Sat.Nov 18, 2017 - Fri.Nov 24, 2017

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UPS Hits Retailers With Holiday Shipping Fee Surprise

PYMNTS

With the holiday shopping season in full swing, retailers are facing a new challenge: extra shipping fees during the busiest weeks. The Wall Street Journal reports that United Parcel Service (UPS) is adding on a surcharge to packages shipped to homes around Black Friday and the week before Christmas in a move to compel retailers to send their orders outside those peak periods.

Retail 86
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Artificial Intelligence: FIs’ Friend Or Foe?

PYMNTS

Artificial intelligence (AI) doesn’t walk and talk like C3P0 of “Star Wars” (many would say: “Thank God”). It doesn’t mask murderous intentions with a calming voice like HAL of “2001: A Space Odyssey.” It’s not the manically depressed, paranoid android Marvin of “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” It’s not a beautiful but cunning killer like Ava of “Ex Machina.”.

Banking 74
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Fiorano Introduces PSD2 Platform For Banks

PYMNTS

With Europe only weeks away from PSD2 taking effect, Fiorano Software is debuting its solution for financial institutions (FIs) in the region to comply with the directive. The company revealed its new solution on Monday (Nov. 20), Fiorano PSD2, a platform for FIs across the EU to ensure compliance with PSD2, built on the company’s existing API Management capabilities and banking integration management tools.

Banking 72
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U.S. Consumers Favor Small Biz Over Big Malls

PYMNTS

Good news for small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs): Spending growth at mom and pop shops has outpaced that of the big chains in both of the past two years. According to Bloomberg reports on Wednesday (Nov. 22), purchasing patterns research from Sarah Quinlan, senior vice president at payment processing giant Mastercard Inc., found that when Americans aren’t shopping online, they’re looking for more personal connections and the advice they can receive from local SMBs.

Retail 66
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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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QuickBooks Fuels Growth As Intuit Surpasses Q1 Targets

PYMNTS

Intuit announced its Q1 FY2018 earnings this week, posting better-than-expected results for the firm and highlighting growth fueled by QuickBooks. “We are off to a strong start growing first-quarter revenue 14 percent and exceeding our overall financial targets,” Intuit chairman and chief executive officer Brad Smith said in a statement.

Numbers 55

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How Google Plans To Power Up Mobile Shopping For The Holidays

PYMNTS

Just in time for the holiday season, Google is expanding its mobile shopping experience, including showing buying guides for broad categories and adding more information for specific product searches. “When you search for a specific product, Google.com now shows you other helpful information, like related items, and allows you to compare reviews, prices and other specs, side by side,” wrote Google product management director for Google Shopping, Jennifer Liu, on Google’s The Keyword blog.

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India’s Grand (Cashless) Experiment, One Year On

PYMNTS

India’s decision to go cashless was a grand experiment to be sure, but did it go grandly? It’s been a bit more than a year since India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought a ban on cash into effect in the country, eliminating roughly 86 percent of its notes in circulation. As such, Nov. 8 marks a red-letter day in the nation’s history. The scorecard is mixed, delivering on only a few stated goals, but the most important goal pertains to digital payments.

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Singapore’s Big Week In Blockchain Progress

PYMNTS

The Asia-Pacific region is a rising star in FinTech innovation, but this week, the blockchain spotlight landed on Singapore as more distributed ledger initiatives from the private and public sectors took major steps forward. It’s no surprise, considering the Singapore FinTech Festival took place, acting as a global stage for blockchain innovators to strut their stuff.

B2B 53
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The Untraditionally Inexpensive Traditional Thanksgiving Of 2017

PYMNTS

There are a lot of ways to cook a turkey, and today Americans will be trying all of them. Deep-fried, brined, baked and dipped in Flamin’ Hot Cheetos dust — the starring bird will take many forms on the Thanksgiving table this year. But while the costuming is up for grabs, the turkey itself is more or less a guarantee. In fact, for the last 154 years — ever since President Lincoln first enshrined a national day of Thanksgiving for the last Thursday of November in 1863 — turkeys accompanied by cr

Retail 52
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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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Visa On Scaling Cross-Border B2B Payments

PYMNTS

To say that cross-border B2B payments could use an efficiency reset not only states the obvious, but is an understatement about the state of money movement around the world. Inefficiencies related to the speed of transfer and settlement, the transparency of how money is moved, how much it costs to move it and the inconsistent or incomplete data that moves (or doesn’t move) along with it are just some of the B2B cross-border challenges that banks and their customers are facing, day in and day out

B2B 52
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Auto Industry Predicts Black Friday Sales Bump

PYMNTS

Auto industry analysts are predicting extended Black Friday deals will offer a bump in car sales this year. Reports in Reuters said industry consulting and auto shopping website Edmunds is forecasting a 3.5 percent increase in car sales in November, thanks to Black Friday sales that extend for a full month. Analysts predict 1.4 million new cars and trucks will sell during the time frame.

Sales 51
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Unpaid Student Loans Cost Workers Jobs, Drivers’ Licenses

PYMNTS

Student loans have an unexpected consequence if they go unpaid: Borrowers who default on their payments can lose their state-issued professional licenses. That’s according to a news report in CNBC that found that in 19 states, government agencies can take away student loan borrowers’ licenses if they default on their debt. What’s more, in South Dakota, a borrower’s driver’s license can be suspended, which makes it close to impossible for them to get to work.

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Bringing The Power Of The Blockchain To The Thanksgiving Table

PYMNTS

Consumers increasingly want their food to be locally sourced and ethically raised, including (and perhaps especially) on Thanksgiving. The market has been eager to respond to that need. This year, Amazon decided that an organic turkey could be the central player on any American’s table tomorrow by making the bird more affordable (especially for Prime members) to pick one up without breaking the bank.

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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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Walmart’s Nimble Footed Sizzle, Digital Watches And Wall Street’s Watch Big Retail Fizzle

PYMNTS

Earlier in the millennium, there was a book titled, Who Says Elephants Can’t Dance? — a chronicle of IBM’s transformation from troubled business to tech behemoth. That title has become a kind of shorthand for large firms that find a sustained way to be nimble in the face of challenges that demand transformation and rapid response to new threats. In the retail world, one pachyderm has been learning to dance in all manner of ways, displaying the chops to tango, watusi and foxtrot as situations de

Retail 51
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Busting The Door Busters On Black Friday

PYMNTS

What has a pre-season, post-season, and championship playoff? If you said “football,” you’re not wrong – but the terms could also apply to the holiday shopping season, which has swelled so much in recent years that it has almost become three seasons in one. There are the weeks leading up to Black Friday , during which retailers start announcing deals and many begin to offer discounts: the pre-season.

Retail 51
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China Eyes Open Markets, Wide Shut

PYMNTS

On the face of it, China’s announcement that it would open its financial markets to increased ownership by foreign companies seems a sea change. But then again, refocus a bit and the waves look like ripples. The facts are thus: Earlier this month, Finance Minister Zhu Guangyao said foreign stakes in financial companies can increase as caps are lifted, and in many cases eliminated.

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FTC Weighs Probe Into TripAdvisor’s Deleted Reviews

PYMNTS

TripAdvisor could be in hot water with federal regulators over its decision to delete negative reviews on its site, according to news in USA Today on Wednesday (Nov. 22). Following an investigation by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel , the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) may launch a probe into TripAdvisor over claims the site deleted negative travel reviews for destinations where injuries, rapes, deaths and other dangerous activity occurred.

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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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For FI’s, Risk Becomes Reputation (And Vice Versa)

PYMNTS

[link]. Call it connected commerce of a different stripe. It’s not just buyer and seller. For banks and processors, commerce means customers, of course, transacting across time zones, business verticals and currencies. And there’s an intangible connection too, one that can sow dividends or destruction. We’re talking about reputation. In the latest Topic TBD, PYMNTS’ Karen Webster spoke with Jane Hennessy, head of external alliances at of G2 Web Services about the growing need for reputation mana

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Cordray Tells Bank CEOs To Give More Control To Consumers

PYMNTS

Although he is due to resign next week, Richard Cordray, the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau , still wants his opinion to be heard. According to American Banker , Cordray sent a letter to 29 chief executives at banks, credit unions and other financial companies, urging them to help consumers have more control over credit cards, debit cards and other payment methods. “On the eve of my leaving the bureau, I urge you to think creatively about how you can put more control

Banking 49
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Helping New-To-Country Entrepreneurs Land On Their Feet In The UK

PYMNTS

Ask any entrepreneur, and he or she will tell you that starting a new business isn’t easy. Now imagine moving to a new country to not only establish a life there but also establish a company, too. Muhammad Asim endured this challenge himself when moving to the U.K., a market he recently told PYMNTS is especially difficult for small- and medium-sized business (SMB) owners coming from out of the country — particularly when it comes to accessing small business financial services.

Banking 48
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The Life And Times Of A Most-Wanted Fraudster

PYMNTS

Account takeover fraud , card-not-present (CNP) fraud, tax fraud, selling stolen financials, selling fake bank accounts, the Dark Web: If security experts are fighting it today, chances are that Brett Johnson was there when it started. In fact, chances are that he helped create it. Johnson is one of the good guys now, but once upon a time, he was one of the baddest bad guys out there – a star of the most-wanted list.

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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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Bitcoin Startup Pulls Disappearing Act After Raising $375K

PYMNTS

Confido, the startup that raised $374,477 in an initial coin offering (ICO), has reportedly disappeared with the investors’ money. According to a news report in The Next Web , Confido, which said it was developing a trustless payment network for online shopping, has taken down its website and its value declined 90 percent after letting investors know that a legal issue will stop development of its project for good.

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TRENDING: How Virtual Assistants Are Sous Cheffing This Thanksgiving

PYMNTS

As turkeys soak up a few more hours of brining today, the holiday season is just about set to pop — and along with it are the to-do lists of consumers juggling duties as gift givers, gourmet chefs and party hosts. With all the stuff to do, maybe technology can finally be the next great holiday helper. . In the November edition of the PYMNTS.com Omni Developer Report , a Vantiv collaboration, PYMNTS explores the latest developments in the software space, including new mobile platforms and tools

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Germany Says Smartwatches Spy On Children, Bans Them

PYMNTS

Smartwatches used by children are being banned in Germany by the Federal Network Agency, which cites concerns about spying. According to a BBC news report , the telecom regulator urged parents that owned the watches to destroy them. In a statement, the agency said it has already been prompted to take action on firms that sell the smartwatches online because of the ability for hackers to watch children through the devices. “Via an app, parents can use such children’s watches to listen

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Amazon And CVS Leverage Pinterest’s Secret Santa Toolset

PYMNTS

In an attempt to make it even easier to get the right gift this holiday shopping season, Pinterest has announced news of a personalized gifting tool designed to help customers get inspired by custom Christmas gifts for their friends and family. The new tool has managed to attract some high-profile partners to go along with the launch — Amazon, Bed Bath & Beyond, Coca-Cola, CVS and Universal Pictures are all on board.

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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.