Sat.May 16, 2020 - Fri.May 22, 2020

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Demand For Faster Payments Skyrockets

PYMNTS

If you want to know how consumers feel about faster payments, talk to the millions of Americans who still have not received stimulus money as of mid- to late-May. The U.S. real-time payments void has hurt commerce, too, as PYMNTS research finds that close to 39 percent of small to mid-sized businesses (SMBs) have reduced payrolls to help relieve cash flow stress, and nearly 30 percent simply went under.

Treasury 137
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Build resilience in times of business uncertainty

Future CFO

COVID-19 reminds businesses that economic conditions are never predictable, and that strategies need to quickly adapt to the conditions of the times. The uncertainties in the global supply chain caused by COVID-19 have put finance and procurement leaders into positions where their contribution is more pronounced. This ebook provides a framework for Finance and Procurement leaders to build a resilient company in uncertain times.

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Forecasting the Post-Coronavirus World

CFA Institute

Joachim Klement, CFA, is confident of one post-pandemic forecast: Fewer things will change than we expect.

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Why Hyperledger Says It?s Prime Time For Blockchain

PYMNTS

Is now the prime time for blockchain ? As COVID-19 has disrupted supply chains worldwide, Brian Behlendorf , executive director of Hyperledger , told Karen Webster that the pandemic has spurred a shift in thinking about new use cases for permissioned blockchains. Increasingly, firms seek accountability and visibility into suppliers, vendors and transactions in real time.

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Elevating Accounting Practices: The Power of Outsourcing and Automation in the Digital Age

Speaker: Nancy Wu, Head of Sales and Customer Success at SkyStem

Join us for an enlightening webinar as we delve into the transformative realm of modern accounting practices. In today's digital age, the convergence of outsourcing and automation has revolutionized how businesses manage their financial operations. In this webinar we will explore the synergistic potential of these two strategies to streamline processes, enhance accuracy, save cost and drive strategic decision-making.

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Visa Seeks Patent On System To Turn Government Currencies Into Digital Blockchain Versions

PYMNTS

Credit card giant Visa has filed an application for a U.S. patent on a computer system that would convert physical dollars and other fiat currencies into digital versions, complete with denominations and serial numbers and recorded via blockchain. The system would then remove the paper currency from circulation. “According to the [details] discussed herein, the payment ecosystem may become entirely (e.g. 100 percent) digital,” Visa wrote in its application, which was originally filed with the

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Amazon Eyes JCPenney Buy

PYMNTS

Amazon could be in talks to acquire the bankrupt clothing retailer JCPenney , Fox Business reported, citing Women’s Wear Daily (WWD). JCPenney officially filed for bankruptcy late Friday (May 15), ending speculation as to the beleaguered former retail titan’s financial status. Now, Amazon could be moving in. One source, according to WWD as reported by Fox Business, was “in Plano as we speak,” referring to the Texas city where JCPenney is headquartered.

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Dubai Creating $870M Free Trading Zone For eCommerce

PYMNTS

The government of Dubai is planning to create an $870 million free trade zone for eCommerce named Dubai CommerCity (DCC). The development project will be located next to Dubai International Airport. . The project is being developed collaboratively with two state-owned enterprises — the Dubai Airport Freezone Authority ( DAFZA ) and the property firm wasl.

eCommerce 106
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How Banks Can Guide FinTechs Through Their First Economic Downturn

PYMNTS

From competitors to collaborators, the FinTech boom introduced a field of opportunity for traditional financial institutions to team up with an industry newcomer to become more agile and modern with their own product offerings. While FinTechs are, in many ways, useful allies to banks, traditional FIs can also be a critical partner to FinTechs that lack the resources or opportunity to acquire their own banking license.

Economics 104
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Improving Conversions While Navigating The Great Digital Shift

PYMNTS

When the pandemic is over, there will be thousands of books written about the ways the coronavirus changed daily life, globally. Among those will be – or should be – a tome on how the great shift to digital commerce drove merchants to connect to multiple services. In an interview with Karen Webster, Justin Benson, CEO of Spreedly , said the shift is a critical one, requiring merchants to rethink how they approach payments and, as a result, optimize revenues.

Math 102
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How to Build the Ideal HR Team

HR doesn’t exist in a vacuum. This work impacts everyone: from the C-Suite to your newest hire. It also drives results. Learn how to make it all happen in Paycor’s latest guide.

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Shopify To Launch New BNPL And Banking Tools For Merchants

PYMNTS

Shopify , an eCommerce company, hosted its first virtual event for members of its global community, the Canadian firm announced Wednesday (May 20). Dubbed “Reunite,” it gave attendees a glimpse into updates and new products designed to help entrepreneurs boost profits. “This is a difficult time to be an entrepreneur — the retail landscape is shifting under our feet, and the old way of doing things no longer works,” Shopify said in a statement.

Banking 101
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Alibaba Developing AI For Tmall Genie Smart Speakers

PYMNTS

China’s Alibaba Group is putting $1.4 billion into the development of artificial intelligence (AI) for its Tmall Genie smart speaker, the company said in a statement on Wednesday (May 20) following a press conference. The upgrade and innovation centered around its flagship Tmall Genie smart speaker will use proprietary technologies that combine AI and the Internet of Things (IoT).

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H1 Insights: Improving Patient Outcomes By Changing How Doctors, Pharma and Patients Find Each Other

PYMNTS

In healthcare, increasingly, data is critical for addressing inefficiencies in a system that is nearly 18 percent of U.S. GDP. And perhaps, most critically, matching patients with the right doctors, and various healthcare professionals with the right pharmaceutical companies during research and trials can speed treatments and new drugs as they move from concept to real-life therapies.

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PPP Loan Forgiveness May Be Hard To Win For Self-Employed Workers

PYMNTS

The self-employed might regret getting one of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans from the Small Business Administration (SBA). CNBC reported these independent contractors who borrowed from the PPP face the prospect of not getting the balance forgiven. Under the terms of the CARES Act, businesses don’t have to repay the loan if they spent at least 75 percent of the proceeds on payroll and no more than 25 percent for other items.

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Planning Your Restaurant's 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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Kasikornbank To Offer Nium’s FinTech Payments Platform

PYMNTS

FinTech payments platform Nium , based in Singapore, is expanding its global reach to service Kasikornbank’s Asia-Pacific customers in Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. In a joint statement, the two companies said the move is part of an effort by Kasikornbank (KBank) to ramp up its “digital cross-border payments offerings” as social distancing measures become the new normal.

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What Famed Boston Eatery Petit Robert’s Owner Sees As Restaurants’ Future

PYMNTS

Boston’s Petit Robert Bistro , one of the city’s fanciest French restaurants, started 2020 with expectations that were anything but small. Mild winter weather in Boston had led to stronger-than-average performances in January and February, and owner Loic Le Garrec told Karen Webster in a recent conversation that he expected going gangbusters through his typically busy spring season.

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Will The Pandemic Finally Get Central Banks Interested In Building Digital Currencies?

PYMNTS

The tipping point might be nigh for digital dollars and other central bank-issued currencies done through bits and bytes. As politicians across the globe grapple with the pandemic’s continued economic fallout and the need to get stimulus funds to individuals, corporations and even local governments with speed and security, digital delivery of those dollars is likely to gain increasing traction.

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New Facebook Shops Feature Streamlines Social Commerce

PYMNTS

To enable businesses to more easily list their merchandise on its social media platforms, Facebook has unveiled Facebook Shops. The free feature will allow companies to place product listings on their Facebook Page, Instagram profiles and stories, or in ads, CNBC reported. The social media company had allowed companies to list items on Instagram and Facebook in the past.

Sales 97
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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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Swiggy, Zomato Add Alcohol To Delivery Menu In India

PYMNTS

Indian food delivery startups Swiggy and Zomato will start delivering alcohol in some cities in an effort to meet the increased demand for booze during the lockdown. Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand, will be the first area to get alcohol delivered. “We believe that a technology-enabled home delivery based solution can enable responsible consumption of alcohol as well as provide an option that’s safer and promotes social distancing,” a Zomato spokesperson told the Economic Times in a report on

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Ross Stores Begins Reopening After Reporting Sales Drop

PYMNTS

Amid the ongoing spread of the pandemic throughout the country, Ross Stores, Inc. reported total Q1 sales of $1.8 billion compared to $3.8 billion in the prior year. The retailer said it wasn’t reporting comparable-store sales, as its shops were open for less than seven weeks of the 13-week period, per an announcement. Ross Stores also registered a loss per share of 87 cents compared to earnings per share of $1.15 for the past year period.

Sales 96
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Uber Cuts 3K More Jobs And Targets Office Closings

PYMNTS

Uber plans to cut 3,000 more jobs and close 45 offices — all while eyeing other cutbacks as the COVID-19 economy keeps pummeling the ride-hailing giant. Job cuts do not include drivers, who technically are not employees. Meanwhile, the company is seeking to buy Uber Eats rival Grubhub, which spurned the offer over the weekend. The talks between the two companies have so far not been fruitful.

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Moderna’s Coronavirus Vaccine Trial Could Offer Light At The End Of The Tunnel

PYMNTS

A COVID-19 vaccine being developed by the Cambridge, Massachusetts firm Moderna is showing early signs of promise, with an early-stage human trial showing some compelling results. This much-awaited bit of good news in the fight against the novel coronavirus sent shivers of anticipation through the stock market, which drove the company’s shares up some 26 percent intraday as the development broke.

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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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Ontario Systems Buys SwervePay To Boost Electronic Payments

PYMNTS

Payment collections software company Ontario Systems has acquired SwervePay to help bolster its electronic payment capabilities, according to a press release. Electronic payments processing is becoming “increasingly critical” for Ontario Systems’ customers, which mandated the acquisition of SwervePay acquisition, a payment facilitator in the accounts receivable management and healthcare industries.

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Digital Couponing Rises With The Digital Shift

PYMNTS

The digital shift will not have paper coupons. It remains to be seen if the pandemic and its hypervigilance about potential germs will wash what’s left of them away, but digital coupons are growing right along with the crisis-driven move to eCommerce. Inmar Intelligence , one of the leaders in digital couponing, reported last week that enrollment in digital coupon programs among the top 30 percent of national grocery chains has grown 93 percent year over year since March 1.

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How ePayments Can Ease B2B Friction In The Travel Industry

PYMNTS

While the travel industry remains decimated due to the pandemic, with businesses just beginning to tiptoe toward some semblance of normalcy, the shift to digital processes is gaining traction. In an interview with PYMNTS, Xavier Ginesta , chairman at Voxel Group , which focuses on B2B payments, said that friction exists for B2B payments within the travel space — but that friction can be eased with eBilling and ePayments.

B2B 94
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Banks Brace For Forbearance Program Expiry Dates

PYMNTS

The time is almost up for people who got mortgage forbearance under the CARES Act, but banks can’t predict how many will default of the $150 billion in loans currently on ice, according to a Bloomberg report on Wednesday (May 20). In order to avoid an anticipated deluge of defaults, forbearance programs were quickly rolled out in March without requiring proof of hardship.

Banking 94
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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.