The Green Sheet Online Edition
September 9, 2018 • 18:09:01
Industry Update
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Century enhances NetSuite payment integration
Century Business Solutions, a provider of integrated payment processing solutions, revealed new payment integration updates and customer payment portal enhancements for its EBizCharge for NetSuite payment integration. EBizCharge for NetSuite enables businesses to accept credit cards, debit cards, and automated clearing house checks directly within their NetSuite software, the company said.
EMVCo launches EMV 3-D Secure Test Platform
EMVCo released the full EMV 3-D Secure (EMV 3DS) Test Platform, enabling functional testing of EMV 3DS solutions. The EMV 3DS messaging protocol promotes frictionless consumer authentication and enables consumers to authenticate themselves when making card-not-present ecommerce purchases, EMVCo stated.
ETA expands to Canada
Building on its existing programs focused on fintech in Canada, the Electronic Transactions Association is expanding its presence in Canada to help drive innovation in the global market for payments technology services. The effort is guided by ETA member companies Moneris, First Data, Worldpay, Pivotal Payments, Paysafe, Square, and Blake, Cassels & Graydon.
iPayment rebrands as Paysafe
Following its acquisition of iPayment Holdings Inc., Paysafe Group disclosed plans to sunset the iPayment brand and replace it with its own recently re-launched brand identity and "Plug into Paysafe" proposition. The over-hauled Paysafe brand strategy emphasizes the company's commitment to delivering an unrivaled payments platform that merchants, partners, developers and consumers can "plug into."
PAI named best place to work for fourth year
Privately held ATM provider Payment Alliance International reported it was honored for the fourth consecutive year by Louisville Business First as a Best Places to Work in Greater Louisville award winner. PAI was recognized in the large employer category of 100 employees or more.
RESEARCH
ACI, Newzoo find payment fraud a top concern for gamers
According to a new report from ACI Worldwide and Newzoo titled What turns players into payers: Understanding the gaming payments experience, payment fraud is a top concern for gamers in Germany, the United States and United Kingdom, with 19 percent of 2,000 respondents having experienced fraud while paying for games online, One in three gamers indicated they have reservations about spending money on games online.
Juniper says mobile payments will drive financial inclusion
A new study from Juniper Research forecasts that the use of mobile devices to make retail and store payments will act as a driver for financial inclusion of the unbanked in emerging markets. The research forecasts that mobile merchant transactions by unbanked individuals will grow from 1.8 billion per annum in 2018 to 3.8 billion by 2023.
Most businesses want one payments provider, Mercator says
According to a recent survey conducted by Mercator Advisory Group, 73 percent of small businesses said they would prefer to deal with one vendor for their payment acceptance services. However, at least 25 percent are still engaging with multiple payment providers.
Tractica predicts $6.9 billion voice-speech recognition market
According to a new report from Tractica, the global market for voice and speech recognition software will increase from $1.1 billion in 2017 to $6.9 billion by 2025 Likely use cases cited were in healthcare, automotive virtual digital assistants, voice commerce, customer service applications, smart home controls, security and authentication, and voice search.
NRF reports July retail sales up 4.9 percent over 2017
According to new research by the NRF, July 2018 retail sales were up 0.4 percent seasonally adjusted from June and increased 4.9 percent unadjusted year-over-year, giving the industry a solid kickoff for the third quarter as consumers continued to spend despite concerns about the growing trade war. The numbers exclude automobiles, gasoline stations and restaurants.
PARTNERSHIPS
Double Diamond, ControlScan, Rich Consulting team up
Under a new agreement, Double Diamond Group and Rich Consulting clients, who are largely payment facilitators, are being offered a complementary Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard consultation with ControlScan. During the consultation, clients will talk with a PCI Qualified Security Assessor to understand the unique scope of their businesses and ways they can more quickly and easily achieve compliance.
TruRating, Verifone facilitate collection of consumer input
TruRating, which specializes in point-of-payment customer feedback solutions, signed a global contract with commerce solutions provider Verifone. TruRating's user-friendly POS feedback software app, paired with Verifone, will allow merchants to collect consumer ratings to help them assess their strengths and weaknesses and thereby improve their businesses, the partners stated.
Linked2pay, paycosmos offer IMS
Risk management and payment technology provider linked2pay selected paycosmos as the first ISO on the linked2pay software-as-a-service platform to offer merchants Instant Merchant Settlements (IMS). The merchant enrollment and boarding process utilizes patent-pending technology to instantly authenticate ownership of a debit card (connected to the merchant bank account) so secure delivery of service can be initiated.
ACQUISITIONS
EZShield gains IdentityForce
EZShield, a provider of digital identity protection and resolution, acquired IdentityForce, an identity theft protection provider for businesses and consumers. The acquisition expands EZShield's identity protection ecosystem by nearly 50 percent, providing partners in every industry, businesses of all sizes and consumers with the most secure capabilities and rapid restoration services, EZShield stated.
Priority makes three key acquisitions
Priority Technology Holdings heralded the acquisition and capitalization of two businesses in the rent payment technology segment: RadPad and Landlord Station. RadPad is a marketplace for a spectrum of transactions in the rental real estate market. Landlord Station offers a toolset that focuses on facilitation of tenant screening and other value added services. Priority also acquired PPS Northeast, a former independent, brand-licensed office of Priority Payment Systems.
APPOINTMENTS
Katie McMillan joins MPI
Mercantile Processing Inc. selected Katie McMillan as its new director of sales. In this role, she will be responsible for maximizing profitability and sales production with MPI's national sales team. With over 10 years' experience in the merchant services industry, she has worked for ISOs on both the East and West coasts, MPI noted.
Varo taps Thibault Fulconis
Thibault Fulconis signed on as chief financial officer at mobile banking startup Varo Money Inc. Fulconis joins Varo from the executive team of Bank of the West and its holding company BancWest. He will oversee all financial, treasury, regulatory reporting and accounting operations. 
Whether you want to upgrade your POS offerings, find a payment gateway partner, bone up on fintech regs or PCI requirements, find an upcoming trade show, read about faster payments, or discover the latest innovations in merchant acquiring, The Green Sheet is the resource for you. Since 1983, we've helped empower and connect payments professionals, starting with the merchant level salespeople who bring tailored payment acceptance and digital commerce tools, along with a host of other business services to merchants across the globe. The Green Sheet Inc. is also a proud affiliate of Bankcard Life, a premier community that provides industry-leading training and resources for payment professionals.
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