More than 7,500 attendees, including CEOs from 2,500 companies across 60 countries, are converging for the Money20/20 conference in Las Vegas, Nev. The show, taking place Nov. 2-5, 2014, will spotlight the latest payment trends, solutions and innovations.
One day into the show, and various solution providers are announcing new partnerships, solutions and services. Here is a roundup of some of the announcements thus far:
Bitfinex Onboards AlphaPoint To Prepare For Bitcoin Growth
Digital currency exchange Bitfinex has partnered with AlphaPoint, a financial technology platform provider, to improve its backend technology and maintain ongoing growth.
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By leveraging the AlphaPoint Exchange Platform, Bitifinex will be positioned to scale more effectively as Bitcoin and other digital currencies mature. The enterprise solution is designed to process nearly one million transactions a second, so Bitfinex will be able to keep pace with spikes in trading.
Yoyo Taps BlueSnap To Power Global Payments
Yoyo, a mobile marketing and payments platform, has selected BlueSnap, a global payment gateway, to power its international transactions.
The Yoyo app, which combines payments, loyalty and discovery, is available to 125,000 university students and faculty members across the UK. Processing more then 50,000 transactions per month, Yoyo will rely on BlueSnap to enter into new markets worldwide. BlueSnap’s API library will eventually allow Yoyo to offer mobile payments in 180 countries, 29 languages and 60 currencies with 110 different payment options.
ControlScan Launches New Site To Educate SMBs On Payment Security
ControlScan, a provider of security and compliance solutions for small and mid-sized businesses, has launched a new web site to educate the community on payment security. The SMB Security Guide site is designed to serve as a single point of reference for SMBs that are seeking information and best practices for keeping sensitive customer data secure.
SMB Security Guide joins the PCI Compliance Guide to create an arsenal of ControlScan web properties positioned to educate SMBs on unified security and compliance for data breach prevention.
Digital Retail Apps Integrates Apple Pay Into SelfPay
Digital Retail Apps announced the availability of SelfPay, a mobile shopper app built with Apple Pay integration. Adding this integration allows merchants to accept Apple Pay in-store and in-app through SelfPay without adding any NFC-enabled physical payment hardware at the checkout.
SelfPay is an iOS and Android mobile app that enables shoppers to scan items at supported retail locations, view item and pricing details, and pay for the item using their mobile device. It works with multiple POS systems, payment methods and merchant payment processors.
Givex’s Vexilor POS Adds Bitcoin Payment Option
Givex partnered with Bitpay to enable the Vexilor POS to accept payments in Bitcoin. To pay with Bitcoin, customers generate a QR code on their smartphone and have it scanned by the Vexilor tablet. Merchants receive payment approval in real time, which should appear almost instantaneously on the POS.
“Enabling Bitcoin payments is an example of how we can quickly adapt to innovations that set our merchants apart,” said Jim Woodside, VP of Payment Services of Givex. “Now our merchants will be one step ahead of competitors when catering to tech-savvy clientele.”
Ingo Money Acquires Fuze Network
Ingo Money, a mobile payments technology provider, has reached an agreement to acquire Fuze Network, a card disbursement platform. The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2014. Ingo Money enables its partners and consumers to convert checks into “Good Funds,” while Fuze enables its partners to add cash to more than one billion bankcards.
“The combination of Ingo Money and Fuze technologies will accelerate our mission to digitize the cash economy by enabling consumers to use their mobile phones to convert any check or cash into electronic Good Funds and to push it virtually anywhere,” said Drew Edwards, Founder and CEO of Ingo Money. “Not only will the combination enable us to expand our retail product offering to include cash transactions, but the integration into our mobile solutions will revolutionize the way self-banked consumers control their money; from anywhere to anywhere from the convenience of their phone.”
LoopPay Unveils Card And Cardcase
Mobile payment solution LoopPay has launched the LoopPay Card and Cardcase mobile payment accessories, which are designed to ensure secure mobile payments throughout its 10 million merchant locations.
Customers can use the LoopPay Card on their mobile phone or can slide it out of the case to hand to waiters or clerks. The consumer is also notified on their phone each time a transmission is initiated from the LoopPay Card.
SecureNet Releases Consumer Survey
More than half (55%) of consumers have used a mobile device to research a product while in-store, according to a SecureNet survey, titled: The Way We Pay. One in five (21%) consumers have purchased a product from their smartphone while browsing for the same item in a physical store, illustrating that consumers are taking advantage of numerous sales channels.
When browsing products online, shoppers say that shipping costs and secure checkouts are the two biggest factors toward making a purchase.
More than 55% of consumers say they carry less than $20 in cash with them on a typical day, according to the survey. This total rises to 68% among 18-to-29-year-olds.
SmartGift Expands Offering With SmartGift Manager
SmartGift, a provider of retail gifting technology, has launched SmartGift Manager, an integrated data-driven platform that works in conjunction with its already established e-gift checkout. SmartGift Manager captures and visually presents a retailer’s online gift data, such as gift recipient preferences, as well as their additional spend and abandoned gift orders. Retailers also have access to real-time retargeting information, most popular gifts and optimal price points based on specific occasions and consumer demographics.
The data generated by SmartGift’s existing e-gift checkout is organized in a reactive dashboard that provides real-time actionable alerts. SmartGift Manager includes abandoned cart retargeting, a brand ambassador locator and consumer gift recommendations. The technology provider also added enhancements to its gift checkout platform, including E-gift card integration, peer-to-peer social marketing and mobile delivery.
Vogogo Partners With Knox, Enters U.S. Payments Market
Canadian payment services processor Vogogo has finalized a strategic partnership with fellow payment processor Knox Payments that provides Vogogo with exclusive access to Knox’s payment method, as well as access to the U.S. market. As part of the agreement, Vogogo can offer U.S. merchants multiple real-time payment options. Vogogo expects to launch beta U.S. processing in November 2014.
Existing Vogogo merchants will be able to use a single technical integration to accept fiat payments from both Canada and the USA.
