4.30.19 Your morning briefing

The information you need to start your day, from PaymentsSource and around the Web:

Product placement
Walmart is developing six series for its streaming service, which will have a different model than subscription payments-based services from companies like Apple, Amazon and Netflix.

In Walmart's case, its Vudu service will focus on shoppable ads, offering viewers the chance to buy items that appear on screen, like paper towels or soft drinks, reports Engadget, which also reports Walmart is shopping its streaming content and the underlying technology to advertising agencies.

The shows include a CSI-style drama, a series based on Mr. Mom and a science fiction show.

Lula Marques/Bloomberg

Almost cashless
As Amazon Go expands to the U.K. other stores are also opening no-cashier locations. Sainsbury's has opened a no-cashier supermarket in central London that relies on Google Pay and Apple Pay contactless mobile scans to confirm transactions.

The store isn't a "no cash" store, since it will have an option for people who prefer cash or plastic cards. There will be a heavy incentive, since there will be a single person at a helpdesk to take card and cash, reports The Guardian. No-cash stores have faced pressure, causing Amazon Go to recently add a cash payment option

Sainsbury's has been testing cashierless checkout in London over the past few months, and has a good chance at the new location, where 80% of the payments were cashless, according to the Guardian.

Amazon links up with UPI
Amazon has launched P2P transactions through Amazon Pay in India using UPI, the country's national network to support digital payments.

Consumers can use a localized version of Amazon Pay to settle bills or transfer funds to family members and friends, reports TechCrunch, adding consumers can also pay Amazon delivery staff via a QR code on the Amazon app. Security will come from a mix of the consumer's phone number, SIM details and the users' UPI PINs.

Amazon Pay also recently entered a deal with Worldpay to expand the app's merchant acquiring capabilities.

Vietnam business pay
Citi Treasury and Trade Solutions and Vietnamese payment service provider Payoo are collaborating on a consumer-to-business payments product for Citi's corporate clients in Vietnam.

The deal will support real-time payments for utilities, telecom bills and credit card bills through Payoo's digital processing system or its network of 10,000 on-site payment locations, reports Finextra.

The bank's Treasury and Trade unit is also the jumping point for a broader Citigroup strategy to add more consumer services to its B2B rails.

From the Web

New Nationwide In-Car Payment Technology Is Launching In Massachusetts
Yahoo Finance | Tue April 30, 2019 - A first-in-the-nation breakthrough payment solution that lets drivers purchase gas from their car without taking out cash, a credit card or a mobile app is launching in Westborough, MA. PayByCar allows drivers to simplify and speed up non-toll transactions such as gas purchases.

India unseats China as Asia’s top fintech funding source
TechCrunch | Tue April 30, 2019 - China’s massive fintech industry took a beating in recent months as the government continued to wind down online lending nationwide, rattling investor confidence. India, which recorded $285.6 million raised for fintech startups in the period, overtook China to be Asia’s top fundraising hub for financial technology.

Nets partners Myanmar's national payment network to co-develop QR code system
The Straits Times | Mon April 29, 2019 - Nets will share with Myanmar's national payment network its technical and operational knowledge on Singapore's unified e-payment system for QR codes - the Singapore Quick Response (SGQR) Central Repository platform, with the intention of implementing a similar platform in the South-east Asian country.

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