Rudolf Schmidt, chief technology officer for German challenger bank Fidor, on how FIs can leverage cloud technologies to help keep pace with changing security and regulatory standards during the COVID-19 pandemic
• The latest news and trends in the space, including why Australia’s Commonwealth Bank put a five-year deadline in place for its migration to the cloud and digital-only Varo Bank’s announcement to partner with a third-party provider on its move to the cloud
• A Deep Dive analyzing how changing cloud compliance standards are pushing banks to prioritize innovation

Digital Consumer Onboarding Tracker

• An interview with Sunil Sharma, chief product and technology officer at Los Angeles-based logistics company Cargomatic, on how geocoding can help connect shippers and carriers to track freight, optimize routes and power last-mile delivery
• Recent digital onboarding headlines, including why 75 percent of businesses and consumers have problems with data onboarding and how banks that avoid asking for location data during onboarding could face increased fraud risks
• A Deep Dive analyzing how geocoding can help businesses streamline last-mile delivery and accuracy to retain customers for the long haul

Digital Fraud Tracker

• An interview with KP Brendel, director of marketplace operations at Swap.com, about
  how the online thrift and consignment store leveraged in-house and third-party expertise to protect its customers’ holiday shopping experiences from digital fraud
• The latest digital fraud developments, including why consumers’ trust in retailers often relies on security transparency and how fraud rates have increased 55 percent since the pandemic’s onset
• A Deep Dive analyzing how various digital fraud types affected the 2020 holiday shopping season and the tactics retailers are deploying to reduce these schemes’ impacts

Digital Identity Tracker

• An interview with Alicia O’Brien, vice president of innovation at Florida-based hiring and recruitment firm WilsonHCG, on how companies can leverage video technology, digital ID verification and facial recognition to streamline remote hiring
• The latest digital identity developments, including how firms can reduce fraud by 80 percent using selfie-based identification and the consideration of a New York City bill that would require employers to notify job applicants if AI is being used to make hiring decisions
• A Deep Dive examining how investments in digital technologies and verification processes can help firms hire and onboard job applicants remotely

Digital Shift Report

• An interview with Brett Rodewald, president and CEO of healthcare claims processor Lucent Health, on how virtual cards can help third-party claim processors smoothly send payments to physicians
• Recent headlines from around the space, including survey findings about rising levels of AP automation adoption and recent data on Asia-Pacific employees’ manual expense filing frictions
• A Deep Dive examining how optical character recognition, robotic processing automation and other technologies can accelerate and streamline invoice processing

Digital-First Banking Tracker

• An interview with CarrieAnne Cormier, senior vice president at Avidia Bank, on how pandemic-driven challenges in 2020 have shaped its online and in-branch innovations and customer outreach
• The latest digital-first banking developments, including why 54 percent of U.S. consumers want contactless account-opening capabilities and why customers are demanding shorter lines and longer operating hours at bank branches
• A Deep Dive analyzing how the pandemic will shape the banking industry’s future and how banks should adjust their services and customer experiences

Digitizing B2B Payments Tracker

Disbursements Tracker

• An interview with Tim Elkins, chief production officer for home lender and refinancing company PrimeLending, regarding how implementing AI and other tools could allow lenders to reduce the loan process and keep consumers’ trust
• Notable headlines from the space, such as why Fifth Third Bank is digitizing its mortgage loan offerings and why consumers are now asking for digital rather than cash-based rebates from retailers
• A Deep Dive analyzing why lenders must prepare to meet or exceed borrowers’ new expectations regarding loans and their disbursements and what tool and technologies could help them to do so

Enabling B2B Payments For The Virtual Workforce Playbook

• An interview with Caleb Jenkins, leader of client accounting services for tax and accounting firm RLJ Financial, regarding how the pandemic is pushing the need for real-time B2B expense management forward and how virtual cards can help
• The latest headlines from the virtual card market and decentralized payment ecosystem, including why 80 percent of B2B transactions could be digital by 2025 as well as how the consumerization of B2B payments is igniting companies’ demands for virtual cards
• A data-rich analysis examining how mobile and contactless payment options, especially virtual cards, are poised to reshape the corporate payments ecosystem and how businesses must adapt to accommodate these changes

Faster Healthcare Report

• A Case Study exploring why sending Affordable Care Act medical loss ratio rebates via paper checks can lead to some going unclaimed
• Interviews with patient advocates about the frictions patients face when receiving healthcare-related disbursements and how faster payment options can help
• A Deep Dive examining efforts to digitize patients’ disbursements

Gig Economy Tracker

• The latest headlines from the gig economy, including French FinTech Shine’s rollout of an offering that allows gig workers to insure their invoices
• An interview with Michael Brooks, CEO and founder of online freelance marketplace goLance, on why transparency is key to engineering trust between freelancers and marketplaces
• A Deep Dive examining how lengthy, manual invoice reconciliation can add to the financial strains freelancers and firms face, and a look at how automated technologies can help

Global B2B Payments Playbook

• An interview with Nick Shaffer, CEO of online B2B marketplace BoxFox, on why businesses must take a holistic approach to updating their order-to-cash processes to compete now and in a post-pandemic B2B world
• The latest global B2B headlines, such as how 54 percent of large firms now see manual B2B payments as time-consuming and error-prone and how virtual card payments could reach $4.8 trillion in value by the end of the year
• A Deep Dive analyzing how the pandemic has affected global companies’ order-to-cash processes and how automation could dominate cross-border commerce in the future

Global Recurring Payments Tracker

• The latest global recurring payments developments, including a partnership between GoCardless and KYC solutions provider Accuity
• Kate Thunnissen, chief marketing officer at speech-to-text platform provider Trint, explains how the company reduces subscriber churn by taking a customer-centric approach and emphasizing security
• A Deep Dive detailing how safeguarding the onboarding process can help subscription companies combat churn and fight fraud

The How We Eat Tracker

• The latest trends in the space, including the growth of “dark stores” designed solely for fulfilling online food orders
• An interview with Eddie Garcia, senior vice president and chief product officer at Sam’s Club, on how the company is employing product-scanning apps and other digital services to make shopping more convenient and safer for its members

Intelligence of Things Tracker

• The latest IoT news and trends, including how medical IoT may be poised for growth in the wake of the pandemic and new wearable technology that enables workers to maintain social distancing
• An interview with Marija Zima-Bockarjova, smart cities and solutions research and design manager at ABB, and Michael Lotfy, the company’s senior vice president for Smart Buildings Solutions, about how connected technologies can help cities become more resilient
• A directory of the top IoT implementers and providers with nine new additions

Merchants Guide To Navigating Global Payments Regulations

• An interview with Cary Breese, CEO of California-based prescription delivery service NowRx, on how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting online data privacy in healthcare as well as the industry’s adoption of digital identity tools
• Notable headlines from the space, including why Singapore’s regulatory authorities are relaxing their consumer data protection standards for businesses and why some EU consumers are still hesitant to share their data with third-party services
• A Deep Dive examining why streamlined, tailored online identity verification solutions are a must for merchants looking to compete under shifting open banking standards

Mobile Order-Ahead Tracker

• An interview with Eric Jaffe, co-founder and COO of ChowNow, about the digital fraud-fighting lessons independent restaurants can take away from a challenging 2020
• The latest mobile order-ahead developments, including QSRs’ transaction volumes declining 9 percent year over year in October and the loss of $117 million to social media scams during the first half of 2020
• A Deep Dive analyzing the popular fraud trends this past year as well as the new fraud schemes QSRs must watch out for as they enter 2021

Next-Gen AP Automation

• An interview with Neil McHugh, head of commercial operating products in corporate products and services at TD Bank, on how the pandemic is pushing AP practices to become more resilient and streamlined
• The latest AP automation developments, including why 86 percent of businesses are prioritizing payments automation and how the Estonian government’s policy of accepting only digital invoices is faring one year later
• An in-depth examination of how robotic process automation and AI-powered optical character recognition tools are helping businesses accelerate their AP processes

Next-Gen Debit Tracker

• An interview with People’s United Bank executives Karen Boyer and Frank Wheelahan on how machine learning can help banks bolster their existing approaches to fighting debit fraud as more commerce moves online
• The latest next-gen debit headlines, including a 75 percent spike in debit fraud in India and why customers are reluctant to share their location data with card issuers
• A Deep Dive analyzing how machine learning solutions can help FIs fight debit fraud by analyzing and establishing account holders’ purchasing behaviors

Next-Gen Payroll Tracker

• An interview with Dave Messinger, chief technology officer at Topcoder, on why quick and flexible payment options are critical for skilled workers
• The latest payroll news and trends, including why several countries are introducing tighter measures surrounding payday lending
• A Deep Dive examining how on-demand disbursements in the gig economy are inspiring other employers to experiment with faster payout options

Next-Gen Sales Tax Tracker®

• National Diaper Bank Network Director of Policy and Government Relations Phillip Vander Klay on the effects of — and ongoing disputes over — diaper sales taxes in some states, and NorthShore Care Supply president Adam Greenberg on the business impacts of those laws, especially as more states adopt remote seller taxes
• The latest eCommerce sales tax developments, including a dispute over California’s, Louisiana’s and South Carolina’s attempts to gather retroactive online sales taxes and Alaska’s push to collect local and remote seller taxes via app
• A Deep Dive providing an in-depth examination of the complex world of sales tax bundling, including merchants’ strategies to minimize tax management frictions

Order To Eat

• An interview with Steph So, head of digital experience at burger chain Shake Shack, on how QSRs can turn to digital tools and advanced technologies such as AI and machine learning to enhance the customer experience
• The latest order to eat developments, including fast food chain KFC’s new digital-first next-gen restaurant concept and how restaurants are turning to digital innovations to stem dine-in sales losses
• A Deep Dive examining how digital ordering innovations and robust loyalty programs can separate top-performing QSRs from the rest of the pack

Payments Orchestration Playbook

• An interview with Bronson Tubb, vice president of engineering at software firm Omicron Media, about how payments orchestration can help businesses improve payment flows and reduce transaction processing costs
• The latest headlines from the payments orchestration space, including the global payment gateway market’s projected rise to $42.9 billion by 2025 and the push for broader access to least-cost routing technology by the Australian Retailers Association
• A comprehensive analysis of how payments orchestration can be used to automate payments processes, diversify payments stacks and help firms negotiate better terms with their processors

Payments Powering the Platform Economy Report

• An interview with Abe Shak, CEO of accessories retailer The Time Store, about why SMBs are turning to FinTechs and challenger banks instead of traditional banks for their lending needs
• The latest eCommerce payments developments, including a new financing option in India from Google and the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects on SMB financing
• A Deep Dive analyzing the challenges that SMBs face when applying for credit and how FinTechs are deploying machine learning and related technologies to accelerate the application process

Preventing Financial Crimes Playbook

• An interview with Jamie Armistead, vice president and business line leader for Zelle, on how the P2P banking app works to counter scams and frauds with AI, analytics and consumer awareness
• The latest financial crime developments, including a new warning from the FBI on credential stuffing and skyrocketing impersonation fraud rates in the U.K.
• A Deep Dive analyzing P2P payments app fraud and how improving password hygiene and  multifactor authentication can protect users from cybercrime

QR Code Payments Tracker

• An interview with Tony Leon, chief technology and eCommerce officer for sporting goods retailer Decathlon, on why ease of use and security are essential to ensuring the widespread adoption of QR code-enabled contactless payments
• The latest QR code developments, including a nationwide QR code-based payment initiative in India and a new QR code-powered program at 8,200 CVS Pharmacy locations
• A Deep Dive analyzing how the pandemic has pushed consumers’ use of QR codes as well as what merchants need to know to take advantage of this change and foster customer engagement

Real-Time Payments Report

• An interview with Jesse Honigberg, technology chief of staff for Cross River Bank, on why the community bank chose to directly integrate via API with the RTP network
• The latest real-time payment developments, including Brazil’s launch of an instant payments rail and insights on how U.S. businesses could pay employees faster over RTP
• A Deep Dive examining the factors that small financial institutions consider when determining their real-time payment rail adoption strategies

Small and Medium Business Reopening Report

• An interview with Nelson Gutierrez, president of Strictly Bicycles, on how the retailer is leveraging click-and-collect and contactless payments to provide customers with safe and socially distant retail experiences
• The latest SMB reopening developments, including a surge in eCommerce use among baby boomers and seniors and how almost three-quarters of SMBs are modernizing their digital capabilities
• A Deep Dive analyzing how SMBs are using contactless payments to conduct their day-to-day business while reducing the likelihood of viral transmission

Smarter Payments Tracker

• An interview with Karthik Raghupathy, head of business development and strategy at PhonePe, on the factors driving merchants and consumers to adopt mobile payments in India
• The latest smarter payments developments, including the EU’s efforts to develop regulations that could lead to greater use of distributed ledger technology for international payments and recent survey findings about the rise of digital payroll during the pandemic
• An in-depth examination of how prepaid cards help companies pay unbanked employees around the world

Subscription Commerce Tracker

• An interview with Nadim Sadek, founder and CEO of London-based SaaS brand management software provider ProQuo AI, on how the company is working to reduce pandemic-driven churn
• The latest subscription commerce developments, including why supermarket chains like Kroger are rolling out monthly subscriptions for delivery services and how BMW is launching a speed-trap alert subscription for select vehicles
• A Deep Dive analyzing why companies are opting for SaaS providers for their latest digital solutions and how the sector is expected to reach $623 billion by 2023