Technology

Andrew Keys, co-founder of the venture capital firm ConsenSys Capital, has a vision of the future bankers might find chilling, in which banks and other middlemen are cut out of financial services.

Starbucks has established itself as a model for mobile payments among coffee drinkers, but Barclays is partnering with a U.K. coffee chain to take it a step further by bringing the coffee cup itself into play.

As issuers make rewards more personalized and proactive, a balance between savvy and privacy must be maintained, according to Kevin Grieve, North America payments lead for Accenture.

In the past few years the Chinese government has loosened restrictions on foreign travel, enabling millions of its citizenry to visit foreign lands. Along with a greater ability to travel is the enhanced prosperity Chinese consumers have reaped at home — and now bring with them on vacations to purchase foreign goods.

B2B transactions are still heavily reliant on checks, and a lot of fintechs hope businesses are ready to break the habit. Silicon Valley fintech Coupa’s part of the parade of innovation, offering a virtual card and a payments-as-concierge approach.

Data from real-time payments creates powerful opportunities for upselling and cross-selling because it reveals what, when, and how people and businesses actually consume, writes Michael J. Alfonsi, senior vice president of digital solutions and strategy at Exela Technologies.

The Omidyar Network has invested in five challenger banks. Tilman Ehrbeck, who is leading its financial inclusion efforts, says the firm will invest more in apps for gig workers and retirees next year.

California-based America's Christian Credit Union's efforts earned it a 2018 Best Practices Award.

Amazon is rightfully thought of as an e-commerce juggernaut, but the company's latest move — opening additional headquarters in the New York and Washington, D.C. areas — has drawn attention to how its presence changes the physical world.

After incorporating big data, tweaking existing products and reducing barriers for new members, the Mass.-based credit union saw increased checking usage, more deposits and higher PFI levels.