White House lays out digital asset priorities

The White House said Pres. Biden will deliver an executive order today explaining how the U.S. government will approach digital assets, laying out priorities for protecting U.S. consumers and businesses; ensuring a stable global financial system; and promoting American leadership in the use of the emerging technology. 

By Lynne Marek • March 9, 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

Explore the Trendline➔

Cross-border payments targeted for upgrades

When it comes to cross-border payments, businesses, non-profits and governments alike are determined to increase the speed of transactions and cut the cost.

By Payments Dive staff

Inside the Store: The first Whole Foods with Just Walk Out is beautiful. Just don't look up.

Grocery Dive’s Catherine Douglas Moran visited the chain's Washington, D.C., store in Glover Park to see how its specialty soul meshed with Amazon’s checkout-free technology.

By Catherine Douglas Moran • 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

Will new suitors come calling for MoneyGram?

The money transfer company is set to be sold to a private equity firm, but rival bidders have until March 16 to make a competing offer. In any case, the Dallas-based company is under pressure to compete with digital rivals.

By Lynne Marek • March 4, 2022

Shift4 to buy 2 companies for $579M

The Allentown, Pennsylvania-based payments provider said it has agreed to acquire the cross-border player Finaro and cryptocurrency donations firm The Giving Block in a bid to expand its global reach.

By Caitlin Mullen • March 2, 2022

Affirm, Klarna meet CFPB deadline, others mum

There’s plenty at stake in the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau proceedings. The buy now-pay later companies were asked for voluminous amounts of data that could lead to additional scrutiny in the future.

By Jonathan Berr • March 1, 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

Zip to buy Sezzle in bid for US expansion

The Australian buy now-pay later company agreed to buy Minneapolis-based Sezzle as it seeks scale in the U.S. and positions itself to take on larger competitors such as Block's Afterpay. 

By Lynne Marek • Feb. 28, 2022

Block defends higher marketing spending

Having added products focused on taxes and families, Cash App’s rising profitability “is what we’re investing behind here," Block CFO Amrita Ahuja said during a company earnings call last week.

By Caitlin Mullen • Feb. 25, 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

Firms tackle ballooning BNPL fraud

In another sign of buy now-pay later’s skyrocketing popularity, companies that tackle fraud are rolling out tools to address risk related to the payment option.

By Caitlin Mullen • Feb. 22, 2022

Washington policymakers spout off on CBDC

With rising individual and institutional interest in digital assets, policymakers in Washington are cranking up their public discussion of the possibility of a digital dollar. Federal Reserve Gov. Lael Brainard weighed in last week and the Congressional Research Service did earlier this month.

By Lynne Marek • Feb. 22, 2022

Circle delays SPAC merger, doubles valuation to $9B

The firm behind USD Coin has renegotiated its transaction terms with Concord Acquisition, pushing back the termination date to as late as Jan. 31, 2023.

By Robin Bradley • Feb. 18, 2022

Klarna puts BNPL on a card

After a U.K. rollout last month, the Swedish buy now-pay later firm is bringing its physical Visa card to the U.S. – but not before making prospective cardholders wait.

By Caitlin Mullen • Feb. 17, 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

Coinbase muscles in on popular remittance corridor

The company is partnering with Remitly to let users in Mexico cash out crypto transfers in pesos — a service that will be free through March.

By Robin Bradley • Feb. 16, 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

FIS acquires fintech Payrix

Payments giant Fidelity National Information Services (FIS) has acquired fintech Payrix to bolster its embedded payments offerings in the e-commerce space for small and medium-sized businesses. On Tuesday, FIS President Stephanie Ferris called it a "small but really highly strategic acquisition."

By Caitlin Mullen • Feb. 15, 2022

SIM swap schemes threaten mobile payments

The FBI says SIM card swap fraud, where cybercrooks snatch sensitive data from mobile phones, is on the rise. The Federal Communications Commission is trying to do something about it, but it's not an easy crime to stop.

By Mercedes Cardona • Feb. 15, 2022

ACI creates BNPL gateway for merchants

As consumers flock to buy now-pay later options, ACI Worldwide is launching a global BNPL interface for merchants the company says will be a single gateway to multiple installment lenders.

By Caitlin Mullen • Feb. 15, 2022

Frictionless checkout startup adds convenience store partner

Grabango's frictionless checkout system will appear in two Mapco convenience stores in Tennessee later in 2022, and deployments with grocers will likely ramp up next year, Grabango founder and CEO Will Glaser said.

By Sam Silverstein • Feb. 15, 2022

Payments confronts fundraising slowdown

“There was a lot of exuberance around valuations of young, fast-growing payments companies, and that exuberance hasn’t gone away completely, but it’s begun to wane,” said Zach Sadek, partner with Parthenon Capital, a private equity firm in Boston.

By Caitlin Mullen • Feb. 14, 2022

Jack Henry embarks on modern technology strategy

Jack Henry & Associates CEO David Foss called the new strategy the company’s biggest technology update in 20 years during an earnings webcast Wednesday. He said it will let Jack Henry bank and credit union clients adjust to offerings from fintechs and consumers' banking behavior changes.

By Lynne Marek • Feb. 10, 2022