The average ransomware demand soared 70% to $4.24 million last year, while the average payment was up 36% to $682,702. Meanwhile, phishing remains the leading root cause of data-security incidents, accounting for 30%, according to the 12th annual “Data Security Incident Response Report” released late Thursday by the law firm …

Retail technology provider PAR Technologies Inc. has acquired the Bridg point-of-sale marketing platform from Cardlytics Inc. ParTech expects the move will enable its quick-service restaurants and other customers to activate offers targeted at previously anonymous shoppers and identify which marketing tactics drive consumer spending. New Hartford, N.Y.-based ParTech is paying …

Powered by international growth, American Express Co. reported early Wednesday that its merchant network now has more than 170 million locations worldwide. In his annual letter to shareholders, AmEx chairman and chief executive Stephen J. Squeri also plugged the 176-year-old company’s artificial-intelligence initiatives. What AmEx calls its “locations in force” …

Transactions, revenues and net income at Mastercard Inc. all increased by double digits in the third quarter ending Sept. 30 as consumer and business spending remained strong despite new tariffs and reports that consumers are feeling increasingly nervous about the economy. “We continued to see healthy consumer and business spending …

In a move to bolster its leading position in an increasingly difficult money-transfer market, The Western Union Co. announced Sunday it has a deal to acquire International Money Express Inc. for $500 million in cash. Better known as Intermex, Miami-based International Money Express has built a retail network of 100,000 …

Revenue from its stablecoin offerings grew smartly in the second quarter for cryptocurrency platform provider Coinbase Global Inc. against a backdrop of a tough digital currency market. New York City-based Coinbase reported Thursday that it posted $332.5 million in stablecoin revenue, up 38% from $240.4 million in the year-earlier quarter. …

Acquisitive merchant acquirer Payroc WorldAccess LLC has struck its latest deal, this time with a definitive agreement, announced Thursday, to acquire card-not-present payment processor BlueSnap Inc., which has seven offices around the globe. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Payroc, based in the Chicago suburb of Tinley Park, …

Furthering its penetration into the transportation sector, PayNearMe Inc., a fintech that enables paying for online transactions with cash and other payment methods, on Monday said it has integrated its payments system with a business platform from Emotive Software Inc. for automobile dealers and independent lenders. The Emotive deal comes …

ATM producer and network-services provider NCR Atleos Corp. announced Monday that InComm Payments has adopted its ReadyCode application programming interface to enable cardless cash pick-ups at more than 23,000 U.S. ATMs. Atlanta-based NCR Atleos says ReadyCode-enabled ATMs are located inside retailers in 40 states. InComm, also based in Atlanta, provides …

Digital-publishing and -services provider Adobe Inc. this week announced two additions to its Adobe Commerce e-commerce package, including a new cloud-based service. And Bolt Financial Inc. unveiled its Bolt Connect service, which the company says will help online marketplaces onboard merchants faster and streamline operations. San Jose, Calif.-based Adobe introduced …