The US president signed an executive order yesterday banning US transactions with Chinese apps, including Alipay, owned by Ant Group Co., and WeChat, held by Chinese tech giant Tencent. The order takes effect in 45 days after the end of the current administration. The administration claims the apps access private information from US users that can be used by the...

US Retail Sales Jump In June (But It Could Be the Last Increase for Some Time) Retail sales were up in May and June as economies reopened. A better-than-expected 7.5% jump in June, following a record-breaking 18.2% increase in sales in May, surpassed economists’ predictions. The rebound occurred after businesses reopened and pent-up demand for retail goods and services came...

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...

After years of false starts, mobile wallets are finally gaining traction in the global marketplace. Offers have become the de facto “killer app” for mobile wallets, driving their increased consumer acceptance and usage. Mobile Apps give consumers digital access to their payment cards, cash balances, coupons and rewards via smartphones and other devices. Using smartphones, smartwatches or tablets, online and...

As part of a global partnership, Ant Financial, the payment affiliate of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, has invested in Klarna. The companies announced that Ant Financial has purchased a <1% ownership in the Swedish financial technology start-up, known for offering shoppers interest-free financing over monthly installments. CardLinx Insight: Ant Financial is an affiliate of Alipay, China’s largest mobile wallet and...

TakeMe Pay combines the biggest payment services in the world into one app CardLinx member Japan Foodie (www.japanfoodie.jp) is well-known as a multi-payment service mainly for the restaurant industry in Japan. When tourists visit Japan whether they are from China or the US, they can use the Japan Foodie app on their smartphone to make a reservation, order off the menu...

Payments and Offers Go Global Walgreens has announced that all of its US locations will now accept Alipay’s mobile payment platform. Alipay is already available at US cities such as New York, San Francisco and Las Vegas and by April, Alipay will be available at more than 7,000 Walgreens locations across the country. Walgreens is the largest U.S. drugstore chain to use...

CardLinx’s Chicago Forum on Retail in the Age of Artificial Intelligence and Commerce Bots drew an engaged and dynamic crowd from the payments, digital commerce and retail industries. The presentations from notable leaders in the card-linking ecosystem explored how AI might change the retail experience for consumers. From on-the-go to seamless and frictionless, the future of retail will look more...