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The shift toward digital channels in financial services shows no signs of slowing down, as evidenced by the latest earnings results from incumbent banks and financial services providers.  During the first quarter, Bank of America logged a staggering 3.4 billion digital logins, with digital sales accounting for half of its total sales, as outlined in its earnings supplementals […]

In a lab in London, a new generation of avatars is learning to smile, frown and wink — not just as programmed, but in response to human emotions conveyed through text.  Backed by Nvidia, Synthesia’s latest creation aims to mimic and deeply understand feelings, turning every digital interaction into a near-human experience. As these emotional avatars […]

In a meeting that underscores the European Union’s ongoing scrutiny of the tech industry, Margrethe Vestager, the EU’s antitrust chief, held discussions with representatives from the French artificial intelligence (AI) firm Mistral AI on Friday (April 26). The meeting took place against a backdrop of growing concerns regarding competition in the tech sector, with Vestager expressing concern about […]

The global smart cities landscape is evolving, driven by the fusion of urbanization and technological advancements. This transformative shift is underscored by the recent release of the “2024 Smart City Index,” a collaborative effort between the IMD World Competitiveness Center and the World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization (WeGO). This index provides key insights into the […]

Despite the moniker attached to their segment, small businesses loom large in the American economy.  And with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) celebrating National Small Business Week starting Sunday (April 28), the staying power of entrepreneurship in the U.S. is top of mind for both small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) as well as the solution […]

Consumers are using mobile wallets more, but it is taking a while for them to grow accustomed to utilizing the technology to pay in stores, PYMNTS Intelligence reveals. By the Numbers The PYMNTS Intelligence report last year, “The Mobile Wallet Challenge: Replacing Physical With Digital,” created in collaboration with ACI Worldwide, drew from a census-balanced survey […]

Walmart has been expanding its omnichannel capabilities across its three segments: Walmart U.S., Walmart International and Sam’s Club. The company’s people and technology are dedicated to giving customers the opportunity to shop in both retail stores and through eCommerce so they can access what they need “anytime and anywhere,” the retailer said in its annual […]

Tired of proverbially picking their way through online resale marketplaces, consumers are looking for more streamlined secondhand shopping experiences that more closely resemble the ease and simplicity of buying new. In an interview with PYMNTS, Gayle Tait, CEO of Trove, a white-label resale platform for brands, said consumers are looking for branded secondhand shops to […]

Card-linked offers — those special promotions designed to encourage consumers to use their credit and debit cards at specific locations or for specific items — are used by about 2 in 5 cardholders. As PYMNTS Intelligence found in researching “Card-Linked Offer Growth Hinges on First-Time Users,” a report completed in collaboration with Banyan, only 22% […]

Uber says it has made an investment exceeding $1 billion in benefits for its California drivers and couriers since 2020. This investment is aimed at enhancing the working conditions and overall well-being of its vast network of drivers and couriers across the state, the company said in a Thursday (April 26) blog post. The initiative […]