BluePay Blog

2019 marks the year that many mobile carriers launch their 5G networks. It’s the fifth generation of wireless technology. The changes include new smartphones with 5G capability, which have only recently hit the market. That means most people don’t yet have access to this powerful network. However, it’s important to start covering the 5G revolution as it starts to prepare retailers for the opportunities to come so changes can start now to accommodate the new network.

Topics: Due.com Partner Posts, Mobile Payments, E-Commerce and Online Payments, Payment Technology, Small Business Tips, Payment Trends

Although it sounds more like something out of a science fiction novel or movie, facial recognition is gaining ground as a technology for identify verification. If you have an iPhone, you may already be using this biometric method.  Rather than entering a password, your smartphone recognizes you from a scan of your face that it took when you first used it. From there, many more apps have integrated the facial recognition technology. 

Topics: Due.com Partner Posts, Mobile Payments, Payment Technology, Payment Trends

The in-vehicle payment market is considered relatively new with some of the first mentions of its potential in 2017 when researchers started tracking this business segment. The first signs of this new payment method appeared in 2016.   Current and Projected Growth Now, according to research firm Technavio, the global in-vehicle payment services market is set to increase by over 195% during the period from 2017 to 2021.

Topics: Due.com Partner Posts, Mobile Payments, E-Commerce and Online Payments, Payment Technology, Payment Trends

In recent years, we've heard about the shared economy and the on-demand economy. Now, there's the API economy. With each economy that emerges, it's important to know what it involves and how you can become a part of it to leverage any relevant benefits for your business. Although this meaning of economy is slightly different, it's important to know what it involves because today's businesses do need to consider leveraging APIs to service unique customer needs and expectations.

Topics: Software and Payment Integration, B2B, Due.com Partner Posts, Payment Technology, ISV/VAR

With nearly 20 percent market share, Fitbit is arguably the most popular wearable technology in the world. These personal fitness trackers can monitor everything from your heart rate to steps taken to sleep patterns. With more than 25 million active users, Fitbit continues to rake in billions of dollars every year — all through sales of its wearable devices.  But the company believes its Fitbit can become more than just a fitness tracker. In 2018, it added mobile payments to its growing line of wearable tech.

Topics: EMV, Payment Technology, Small Business Tips, Payment Trends

Over the last few years, chip-and-PIN has been heralded as the gold standard in payment security. These EMV credit cards come with embedded chips that are next to impossible to clone. To initiate an in-store payment, customers must input a personal identification number (PIN) that only they know.  Additionally, mobile payments and wearable technologies continue to grow in popularity every year. In fact, experts predict that annual in-store sales generated through smart devices could exceed $500 billion by 2020 — in the United States alone. 

Topics: EMV, Mobile Payments, Payment Technology, PCI Compliance and Fraud Prevention, Payment Trends

In 1995, Borders and Barnes & Noble both maintained nationwide networks of brick-and-mortar bookstores. This made it nearly impossible for smaller retailers to compete.  Then came Amazon, which began selling books online.  What once was an insurmountable advantage became a liability as major book retailers had to divert dwindling profits toward rent, overhead and other brick-and-mortar expenses. 

Topics: Payment Technology, Payment Trends

If you grew up during the ’70s, ’80s or ’90s, you probably remember seeing branded credit cards offered by some of the biggest names in retail. You could use your JCPenney card at most stores — but using it specifically at JCPenney allowed you to rack up certain discounts and loyalty points.  These types of cards still exist — and probably won’t go away anytime soon.  However, big-box retailers are increasingly exploring a new payment option — i.e., mobile wallets that are directly tied to branded smartphone apps.  From Kohl’s Wallet to Walmart Pay to Target Wallet, each store uses a slightly different name — but the basic functionality remains the same: 

Topics: Mobile Payments, Payment Technology, Payment Trends

Last year, Apple introduced Apple Pay for the Web as a way to compete with online payment services like PayPal. This additional payment option is something you should consider for your small business website -- and it's not just because hundreds of thousands of major brands and recognizable retail websites are already supporting this new online payment method.

Topics: Due.com Partner Posts, E-Commerce and Online Payments, Payment Technology, Small Business Tips, Payment Trends

There are literally hundreds of credit cards available to consumers and business people from different credit card brands, banks, and affiliate brands. With so many choices, it would seem like it wouldn’t make sense to keep introducing new types of credit cards, but they appear near daily with some other type of spin or offers.

Topics: Due.com Partner Posts, Guest Blog Posts, Payment Technology