Saturday , January 17, 2026

Competitive Strategies

Helcim Launches a Processing Extension for Merchants’ Business Software

The Calgary, Alberta-based processor Helcim Inc. has grown increasingly active in launching new services in recent years as more intense competition wears on midsize payments players. The company’s latest gambit: an extension that lets merchants access Helcim’s processing platform within the business software they already use, bypassing alternatives integrated within …

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Benji Payments Taps Adyen and other Digital Transactions News briefs from 1/16/26

Benji Pays Solutions Inc., a payments platform for managed-service providers and small businesses, has launched Benji Payments, which it says offers payment processing directly within the company’s platform. Adyen NV’s Adyen for Platforms is serving as payment service provider. Paysafe Ltd. will become a recommended acquirer for card transactions on Pay.com’s payment-orchestration platform under a …

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A Contractor Platform Enlists PayEngine for SoftPOS

Payments-technology provider PayEngine will enable its softPOS tap-to-pay service with ServiceTitan Inc., a software developer for contractors in the HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and other service sectors. Santa Monica-based PayEngine says this means consumers will be able to pay their contractor invoices on the ServiceTitan platform by tapping a contactless card …

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A World Cup Betting Boom? and other Digital Transactions News briefs from 1/15/26

Research from the processor Paysafe indicates strong interest in online betting during the 2026 World Cup, with 19% of consumers globally planning to place their first online bet during the tournament. Block Inc.’s buy now, pay later service, Afterpay, said 96% of pay-in-four users who shopped during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday …

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The CCCA Gets New Life Thanks to a Presidential Endorsement

The proposed Credit Card Competition Act staged a comeback Tuesday with a huge boost from President Trump, who endorsed the bill on the Truth Social platform the previous day. The President’s backing breathes new life into the bill, which has been bandied about Capitol Hill for years. The last major …

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Eye on BNPL: Affirm’s Underwriting Open Banking Reliance; Klarna Delves into P2P Payments

With more than 100 million U.S. consumers expected to choose a buy now, pay later payment option by 2027, according to eMarketer Inc., BNPL providers are preparing better underwriting and new services as the payment option is further cemented in the U.S. payments economy. Affirm Holdings Inc. says its underwriting …

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Blackhawk’s EV and Grocery Cards and other Digital Transactions News briefs from 1/14/26

Payments and rewards platform Blackhawk Network said it will issue two Mastercard-branded products: the Drive Prepaid Card, aimed at EV adoption programs, test drive incentives, and other programs related to automobiles; and the Grocery Prepaid Card, meant for cost relief. Polygon Labs, a blockchain-based payments company, announced agreements to acquire Coinme, a …

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Surcharges Come With Acute Abandonment Risk, J.D. Power Research Finds

Merchant surcharges are proving problematic for card-accepting merchants, as nearly one-third of small businesses say customers walk away from a potential transaction when faced with the extra charge, according to a study released early Tuesday by J.D. Power. Some 35% of merchants are now surcharging when customers use credit cards, …

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Papa John’s Picks PARTech and other Digital Transactions News briefs from 1/13/26

PAR Technology Corp. will provide its PAR POS and PAR OPS technologies for ordering and restaurant management under an agreement announced by Papa John’s International Inc., operator of more than 6,000 locations globally. PAR OPS is a back-of-house management platform. Ingenico Group announced it will work with Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions to …

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Digital Transactions