ISSUE NO. 84 – December 2020
RAKUTEN ENABLES CASH-BACK OFFERS VIA GOOGLE PAY
A newly announced collaboration between Rakuten In Store Network and Google Pay lets users earn cash back on card-linked offers for online and in-store purchases at participating retailers and restaurants. Consumers using the Google Pay app or a physical card stored in Google Pay are now eligible to receive cash-back rewards on purchases. Rakuten In Store Network is a performance advertising platform for driving in-store sales and traffic, and is part of leading e-commerce company Rakuten.
CardLinx Insight:
Cash back programs, deals and rewards have made CardLinx member Rakuten the e-commerce powerhouse it is today. Since 1999, the company’s paid out more than $1.5 billion to consumers. A recent study found merchants offering cash back with Rakuten enjoyed an astounding lift of 100% in orders and buyers, over a control group of consumers not offered rewards. You can’t argue with numbers like that. Offers work.
FIDEL TO ENHANCE THE GOOGE PAY EXPERIENCE
Google Pay aims to generate more rewarding payment experiences for its US users by employing CardLinx member Fidel’s financial infrastructure API. Fidel lets Google Pay users earn instant cash back from select retailers, restaurants, grocery stores and other merchant partners on qualifying in-store and online transactions.
CardLinx Insight:
Known for ability to power the payment experience worldwide, Fidel provides tools to build frictionless, real-time and personalized products on top of payment cards and/or apps. Look for this collaboration with Google Pay to generate new value for: Consumers demanding more convenience and rewards; merchants needing innovative ways to personalize offers and create loyalty; and card companies, (including CardLinx member Mastercard) vested in enhancing the digital commerce experience.
ANTITRUST LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST FACEBOOK
Forty-six U.S. attorneys general, led by New York, and the Federal Trade Commission, filed suit against Facebook. They allege the social network, the largest in the world with more than 2.7 billion monthly active users across four apps, is an illegal monopoly. The lawsuit claims the company bought up its competition—Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp—and is now operating with unchecked power and unfair advantage.
CardLinx Insight:
This is the second tech giant to be in the crosshairs of the law in the past year. Alphabet’s Google was sued by the Justice Department and a group of state attorneys general earlier in 2020. At issue in this case is not so much pricing and innovation tamp down, but consumer protection. Account holder data is at stake. Facebook has failed repeatedly to safeguard personal information from third-party access.
WERE WE RIGHT? RECAP OF 2020 INDUSTRY PREDICTIONS
Upcoming CardLinx Online Conferences
CARDLINX EUROPE
THE FUTURE OF PAYMENTS IS CONTACTLESS
February 23, 2021
2:00PM – 5:00PM (Paris time)
via Zoom
The virus has transformed many aspects of our lives—including the way we pay. Until relatively recently contactless payment systems were novel: Now they’re mainstream. Consumers prefer a touchless approach, and the technology’s there. Join CardLinx for an in-depth and insightful look at what the (near) future holds.
CARDLINX WEST
MOBILE WALLETS AND CLO IN 2021
April 28, 2021
9:00AM – 12:00PM PST
via Zoom
Card-linked offers embedded in mobile wallets to facilitate online-to-offline commerce are overwhelmingly ranked by industry leaders (and CardLinx members) as the most promising tech on the near-term horizon. Learn more about initiatives merchants, banks and processors are taking in 2021 to meet consumer demand for clean, friction-free payment experiences.
CARDLINX EAST
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE – WHAT’S IN STORE FOR THE FUTURE OF FIN-TECH?
JUNE 15, 2021
9:00AM – 12:00PM EST
via Zoom
Improving personalization, increasing security, making the payment process smoother: These are the promises of AI. Consumers—and those who serve them including merchants, bankers, processors and marketers—stand to benefit by application of artificial intelligence to the card-linking experience. Gain insight and understanding about what’s happening in fin-tech when it comes to AI.
NEW DIGITAL SERVICES
CARDLINX WEBINAR SERIES
“THE FUTURE OF SHOPPING – MEN ARE FROM EARTH AND WOMEN ARE TOO!”
January 12, 2021
9AM -10AM PST
David Josephs, CEO 
Rodney Mason, CMO
While their transaction behaviors were once from Mars and Venus, they’re now meeting in the middle and we will share how and why. daVinci Payments will share two very recent shopper studies that illustrate the differences and similarities of how Men and Women, shop and transact.
CardLinx hosts a live, interactive webinar each month featuring speakers from some of the most influential companies in the world. They share insights on important and relevant topics for your business—including the impact of Covid-19 on consumer credit behavior, mobile wallet adoption, card-linking and lending trends. The webinar is always free to members and non-members are invited to attend at a cost of $149 per registration. Members and non-members are encouraged to register now as space is limited.
Please contact [email protected] with questions or if you need additional information.
CARDLINX MEET-UPS
Curated 1:1 Video Meeting Among Webinar and Conference Attendees
CARDLINX COMMERCE TRACKER
The CardLinx Association brings to you an interactive world map that tracks the top 20 national economies of the world. Stay up to date with the constantly changing restrictions and reopenings of economic activity related to Covid-19. Find out which of the top world economies are open for business with the CardLinx Commerce Tracker.
