Five At Five: Even Financial Gets New Funding Round

Welcome to the Five at Five, your late look at the payments and commerce news of the day. Coverage includes Even Financial raising additional funding, Mattress Firm considering bankruptcy, the New York City Council planning to limit ridesharing licenses, Visa buying a stake in Israeli-startup Behalf and Microsoft Pay supporting MasterPass.

Even Financial Gets New Round Of Funding

Even Financial announced it received $18.8 million in Series A funding from GreatPoint Ventures. Others participating in the funding included companies such as Goldman Sachs, Canaan Partners, F-Prime Capital and Lerer Hippeau and noted individuals, including Jacob Gibson, NerdWallet co-founder, and Jason Owen, senior vp at Credit.com. The Series A financing includes a previously announced $3.3 million that Even got in January.

Mattress Firm Considers Options Amid Financial Troubles

Mattress Firm Inc., is reportedly mulling a move to file for bankruptcy protection as it looks to close some money-losing outlets and get out of some lease agreements, according to a new report. The firm, which is a unit of Steinhoff International Holdings NV, had sought to restructure some of its debt.

New York City Council To Vote On Ridesharing Limits

The New York City Council is set to put a one-year limit on new licenses for ridesharing vehicles, according to a new report. The move is designed to reduce car traffic and stop a decrease in driver pay. If passed, the move would be the first such decision on the ridesharing industry in the country.

Visa Buys Stake, Partners With Israeli Startup

Visa announced that it has made an investment and entered a partnership with Israeli-startup firm Behalf. The agreement is designed to help small businesses grow through easy-to-access capital and financing. As part of the agreement, Visa will offer a tokenized virtual card to Behalf clients, which allows them financing for business purchases.

Microsoft Pay Now Supports MasterPass

Microsoft Pay announced that it now supports MasterPass by MasterCard. The announcement means that users can now use their Microsoft credentials to access the MasterPass app, which provides secure checkout at participating retail locations, without having to reenter information.