January, 2018

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The Start Path Class Of 2018 Is Under Construction

PYMNTS

When Mastercard launched the Start Path accelerator program in 2014, the goal – according to VP and senior business leader, Amy Neale – was to make it easier for emerging companies to enter “our world” through a combination of operational support, commercial access and some strategic funding. “And when we talk about our world, we mean not just payments, but FinTech more broadly – and, even more broadly than that, commerce,” she said.

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How to Prepare for M&A Management Presentations

The SaaS CFO

Management Presentations in M&A Due Diligence The banker said to block my calendar for management presentations. Excuse me, what are management presentations? And for two weeks? Yes, and this is only the halfway point. The real “fun” in due diligence comes after the management presentations. However, before we get too far, let’s break down what […].

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The Data Behind B2B Payments’ API Excitement

PYMNTS

From market pressures in the U.S. that have encouraged data sharing between banks and FinTechs to regulations in the U.K. and EU like Open Banking and PSD2 that require such cooperation, APIs are emerging as an essential piece of the equation for payments innovation. That rings especially true in the areas of B2B payments and cross-border payments, which are complex, require the movement of data along with funds, and often involve multiple parties that have to all be on the same page about a tra

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NEW DATA: Retail Kiosks — The Next Billion-Dollar Industry

PYMNTS

One might just call this the age of unattended retail. Increasingly, retailers and other merchants are looking to give customers a more convenient and efficient experience by offering products and services via unattended kiosks. These machines mean that customers can interact with merchants more quickly, without having to waste time standing on a long line or dealing with a slow-moving employee.

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Planning Your Restaurants Path to Profitability

Speaker: James Kahler, COO of Full Course

Ever wondered where to splurge and where to safely conserve when it comes to operating and growing your restaurant? 🤔 Join James Kahler, COO of Full Course and industry visionary, in this new webinar where he'll talk all about best practices to invest in your restaurant's success! Whether you're a new business or an established restaurant, a seasoned pro or a rookie, you'll learn the keys to sustainable success in this competitive industry.

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Amazon Launches Cooking Smart Home Skill API

PYMNTS

Amazon has expanded into cooking with its latest round of new skills , with the announcement on Thursday (Jan. 4) of the launch of the Smart Home Skill API. In a blog post , Amazon developer Mike Maas said that developers can now build skills to enable U.S. customers to control microwaves via Alexa, its voice-activated digital assistant. Support for other types of cooking devices, such as convection ovens, will be launched soon, the executive said.

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TRENDING: APIs Bring FIs Back In The B2B Game

PYMNTS

Old and new tech are both coming into play in B2B API. The ever-changing value of bitcoin has been making headlines, and delivering and dashing investors’ dreams along the way. And recently, B2B API players have been tuned in, paying close attention to the cryptocurrency’s rising and falling star. But, more than just watching the cryptocurrency’s value slide up and down, players in the space have increasingly been exploring its underlying blockchain technology — and what that tech could do for B

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Amazon Raises Monthly Prime Membership Fees By 18 Percent

PYMNTS

Two years after Amazon launched monthly Prime memberships, the eCommerce retailer is increasing its monthly membership fees by nearly 20 percent, Recode reported. The monthly fee for Amazon Prime will jump from $10.99 to $12.99 in the U.S., which works out to an increase of 18 percent. On an annual basis, monthly memberships will now cost consumers $156 a year.

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Stripe Launches Tool To Help Founders File Tax Returns In Minutes

PYMNTS

Stripe has announced an addition to its Stripe Atlas toolkit that will help founders file their corporate tax returns in minutes. This new tool can be especially important for resource-strapped startups, which often have difficulty with the tax process even with the help of an adviser. In fact, 54 percent of Atlas founders reported making a mistake when filing last year’s returns, including paying the incorrect amount, filing late or missing required filings entirely.

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Mastercard Rolls Out Biometric Authentication Mandate Ahead Of European Regulations

PYMNTS

Sometimes eCommerce retailers need to verify a customer’s identity at checkout, but the authentication process often leads to lost sales. Methods like a one-time password sent by text message (SMS), for example, can cause many consumers to abandon their online shopping carts. Customers are more inclined to go through with a purchase when retailers use alternate authentication methods.

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How Automation is Driving Efficiency Through the Last Mile of Reporting

Speaker: Jamie Eagan

As organizations strive for agility and efficiency, it's imperative for finance leaders to embrace innovative technologies and redefine traditional processes. Join us as we explore the pivotal role of digitalization and automation in reshaping what is commonly referred to as the “last mile of reporting”. We’ll deep-dive into why digitalization is no longer a choice, but a necessity for finance departments to stay competitive in a fast-paced environment touching on: 2024 trends for the Office of

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Can Crypto Change The Music Industry?

PYMNTS

Musicians have a complicated relationship with monetizing their art. They create the songs, but the record labels that distribute them tend to own the song catalogs, which, over the decades, has led to a series of thrilling legal disputes over ownership. Think Paul McCartney’s now 40-year fight for the rights to the Beatles albums , or Prince’s decade-long standoff with Warner Brothers.

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OPINION: Is college worth it? Students can learn to calculate the payoff

PYMNTS

Michael Lawrence Collins. Going to college pays off, on average. But to maximize the chance that a college education offers a satisfactory return, students need to think like investors. They need to carefully consider which degrees pay off and why, and they need to make informed decisions about the type of degree and major they select. Investors in financial markets consider many complex variables to mitigate risks and maximize returns.

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NEW REPORT: Using AI To Generate Real-World Financial Insights

PYMNTS

The mobile devices in consumers’ pockets are getting smarter, and consumers are increasingly using those intelligent capabilities to manage their money. Now, banks are turning to use artificial intelligence (AI) to help consumers make smarter choices by providing actionable financial insights. In the January edition of the Digital Banking Tracker , powered by Feedzai , PYMNTS explores the latest developments surrounding new financial management solutions that are being powered by AI. .

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Top UK and US firms still overestimating GDPR readiness

PYMNTS

Less than five months before the compliance deadline for the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), most top UK and US firms are still overestimating their state of readiness, a study suggests

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Register Now: Sneak Peek Into Close Automation SkyStem Web Demo

Technology is rapidly changing the way accountants perform and manage month-end activities. Spreadsheets, email, and shared drives no longer have to slow us down. Join us as we present a "sneak peek" recorded demo of SkyStem's month-end close solution – ART. In under four weeks, your team can start reaping the benefits of month-end close automation by vastly reducing spreadsheets, cut down on reconciliation work, speed up the month-end close, and better manage your remote team.

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There’s A (Ro)Bot For That

PYMNTS

The American psyche has a complicated relationship with robots. On the one hand, we love robots. When we think about our happier futures, friendly, helpful robots are often envisioned beeping and bopping in the background, quietly improving our lives. Rosie from “The Jetsons,” the “Danger, Will Robinson!” bot from “Lost in Space,” “WALL-E,” Johnny 5 from “Short Circuit,” R2-D2 (C-3P0 and BB-8) from “Star Wars” — popular culture is filled with robots we love.

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ADP: How Payments Power The Evolving Workforce

PYMNTS

Contract, or 1099, workers aren’t a new workforce phenomenon by any stretch of the imagination. But in the era of on-demand services – and a seemingly ever-proliferating number of platforms that match employees to short-term labor contracts – the last decade has been the emergence of the golden era of the gig economy worker. Initially, the rise of the gig economy was adaptive: The U.S. economy was in dire shape, companies were skittish about investing in employees and the labor force rapidly fou

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CapLinked Deploys API To Protect Blockchain B2B Transactions

PYMNTS

Enterprise software company CapLinked is rolling out a way to secure data stored on blockchain platforms. This week, the company announced the launch of TransitNet, a blockchain framework to protect digital assets and data stored on blockchain for enterprise clients. Companies can deploy the protocol via application program interface (API), CapLinked explained in a blog post , to secure transactions and data surrounding key enterprise deals like M&A, licensing, financing and more.

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Banks Say FinTech Innovation, Not Regulation, Is Now Their Fiercest Market Pressure

PYMNTS

The regulatory pressures on banks is not only fierce, it’s also continually changing, forcing financial institutions (FIs) to invest vast resources to stay on top of evolving rules. Regulation has undoubtedly acted as a catalyst to major financial services trends in areas like small business (SMB) lending, faster payments and, most recently, open banking and collaboration with FinTechs.

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Accounting Software and ERP Readiness Guide

In this white paper, we explore the factors to consider in deciding whether the time is right for your Company to consider a new ERP or accounting software, the total cost of ownership and plans necessary to make the potential leap to these systems.

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Bridging The 40 Percent Gap In Online Banking

PYMNTS

In life, 40 percent of anything is a lot. In online banking, 40 percent abandonment is … intolerable. As many as four in 10 consumers have at some point in their journey into online banking found the process frustrating enough to give up, as estimated by Signicat. The survey from that identity assurance provider, conducted across 2,000 individuals, found that when it comes to applying for financial products at a financial institution (FI) — from checking accounts to credit cards — 40 percent of

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Visa Signs Off On Optional Signatures For EMV Merchants In North America

PYMNTS

No more signatures. Visa said today (Jan. 12) in a blog post that it is making the signature an option — and no longer a requirement — for EMV chip-enabled merchants across North America. That shift, for contact or contactless payments, goes into effect April 2018. At the same time, Visa said in its posting that it will continue to invest in initiatives tied to advanced analytics and biometrics.

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eBay Takes Control Of Its Payments Destiny

PYMNTS

In what was described by eBay as an effort to improve customer experience and offer sellers a more competitive cost structure, eBay announced news on Wednesday (Jan. 31) that it will intermediate payments through a multi-year implementation that may last through mid-2020. This move marks a significant change in how buyers and sellers will interact and transact across the company’s online marketplace — namely, by letting shoppers complete their purchases within eBay’s website.

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China Goes After Alternative Cryptocurrency Trading Platforms

PYMNTS

China steps up its regulation of cryptocurrency trading by going after online platforms and mobile apps. Citing people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reported China’s regulators are eyeing internet-based platforms and mobile apps that provide customers with exchange-type services. Last year, Chinese authorities banned trading in cryptocurrencies, but recently the country has been seeking out alternative cryptocurrency trading venues.

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Recruit and Retain New Blue-Collar Talent

Blue-collar jobs have a branding problem. One company, GEON, partnered with Paycor to find the solution. Learn how to attract, engage, and retain blue-collar employees, helping them build meaningful careers – and support your company’s goals.

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Amazon Go May Be About More Than The Getting Of Groceries

PYMNTS

It’s been about a year in the making. But here we go with Amazon Go, newly out of beta this week and available to the public, in what the eCommerce juggernaut hopes will be a brick-and-mortar retail game changer. It seems the brick-and-mortar arena continues to entice online merchants, as the store opened its doors at Amazon’s Seattle headquarters. The shopping is done via mobile, by app specifically, and customers get to leave with what they’ve bought without having to wait to checkout.

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Holiday eCommerce Fraud Attempts Jumped In 2017

PYMNTS

Attempts to commit online fraud jumped during the holiday season, increasing 22 percent from Thanksgiving to December compared to a year ago. That’s according to new data from payments company ACI Worldwide , which found that along with the fraud increase, overall online transactions also jumped 19 percent from Thanksgiving to the end of 2017.

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Private Labels Gone Public

PYMNTS

Zalando is not a well-known website in the U.S. However, for European consumers, it’s a digital treasure chest for fashion and accessories at all levels. Among the things that separate Zalando from Amazon — the U.S.-based eCommerce giant to which the company is most often compared — is its luxury brands, like Givenchy and Proenza Schouler. Zalando has had much success in the upper and even middle-tiers of fashion: Fast-fashion brands like Zara and H&M were long holdouts.

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Aadhaar No Panacea For India’s Ills, Says Economist

PYMNTS

Is India’s push for biometric IDs a bust? According to an article in The New York Times on Sunday (Jan. 21), one economist, Reetika Khera of the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi, noted that the sweeping program to issue 12-digit ID numbers to the country’s 1.3 billion residents is possibly becoming a casualty of “its own ambitions.”. In an opinion piece for the publication, the economist posited that “ so far, [the program] Aadhaar — ‘the foundation’ in Hindi — seems to have helped neith

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PowerPoint Best Practices for Creating Stellar Presentations

Mastering data visualization in PowerPoint will help accelerate your career because it positions you as someone who can present data that drives business decisions forward. think-cell's PowerPoint Best Practices eBook was created specifically for professionals aiming to master the art and science of data-driven storytelling. What’s inside: Practical Insights: Uncover valuable tips for crafting engaging and persuasive presentations.

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NEW DATA: Climbing To The Top Of The FI Innovation Ladder

PYMNTS

The financial services industry is no stranger to innovation, but it increasingly appears that change in the space is being driven by outsiders instead of the financial heavyweights. For several years, upstart challengers, rather than traditional banks, have been pushing a wide range of tech-powered financial innovations aimed at addressing the needs of consumers and companies alike.

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Blockchain Security A Moving Target For Both Developers And Hackers

PYMNTS

No one truly knows exactly where and how blockchain technology will make the greatest impact. In corporate finance, the tool could upend the status quo of supply chain management, cross-border payments, invoicing and document sharing and more. Regardless of where blockchain makes its mark, what is certain is that corporates have to trust that a largely unfamiliar innovation will work the way it should; that means securely, efficiently and easily.

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Stripe Ends Support For Bitcoin Payments

PYMNTS

Four years after Stripe began accepting bitcoin, the payments platform has decided to end support for the popular cryptocurrency. The company said bitcoin’s volatility and lengthy transaction times led to its decision, TechCrunch reported. The policy will not take effect immediately, as the company plans to end support for bitcoin on April 23. Stripe had started accepting bitcoin in 2014, when the cryptocurrency first reached $1,000 and truly gained traction.