In the payments sphere, it's common for a stunning amount of major developments to occur within the span of days. Such was the case recently with Apple's unveiling of a new technology suite. In a series of presentations, the company illustrated multiple ways in which Apple is rethinking media, gaming and even merchant services. Directly prior, Worldpay became the first acquirer to enable Amazon Pay. This was shortly after FIS and Worldpay heralded their mega merger. And news of the FIS-Worldpay combination came on the heels of Fiserv's acquisition of First Data Corp. It also came less than two years after Vantiv purchased Worldpay Group and rebranded as Worldpay Inc.
Other news we've covered recently includes The Federal Reserve Board's ACH road map evaluation and invitation to select financial institutions and payments industry stakeholders to participate in its seventh triennial Federal Reserve Payments Study; new developments in video banking; and a plea from the Independent Community Bankers of America to close loopholes in the granting of industrial loan company charters to avert what the organization believes could lead to harm to consumers and our banking system.
Yes, things are jumping in payments, with innovations occurring on every front ‒ including voice commerce, a promising area explored in this issue's lead article. It examines this developing aspect of our lives, from the role sound has played throughout the payments journey to interactive voice solutions that are creating a new generation of payment solutions liberated from screens. It also considers issues to address for voice commerce to be not only convenient, but secure as well.
Also herein, you'll meet our new Street SmartsSM authors for the coming year, a husband-and-wife team many of you already know and respect. Other contributors share insights on the changing face of card issuing and how it is overlapping with acquiring; the popularity of mobile devices for accessing the Internet and making payments, which has caught the eye of fraudsters; the limitations of blockchain's ability to protect merchants from chargebacks and ecommerce fraud; the digital revolution taking place in banking and payments that affects ISOs, MLSs, processors and startups vying for merchants seeking ways around traditional payment rails; and more.
We've also included company and product profiles, updates on key developments in payments, and resources that could be a good fit for your business. And remember, we will welcome your news at press@greensheet.com and your feedback at greensheet@greensheet.com. 
The Green Sheet Inc. is now a proud affiliate of Bankcard Life, a premier community that provides industry-leading training and resources for payment professionals. Click here for more information.
Notice to readers: These are archived articles. Contact names or information may be out of date. We regret any inconvenience.
Prev Next
