June 19, 2020

Fi911: A New Brand to Fuel Leadership & Ongoing Evolution

fi911 cb911

I saw an interesting news item recently: Tesla has surpassed Toyota to become the world’s most valuable auto maker. According to the article, the company’s market cap increased by over 375% over the last year, making Tesla a more valuable global brand than others in the top ten, including Google, Apple, Microsoft, and Facebook. Whether or not you’re a fan …

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June 5, 2020

For Airlines, the Storm Isn’t Over Yet

Airline terminal Covid-19

To be fair, the present is not the most opportune time for merchants in most verticals. For airlines and others in the travel industry, though, the bad news just seems to keep coming. Even before the fallout of the COVID-19 crisis was fully realized, enclosed spaces packed with people became something to avoid. Since that’s basically the definition of an …

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May 4, 2020

Merchants: Here’s Why You Should Encourage Customer Complaints

Customer Complaint

When we talk about ways to prevent chargebacks, we often mention refund and return policies as a primary issue. They may not seem directly connected, but they very much are. If your refund policy is too complicated, too arduous, or too difficult to find on your site, then it may be easier for the customer to shrug and say, “Forget …

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April 13, 2020

Expecting the Unexpected: What We Can Learn From a Crisis

Business Continuity Plan

Any business leader worthy of the title knows surviving a crisis depends on having an emergency plan in case of disaster. That said, the COVID-19 pandemic in which we’re currently stuck is an unprecedented situation. I’m looking around today as many business leaders discover their definition of “disaster” wasn’t nearly broad enough. It’s not that these companies had no strategies …

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March 19, 2020

The COVID-19 Crisis Puts Things in Perspective

COVID-19 Coronavirus

Like most of you, I’ve received multiple emails over the last few days from companies I do business with. From global corporations to local produce shops, everyone wishes to keep us informed of what they’re doing to protect employees and customers in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. My company sent a very similar message to our own clients and …

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March 9, 2020

The Future of Friction is Dynamic

Dynamic Friction

I see more and more eCommerce merchants struggle these days to maintain the right balance between effective fraud mitigation and an optimized customer experience. The motto of our age might as well be “I want what I want, and I want it now.” Unfortunately, the need to make online transactions as smooth and effortless as possible often clashes with merchants’ …

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February 12, 2020

How Will Visa’s New Fee Structure Affect Merchants?

Visa Fee Increases

According to documentation the company presented to banks this week, Visa is planning to restructure the rates US merchants pay to accept its cards. The largest such change in over 10 years, the move is part of an overall push to convert more check-writing consumers into payment card users.

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January 23, 2020

Why Is Google Cutting Chrome Support for Tracking Cookies?

Google magnifying glass

Following on an announcement last August, a Google blog post released earlier this month elaborated on the company’s plan to limit insecure cross-site tracking. As they explain, they will soon begin “treating cookies that don’t include a SameSite label as first-party only, and requiring cookies labeled for third-party use to be accessed over HTTPS.”

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January 7, 2020

Technology, Responsibility, and the Coming Decade

Technology evolution

The start of a new year—and a new decade—is always a good time to stop and gain one’s bearings. Whether I look forward or backward over a ten-year span, what I see most are changes. Specifically, I see technology rapidly altering the way we live.

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December 19, 2019

What Retailers Can Learn from AM Radio

AM Radio

According to the informative article I just read, AM radio is dead. The author very clearly stated that the “distracting, degraded, static-y AM” radio system had long outlived its usefulness and that the FCC should intervene and put the obsolete format out to pasture.

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