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NewsBriefs

ments usage; the highest recorded volumes were found in
Consumer payment preferences have Asia-Pacific which reached 243.6 billion in 2019.

shifted and spending has picked up Consumer spending up, uncertainty lingers
in recent months, following dramatic Consumer payment preferences have shifted and spend-
declines brought on by the COVID-19 ing has picked up in recent months, following dramatic
pandemic. However, potential bumps declines brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. However,
potential bumps ahead could dampen consumers' ability
ahead could dampen consumers' to spend. "The recession appears to be behind us and the
ability to spend. re-opening of the economy over the past several months
has created momentum that should carry us through the
fourth quarter," said Jack Kleinhenz, chief economist at
the National Retail Federation. "The test is whether con-
sumer spending will be sustained amid wildcard puzzle
This article contains excerpts from news stories recently posted under pieces including policy surprises, the election and a resur-
Breaking Industry News on our homepage. For links to these and other gent virus."
full news stories, please visit www.greensheet.com/breakingnews.php.
Kleinhenz's remarks were included in the October issue of
the NRF's Monthly Economic Review. The review portrays a
"V-shaped recovery" due in part to $1,200 stimulus checks
and enhanced unemployment benefits authorized under
the CARES Act, a $2 trillion bipartisan economic relief
package passed into law in March 2020. Those benefits ex-
pired, however, and negotiations over another round of
stimulus spending appear to be at an impasse.
NFC Forum awards best-in-class innovators Parking industry leader launches mobile app

The NFC Forum's third annual NFC Innovation Awards Jerry Skillett, executive chairman of SPACES USA,
took place entirely online. The 2020 Online Innovation launched the SPACES USA mobile app, which is designed
Awards ceremony, held Sept. 30, recognized innovative to create a frictionless parking experience. Users can ac-
Near Field Communication (NFC) use cases in blockchain, cess the app on iOS and Android devices by calling a post-
IoT and mobile sectors. This year's award winners demon- ed number at a parking facility.
strated exemplary development and deployment of NFC
products, services and applications, stated Koichi Tagawa, "When you pull up to a gate in your parking facility,
NFC Forum chair. there's someone behind you and someone behind them,"
Skillett said. "Everyone is engaged in an active transporta-
"This year's NFC Innovation Award winners demonstrate tion pattern and has to react quickly." He noted that earlier
the transformative power of NFC technology in society. iterations of his app, which featured a Bluetooth periph-
NFC is a standard feature on most smartphones and is eral device, were problematic because of the time it takes
involved in the daily lives of billions of people," Tagawa to download or look for an app; he reduced access time by
said. "I'd like to thank our sponsors NXP Semiconductors making the app accessible with a phone call.
and Identity, the judges and everyone who submitted an
award entry." Industry veteran Jeff Fortney
joins Signature Payments
Capgemini, Verizon identify COVID-related risks
Burbank, Calif.-based ISO Signature Payments disclosed
Capgemini's World Payments Report 2020 and Verizon's Oct. 13, 2020, that it has appointed payments industry
2020 Payment Security Report, both released in October veteran Jeff Fortney as vice president of partner relations.
2020, link mobile, digital and virtual payments adoption Fortney, a respected payments professional, will lead ISO
to a range of emerging security threats. Anirban Bose, and agent recruitment efforts while growing and support-
CEO of Capgemini's Financial Services and member of the ing the company's expanding ISO and agent partner net-
company's group executive board, pointed out that global work, according to Charles Hogan, president at Signature
usage of digital and mobile payments had been steadily Payments. "Jeff is a seasoned payment professional with
increasing and driving payments industry competition a proven track record of building partnerships and driv-
before the onset of the global coronavirus pandemic. ing impressive growth," Hogan said. "We are confident his
presence will further strengthen our position as an indus-
Bose attributed rising transaction levels to increased try leader."
smartphone, ecommerce, digital wallet and QR code pay-

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