Auctions often have the defect of being more fun in theory than they are in practice. Everyone likes the idea of bargaining and bidding their way to a great deal on an interesting antique or rare collectible, but most of the time, the actual experience can be less exciting than rewarding. “Most auctions are boring,” Brendan […]

Mobile wallets as a natural extension of contactless?  Seems so, especially among the younger set -- and as WePay found in a recent survey, 85 percent of 18-34 year olds are likely to use mobile wallets more in the near future than they do now.  Paysafe CPO Daniel Kornitzer weighs in on what spurs consumers to embrace technology as they shop, in our latest Topic TBD

The latest iteration of EMVCo’s Payment Tokenization Specification has the potential to change the way we shop – even as it changes the way that consumer information is exchanged between cardholders, issuers and merchants.  Goodbye to static tokens and hello to a dynamic range of possibilities in eCommerce and beyond, as Rambus’ CTO Chakib Bouda tells Karen Webster in the latest Topic TBD.

Existential threat or opportunity?  Open banking need not be the great disintermediator of traditional banking, at least for Canada.  In the latest Topic TBD, Debbie Gamble, vice president of Digital Products and Platforms at Canada’s domestic debit network, Interac, tells Karen Webster that collaboration and cooperation can foster an approach to innovation that helps all stakeholders amid expanded access to data.

Instead of searching a few dozen sites to make sure someone else doesn’t have an item for a lower price, or having to wait a few days in case a big sale is around the corner, consumers can hit “buy” with confidence, relying on the fact that retailers are increasingly willing to match a competitor’s price or refund money back if a big sale comes up within a certain time window (usually 14 to 30 days).

Staying in business for 166 years is no small feat on its own — but staying successfully in business with continued growth against increasing competition from FinTech startups is harder still. As of last week’s earnings news, it is clear that Western Union is up for the challenge. Western Union’s Chief Technology Officer David Thompson told Karen Webster […]

Two hundred and thirty four million passengers — and that’s on the U.S. airlines alone. The summer’s a long and hot one for airlines and passengers alike, especially when delays and other complications set in. How to get paid for (wasted) time? Many passengers don’t know their rights, says AirHelp CIO Ashley Raiteri in this week's Topic TBD. His company seeks to smooth the claims process and the delivery of the ultimate airline apology — via cash, of course.

Friday the 13th, the date of our latest Topic TBD, brings images of bad luck — from black cats to ladders you shouldn’t walk under. But for financial institutions grappling with, and losing business to, upstart FinTechs, is every day Friday the 13th? Not if FIs adapt agile mindsets and business processes, i2c’s Lisa Fugate, vice president of product management, tells PYMNTS’ Karen Webster.

Care to hazard a guess as to where eCommerce and retail may be headed in the year ahead? In our latest Topic TBD installment, Poynt CEO Osama Bedier does just that, predicting that, among other things, the retailer with the best (mobile) consumer experience, on top of price and selection, will win.