Retail: Page 2

Mastercard picks new startup program members

The initiative aims to support fintech startups during and after their time with Mastercard by introducing the small business owners to other entrepreneurs and potential partners in the payments realm.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • April 21, 2022

Retail has a checkout problem...and speed alone won't solve it

The speed of one-click checkout isn't the answer to every cart abandonment problem, says one payments tech executive. There are other factors for retailers to consider when determining whether the checkout experience is convenient for the customer.

By Yvan Boisjoli • April 19, 2022

Explore the Trendline➔

Digital payments surge has staying power

Consumers changed their ways to get through the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, and that meant major modifications in payments. Contactless, frictionless and touchless were in, as consumers worked from home and shopped online. Industries across the board altered their payments tools in response and show no signs of reversing course.

By Payments Dive staff

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

PayPal CFO exits for Walmart

PayPal's CFO John Rainey said he would leave to join the retailer at the end of May. The exit follows a rough end to 2021 for the digital payments pioneer. One analyst said it wasn't a surprise after "a period of overpromising and under-delivering."

By Lynne Marek • April 13, 2022

Despite pandemic, travel perks draw premium cardholders

Travel-related benefits remained a favorite perk for premium credit cardholders, according to a S&P Global Market Intelligence report, even as the COVID-19 pandemic has squashed travel plans. But as card issuers have hiked premium card fees, they may have hit the limit on cardholders' willingness to pay more.

By Caitlin Mullen • April 12, 2022

Payments players caught in venture capital squeeze

The flow of venture capital to startups ebbed in the first quarter for the biggest quarterly decline since 2012. Payments players, which have been big beneficiaries of such investments, are beginning to feel the pinch.

By Lynne Marek • April 12, 2022

Stripe sees growth slowing this year after pandemic e-commerce boon

Despite opportunities to sell to the creator economy and meet demand for embedded tools, the company said it won't grow as much this year as last year, citing "one-time behavioral adjustments" in 2021. The super-unicorn still expects to expand based on "explosive growth in fintech."

By Jonathan Berr • April 12, 2022

Bolt buys Wyre to get crypto in its wallet

With the $1.5 billion acquisition of cryptocurrency payments firm Wyre, Bolt aims to bring crypto front and center within its online checkout capabilities and digital wallet. Crypto "will be a major part of Bolt’s strategy going forward," said CEO Maju Kuruvilla.

By Caitlin Mullen • April 8, 2022

Midwestern grocer Coborn's gives workers on-demand pay access

The company has teamed up with DailyPay at a time when grocers are taking cues from the gig economy and looking for ways to give employees more control over their earnings.

By Catherine Douglas Moran • April 8, 2022

Amazon expands cashierless supermarket chain

The tech juggernaut opened its first full-size checkout free Fresh store on the East Coast last week in suburban Washington, D.C., bringing the chain total to 27 nationwide. That latest opening in Fairfax, Virginia, is the first of four in that suburban area that Amazon plans to open.

By Sam Silverstein • April 8, 2022

Banks aren't likely to undercut cards with Zelle

The banks earn billions of dollars from credit and debit card interchange fees so why would they want Zelle stepping in to connect consumers directly to bank accounts? "Banks would never want to jeopardize interchange revenue," said one analyst.

By Lynne Marek • April 7, 2022

There was no stopping credit card fee hikes this year

Merchants are incurring tens of millions of dollars in additional interchange, or "swipe," fee increases that the big credit card companies Mastercard and Visa are deploying. There was a loud silence about the inevitability of those boosts this year.

By Lynne Marek • April 7, 2022

Startup Fast abruptly shuts down

The one-click checkout startup announced Tuesday it’s shutting down, despite the CEO promising heady growth this year as recently as January. Fast will "permanently discontinue" its Fast Checkout service on April 15, the company said.

By Caitlin Mullen • April 6, 2022

Checkout startup Fast seeks buyer: report

In January, CEO Domm Holland said his company was fielding "incredible demand" from investors and planning big growth this year. Now, the San Francisco-based one-click checkout startup has reportedly hired Morgan Stanley to consider a sale and may lay off hundreds of employees, according to the publication The Information.

By Caitlin Mullen • April 5, 2022

To ease fuel-price pain, subsidies, rebates gain momentum

Chicago and California propose giving prepaid gas cards to eligible residents and assistance to public transit users. State and federal efforts to suspend gas taxes face criticism for potential economic and environmental impacts.

By Dan Zukowski • April 5, 2022

U.S. Bank teams with Lithia on real-time payments tool

U.S. Bank and Lithia Motors are teaming up to test a new real-time payments tool for customers selling their used cars to the auto dealer in their driveways. The pilot in Portland, Oregon, is expected to be rolled out nationwide this year.

By Lynne Marek • April 4, 2022

Small businesses adjust to inflation, supply chain disruptions: survey

A new survey from American Express and its Kabbage unit found nearly two-thirds of small businesses will keep their inflation-adjusted pricing for the next six months.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • March 31, 2022

Credit card late fees likely to keep climbing, CFPB says

Total credit card late fee volume is rising again after a dip during the pandemic, and current inflation levels mean the largest issuers are likely to keep increasing fees, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said.

By Caitlin Mullen • March 29, 2022

PayPal's Happy Returns to add service in Ulta stores

PayPal's Happy Returns services will now be available at the beauty products store chain. PayPal has integrated its returns services into multiple retailers’ brick-and-mortar locations over the past few years.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • March 28, 2022

Advocacy group points to BNPL 'warning signs'

As scrutiny of buy now-pay later comes to a head, a survey from advocacy organization Financial Health Network revealed financially vulnerable households are almost four times more likely to use BNPL to make purchases than those that are financially healthy.

By Caitlin Mullen • March 25, 2022

Affirm CFO leans in for CFPB inquiry

A top executive at Affirm, the biggest independent U.S. buy now-pay later company, says he understands the way in which the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is trying to get a handle on the new industry.

By Jonathan Berr • 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

ChargeAfter raises $44M as competition grows

The New York-based company is stockpiling dollars as new and old payments players arrive in the buy now-pay later arena. Consumers are predicted to increase their BNPL spending, but the service also faces regulatory scrutiny.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • March 22, 2022

Consumer group US PIRG seeks BNPL crackdown

A report this month from the organization outlines a litany of complaints about buy now-pay later, such as hidden fees, and suggests the industry is trying to evade consumer protection laws.

By Jonathan Berr • March 21, 2022

Stripe snags a new crypto customer

Payments software juggernaut Stripe said it has landed crypto company Blockchain.com as a new customer and that it's aiming to aid the digital currency client in international expansion.

By Lynne Marek • March 21, 2022