In this week’s news, we saw Revolut disclosing that it would suspend its Canadian operations, in addition to new insights on the digital consumer and loyalty programs. The Weekender is here to catch you up.
News
FinTech Startup Revolut Says Goodbye To Canada
Revolut, the U.K. financial technology firm, said this week that it would halt its Canadian operations just a year and a half after rolling out a beta version of its platform in the nation.
Euphoria In Israel As Pfizer Vaccine Ends Lockdown
Israel is celebrating its reopening, with 4 million of its almost 7 million adults vaccinated. The nation was inoculated with the BioTech/Pfizer shot.
Mastercard And Visa Postpone Planned US Interchange Hikes
Mastercard and Visa both announced this week that they have each delayed planned increases in interchange fees, noting that the progress of the U.S. economic recovery is at a fragile stage.
New Digital ID Tech Authenticates People And Payments Without Passwords
LoginID Co-Founder and CEO Simon Law recently told PYMNTS that the emergence of new means of authentication connected with high-tech technologies such as biometrics are ahead.
Olo CEO On The Path To IPO And Building A Restaurant Network
Not many firms would look at going public as a time to changes things up. However, for restaurant technology firm Olo, that’s precisely what the next order of business looks like.
Trackers And Reports
The PYMNTS COVID Data Compendium: The Past, Present And Future Of The New Digital Consumer
The first statewide stay-at-home measures were put into place in California on March 19 of last year and other states followed. The daily lives of individuals have become very different since that time. PYMNTS’ newest research shows that they have come to appreciate the simplicity and convenience of shopping, working and ordering food from their residences.
Loyalty Programs Help Independent Restaurants Boost Customer Spend
Approximately 1 in 10 American consumers who ordered restaurant food pre-pandemic have stopped doing so. However, independent restaurants can act to help lessen the risk of cash flow shortages and even bolster their sales. For example, they can provide loyalty and rewards programs.
Three Payment Innovations That Keep Doctors’ Cash Flows Healthy
The pandemic has hit private and group medical practices as consumers remained in their residences for their safety, steering clear of procedures that were not pivotal and even postponing some critical care. Medical providers reacted with a quick rollout of telehealth offerings and a new outlook on payments innovation.
PYMNTS explores how 2020 affected the healthcare consumer experience and how medical practices can harness payments innovations to reshape these experiences.
Fun, Cool And Otherwise Interesting
eCommerce’s Trillion-Dollar Year Is (Easily) In Sight
It is anticipated that eCommerce sales will reach the $1 trillion mark in 2022 — and that’s connected to just U.S.-based consumers, according to estimates this week from the Adobe Digital Economy Index report.
Pandemic Donuts Uses Social Commerce, Delivery To Thrive
Gabrielle Henning and Michael Milton, a couple who had recently lost their food service jobs, founded Colorado-based doughnut delivery company Pandemic Donuts. They started selling from home and advertising doughnuts through Instagram, running under Colorado’s Cottage Foods Act.
Why Livestreaming Has Drawn Regulatory Scrutiny In China
The State Administration of Market Regulation (SAMR) is increasing scrutiny of eCommerce livestreaming platforms, pointing to concerns regarding low quality of goods and misleading advertising.
Amazon Makes Its Latest Healthcare Play In Telemedicine
Amazon announced it would broaden its Amazon Care telehealth platform to staffers in every state beginning in the summer of 2021. Moreover, it plans to let other employers access the platform at a future time in 2021.
Beyond Crypto: Getting Back To The Basics Of Blockchain
The uses for blockchain extend far beyond supporting cryptocurrencies, as some significant international initiatives are beginning to show.
We’re always on the lookout for opportunities to partner with innovators and disruptors.
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