Predictions that gift cards would be a popular choice this holiday shopping season may bear out. At least one gift card provider, Tillo Inc., finds that across Black Friday to Cyber Monday, Nov. 28-Dec.1, its total sales were up 41% over the similar period in 2024. Tillo, based in the …
Read More »Aurora Payments Goes for a Ride with 2S LimouSolution; Clara Capital Debuts Same-Day ISO Commissions
Differentiation is a key tactic in the payments world, and Aurora Payments and Clara Capital are the latest in merchant processing to stand out with new services. First, Tempe, Ariz.-based Aurora Payments is working with Germany-based 2S LimouSolution to integrate the Aurora Arise payment platform in 2S’s software. Launched in …
Read More »SoundHound Launches an In-Vehicle Reservation System; SpotOn Releases a Report on Restaurant Profitability
SoundHound AI Inc., a provider of artificial intelligence-based voice technology apps, unfolded its voice commerce strategy in the hotly competitive restaurant market with the introduction of an in-vehicle, artificial intelligence-based reservations agent. The reservation system, developed with restaurant-reservation platform OpenTable Inc., connects drivers to a network of more than 60,000 …
Read More »Atomic’s Bill Payment App Opens to Banks and Fintechs
The potentially lucrative bill-payment market has a new entrant to help banks and fintechs capture some of these transactions. Dubbed PayNow, the new service from Atomic FI Inc. can help banks and fintechs drive engagement and loyalty with their customers, it says. Launching initially with a mobile and Internet provider, …
Read More »RTP Tops $1.3 Trillion and other Digital Transactions News briefs from 12/4/25
The Clearing House Payments Co. LLC said its RTP instant payments network topped $1.3 trillion in total payments in 2025 through November, up 428% from 2024. TCH said RTP transactions account for 98% of all bank-to-bank instant payments. PAR Technology Corp. announced Abelardo’s Mexican Fresh, a restaurant chain with more than 50 …
Read More »Cyber Monday Sales Are Expected to Remain Strong After Shoppers Turned Out in Droves Over the Weekend
Consumer spending is expected to remain strong on Cyber Monday, after merchants saw robust holiday sales over Thanksgiving weekend. Shoppers in the United States are projected to spend $14.2 billion online on Cyber Monday, a 6.3% increase from a year ago, says Adobe Analytics. Spending is expected to peak at $16 …
Read More »Eye on Acquiring: Kurv Launches a Merchant App; Lufthansa Adds Klarna as a Payment Option
Merchants processing with Kurv, which was known as Electronic Merchant Systems until November, have a new option and a new app. In related news, the airline Lufthansa Group is adding Klarna AB’s buy now, pay later options via a Klarna and Adyen NV integration. Cleveland-based Kurv debuted a merchant app …
Read More »Retailer Newegg Is Among the First to Enable PayPal Agentic Commerce
Having just Tuesday activated PayPal acceptance within the Perplexity.AI artificial-intelligence engine, electronics retailer Newegg is one of the first sellers to integrate PayPal Holdings Inc.’s agentic-commerce services. This means consumers can discover and purchase Newegg products directly inside Perplexity and potentially other AI-shopping environments. A form of e-commerce, agentic commerce …
Read More »The ‘Pressing Concern’ of Fraud and other Digital Transactions News briefs from 11/26/25
Fraud and scams have grown into a “pressing concern” for users of digital payments in the Caribbean and Latin America, according to a regional survey report released by Mastercard Inc. The research effort queried 3,577 adults in 12 countries in October. Mastercard has launched Mastercard Access Pass, aimed at allowing card issuers to …
Read More »PayPal’s Liverpool Pitch Pays Off and other Digital Transactions News briefs from 11/19/25
PayPal Holdings Inc. said it is an official digital payments partner with U.K.-based soccer club Liverpool FC. Already an option in the club’s digital payments platforms, PayPal will be featured more prominently on checkout and payment screens in the club’s e-commerce and All Red services. All Red is a membership program …
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