Citing a strong user preference for PayPal and Venmo, the digital-disbursements provider Onbe early Tuesday said it is adding the two channels to its menu of payment choices. The move brings two major payments platforms to the Chicago-based company’s payout options, which includes the mobile -payments providers Apple Pay and …
Read More »BNPL Providers Could Do a Better Job Protecting Consumers, Consumer Reports Finds
Despite the increasing popularity of buy now, pay later loans, some BNPL providers could do a better job when it comes to providing consumer protections, such as disclosing fees and enabling consumers to manage their data and privacy settings, a study by Consumer Reports found. When it comes to the …
Read More »Faster Payments Are Top of Mind for Most Consumers And Businesses
Instant payments gratification continues to take hold among businesses and consumers. New evidence of that from a couple of Federal Reserve surveys shows that 83% of businesses and 75% of consumers already use some form of faster payments. Favorable sentiment toward instant payments could increase as 66% of businesses and …
Read More »Priority Makes Bid on Plastiq Assets And Other Digital Transactions News briefs from 5/25/23
Payments provider Priority Technology Holdings Inc. announced it has entered into a so-called stalking-horse agreement to bid on the assets of Plastiq Inc., an 11-year-old payments provider that has entered Chapter 11 restructuring. Terms of the bid were not disclosed. Freshmart, a Puerto Rico-based grocer with seven stores, said it has chosen eGrowcery to …
Read More »Citizens Launches Cards For the Visually Impaired
Citizens Bank has launched the Private Client World Elite Mastercard, which uses tactile notches on the side of the card to help visually impaired consumers determine the type of card they are using—credit, debit or prepaid—by touch alone. The card features different types of notches to distinguish the card type …
Read More »U.S. Investors Are Optimistic About Bitcoin in the Face of the Coin’s Recent Travails
U.S. investment managers have grown bullish about Bitcoin’s prospects despite recent events that have roiled digital-currency markets, research released Wednesday indicates. Feeding the renewed optimism are prospects for “improved regulation” and expectations of a “recovery in valuations” for Bitcoin, according to the research, in which 30 major investment managers were …
Read More »Eye on Biometrics: Amazon One Adds Age Verification; WeChat Adds Palm Payments
Amazon.com Inc. is adding another feature to its Amazon One palm-based identity service, and Chinese site WeChat has brought palm recognition to cameras used for facial recognition. Amazon One has added an age-verification component, Amazon said in a blog post. Launched in 2020, the technology recently expanded beyond Amazon properties …
Read More »Citizens’ $9 Million CFPB Penalty And Other Digital Transactions News briefs from 5/23/23
As part of a settlement with Citizens Bank, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is requiring the bank to pay a $9-million civil money penalty for its alleged failure to “properly manage and respond to customers’ credit card disputes and fraud claims.” The agreement is subject to approval by the court. UATP, a …
Read More »PayPal Opens Venmo to Teenage Children of PayPal Users
PayPal Holdings Inc. announced early Monday it is launching a version of its Venmo peer-to-peer payment service tailored for teenagers. With the new program, parents holding a Venmo account can open one for a child aged 13 to 17 that will include a Mastercard debit card. Parents can exercise control …
Read More »Lower Interchange Deal Struck in Canada
Small businesses in Canada will reap lower interchange rates in that country, the Department of Finance Canada announced Thursday. The deal suggests a similar reduction is possible in the United States, the Merchant Payments Coalition quickly responded. Both Mastercard Inc. and Visa Inc. agreed to lower the domestic consumer credit …
Read More »
