Digital Transactions Authoritative, insightful and timely information for payments professionals

April, 2020

• 6 April

  Card Networks Up Canadian Contactless Transaction Limits To Limit Physical Contact

  

  Contactless payments already capture a big share of point-of-sale purchases in Canada, and that share is sure to grow with recent announcements by Visa Inc. and Mastercard Inc. that they are raising their contactless transaction limits to C$250 to limit the handling of cards that could spread the coronavirus, according …
• 6 April

  Eye on Merchants: An ISO’s Restaurant Service; Hilton, AmEx Donate Rooms; Visa’s $210 Million Commitment

  

  As many merchants, especially those in hospitality, are challenged by slumping consumer demand amid the Covid-19 outbreak, payments companies are developing new resources and designating millions in aid. Restaurants, in particular, are experiencing steep drops in demand as consumers abide by shelter-at-home directives. They’re closing their dine-in spaces and, if …
• 6 April

  Scammers Target Stimulus Money and other Digital Transactions News briefs from 4/6/20

  

  Scammers are calling consumers to gull them into giving up personal financial details as a way of allegedly receiving stimulus money sooner from the CARES Act, warned the Pennsylvania chapter of the American Association of Retired Persons.Prepaid card program manager Paysign Inc. reported its 2019 revenue increased 48% year-over-year to $34.7 million. Net …
• 3 April

  Eye on Acquiring: VizyPay’s Echo Daily Acquisition; Nuvei Debuts Small Business Support Program

  

  Independent sales organization VizyPay LLC is buying one-time competitor Echo Daily Inc., and Nuvei Technologies Inc. is launching its Merchant Guru program to assist merchants affected by the Covid-19 outbreak. West Des Moines, Iowa-based VizyPay says its acquisition of Minden, Nev.-based Echo Daily will provide a boost in employee expertise …
• 3 April

  Grocer Publix Activating Contactless Payment Acceptance and other Digital Transactions News briefs from 4/3/20

  

  Supermarket giant Publix said it is installing contactless-payment capability in all 1,242 of its stores in an effort expected to be completed by Saturday. The move will allow customers with mobile devices to pay via Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay. The chain also said it is beefing up efforts to …
• 3 April

  New Data Show Even Necessities Aren’t Immune to Covid-19’s Impact on Card Spending

  

  The Covid-19 virus is taking a fearful toll not only on lives but also on U.S. commerce, and now even everyday staples are feeling the pinch. Grocery stores saw a sharp spike in card-based purchase volume in March as consumers scrambled to lay in supplies against the rapid spread of …
• 2 April

  Eye on Merchants: CardFlight Says Small Business Sales Down; E-Commerce Sales Growth Continues

  

  A decline in transactions at small and mid-size businesses accelerated through March as consumers react to shelter-at-home and social-distancing precautions, according to data from point-of-sale technology provider CardFlight Inc. But their spending shifted to e-commerce in many merchant categories, finds data from Signifyd, a vendor of e-commerce fraud solutions. Sales …
• 2 April

  Shopify Purges Thousands of Merchants for Price Gouging and Making False Covid-19 Claims

  

  Scammers come out of the woodwork with every calamity, and it’s no different with the Covid-19 pandemic currently sweeping the world. Now e-commerce services and payments provider Shopify Inc. reports it has purged numerous merchants engaged in questionable practices related to the new coronavirus, or Covid-19. “In March, we terminated …
• 2 April

  Consumers Warm to Digital Payments and other Digital Transactions News briefs from 4/2/20

  

  Seventy-three percent of U.S. adults say they would be more or much more likely to use digital payments or digital banking services during a time of social distancing, according to a survey of 1,043 persons aged 18 and up by The Harris Poll on behalf of William Mills Agency. The canvass took …
• 1 April

  U.S. Real-Time Payment Volume Could Top 4.2 Billion by 2024, ACI Report Finds

  

  Big hopes for broader real-time payments adoption in the United States could be fulfilled if ACI Worldwide Inc.’s prediction of 4.2 billion in real-time payment transactions by 2024 bears out. In its “Prime Time for Real-Time” report released Wednesday, ACI and research firm GlobalData Plc, forecast the U.S. real-time payment …