Whats Trending news and trends

StubHub’s Disbursement Solutions ‘De-Risk’ Ticket Resales
Disbursements // July 13, 2018

When fans decide to sell their tickets, they expect to be paid on demand. Not paying them on time is a luxury ticket resellers can't afford as consumers are quick to switch to other platforms, says Jeff Poirier, GM of music and theater for StubHub....

NEW REPORT: Minding Faster Payments Global Gaps
Faster Payments // July 03, 2018

The need for faster payments is transcending borders, with FIs in several major global regions making efforts to expand local access to speedier payments. These innovations not only promise to improve payment speed, but to also accelerate financial access and empowerment in different markets.  In...

An Unattended Way To Keep Business Running And Employees Healthy
Vending Machines // June 20, 2018

In the latest Unattended Retail Tracker, Lee Mokri, co-founder of the smart vending startup, explains how unattended technology can help keep employees productive and well-fed while boosting both revenue and morale alike. Plus, the latest on McDonald’s and Shake Shack turning to in-store kiosks to...

Turning To The Crowd — And Gift Cards — To Fund Honeymoons
Platform Payments // June 14, 2018

Millennials could care less for crystal stemware or fine china as wedding gifts. They want experiences — and that’s a trend turning the $19 billion bridal registry business on its head, says Sara Margulis, CEO and co-founder of Honeyfund. In the latest Payments Powering Platforms Tracker, Margulis discusses how crowdfunded bridal registries are opening...

Interviews & Exclusives
Building A Responsible AI Roadmap

May 17, 2018
FIs are turning to artificial intelligence to make more financial decisions than ever before, from deciding who gets (or doesn’t get) a loan to helping customers make smarter financial choices. But when algorithms are used to make decisions, who accounts for the biases built in the model? In the latest Digital Banking Tracker, Dan Schrag, co-director of Harvard’s Belfer Center’s Science, Technology and Public Policy program, explains why the time has come for FIs to get ahead of the ethical dilemmas surrounding AI, or risk losing customers to confusion.

In The UK, Cash And Contactless Are Vying To Stay On Top

November 30, 2017
British banknotes are practically royalty. According to research in the new PYMNTS Global Cash Index™ U.K. Analysis, physical currency is still king (and queen) of payments. And, in the land...

NEW STUDY: Can Cash Keep Its £70 Billion British Crown?

November 29, 2017
When it comes to payment usage in the U.K., cash is as close to British royalty as payments get — and not just because Queen Elizabeth appears on the country’s banknotes....

Does The U.S. Faster Payment System Need A Federal Mandate?

July 10, 2017
Get ready. When the Fed’s Faster Payments Task Force issues its mammoth recommendation for strengthening the U.S. payment system later this month, it’s unlikely a federal mandate will make the...

Quick Reads
R3 Raises $107M To Expand Partnerships

June 12, 2017
The R3 consortium, the distributed ledger technology group, has raised $107 million from roughly half of its members, marking the largest funding round for the technology. According to a report, SBI Group, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and HSBC led the investment, which included more than 40 participants, including R3 members ING, Barclays and UBS. […]

Medical Tourism Explodes For Wealthy Chinese Patients

May 30, 2017
While healthcare availability is a topic of great debate in the United States, the quality of healthcare on offer is generally not. So when Chinese citizen Guo Shushi’s stomach cancer...

First Data To Buy CardConnect For $750M

May 30, 2017
As of yesterday, First Data has officially agreed to acquire rival payment processor CardConnect for around $750 million.  The deal will reportedly be covered mostly in cash — and will include...

GOP Just Says No To Debit-Card Fee Hike

May 26, 2017
Retailers — led by Walmart — seem to have beaten back an attempt to raise swipe fees, according to Congressional aides speaking to Bloomberg.  Despite vigorous lobbying from the finance...