Sat.Apr 07, 2018 - Fri.Apr 13, 2018

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Salesforce VP On Channeling APIs For Personalized Financial Services

PYMNTS

Financial services players, both big and small, are embracing APIs in a major way — as they should. From solutions designed to increase the use of new technologies like the blockchain , to those aimed at giving consumers a more personalized set of products and services, APIs are being used to unlock all kinds of new capabilities. And now, around the industry, banks, financial managers and other players are seemingly embracing the age of APIs.

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Where Are Our Robot Butlers?

PYMNTS

It’s fair to say we live in the future. A vast majority of Americans carry a super-computer in their pockets that can be used as a GPS navigator, a payment method, a source of entertainment and a shopping mall. Oh, and you can also use it to make phone calls. Beyond our casual use of technology (that would have seemed like pure science fiction in the 1950s and sorcery in the 1850s), we also have washing machines that order their own detergent, refrigerators that suggest recipes and vacuum cleane

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Ripple Invests $25M Worth Of XRP Into Blockchain Capital’s Fund

PYMNTS

Ripple , the blockchain company, announced news on Wednesday (April 11) that it has invested $25 million of its XRP cryptocurrency in Blockchain Capital’s $150 million fund Blockchain Capital Parallel IV. In a press release, Ripple said Blockchain Capital is the first fund focused solely on the blockchain space and is also the first to accept capital calls in cryptocurrency.

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Secondhand Is First Thought For Growing Number Of Shoppers

PYMNTS

For many consumers, secondhand is becoming their first thought when it comes to clothes shopping. It’s a movement that’s been gaining momentum since the recession in 2008. Today, one in three women are reporting that they shopped secondhand within the past year, according to research by thredUP. That’s a total of 44 million shoppers in 2017. Compare that to 35 million the previous year, and it’s clear this trend is not only on the rise, it’s growing dramatically, with the potential to reach $41

Numbers 60
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Why Tech-Forward Tax and Accounting Firms Have the Inside Track to the Future

Speaker: Joe Wroblewski, Sales Engineer Manager

Automating time-consuming manual tasks can save your firm hundreds of hours–and thousands of dollars. But it can also have longer-lasting benefits, like helping you attract and retain the next generation of CPAs, and we don’t need to tell you how important that is amid the current generational staffing crisis in the tax and accounting profession. You'll want to save your seat for this new webinar with industry expert Joe Wroblewski, where we'll explore how to: Maximize ROI with Cost-Effective Te

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Uber Expands Uber Bike, Gets Into Car Rentals

PYMNTS

Uber , aiming to expand access to transportation for the masses, announced news on Wednesday (April 11) that it has launched a series of product updates that help riders get around without the need for a vehicle. In a blog pos t, Uber Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi said to meet that end, Uber Bike by JUMP is expanding to Washington, D.C. The service, which was first piloted in San Francisco earlier in 2018, will enable residents and visitors to Washington, D.C. to find and book a JUMP pedal-a

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Taboola CEO: Why Android News Will Unlock New Content/Commerce Models

PYMNTS

It’s called the Paradox of Choice , or “analysis paralysis” – and anyone who has ever frozen in the face of searching Netflix for a Friday night movie has felt its icy grasp. Stated simply, it says that too much choice is bad for the average customer, who becomes so weighted down trying to figure out what they “really want” that they find it hard to choose anything at all.

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How Smaller Grocers Can Tap Into Digital Offerings

PYMNTS

With Amazon , Kroger and other large retailers in the grocery business introducing digital technology, such as mobile self-checkout, how do smaller regional grocers compete? The answer could be in white-label technology platforms provided by companies such as GrocerKey , a software company that helps brick-and-mortar retailers adapt to the new digital world.

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GEOBRIDGE: Unlocking The Key To Cryptographic Key Management

PYMNTS

In payments security, the key is the key. Encryption and the digital keys that allow firms to scramble and descramble data are permanent parts of the payments landscape. There’s a personal element to the technical wizardry, though. Data needs management, and protecting that data requires vigilance. And yet, many firms do not have the staff in place to manage cryptographic keys.

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Etsy Refocuses On Its Core eCommerce Business

PYMNTS

Etsy is refocusing its aspirations and energies — much to the annoyance of some of its sellers. CEO Josh Silverman said the decision is a pivot toward the areas that are showing the most growth for the handmade marketplace, particularly on its core eCommerce site. However, the news came as a jolt to merchants like jewelry maker Natalie Jacob, who told Bloomberg she became a major fan of the Etsy Wholesale service until it abruptly stopped communicating with merchants.

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Live Demo - Supercharge your Month End Close

Automation generally supercharges any process and brings its value to the forefront. See how infusing automation such as ART (our month-end close solution), into your close can get you to the next level of closing. We will share a live demo of SkyStem's solution, ART and share the key elements of month-end close automation. Through ART, we'll take a look at: What month-end close automation entails Which process steps can and should be automated Benefits of achieving process automation, and Why i

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GoDaddy Turns To Integrated Payments To Power SMBs

PYMNTS

Whether they’re hairdressers that are wizards with a razor and shears, clothing designers with a knack for new looks or carpenters with all the tools of the trade, all small businesses need to get paid. While SMB owners may be masters of their crafts, few are experts in efficiently resolving their payments pain points. They need websites that offer online payment capabilities to stay competitive, preferably with clean and simple interfaces to ensure they can quickly accept and process customers’

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NEW REPORT: How Instant Financial Rewards Boost Employee Wellness

PYMNTS

In the workforce, speed is an issue close to employees’ hearts. How quickly workers get paid can not only affect their satisfaction with their day-to-day job, but also plays a large role in motivating them to remain in their roles. And employers are learning that the same rule of payment speed applies when it comes to boosting productivity through company wellness programs.

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First SMB Job Growth Of The Year Recorded In March

PYMNTS

The latest CBIZ Small Business Employment Index (SBEI) indicates an improvement in hiring activity among U.S. small businesses (SMBs). The company announced its findings on Friday (April 6), which recorded a 1.39 percent month-over-month increase in SMB hiring for March. That follows a decline of 0.2 percent in activity in February, CBIZ noted. According to CBIZ Employee Services Organization President Philip Noftsinger, the data could be a result of regulatory effects.

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Amazon’s Gauthier: Alexa Says “No” To Ads

PYMNTS

Amazon has a lofty vision for Alexa, and Amazon Pay’s VP and GM, Patrick Gauthier , says the entrants in the 2018 PYMNTS Voice Challenge with Amazon Alexa played into that vision beautifully. In case you missed it, the winners of the competition were announced on Thursday, April 5 – see who stole the show in categories such as “Most creative application of voice tech,” “Most commercially viable,” and “Easiest to explain to Mom.”.

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Mid-Year Review: How to Ignite Employee Potential Through Meaningful Feedback

Mid-year performance reviews aren’t just boxes for HR to check. Paycor’s toolkit empowers leaders to: Identify high-potential team members. Boost engagement with meaningful feedback. Support struggling employees. Nurture top talent to drive results. Learn how to ignite employee potential through meaningful feedback. When you nurture top talent, everybody wins.

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The New Beginnings Edition: Apple, Uber And Goldman Sachs

PYMNTS

Though you might not realize it looking at a weather forecast in various parts of the nation – as it seems the temperature might never actually break 40 degrees – spring is upon us; the season for new beginnings is here. Even if the weather refuses to play nicely, at least we can count on the payments and commerce ecosystem to snap to life with some resets and fresh starts.

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Can AI Kill The FICO Score?

PYMNTS

Just as SAT scores don’t convey everything about a student, FICO scores don’t convey everything about a loan applicant. They can be one valuable piece of information, but when banks rely solely on scores from the credit bureau to decide which businesses or individuals can be trusted with a loan, they omit much more information than they include — perhaps missing the opportunity to build a relationship with some of the most creditworthy applicants out there.

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ICICI Bank Rolls Out SWIFT gpi

PYMNTS

SWIFT ’s global payments initiative (gpi) service has a new bank on board. Reports on Friday (April 6) in WebIndia123 said ICICI Bank is the first in India to join and roll out the global payments service. The gpi tool aims to heighten speed, transparency and efficiency of cross-border payments for financial institutions and their banks. “International trade is the backbone of globalization and an imperative for India to grow,” said SWIFT Head of India and Subcontinents Kiran Shetty in a stateme

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CivilisedBank Releases Banking License To Focus On Tech

PYMNTS

U.K. challenger bank CivilisedBank announced plans to release its banking license to instead focus on developing its underlying infrastructure and technology. A press release on Friday (April 6) issued by the FinTech, which targets small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), said it will release the license awarded last May and reapply for another one after further technological development of its solution.

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Your Accounting Expertise Will Only Get You So Far: What Really Matters

Speaker: Victor C. Barnes, CPA, MBA

In the climb from contributor to leader, the rules quietly change. If you’re aiming for the summit, the air gets thinner—and what got you here won’t be enough to get you to the top (a concept first popularized by Marshall Goldsmith in his book What Got You Here Won’t Get You There ). What made you successful early in your finance career—technical accuracy, sharp analysis, flawless execution—won’t be what carries you to the next level.

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IKEA Unveils Smart-Speaker Line

PYMNTS

Continuing its foray into smart-home devices, IKEA is rolling out four smart speakers dubbed Eneby. The launch, however, is the company’s first venture in audio, TheNextWeb reported. The speakers come in two sizes and two colors, and the smaller speakers retail for the same price as a Google Home Mini or an Amazon Echo Dot at $49. All the Eneby speakers are listed on IKEA’s website, but customers can’t purchase them quite yet.

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Retailers Ready To Drop Credit Card Signatures

PYMNTS

With fraud on the rise, credit card networks have realized that customer signatures are simply not a reliable way to authenticate someone’s identity — and some of the country’s largest retailers agree. According to The New York Times , four of the largest credit card networks — American Express, Discover, Mastercard and Visa — will no longer require signatures to complete transactions.

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Tipalti Targets Multi-Entity Orgs With NetSuite Integration

PYMNTS

This month, startup Tipalti is celebrating a PO-matching match made in heaven as it integrates with leading cloud ERP provider NetSuite. PO (purchase order) matching is one of two new capabilities Tipalti has rolled out within recent months, the other being multi-entity functionality. Tipalti CMO Rob Israch said both new capabilities are now being enhanced with a focus on the platform’s NetSuite integration.

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Citigroup Sees 1Q Surge In Mobile Banking, Beating Expectations

PYMNTS

Amid headlines that corporate banking helped boost Citigroup profits, the firm also reported strength in its mobile and online initiatives, as evidenced by growth in consumers using bits and bytes to bank, according to earnings materials from the company. In results reported on Friday (April 13), the top line at the bank came in at $18.87 billion, in line with estimates and showing growth from the $18.3 billion reported last year.

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The Hidden Science Behind Why Finance Teams Resist Change—And How to Fix It

Speaker: Kim Beynon, CPA, CGMA, PMP

The most overlooked, yet most critical, element of transformation is preparing people for change. Automation and AI aren't just technical upgrades, they’re cultural shifts which can challenge identities. That’s why change management isn’t a side project—it’s the foundation. In finance, where precision and process rule, navigating change can feel especially disruptive.

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From Payment To Pavement: The Challenges Of Bikesharing

PYMNTS

The bikesharing trend has really gotten rolling in many cities around the world. Whether or not you’ve ridden one, you’ve surely seen them: Fleets of identical bikes, often colorful, clustered at rental docks where anyone from commuters to tourists can pay the fee to take one for a spin. The latest evolution of the trend, however, does away with those docks, instead leveraging GPS technology to keep track of bicycles and lead riders to the nearest one when they log into the app.

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Alt Lending, Artificial Intelligence Startups Lead Investment Activity

PYMNTS

This week’s VC Investment Roundup demonstrates investors’ varied appetite for B2B FinTech. Funding targets this time around included blockchain, logistics, alternative finance, artificial intelligence and T&E — with a few startups taking a stab at some of the biggest problems in the cannabis industry, procurement and microfinance. Take a look at which firms from around the world landed new funds this week, and how they plan to deploy the cash.

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Amex Rolls Out New Global Branding Campaign

PYMNTS

On Monday (April 9), American Express unveiled a new global brand platform and marketing campaign dubbed “Powerful Backing: Don’t Do Business / Don’t Live Life Without It.”. In a press release , the payments company said the campaign is aimed at reflecting how people live and work today and celebrates the reality that life and business are becoming increasingly interconnected.

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Possible Hardware Debut Looms For Spotify — The Vehicular Kind?

PYMNTS

April 24 looms large for Spotify. The digital music streaming service last week said it would share news on that date at an event to be held in New York City. The details thus far are scant, and speculation is mounting. CNET reported the company sent a “save the date” invitation to journalists on Friday with only the date and “general location” disclosed.

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Doing More With Less: The Modern Finance Miracle

Speaker: Mark Gilham, FCCA, CPP

Finance used to be the function that counted, now it's the one that’s counted on. 📊 For accounting firms, controllers, and finance leaders, expectations are rising faster than headcount. Businesses want agile forecasts, granular analysis, seamless reporting, and smart automation—often without added resources while demanding uncompromised accuracy and compliance.