Sat.Aug 27, 2016 - Fri.Sep 02, 2016

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U.S. Postal Service Rolls Out New App To Protect Mail Carriers From Dogs

PYMNTS

With the rise of Amazon Prime and eCommerce , more packages are being delivered to customers’ homes than ever before. It’s now possible to order everything online for in-home delivery from groceries to pet food to toilet paper, and consumers can usually get those items delivered to their doorstep overnight or in a manner of hours. The U.S. Postal Service delivered 4.5 billion packages in 2015, a big jump from the 3.3 billion in packages it delivered to customers in 2011, and now accounts for abo

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What’s New and What’s Coming in Accounting Technology?

Planful

I recently had a chance to find out the answer to this question first-hand. In early August, I was asked to speak at the annual meeting of the American Accounting Association (AAA). The AAA has been around for 100 years and is a community of accounting educators. Since its founding in 1916, the group has grown to over 7,000 members in more than 75 countries.

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It’s An mPOS World After All

PYMNTS

MPOS technology has made the world undeniably smaller, allowing consumers and businesses alike to make and accept payments from around the corner or around the globe. The future of payment technology will likely follow that path, becoming more universal as the technology becomes more commonplace, according to Alok Arora, CEO of Mosambee , an mPOS provider offering near-universal payment acceptance.

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How Mobile Apps Are Changing The Face Of Brick-And-Mortar Retail

PYMNTS

It might seem like a weird contradiction, but mobile shopping apps are changing the way that customers engage with and shop at traditional brick-and-mortar retailers. “Most shoppers are now armed with a mobile device when they enter a retail store,” according to a study on mobile apps by MicroStrategy , a global analytics company. “They are highly informed and expect the retail employees they interact with to be at least (if not more) knowledgeable about a store’s products, promotions and servic

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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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Singapore Reforms Laws For FinTech Push

PYMNTS

Singapore is preparing for a FinTech revolution. The small nation is making a big push in support of FinTech innovation by reforming its payment laws. Singapore’s financial authority said it will look to consolidate existing legislation related to payment systems, stored value facilities and remittance businesses in order to create a new combined regulatory framework. “A more calibrated regulatory regime, applied on an activity basis to payment service providers, rather than specific payme

Finance 47

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Aéropostale Liquidation Seems Eminent

PYMNTS

It is appearing more and more likely that liquidation will be the final fate of Aéropostale after a bankruptcy judge ruled last week that private equity firm Sycamore Partners could use the $150 million it is owed by the bankrupt teen retailer as a bid at its bankruptcy auction. Sycamore Partners and some liquidator partners entered their bids for the retailer last week, while Versa Capital Management appears to have backed out of its plan to try and save about 500 Aéropostale locations.

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Fraud Attacks Jump 137 Percent Over The Last Four Quarters

PYMNTS

Fraudsters are on a train that is anything but slowing down. In just the last four quarters, fraud attacks have jumped by 137 percent, affecting over $7 out of every $100 made in retail sales. Their new favorite? Digital goods. With a 186 percent spike, fraudsters seem to be fixated on attacking digital goods transactions, followed by their second favorite category: food and beverage, which showed a 116 percent increase, according to the latest data from the Global Fraud Attack Index™, a PYMNTS

Sales 46
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The Consequences Of A Bad Business Credit Score

PYMNTS

Building up a strong reputation within the community and among clients is imperative for SMEs, but there’s something a lot of small business owners are missing to gain the confidence of some important people. A new report from small business community site Manta says the majority of small business owners are clueless about their business credit scores , and all the confidence in your small business from neighbors won’t do any good when looking to secure a loan.

Finance 45
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Intuit’s Big Data, Small Business Expansion

PYMNTS

Intuit is seeking to expand its QuickBooks unit in two directions: towards small businesses and towards Big Data. Reports on Friday (Aug. 26) said Intuit plans to announce these expansions at its QuickBooks Connect conference later this year. “We will showcase some of our most successful developers at the conference and introduce a very attractive revenue-sharing model,” said Intuit Vice President of Developer Group Vinay Pai, according to ZDNet , adding that Intuit’s goal is

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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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Facebook’s Zuckerberg Says The Future Is In Africa

PYMNTS

Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg applauded the entrepreneurial spirit in Africa in his first visit to sub-Saharan Africa, saying the future will be built in the region. “I’m starting at a place called iHub, where entrepreneurs can build and prototype their ideas. Two of the engineers I met — Fausto [Marcigot] and Mark — designed a system to help people use mobile payments to buy small amounts of cooking gas, which is a lot safer and better for the environment than charcoal or kerosene.

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Flipkart Delivers On UPI-Based Payments App

PYMNTS

Earlier this year, India took a major step toward giving its cash-driven economy a mobile payment spin. The country’s Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced in April the launch of a new mobile-powered system called “ Unified Payment Interface ” (UPI), which is designed to facilitate money transfer through emails and text messages. Just months later, the first UPI-based mobile payments apps are coming to the market.

Banking 45
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The Secret Payments Life Of Ramen Noodles

PYMNTS

Ramen noodles — specifically, the instant kind beloved of college students and people with hangovers everywhere — probably doesn’t strike you as a product with a rich and glorious history. To look at the hard bricks of noodles and their little spice packets, it is likely hard to imagine that there could be all that much to say about them in their native form.

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Uber’s Losses Part Of A Bigger Plan

PYMNTS

Uber is a powerful matchmaker with many stakeholders to keep happy on a good day — drivers, passengers and, of course, those state and local regulators. Now, it seems some of those stakeholders in some parts of the world are not that happy with Uber — drivers in the U.K., authorities in the Middle East. This past Friday (Aug. 26), The Guardian reported that U.K.

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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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Click Subscribe: Uber Rolls Out Uber Plus

PYMNTS

Want to build brand loyalty? Uber seems to have found the keys to that vehicle, and now, it’s adding another way to maintain customer loyalty: a monthly, subscription-based model. Unveiling: Uber Plus. Depending on the city a consumer lives in, Uber Plus could be cheaper than taking the bus or any other form of transportation. Taking cues from the Amazon Prime concept, Uber Plus asks riders to pay a lump sum up front.

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Corporate Global Development: Mastercard

PYMNTS

Natural disasters, war and humanitarian crises devastate livelihoods in both developing and developed countries. Is there a role for the private sector, with hungry shareholders, to play in global relief in areas where hunger is truly the operative word? Mastercard ’s work with NGO partnerships is designed to chip away at the overwhelming needs of those affected by global disasters, war, famine and disease by introducing a very different way to think about digitizing the point of sale.

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Fewer Clicks Rain More Dollars For Online Merchants

PYMNTS

Online shopping is a serious moneymaker for retailers. Shoppers in the United States are expected to spend nearly $400 billion this year, and when shoppers from around the world are considered, there is more than $2 trillion in sales to be collected by merchants, according to the Q3 PYMNTS Checkout Conversion Index. But most merchants miss out on the chance to make even more money from mobile and online sales.

Retail 42
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Ethereum Woes Validate Conservative Nature Of Bitcoin Developers

PYMNTS

For some time now, some people have thought the Bitcoin Core development team is too conservative and too concerned with technical failures to take action to improve the ability of the network to grow, but after the collapse of the DAO, two Ethereum blockchains are operating, lending more credence to bitcoin’s approach. In a report , Joe Colangelo, executive director of Consumers’ Research, said he thinks the result “completely vindicates” the path Bitcoin Core has chosen.

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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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Putting Faster Payments To Work

PYMNTS

Not only are Same Day ACH payments on the way, but they are expected to have huge impacts on the way payments are made throughout the payments landscape. And we’re not just talking about speeding them up. As we learned in last week’s installment of the Countdown to Same Day ACH podcast series, the first phase of the Same Day ACH initiative launches on Sept. 23, ushering in three daily settlement windows, five days per week, to support access to more efficient transactions.

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Hackers Aimed At State Election Boards, According To FBI

PYMNTS

In advance of the 2016 election, state election boards have been strongly warned to tighten up security. This warning came from the FBI’s Cyber Division after hackers accessed voter information. The Amber-level warning regarding security levels came after hackers were successful in stealing voter data from one state and failed in another attempt this month.

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Kanye West: Retail Visionary And Mobile Payments Leader?

PYMNTS

There is likely no one on Earth more convinced of Kanye West’s status as a visionary than Kanye West. The rapper, fashion designer, music producer and Kardashian husband is nothing if not self-assured. “My role models are artists, merchants. There’s less than 10 that I can name in history. Truman. Ford. Hughes. Disney. Jobs. West,” Kanye told the world last night during his four-minute monologue at the MTV VMAs.

Retail 42
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Walmart Invests In More Patti LaBelle Desserts

PYMNTS

Patti LaBelle, the famed singer, might soon be more famous for her desserts. Seriously. After LaBelle’s sweet potato pie went viral late last year – watch James Wright Chanel’s video and then think about the impact of LaBelle’s pie – Walmart has expanded the LaBelle line of desserts to feature five new desserts, according to CNN Money. Those new desserts are berry cobbler, apple cobbler, peach cobbler, apple pecan cake and a sweet potato loaf.

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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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A Referred Customer Is A Better Customer

PYMNTS

That’s an axiom that Extole , a San Francisco-based company that offers a refer-a-friend platform for mobile and web devices, has built an entire company around. And with a list of clients that includes Petco, Microsoft, Starbucks and many more, the company certainly seems like it is onto something. Matt Roche, founder and CEO of Extole, said that a peer-referred customer — which Extole usually entices by offering consumers a coupon or discount to refer their offer to friends — is the most effec

Retail 41
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Paying By The Month For Airline Tickets With Affirm

PYMNTS

Consumers can now pay for airline tickets in monthly installments, making that dream vacation to Bali more of a reality than a dream, according to a report from CNNMoney. CheapAir has entered into a partnership with Affirm , a financial services company, that allows would-be travelers the option of three-, six- or 12-month purchase plans to cover ticket costs.

Numbers 41
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Uber Partners with Visa to Drive Rewards for Local Riders, Retailers

PYMNTS

While it’s not quite accurate to say that everyone loves Uber, for many consumers, to know Uber is love Uber. That’s because when it comes to payments, Uber manages to deliver the same semi-mystical experience to consumers every time they use it – a smooth, steady service that is seamless at every juncture, from how the rider pays to how drivers themselves get paid.

Retail 41
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PYMNTS Daily Data Dive: Fraudsters Capitalizing On Digital Space

PYMNTS

Fraudsters are winning the cybersecurity war, and are increasingly targeting digital goods transactions, which show a three-fold increase in attacks over the four quarters ending March 2016. Food and beverage transactions are another popular target; this sector shows a 116 percent increase during the same time period. The latest data from the Global Fraud Attack Index™, a PYMNTS and Forter collaboration, show some disconcerting numbers for retailers but burgeoning business for the cybersecurity

Numbers 41
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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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China’s Xiaomi Launches Mi Pay Payment Service

PYMNTS

King of China’s smartphone market , Xiaomi, launches its first payment system September 1. Introduced to the world just two weeks ago, the system is called Mi Pay and will join the smartphone payment systems like Android Pay, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and LG Pay, among others in the Chinese marketplace. Mi Pay will be an NFC-based payment service. Xiaomi is certainly no “one-trick pony.

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2016 Brings Flat Smartphone Market, Research Says

PYMNTS

Across the globe, smartphone shipments are anticipated to hover below 1.5 billion units with an almost flat annual growth rate. According to International Data Corporation’s WorldWide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, the smartphone market will only grow by 1.6 percent year-over-year, which is down from 10.4 percent in 2015. IDC, which provides market forecasts for technology companies across the world, says that one of the reasons for the significant deceleration is the saturation of devices in d

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Google And Apple Are Getting Into The Digital Payment Market In Japan

PYMNTS

Alphabet , the parent of Google, is getting into the digital payments market in Japan, inking a deal with Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) for its Android Pay platform. According to a report , which cited a person with knowledge of the matter, the move is designed to get into Japan’s fast-growing digital payments market. As early as this fall, certain Android-based smartphones will be able to use Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ debit cards for transactions via Android Pay.