Online merchants have built their e-commerce sites for human interaction, but the expected increase in artificial-intelligence shopping agents will require a new focus on data, says an IDC report commissioned by WooCommerce. Released Monday, the report forecasts that AI use will move $500 billion in digital spending to AI agents …
August, 2026
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3 August
Consumers Are Spending More, But There Are Fewer of Them, Fiserv Says
The U.S. small-business economy is stuck in neutral, with any improvement coming from customers buying more rather than from a boost in foot traffic, according to a key performance index calculated by the big transaction processor Fiserv Inc. The company’s Small Business Index registered at 145.3 for July, up 1.6% …
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3 August
Visa To Acquire BioCatch and other Digital Transactions News briefs from 8/3/26
Visa Inc. agreed to acquire BioCatch, a fraud-detection service, for $2.4 billion in cash. The deal is expected to close by the end of March 2027. More than 350 financial institutions use BioCatch technology, according to the company. Deluxe Corp. has closed on its $625-million acquisition of Celero Commerce. With the deal, which …
July, 2026
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31 July
Apps and Digital Wallets Outpace Other Payment Methods
More evidence has emerged that consumers are wholeheartedly embracing payment apps and digital wallets as these two payment methods are used by most consumers, finds the WSFS Bank 2026 Money Trends Survey. Among the 1,022 respondents, 73% regularly use a payment app in 2026, up from 67% in 2023, and …
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31 July
Pressure Rises on Fiserv As an Activist Investor Chimes in
Pressure on Fiserv Inc. has mounted in recent weeks, and now an activist investor is calling on the big Milwaukee-based processor to divest assets that lie well beyond its two debit networks. In an open letter to Fiserv’s board on Thursday, Jana Partners Management LP urges Fiserv’s board “to take …
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31 July
Western Union 2Q Revenue Flat and other Digital Transactions News briefs from 7/31/26
The Western Union Co. reported June-quarter revenue of $1 billion, flat with the year-ago result. Net income of $76.7 million was down 37%. Revenue from consumer money transfers totaled $866.1 million, down 2%; for the first half of the year, consumer-transfer revenue fell 3% to $1.71 billion. Setomatic Systems, a provider …
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30 July
Another Banner Quarter for ACH Transactions
Same-day automated clearing house transactions continue to surge, reaching $1.3 trillion in value in the second quarter, says Nacha. That’s up from $980 billion in value in the year-ago quarter. That value came on 435.7 million transactions, a 29.3% increase from 337 million same-day ACH transactions in the 2025 second …
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30 July
Mastercard Focuses on Gains in Crypto And Agentic Commerce
As payments executives wrestle with fast-moving trends in AI-driven commerce and in cryptocurrency, particularly stablecoins, card networks are gearing up to win more business in both markets. And network executives see those trends accelerating, creating opportunities to grab market share if they act fast. “Agentic commerce is the next evolution …
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30 July
Lightspeed’s Revenue up 5.8% and other Digital Transactions News briefs from 7/30/26
Point-of-sale platform Lightspeed Commerce Inc. narrowed its first-quarter loss to $2.4 million from $49.6 million a year prior. Lightspeed reported its fiscal first quarter earnings ended June 30 with $322.7 million in revenue, up 5.8% from $305 million a year ago. In 2025, Lightspeed embarked on a two-pronged POS-based plan to improve its performance. …
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29 July
The healthcare payments industry has a perception problem
The real threat to healthcare ISOs isn’t competition; it’s irrelevance Lisa Brooks, Vice President, Healthcare Partnerships For years, merchant service providers (MSPs) and ISOs have approached healthcare as just another vertical. There’s a bit more compliance, a few integrations, and maybe a longer sales cycle. But beneath the surface, something …

