Lead Times Get Longer, Inventory Piles Up Retailers are finding it difficult to match supply and demand. Shipping delays, port back-logs and other Covid-related supply-chain snafus are the norm. In response, chains including Target and Gap are building in more lead time from design to when the product hits shelves, but run the risk of consumers not wanting the goods...

Americans Are Borrowing Money Again  Consumer demand for credit is high. There was a 39% uptick in auto loans, general-use credit cards and personal loans from April 2020 to April 2021, according to credit-reporting firm Equifax. DCA Insight When the pandemic first hit, people worried. About getting laid off and/or running out of money. Splurging on a new car, taking a...

Buy Now Pay Later Tool By Sezzle Backed By Discover Sezzle’s buy now, pay later (BNPL) solution will be integrated on the Discover Global Network. Discover is backing Sezzle with a $30 million investment, and a referral program is being implemented introducing the card company’s credit and debit products to Sezzle’s user base. DCA Insight: Offering merchant partners and consumers...

Americans Are Borrowing Money Again Consumer demand for credit is high. There was a 39% uptick in auto loans, general-use credit cards and personal loans from April 2020 to April 2021, according to credit-reporting firm Equifax. DCA Insight: When the pandemic first hit, people worried. About getting laid off and/or running out of money. Splurging on a new car, taking...

Digital Payments Giants Vie for In-Store Sales PayPal announced it’s bringing its Zettle product to the US. It will offer point-of-sale hardware and related services such as invoicing to small- and medium-sized merchants—estimated to be a $4 trillion market. Other digital payments players, i.e. Stripe, Square and Fiserv’s Clover are addressing the small business/in-store market as well. DCA Insight: As...

The CardLinx Association released industry data revealing the latest trends in digital commerce and card-linked offers or “CLO”. Based on input from fin-tech, ad-tech and merchant leaders worldwide, the global trade association’s 2020 findings show significant industry growth, including a 40% increase in the share of advertising budgets devoted to card-linking. “The study reveals demand for card-linked offers is on...

The parent company of CardLinx member 24S of the LVMH Group, the world’s largest luxury retailer, is ending its planned takeover of Tiffany & Company. The government of France requested the deal be delayed on Aug. 31 because of a threat of U.S. tariffs on French goods, as well as coronavirus concerns. CardLinx Insight: The souring of this deal is...

New Clean Way to Pay: Mobile Wallets Surge on Covid 19 Fears Requiring no physical contact with merchant point-of-sale terminals, mobile wallets are increasingly viewed as a safer way to pay by consumers around the world. Fears that payment cards, cash and coins may be tainted with the coronavirus, and that touching in-store terminals might make shoppers sick, the use...

Expect the Unexpected in Covid-19’s Wake In the uncertainty that surrounds the coronavirus, Silvio Tavares, CEO of industry trade association Cardlinx, shared perspectives with member executives around the world. Among topics discussed? Travel’s stalled, with hotel occupancy at just 15% and properties slated to close; credit card use is down, impacting the U.S. and other countries where consumer spending accounts...

2020’s Silver Bullet for Bank Digital Engagement: Card-Linked Offers How do the best companies in the world build digital trust and data confidence with consumers? They do it by adhering to these 7 straightforward data best practices. CardLinx, a multi-industry trade association, recently completed a 1.5 year study and task force to identify key factors driving digital trust and data...

10 MERCHANTS LEAD THE CHARGE THE RUNNERS-UP The CardLinx Association, a non-profit trade group with members in 17 countries and on four continents (www.cardlinx.org), has its finger on the pulse of the card-link industry. Our team continuously monitors the marketplace to uncover the innovative ways merchants and retailers use card-linking to build affinity. Consideration for inclusion on the top-10 list...

2020’s Silver Bullet for Bank Digital Engagement: Card-Linked Offers If you are a bank serving consumers or a payment card issuer considering ways to drive mobile and digital engagement while adding value for merchants, you are likely considering card-linked offers (CLO). Linking your customer’s mobile app to a payment card or mobile wallet saves consumers money, boosts retailer revenue–and drives...