Payments

With travel spending still largely sidelined by the coronavirus pandemic, Amazon is looking to harness more of the spending that small and medium-sized businesses are focused on for recovery.

The threat has been exacerbated during the pandemic, as shelter in place orders forced consumers inside and businesses to close their physical doors, while simultaneously opening online ones, says Sift's Kevin Lee.

Parking payments have long been a pain point for many motorists, but it's a category that has also resisted a shift to mobile or digital payments in many regions.

Emerging market payments and foreign exchange provider Crown Agents Bank Ltd. is partnering with MTFX Group, a similar company based in Canada, to expand digital payments access across Africa.

Longtime finance entrepreneur Jackie Reses, who led Square Capital for the last five years, is leaving the company at the end of the month. Square has not yet named a successor.

Retailers that provide customers with their preferred way to pay — visible or invisible — will be the ones who prosper in today’s competitive marketplace, says PPRO's Matt Jackson.

Nexi SpA is already hunting for its next target after agreeing a milestone payments merger with Italian rival SIA SpA, as consolidation in the sector shows little sign of easing.

Coronavirus galvanized the use of NFC payments and QR codes, and PayPal wants to harness both trends for Venmo’s first credit card.

Facebook's size and aggressive moves into mobile wallets and stablecoins pose a formidable threat to other big technology companies and traditional payment networks, says Intrepid Ventures' Eric Grover.

For suppliers, getting paid by card is the fastest way to get their money in the bank. On the buyer’s side, virtual cards are the most secure payment method, and they can also generate rebates, says Nvoicepay's Kristin Cardinali.

The ongoing pandemic and economic crisis should accelerate the adoption of payments as a service, APIs and open banking, says AFEX Americas' Christian Spaltenstein.

For many U.S. cities and counties, the high number of walk-in payments and checks typically received for services, permits and fees has been aggravating but acceptable — until coronavirus struck.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. is close to signing a deal to take on General Motors Co.’s credit-card business, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.

Goldman Sachs Group is close to signing a deal to take on General Motors' credit card business, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. wants to help turn airline and hotel loyalty points into an asset akin to stocks or corn futures.

Payments technology provider Ingenico is launching a platform for vending operators to enable faster payments and management of their unattended machines.

Swift is working with more than 20 banks in its network to test a service designed to help consumers and small and medium-size companies send low-value cross-border payments with the same speed and transparency benefits larger banks enjoy on Swift rails.

Following compliance policies and respecting the requirements of the regulator is a good foundation for effective marketing communication, says Aximetria's Dmitry Ryzhkov.

The COVID-19 pandemic was a clear incentive for advancing contactless and digital payment technology — but the systems merchants put in place today could create new problems down the road.