SoundHound, Square launch tool for restaurant orders

The voice app company SoundHound AI is rolling out a service for restaurants with Block's Square that answers phone calls, takes  orders, accepts modifications and sends confirmations to complete payments.

By Alicia Kelso • May 19, 2022

Restaurant payments startup SpotOn raises $300M

SpotOn plans to use the capital to develop new products and services, the San Francisco-based company said. The funding round was led by Dragoneer Investment Group. 

By Jonathan Berr • May 19, 2022

Explore the Trendline➔

Top 5 stories from Payments Dive

The digital evolution of payments is roiling the industry, forcing companies to rethink pricing schemes and revamp corporate strategies. Embedded payments, earned wage access, real-time systems and other innovations will transform the business.

By Payments Dive staff

Block bets on bitcoin

“We are no longer just a payments company,” Block CEO Jack Dorsey said at the company’s investor day Wednesday.

By Caitlin Mullen • May 18, 2022

Are restaurant operators eating too many fees?

"I’ve been disappointed to see how the payments industry is constantly looking for ways to profit off of small businesses in sneaky ways," says Copper CEO Dickson Chu.

By Dickson Chu • May 16, 2022

Three US cash trends persist, Fed report says

The COVID-19 pandemic led U.S. consumers to change up their payment habits, but three long-term cash trends have mainly persisted, according to a Federal Reserve Bank report issued this month.

By Lynne Marek • May 16, 2022

Fed delivers mixed credit card data

While first-quarter consumer credit card debt rose relative to the same period last year, it dropped compared to the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, consumers' outlook on the availability of credit deteriorated.

By Jonathan Berr • May 12, 2022

VizyPay carves out a niche catering to rural America

Austin Mac Nab, the CEO and cofounder of Waukee, Iowa-based payments processing firm VizyPay, said the company aims to disrupt the payments landscape by catering to small town businesses.

By Caitlin Mullen • May 11, 2022

EMVCo invites input on new contactless standard

The firm controlled by the card companies has drafted a new contactless technology standard and it's seeking public comment on the specifications. Their plan is to implement a change by yearend.

By Lynne Marek • May 10, 2022

Digital food orders persist beyond pandemic

"Some in the foodservice industry feared that online ordering would ‘kill restaurants,’ but it’s becoming increasingly clear that these orders have done just the opposite, acting as a lifeline,” a recent Paytronix report says. Digital payments are rising alongside off-site eating.

By Jonathan Berr • May 9, 2022

Grubhub launches corporate pay card

Employers with a Grubhub Corporate Account can set parameters on when workers can use the pay card or choose to give them a daily or weekly credit to use when ordering from partner restaurants on the delivery marketplace.

By Alicia Kelso • May 5, 2022

Toast checks into hotels

Restaurant software company Toast on Tuesday announced its move into the hotel market with Toast for Hotel Restaurants, which it says will provide tools to streamline operations, increase revenue and process room charges directly from its suite of features.

By Alicia Kelso • May 3, 2022

2022's restaurant payment tech push includes QR codes, kiosks

From QR codes to advanced mobile apps and robots, restaurants are planning to adopt more technology within their operations — including payments — in the year ahead.

By Julie Littman • April 20, 2022

Inflation hands cards a mixed bag

Higher spending due to inflation is poised to drive up credit card volumes, according to an S&P Global Market Intelligence report. Card issuers have been eager to see stronger loan growth, but if delinquencies rise, that could be concerning for the industry.

By Caitlin Mullen • April 13, 2022

Chipotle teams with Cash App for Guac Mode promotion

The quick service restaurant and the money transfer app are encouraging people to join Chipotle Rewards with the chance to win free guacamole and cash.

By Sara Karlovitch • April 4, 2022

Sbarro adds same-day pay option for employees

The restaurant industry has experienced significant labor pressure amid the pandemic, and the pizza chain hopes provider DailyPay will bolster recruitment and retention efforts by helping workers avoid payday bills and overdraft fees. 

By Alicia Kelso • March 23, 2022

Retail, financial trade groups beg for coins

A U.S. coin shortage subsided for a bit early last year, but the problem is back. That led a group of trade organizations to complain to the Treasury Department this week, and to ask for help in making consumers aware of the coin crisis.

By Lynne Marek • March 22, 2022

Cash App to offer Bitcoin rewards at Shake Shack

The promotion comes as the payment app seeks to acquire new users and faces regulatory scrutiny.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • March 8, 2022

Shift4 targets more acquisitions

With corporate valuations on the decline, the Allentown, Pennsylvania-based payment processor is targeting more growth this year in new sectors and additional regions. "We’re going into a climate now where we might find some opportunities that are great strategic fits," CEO Jared Isaacman said.

By Caitlin Mullen • March 7, 2022

DoorDash buys Bbot to bolster in-store digital ordering

The deal may grow DoorDash's partner business footprint, since Bbot — a hospitality technology startup that simplifies digital orders and payment processes — services restaurants, hotels, bars, food halls, ghost kitchens and bowling alleys. 

By Alicia Kelso • March 1, 2022

Toast gears up for growth despite challenges

Toast CFO Elena Gomez says helping the company weather different markets is an opportunity for a CFO to demonstrate leadership, and she's focusing on what she can control, which is executing the growth plan.

By Maura Webber Sadovi • March 1, 2022

Consumers prefer physical gift cards, despite digital growth

Nearly half of consumers polled by payments processor Fiserv bought more digital gift cards than physical ones amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but a slight majority still favor the hard copy version.

By Caitlin Mullen • Feb. 23, 2022

Payments, crypto executives do C-suite shuffle

Another wave of payments and crypto executives are making a move as the demand for C-suite talent rises in a realm that's experiencing significant expansion and intense competition.

By Lynne Marek • Feb. 17, 2022

Discover backs card-free payments

As the discussion around credit card swipe fees heats up, Discover Financial Services is partnering with a fintech company that enables consumers to make direct electronic payments from their checking accounts through merchant apps.

By Caitlin Mullen • Feb. 16, 2022

Big banks best fintechs in merchant satisfaction survey

Industry-wide efforts to streamline fee structures, improve customer support and speed up payments have merchants more satisfied with their card payment processors, a J.D. Power study found.

By Caitlin Mullen • Feb. 4, 2022

Wingstop opens cashless payments venue

The Dallas store will function as an innovation lab for new restaurant configurations and equipment as the chain pursues 100% digital transactions.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Feb. 3, 2022