ICYMI: Marqeta files to go public

ICYMI: Marqeta files to go public

Card issuing and processing startup Marqeta has filed paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to go public, after more than doubling its 2020 year-over-year revenue.

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Facebook-backed digital currency project scales back ambitions to focus on US

Facebook-backed digital currency project scales back ambitions to focus on US

Facebook, which has been spearheading a global digital currency initiative called Diem – formerly known as Libra – is moving its operations from Switzerland to the U.S. in an effort to focus efforts on a U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin.

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UK publication employing homeless vendors taps QR code payments to increase sales

UK publication employing homeless vendors taps QR code payments to increase sales

The Big Issue, a 30-year-old U.K.-based publication that employs homeless street vendors, is incorporating QR code payments to increase sales.

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Bill.com could soon announce acquisition of expense-reporting startup Divvy

Bill.com could soon announce acquisition of expense-reporting startup Divvy

Bill.com, which reports earnings this week, is reportedly on the cusp of acquiring expense-management startup Divvy, which was recently valued at $1.6B.

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Marqeta could be planning a June IPO

Marqeta could be planning a June IPO

Card issuing and processing startup Marqeta is reportedly on pace to move forward with a June IPO, making the paperwork public in May.

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PayPal, Venmo tie-up with Fiserv ushers in QR code payment push at store checkouts

PayPal, Venmo tie-up with Fiserv ushers in QR code payment push at store checkouts

Banking technology company Fiserv, which owns point-of-sale payment system Clover, entered into a partnership with PayPal to allow QR code payments using PayPal and Venmo apps at business checkouts.

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As pandemic lingers, Southwest Airlines bets on ‘buy now, pay later’ to increase business

As pandemic lingers, Southwest Airlines bets on ‘buy now, pay later’ to increase business

Southwest Airlines has struck a partnership with ‘buy now, pay later’ (BNPL) provider Uplift, a company that focuses on point-of-sale financing for travel.

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Amazon debuts ‘pay with palm’ technology at Seattle Whole Foods locations

Amazon debuts ‘pay with palm’ technology at Seattle Whole Foods locations

As consumers get more comfortable with cashless payment methods as the pandemic enters its second year, Amazon is launching a new biometric payment method called Amazon One at Seattle Whole Foods stores.

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‘Buy now, pay later’ company Affirm acquires returns platform Returnly for $300M

‘Buy now, pay later’ company Affirm acquires returns platform Returnly for $300M

San Francisco-based Affirm, which offers ‘buy now, pay later’ (BNPL) financing for consumer purchases, announced that it will acquire Returnly, a returns platform that allows customers to get instant store credit even before a return is processed.

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Mastercard to acquire identity-verification firm Ekata for $850M

Mastercard to acquire identity-verification firm Ekata for $850M

Payments giant Mastercard plans to acquire Ekata, a 2-year-old Seattle based company that focuses on APIs and SaaS digital-identity solutions that help more than 2,000 businesses and partners combat cyberfraud.

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Citi allows corporate clients to track the trajectories of their digital payments

Citi allows corporate clients to track the trajectories of their digital payments

As digital business payments surge during the pandemic, Citibank is helping its clients gain more visibility into payment paths, reminiscent of the process to track shipments of physical goods.

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Bank of America acquires healthcare payments startup Axia Technologies

Bank of America acquires healthcare payments startup Axia Technologies

Bank of America has acquired Santa Barbara, California-based Axia Technologies, which is also known as AxiaMed. The 6-year-old payments technology company focuses on healthcare.

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Affirm and Vrbo partner on vacation rental point-of-sale loan program

Affirm and Vrbo partner on vacation rental point-of-sale loan program

Point-of-sale lender Affirm is moving past retail shopping and into vacation property rentals. The company, which went public earlier this year, announced a limited-time partnership with vacation rental marketplace Vrbo.

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Caesar Sengupta, Google’s head of payments, to leave for ‘new mission’ next month

Caesar Sengupta, Google’s head of payments, to leave for ‘new mission’ next month

Google’s head of payments says he’s leaving the company for a yet-to-be-announced “new mission.” His last day at the company is April 30.

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Card startup Ramp poaches Stripe executive Colin Kennedy

Card startup Ramp poaches Stripe executive Colin Kennedy

As Stripe reaches a $95B valuation, its talent is being sought out by newer startups looking to scale. This week, Ramp, a two-year-old corporate card startup, hired Colin Kennedy, Stripe’s former global head of partnerships, as its chief business officer.

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