The Green Sheet Online Edition
October 26, 2026 • 26:10:02
Editor's' Letter
A trillion dollars in projected holiday sales makes an attention-getting headline. For the merchants you serve, though, the season will unfold one purchase at a time, as shoppers weigh prices, stretch budgets and decide which traditions matter most. Growth forecasts offer encouragement, but they don’t mean every customer has more to spend or that every merchant will share equally in the increase.
In this issue’s lead story, Patti Murphy explores the habits and technologies shaping those decisions. Shoppers are using AI to discover unfamiliar retailers and compare deals, reaching for their phones to make purchases, and considering BNPL and gift cards as they plan their spending.
Understanding those choices can help you have more useful conversations with merchants about the customers they hope to reach and the payment experiences they provide.
The holiday season is also a season of giving, and Jaki Kackert’s Street SmartsSM column shows how Giving Tuesday can open conversations with nonprofit merchants about easier donations and lasting donor relationships.
Elsewhere in this issue, Adam Atlas examines the practical challenges foreign-owned payments businesses face in the U.S. market, while Melih Oztalay explores the evidence buyers seek before trusting a company.
Dan Frechtling considers merchant risk when seemingly reassuring signals conceal fraud, and Michael Meeks explains why effective AI starts with connected data and sound back-office processes. Jeremy Layton shows how broken transaction data can jeopardize commercial card savings—and an ISO’s merchant relationships.
Robert Rose brings forecasting discipline to physical cash management, balancing efficiency with availability and human oversight.
Dale Laszig returns to three payments innovators to explore how experimentation and customer needs can shape in-house tools into commercial brands.
Our news coverage follows changes in payment access, acceptance and oversight. New federal rules give the IRS more flexibility in contracting for card payments, while Mastercard’s European offline payment requirements aim to keep essential purchases moving during network outages. TNS expands its alternative payment coverage, and Apple Pay enters India with support from established acquirers.
We also report on the OCC’s $350 million penalty against American Express National Bank for anti-money laundering compliance deficiencies.
There’s more to discover in our product and innovator profiles, and resources for building your industry knowledge and connections.
Updates on milestones keep the picture current—and your news belongs here, too.
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