Online payments

Traditionally, consumers take summer vacations to recharge from the hustle and bustle of daily life, as well as to reconnect with families and friends, before moving on to the next phase of their lives such as the restart of schools or going back to work – but not this year.

In a simple job posting and reference to a subscription platform, Twitter drew attention to how it could use its platform to embed in numerous use cases that tie social tools, recurring revenue and digital commerce.

For the past several years, the concept of sharing transaction data between merchants, processors and issuers has been considered a good security measure to curb fraud. But someone has to compile and compare that data in such a way to not only stop fraud, but assure legitimate transactions are not declined.

At a time when many have shifted to digital payments to weather the coronavirus pandemic, the four main U.S. credit card brands are aggressively expanding their own take on digital commerce.

Health care payments provider RevSpring has launched software that adds a payment button for patients using its MyChart or Hyperspace portals.

Even the independent sales organizations that heeded the warnings of colleagues and experts for the past decade about not letting advancing payments technology pass them by weren't fully prepared for what the coronavirus pandemic would throw at them.

Amazon's Dash devices were an early, blunt take on the internet of things. But over the years Amazon has gradually phased out its Dash product line in favor of voice-based Alexa shopping and other alternatives.

Brick-and-mortar merchants that have shifted to online have changed their risk profile, causing conflicts with the fintechs like Square that handle their payments. And that could be an opportunity for banks.

Three years ago, Alipay began its brick-and-mortar conquest of North America, promoting acceptance of the Alibaba affiliate Ant Group's mobile wallet at shops targeting Chinese tourists, eventually reaching thousands of U.S. and Canadian stores.

Even though a portion of retailers could rely on e-commerce to keep active during coronavirus shutdowns, reopening brick-and-mortar shops may be even harder amid new safety concerns.

In response to fraudsters seeking to capitalize on the COVID-19 influenced surge in e-commerce, Ekata has launched a new global digital ID verification tool to combat cybercrime.

Mobile commerce provider Bango has added Softbank Corp. customers to its list of Japanese mobile phone carriers whose customers can now make purchases in their Amazon accounts and charge the cost to their phone bill.

For Starbucks, the pandemic’s emergency workarounds are also a proving ground for a retail concept that could change the way people visit quick-serve restaurants.

The immediate lockdown of the nation’s economy in response to attempts to flatten the coronavirus infection curve has had a widespread impact on the revenues of all businesses, particularly small ones that are more susceptible to economic disruptions.

The coronavirus dealt a double blow to procurement, cutting off both goods and money. Banks and e-commerce firms are relying on partnerships to tweak payment tools to rescue the market.

Alfie’s Beer Bus found a niche as an offbeat character at events in the U.K. — like an ice cream truck, only with alcohol. Then the coronavirus came.

The coronavirus pandemic was an unexpected catalyst for contactless cards, and another no-contact payment method is poised for growth as well: voice payments.

Merchants should also monitor fraud by channel, to see how much each channel contributes to total fraud losses, Bernardo Lustosa of ClearSales says.

Like a lot of operations, such as small businesses, hospitals and suppliers, St. Joseph Episcopal Church in Queens Village, N.Y., found out it was not as “online” as it thought.

Mastercard and Judopay have teamed up to enable mobile payments through The Pharmacy Centre.