In January 2020, Illinois joined 10 other states in the country (along with the District of Colombia) by legalizing recreational marijuana. While this has presented an immediate business opportunity that many have taken advantage of, the continued federal ban on the drug has led to unique challenges for both business owners seeking ways to process payments, as well as for … [Read more...] about Emerging Cannabis Market Presents Opportunities for Payments Trailblazers
Payments in a Pandemic
There's a theme in payments media and marketing that contactless payments are growing as a result of the ongoing pandemic to protect both cashiers and customers. Indeed, Mastercard and Visa both reported increases in contactless cards and usage since March. A cursory look at the data suggests that, like many trends, the pandemic is speeding up increases that were already … [Read more...] about Payments in a Pandemic
FinTech Reaches a Digital Tipping Point
The world of digital transactions is in the middle of a meteoric rise, spurred by major lifestyle changes in the face of Covid-19. Ecommerce has developed more in the past three months than in the ten years prior, and that growth still hasn’t plateaued. How do FinTechs take advantage of that growth and adjust for the future? That was the theme of Plug and Play Ventures’ … [Read more...] about FinTech Reaches a Digital Tipping Point
Chicago FinTech News 6-26-2020
Chicago Student Loans by A.M. Money offers no-cosign funding. Chicago born-and-raised black FinTEx member A.M. money has matched his life experience with a team and a vision to expand funding for students without access to a cosigner for student debt. Rapunzl Co-Founder Highlights Diversity Continuing Diversity Problems. Rapunzl co-founder (a previously-featured company on … [Read more...] about Chicago FinTech News 6-26-2020
FinTech Offers New Tools in Fighting Fraud
Cybercrime continues to become more sophisticated and more prevalent as ecommerce accelerates. Synthetic identities are being used to open accounts, and account takeovers can be automated by networks of bots. Fraud targeting businesses will likely only continue to expand as the post-Covid world turns increasingly to online business, and staying on top of those attacks will … [Read more...] about FinTech Offers New Tools in Fighting Fraud
Illinois’s Post-Corona Virus Economy Begins to Open
My wife and I drove out of Chicago for the first time in months today (Saturday, May 30). Illinois cities and towns, with the exception of Chicago, took their first steps to reopen. We were anxious to enjoy it. Restaurants and bars in Ottawa, Ill., were opening with outdoor seating, with some streets closed to accommodate additional seating with proper social distancing. The … [Read more...] about Illinois’s Post-Corona Virus Economy Begins to Open