POS and Retail

In the near future, payments will be part of the shopping experience itself. Technology that lets customers pay in the fitting room – or automatically, as they walk out of a store – will likely become an everyday reality, says Wirecard's Susanne Steidl.

By linking your POS to inventory management software, you can easily keep an eye on the amount of product you have and note when it’s time to restock or purchase from your distributors, says Bank of America Merchant Services' Sydney Ivey.

The recent explosion of online shopping tools pointing users to the lowest prices for items — particularly on Amazon — appears to be making the e-commerce giant nervous.

A strong economy in 2020 could lift the small-business card market, which is an important source of lending and payments for entrepreneurs and local merchants.

Banks can remain competitive in a more crowded field by offering attractive rewards through easy-to-navigate, secure microsites, says Informa Financial Intelligence's Gina DeCorla.

Oklahoma lawmakers' decision last month to drop the state's surcharging ban was yet another signal that U.S. merchants have the final say in whether to apply extra charges to credit card transactions to offset interchange fees.

Though many merchants remain wary of alienating their customers with fees, others now see an opportunity to recoup the growing costs associated with accepting plastic.

Payments security firm MyPINpad has received certification from the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council for its software-based PIN entry on Apple mobile and tablet devices.

Most banks already have the means to communicate directly with customers, in the form of a mobile banking app or email. It’s just a matter of putting those channels to good use. Targeted discounts and perks reduce shopping costs, and therefore customers’ stress, says Flybits' Justine Melman.

Akin to the democratization of computing power through personal computers, the growing use of AI will continue to fuel new products and services in payments and have a significant impact on society. But AI will also introduce tremendous challenges due to its potential use by threat actors, says Visa's Paul Fabara.

The economic outlook for the next year has been a moving target, but business payment companies fear that certain organizations are losing patience with the speed of transactions.

Traditional phishing attacks on email are easier for most users to spot, causing crooks to migrate to new venues, argues The ai Corporation's James Crawshaw.

Europe's PSD2 data-sharing mandate is inspiring banks such as BBVA to form unconventional alliances.

Automous delivery is a long-term solution, but more creative fulfullment's needed in the meantime, says Roadie's Marc Gorlin.

The current climate is akin to the wild west, with little protection for the consumer, and new regulations are needed if the technology is to continue to expand in a safe and sustainable way, argues Mitek's Stephen Ritter.

By adding strong authentication to the “tap,” consumers can benefit from greater security without harming the user experience of contactless. Or slowing throughput time for merchants, says Fingerprints’ Lina Aondolf-Orup.

The Competition and Markets Authority said Friday it’s opening an in-depth investigation of Amazon’s investment of about $500 million, saying it risked a “substantial lessening” of competition “in the supply of online food platforms in the U.K. and in the supply of online convenience groceries.”

The big acquisitions of 2019 have created an environment for more deals to come, says FICO's Tim VanTassel.

The morphing of e-commerce and brick and mortar technology will require strategies that address both at the same time, says Zoomd's Omri Argaman.

Two of Australia’s biggest banks, National Australia Bank (NAB) and Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), are competing to be the first to commercially launch tap-on-phone contactless payments in the country.