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IndustryUpdate

• To remove the hassle of returning online purchases by mail or delivery service, California startup Happy Returns now offers in-person returns of online
purchases through a network of physical Return Bars in shopping centers and other accessible locations. Staffed by trained Returnistas, the Return Bars
provide immediate credit to shoppers who return merchandise in this manner. According to Happy Returns, by aggregating items before shipping, it is
typically able to offer a per-item cost below what retailers pay to ship items individually, and customer service calls related to returns are almost nil.
• Car buyers strapped for time can pre-search vehicles virtually to bypass travel to multiple dealerships in their areas. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., in partnership
with online auto retailer CarSaver, recently launched in-store kiosks in Dallas, Houston, Oklahoma City and Phoenix stores that allow shoppers to buy new
and used cars, arrange financing and insurance, and schedule appointments at local dealerships. The new service follows a successful pilot in Florida, where
80 percent of appointments scheduled from the kiosks resulted in car sales.
• Virtual checkout from specially equipped contactless mirrors installed in fitting rooms is now available. San Francisco-based Oak Labs Inc., launched in 2015
by the founders of eBay Inc.'s Retail Innovation division, introduced an early version of Oak Labs touch-screen mirrors in select fashion boutiques. The latest
version features integrated DotDashPay mobile checkout for line-free shopping. The interactive mirrors also notify sales staff when an item is requested.
Embedded RFID reading technology displays items brought into fitting rooms, and the mirror's touch-screen displays optional colors, sizes and fashion
recommendations.

ANNOUNCEMENTS Awards program honors individuals and companies
that demonstrate excellence, innovation and leadership
in information security. Kount Complete won in the
ACI receives 2017 MPE Award Fraud Prevention awards category and the product was
ACI Worldwide received top honors at the annual also named a Gold winner of the 2017 Global Excellence
Merchant Payments Ecosystem Awards, winning the Awards in the Best Deployment (Asia-Pacific) category.
International Award for its UP eCommerce Payments NACHA validates nonprofit ACH use
solution. The solution combines a global payment net-
work of card acquirers and alternative payment meth- NACHA – The Electronic Payments Association
ods, delivered by the PAY.ON payments gateway, with launched a comprehensive outreach effort and issued
ACI ReD Shield's fraud prevention capabilities. a case study on the benefits of using direct payment
via automated clearing house (ACH) for donor reten-
ETA issues two Fed pleas tion. The outreach is designed to increase understand-
The Electronic Transactions Association wrote members ing of the value of ACH payments for fundraising and
of Congress requesting use of the Congressional Review build confidence in use of these payments by charitable
Act to examine the Consumer Financial Protection organizations to grow and sustain donation dollars and
Bureau's final rule on prepaid cards and its one-size- expand their donor bases.
fits-all framework on financial service products. The Net Element branches to Poland, Turkey
ETA also submitted a letter to the CFPB regarding con-
sumer benefits and risks associated with products that Net Element Inc. subsidiary, Digital Provider, expanded
rely on access to personal account and account-related its Direct Carrier Billing services to the emerging markets
information. The letter states government attempts to of Poland and Turkey. Integration of Digital Provider's
implement regulations on account access will negatively proprietary Trinity Platform allows access to 113.5 mil-
impact financial sector institutions, impeding innova- lion mobile users in these markets, the company said. A
tions that benefit consumers. full suite of Net Element's Digital Provider services is
available in these countries, along with the company's
Kount earns two awards anti-fraud and in-house call center platforms.
Kount Inc. and its Kount Complete product won awards
at both the 2017 Cybersecurity Excellence Awards and
the InfoSecurity Awards. The Cybersecurity Excellence

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