Payment Methods

First Data: April Same-Store Spending Up 4.1 percent
May 12, 2014

Warmer weather last month got more folks to leave their homes, and to shop. Same-store spending in April grew 4.1 percent, a full percentage point above March’s year-over-year growth, according to First Data’s SpendTrend report. Other research, however, suggests consumer confidence in their financial situation...

Mobile Commerce
Cashless Society? Are We Nearly There?
May 12, 2014

Maybe the cards filling up consumers’ wallets are just making less room for cash, but nearly eight out of 10 (78 percent) U.S. consumers carry less than $50 with them at any one time, with 49 percent carrying $20 or less, new survey data show....

Merchant Innovation
Square Ditches Its Mobile Wallet
May 12, 2014

As of May 12th, Square will no longer be offering its mobile wallet for download from either the Apple or Google stores, though they are now offering Square Order. This function will allow users to both pick-up orders from, and pay at  Square merchants right from...

Media Center
Budgeting: Are Prepaid Cards the Future of Personal Financial Management?
May 12, 2014

Motherhood. Apple pie. Budgeting. Okay, maybe that’s a bit of a stretch but a new report from i2c on the benefits of prepaid as a budgeting tool might actually give that “b-word” more status in the eyes of consumers these days and issuers a new...

Company Spotlight
Will Wallets Mobilize Mobile Point of Sale?
May 12, 2014

Go big or go home. Recent industry trends show that top mobile point-of-sale players are now fixated on distribution – gaining scale and volume by forming partnerships and enhancing their mPOS platforms. Many of these partnerships are taking shape thanks to the interest in integrating...

Cool
Consumers Get Back Into Credit
May 12, 2014

The Fed released a new report last week that shows an uptick in credit card applications for just about all domestic banks. But which consumer groups are getting their credit groove on (or want to?).

Mobile Commerce
Polyvore Arrives on Android (Finally)
May 12, 2014

The Polyvore community up until now has had two things in common. 1) An overwhelming desire to export their style to the world by pinning collages of outfits and accessories to Pinterest and 2) Use of iOs. The style-conscious and largely-female user base of the Polyvore app...

Merchant Innovation
Apple Focuses On Enhanced Security and NFC Integration With POS Upgrade
May 12, 2014

Apple has started pushing its new upgrade to the EasyPay mobile POS system within the United States which will allow for interactions with EMV (“chip-and-pin”)cards while also preparing for the coming possibility of a rise in contactless credit card purchases through NFC. The EMV integration is...

Mobile Commerce
Malls Nationwide In Peril As Anchor Chains Close-Out Physical Locations
May 12, 2014

Once mighty mega-chains like Sears and JC Penny are closing down retail operations nationwide at an alarming rate of speed in an attempt to remain competitive with price-undercutting internet based retailers like Amazon, and leaving behind them indoor and outdoor malls on the brink disaster....