Merchant

The niche buy now/pay later firm is looking for differentiation in a crowded market with recognizable brands like Klarna, Affirm and Afterpay.

The bank is adding fintech-style buy now/pay later lending to other recent payment upgrades at its merchant acquiring unit.

By purchasing the merchant acquirer Atlantic-Pacific Processing Systems, the fintech Stax has rounded out its offerings in a way that echoes the structure of larger payment companies.

Using social networks to make purchases and non-credit-card options like buy now, pay later are a permanent part of retail, Dan Brames of FIS writes.

ISVs that optimize B2B payments within their software solutions stand to save the day for merchants who want to grow but feel hamstrung with their current solutions, Ashley Jones of Global Payments Integrated says.

The next step for retailers is to bring consumers the benefits and experience of being in store, from the comfort of their home, says FIS' Dan Brames.

Not only is the payment process an opportunity to deliver on a good customer experience, but it also offers the opportunity to enhance the overall experience, says Global Payments Integrated's Ashley Jones.

Even before the pandemic, almost half of SMB customers were being turned away by their own banks for a small business loan. Enter COVID-19, and banks and credit unions are still not keeping up with the surging demand for capital, says LendingFront's Jorge Sun.

Customers' familiarity and expectations for digital service have risen but customer service strategy needs to adapt to this new playing field, says Majorel's Oliver Carlsen.

Many younger people are looking for financing and are averse to traditional credit cards, says Four's Chaim Lever.