The Complexities of Cannabis: Banks, Merchants, Consumers and More

Cannabis—it’s no longer the verboten 800-pound pink elephant (though I think that might be a new strand). It’s about as mainstream as well…mainstream. And as we begin our latest Rantings Rant, it seems like the last time we (well, not you or I) experienced something like this, Al Capone and Elliot Ness were facing off during the time of Prohibition (if you’ve never seen the film The Untouchables, I highly recommend it!).

The Hammer Finds Its Nail: Open Banking and Commercial Cash Management

Globally, the Open Banking story has been shaped by Europe, thanks to PSD2 (The Revised Payment Services Directive) and the effect that it will have on us as everyday consumer banking clients. This will forever change our experience with financial tools for the better.

The banks that have traditionally served us will modify their models to support the foundational layer of a new ecosystem of co-invention and partnership. This story is all well and good, but so far most – if not all – of the discussion has surrounded the consumer experience and has neglected where the most fertile ground for change and disruption lies—corporate and commercial banking.

KodakCoin, and Six Ways That Blockchain Could Really Be Leveraged

The newest cry in the cryptocurrency clamour? That of heritage-photography-giant-cum-new-kid-on-the-payments-block, Kodak. Unbelievably, they have managed to out-blockchain the long-island-iced-tea company in their audacity, and (more than) double their share price to boot.

Why User Engagement Matters, Even for Enterprise Applications

As a User Experience Designer at ACI, I spend a lot of time watching users interact with my designs. I need to make sure our solutions work properly, but lately I’m more interested in how they make my users feel. Engagement is a dominant concept in user interface design right now. It’s important because positive emotional experiences often lead to increased use and loyalty.

Five Payments Trends to Watch in 2018 [Part 1]

2018 is set to be a year of rapid change and new challenges for payments players. The floodgates are opening with PSD2 and UK Open Banking coming into force, bringing an onslaught of new competitors and potential partners. Whether evolution is mandated or market-driven, banks and processors are facing a critical year in their long-term success.

Five Payments Trends to Watch in 2018 [Part 2]

The New Payments Ecosystem Is Here. The floodgates are opening with PSD2 and UK Open Banking coming into force, bringing an onslaught of new competitors and potential partners. Whether evolution is mandated or market-driven, banks and processors are facing a critical year in their long-term success.

Open Banking Goes Live: The Walls Around Traditional ‘Old Style Banking’ Are Crumbling Down

January 13, 2018 may well be remembered as the ‘beginning of the end’ of the traditional retail banking industry.

Thanks to a profound set of new rules by European regulators and the UK government, we may see the start of an era where consumers no longer hesitate to change their bank accounts or make more personalized arrangements with regards to their finances.

When Is Processing Payments in The Cloud More Secure?

Back when I started my career, “Jessie’s Girl” by Australian rocker Rick Springfield topped the charts, the federal funds rate was 20 percent and most organizations were reliant upon one or more mainframe computers that were hosted in an internal “computer room.”

Another Day, Another ‘Pay’? Why Google Pay Could Be Different

The official announcement of Apple Pay back in late 2014, and Android Pay just a few months later, was the catalyst for seemingly endless prognostication on the dawn of a new era in mobile payments. Along with a clutch of ‘Pay’ cohorts, these digital wallets were widely expected to transform shopper behavior, nudging us closer to cashless world where the physical wallet could be left to collect dust at home.

Ripe For Change? New Frontiers in Merchant Payments [Klarna Q&A]

Consumers often have a love/hate relationship with online shopping. They are easily frustrated when the checkout experience does not deliver the convenience they expect, and delighted when the online journey – including payment – is smooth and frictionless.