Debit cards

One thing that excites Kim Bynan most about her job is seeing firsthand how new payments technology changes our everyday lives.

Even as Uber drivers and other gig-economy workers gained the ability to be paid every couple of hours through debit push payments, other workers still had to wait for a batched paycheck.

Through its acquisition of digital payments and fundraising provider Benefit Mobile, the National Gift Card company is positioning itself to help charitable organizations grow and to strengthen the mobile offerings of retail merchants.

P2P transfer apps aren't just for splitting the rent — they can also be portals to a wider array of financial services, as Canada’s national Interac debit network plans to prove.

While consumer spending on Valentine’s Day doesn’t approach that of the larger holidays, certain retailers — such as jewelers and florists — benefit more than others, while restaurants, bars and other dining establishments tend to see significantly more traffic for those couples who want an evening out. Increasingly, it’s also a special day for pets.

The bank says it has restored access, but it hasn’t explained how a fire-suppression system at one facility could cause a nationwide outage across all of its channels, or how its system as a whole could have been left so vulnerable to the incident.

Customers reported being unable to access online banking, mobile banking or their debit cards.

Florida’s Tropicana Field has eliminated cash from all concessions, ticket sales and parking, requiring Tampa Bay’s baseball fans to pay with credit, debit or gift cards at terminals that are also equipped with NFC for mobile and contactless payments.

Americans 50 and older make up a sizable portion of the U.S. population — 115 million individuals in 2018. While these consumers may not be the first to use mobile P2P apps, they represent a big payment opportunity because of their economic purchasing power.

Square's new card for business owners does something very bold with debit — and very troubling for banks.