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

Explore the Trendline➔

Embedded payment tools make inroads

Business customers demanding integrated tools is likely to keep driving a trend toward more embedded payments tools.

By Payments Dive staff

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

FIS joins forces with Singapore's Crypto.com

As interest in cryptocurrencies persists, despite wild fluctuations in prices, one of the largest U.S. payments processors is delving deeper into crypto with this new pact.

By Jonathan Berr • Feb. 9, 2022

Apple offers merchants phone pay tool

The new iPhone feature won't require additional hardware and will work on iPhone XS or subsequent devices. Apple is playing catch-up with rivals in the market, and bringing new competition, too.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Feb. 9, 2022

UnionPay expands pact with Fiserv

Fiserv tapped UnionPay to expand services internationally, allowing the Shanghai-based card company to reach more consumers and merchants. "We have several notable international wins in the quarter, including an expanded partnership with UnionPay International," said Fiserv CFO Bob Hau during the company's Tuesday earnings call.

By Lynne Marek • Feb. 8, 2022

Fiserv touts $650M acquisition of Finxact

Payments giant Fiserv announced Monday it’s buying the ownership stake in Jacksonville, Florida-based Finxact that it doesn't already own for $650 million; the acquisition follows previous investments in the core banking software company.

By Caitlin Mullen • Updated Feb. 8, 2022

ATM firm PAI acquires TouchPoint 21

Payment Alliance International CEO David Dove said the acquisition expands his company's service model, adding TouchPoint 21's ATM and Interactive Teller Machine (ITM) terminals and its in-house servicing and armored staff.

By Caitlin Mullen • Feb. 7, 2022

Apple eyes more payments services

Will Apple angling for a bigger push into the payments sector roil the competitive landscape? Rival Block, and its point-of-sale service, may be squarely in the tech giant's sights.

By Jonathan Berr • Feb. 4, 2022

Nacha payments value jumped to $72.6 trillion last year

Electronic payments racing through the Nacha network increased for the seventh consecutive year in 2021, with the value of the payments jumping 17.4% and the volume rising 8.7% over 2020, the organization said.

By Lynne Marek • Feb. 4, 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