Point-of-sale

As the pandemic and economic downturn take their toll on consumer spending, the card companies are relying on scale, partnerships and subsidiaries to turn consulting, security and fast technology deployment into new and sustainable revenue streams.

Alliance Data plans to make Bread’s buy now, pay later options available to credit card-issuing merchant clients.

Even as consumers shift more spending away from cash and the market for personal travel picks up, the coronavirus pandemic is still exerting a heavy toll on Mastercard's consumer and corporate spending.

Michael Moeser, senior analyst at PaymentsSource, talks to Chris Lybeer, chief strategy officer at Revel, about the trends driving digital payments in the restaurant industry.

MagicCube has launched i-Accept, a software-based replacement for traditional terminals, allowing acquiring banks and financial services providers to offer merchants an option for contactless and PIN payment acceptance through Android devices.

Even before the pandemic, retailers were pushing terminal makers to adjust to new trends on the fly. Technology cycles have become even shorter now — if there even are development cycles anymore.

Drive-thru is almost synonymous with fast food, but for some quick-serve chains — like Subway — a past emphasis on in-store dining meant a much sharper pivot when the coronavirus pandemic struck.

Riding a technology wave that helps attract more customers and generate more revenue sounds appealing enough — but with contactless payments, there isn't always a clear upgrade path for stores that have relied on older terminals.

Swedish point of sale credit company Klarna put itself in the awkward position of apologizing and trying to explain marketing emails to surprised and angry consumers, a misstep for a firm whose credit card alternative has found major traction during 2020’s crises.

The optometrist Benjamin Thayil offers an alternative form of financing for consumers who may be wary of large credit card bills or shocked at the idea of paying for an entire eye treatment all at once.