Point-of-sale

For some, the fast pace of change in payments technology needs to slow down for consumers and merchants to catch up. For others, the technology must evolve because it is the consumer and merchant seeking change — all in the name of an easier, mobile experience.

Retailers often try to counter Amazon's dominance by using the e-commerce giant's strengths against it, including its reliance on search engine optimization.

Splitit has recently begun offering point-of-sale financing with monthly installment payments for debit card purchases, targeting more budget-conscious U.S. and European consumers as well as those without credit.

Ingenico is negotiating a business combination with BS Payone that would boost its profile in parts of central Europe and allow it to counter multichannel moves by other major payment companies.

Plate IQ has integrated its automated accounts payable technology for restaurants with the new Square for Restaurants point-of-sale system.

There are merchants that accept bitcoin. But it's still hard to pay with cryptocurrency, and that's holding it back as a payment option.

Cloud-based software has replaced bulky, expensive and almost obsolete servers, which allows SMBs to keep costs lower while getting access to more functionality, writes Rush Taggart, Chief Technology Officer for CardConnect.

If Amazon Go and other omnichannel concepts are redefining self-service commerce, does the humble vending machine lose its relevance?

The $3.4 billion deal to take Verifone private is more than just an effort to strengthen the company. It's also a signal of how much the market has changed from the days when Verifone found itself scrambling to combat a newcomer called Square.

KFC is finally converting its point of sale terminals to accept EMV chip cards, opting for a semi-integrated system to accept all payment types.