Today In Payments: ClassPass, MindBody Reportedly Eye Merger, IPO; Western Union Shows C2C X-Border Transfer Revenues Up 6 Pct

In today’s top news, fitness companies ClassPass and MindBody have reportedly been discussing a merger, and cross-border remittances were up in Western Union’s first-quarter earnings report. Plus, Paytronix has integrated Google to make online restaurant ordering easier.

Report: ClassPass, Fitness Tech Firm MindBody Eye Merger, IPO

Subscription-based fitness platform ClassPass and Mindbody, which provide technology to fitness companies worldwide, have been discussing a merger, and have also talked about going public once a merger is complete, but no deal has been reached as of yet.

Western Union Shows C2C X-Border Transfer Revenues Up 6 Pct

The great digital shift continues to power Western Union’s results; WU.com revenues surged double digits, and cross-border remittances (as evidenced by C2C transactions) gained ground as well.

Paytronix Integrates With Google For Easier Food Ordering

Diners will now be able to order food directly through Google Search and Maps at participating restaurants that use guest experience platform Paytronix Systems Inc. The restaurant menu will appear directly on Search or Maps, where guests can order and check out. Restaurants then receive online pickup or delivery orders from Google.

Global Payments To Buy Real Estate Tech Firm Zego For $830 Million

As real estate increasingly adopts digital commerce and omnichannel solutions, Atlanta-based Global Payments has inked a deal to acquire Zego, a property management software platform, for $830 million. Zego facilitates about $30 billion in payments for 7,000 property management clients annually.

Clean Juice CEO: Yesterday’s Mobile Apps Won’t Cut It For 2021’s QSR Customers

Quick-service restaurants (QSRs) realize that yesterday’s mobile apps no longer cut it. In the Order To Eat Tracker, Clean Juice CEO Landon Eckles explains why integrating loyalty programs into the mobile ordering and payment experience is now the new baseline.

Tala and Visa Partnership Seeks To Ignite Stablecoin Use In Emerging Markets

Can stablecoins light the path toward financial inclusion? Visa has teamed with emerging market lending platform Tala to bring cryptocurrency to the masses in Kenya, Mexico and the Philippines — in spendable form. Cuy Sheffield, head of crypto at Visa and Shivani Siroya, CEO and founder at Tala, tell Karen Webster that cross-border P2P is the on-ramp to getting people to use digital wallets and USDCs — and making it spendable at merchants is its off-ramp.

Rideshares Lyft Amid Reopenings — Bodes Well For Uber

Lyft’s results topped expectations, with a rebound in its core ride-hailing business — which bodes well for Uber’s quarterly report later in the week. But the two companies are rapidly diverging in focus and scale, with Uber targeting continued traction as a platform play, while Lyft has been sticking to its core focus on ridesharing.