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IndustryUpdate

or fully in 2025, with 49 percent prioritizing credit card tions for scheduling and queuing, enhancing customer
debt and 46 percent increasing payments. Many aim to experiences. CleverQ CEO Dirk Ostermann said his
save by canceling subscriptions (41 percent) or trying company's mission is to drive digital transformation
no-spend challenges (26 percent). Budgeting apps (39 and optimize customer processes through data-driven
percent) and automatic savings programs (36 percent) insights, marking a step toward smarter, future-ready
are popular strategies. Also, 41 percent of respondents business solutions.
are interested in stocks and 37 percent in alternative
investments like Bitcoin. Despite economic concerns, i3 Verticals, Saskatchewan ink deal
63 percent remain optimistic, attributing confidence to
anticipated economic growth. i3 Verticals Inc., which delivers integrated software
solutions to public and private organizations in health-
FPC reports on mitigating faster payments fraud care and public sectors, signed a new contract with
Saskatchewan Province to provide motor carrier servic-
The U.S. Faster Payments Council released a report, es, strengthening its public sector presence in Canada.
International Practices in Mitigating Faster Payments Fraud,
sponsored by Nasdaq Verafin. It examined global anti- Saskatchewan can now manage registration, credential-
fraud strategies from markets like the U.K., Australia, ing, and fee apportionment through a single, compli-
Singapore and Brazil and offers six key approaches for ant platform that streamlines operations, i3 Verticals
strengthening U.S. fraud prevention. stated, adding that its software offers built-in tools for
fleet, vehicle and distance management. Stoney Hale,
The report highlights enhanced authentication, transac- i3 Verticals executive vice president, emphasized the
tion monitoring, confirmation of payee practices, and partnership as a key step in expanding the company’s
collaboration among stakeholders as critical defenses. Canadian footprint.
FPC Executive Director Reed Luhtanen advised adopt-
ing proven strategies to protect consumers and busi- ModernRails obtains FedLine Direct access
nesses.
FinTech Automation's ModernRails now uses the
The report is available through the FPC’s Faster Payments FedLine Direct Solution to provide banks and credit
Knowledge Center at https://fasterpaymentscouncil.org. unions with affordable, secure access to the Federal
Reserve’s payment settlement network. Supporting
Logica finds Americans divided services like Fedwire, FedACH, FedNow, and Check
on economic outlook Services, ModernRails said it streamlines high-volume
transactions with automated, IP-based connectivity. It
Logica's latest Future of Money Study revealed mixed added that it reduces costs and reliance on intermediar-
economic sentiments among Americans, with 49 percent ies, enabling faster, real-time payments.
of respondents believing the economy is worsening, 18
percent feeling positive and the rest neutral. These views Founder David Park emphasized the company's compli-
are reshaping saving, spending and investing habits, ance, security and innovation-focused infrastructure,
researchers found. Key trends include rising mobile empowering smaller institutions to compete with larger
payments—52 percent use mobile devices for payments, banks and fintechs. ModernRails also noted that it inte-
led by Gen Z (69 percent) and millennials (65 percent)— grates seamlessly, offering scalable solutions for domes-
and growing demand for workplace financial benefits, tic and global payments.
valued by 82 percent of employees. Researchers urged
financial firms to offer mobile tools, credit-building Onramp, Shopline offer ecommerce financing
strategies and workplace programs to address evolving Onramp Funds partnered with Shopline to provide
needs. ecommerce merchants fast, flexible funding to fuel
growth. Shopline sellers can access tailored financing for
PARTNERSHIPS inventory, marketing and product launches, with repay-
ment options tied to sales or fixed structures. Funds are
BlueStar, CleverQ sign distribution agreement available within 24 hours, helping businesses manage
cash flow gaps during peak seasons, the partners stated,
BlueStar Inc., a distributor of digital technology solu- adding that merchants also receive strategic financial
tions, partnered with CleverQ to enhance its offerings support from Onramp’s experts.
with smart online appointment scheduling and call-up
systems. BlueStar said this collaboration provides its The partnership, they further noted, empowers sellers to
partner network with tools to improve customer service, scale sustainably without financial constraints. Funding
operational efficiency and scalability across industries. is available to U.S.-based shopline merchants and sellers
Dean Reverman, BlueStar vice president of marketing, on Amazon, Shopify, Walmart and more.
highlighted the partnership’s role in expanding solu-

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