POS and Retail

If the retail giants' Merchant Customer Exchange payments venture collapsed under the weight of trying to create a one-size-fits-all mobile wallet to bypass card networks, then the implosion of that joint venture was the best thing that could have happened.

It's unclear whether the Trump administration can or will declare a national emergency as part of the trade dispute between the U.S. and China, but the discourse alone could disrupt major business relationships that involve American retailers, payment companies and Chinese firms.

Amid success stories like Apple Pay, Google Pay and the Starbucks app, there are many wallet apps that failed to gain traction — or squandered it when they did. But there is a lot to learn from their experiences.

If firms don't enroll consumers quickly for card accounts, it suggests other elements of the institution may also be suspect, says Kofax's Dermot McCauley.

In the age of e-commerce and the "Pays," redemptions will no longer be viewed primarily as an expense to be managed, but rather as a tool to create value through higher spending, brand engagement, and long-term loyalty, says Capco's Daniela Hawkins.

Digital incentive marketing, gift cards and loyalty points creates more information to attract crooks, says PerimiterX's Omri Lluz.

Square's working to boost its appeal to third-party developers, especially as a growing number of competitors and broader economic challenges loom on the horizon.

Checkout-free technology is very limited in availability and very much a work in progress, but developers and investors are relying on its promise to accelerate payments' broader evolution from streamlining execution to determining intent.

Fintechs can help integrate payments into banking systems while solving the compliance problem, says Joel Sherwin of Weinberg Gonser LLP.

The tougher authentication standards will take time and effort, but will strike a blow against fraud, writes Andrew Mortland, vice president of product at Accertify.