The PayPal-owned digital promotions platform introduced cash back through PayPal, a new way for US users to redeem reward points, per a press release.

How it works: Users can link their Honey and PayPal accounts to redeem Honey Gold rewards points for cashback sent to their PayPal balance. Users can also redeem their rewards points for gift cards to participating stores.

Honey also introduced a new iOS Safari browser extension for US users to enable simpler mobile shopping. Once users download the Honey app and enable the extension, Honey will automatically find coupons and cash-back offers when they shop on Safari. This should help Honey to capture volume from the growing m-commerce market: After expanding 15.2% this year to reach $359.32 billion, we forecast US retail m-commerce sales will hit $728.28 billion by 2025.

The opportunity: PayPal just launched its super app, which includes a Shopping hub where customers can discover deals, make purchases, and earn rewards. Integrating Honey’s rewards program directly into PayPal should bring more Honey users to PayPal’s app, growing its user base and setting up cross-promotional opportunities for PayPal’s other shopping and financial services.

Why it’s worth watching: Honey’s rewards integration should help PayPal capture more payments volume and aid its retail push, especially ahead of the holiday season.

• Connecting Honey’s rewards program positions PayPal to capture more holiday sales volume as shoppers look for deals and ways to save: US retail eCommerce holiday sales are projected to reach $211.66 billion this year––18.4% of all holiday retail, per our forecasts.
• Honey can improve PayPal’s shopping solution as it dives deeper into the space: PayPal-owned Happy Returns has been building out its drop-off network, and PayPal’s Shopping hub is featured prominently in the revamped app.
• Getting more involved in retail can also help maintain PayPal’s growth and drive payments volume: In Q2, PayPal’s total payment volume (TPV) shot up 36% year over year (YoY), hitting $311 billion.

Related content: If you want to dig deeper into PayPal’s retail ambitions, you can read more about its super app launch and new shopping hub here.

6.5 million customers in Sri Lanka lack full access to finance due to the impact of the pandemic and increased consumption. International fintech holding Robocash Group has entered the consumer lending market in Sri Lanka with its new online lending service Robocash.lk, providing instant financial access.

Sri Lanka's GDP per capita amounts to 13.2 k USD, which is higher than in the neighbouring Philippines, India, Indonesia and Vietnam. However, there is a marked income gap among the country's population. 21.1% comprise both the rural people with low income and the unemployed young citizens aged 15-24 with limited options for financing. At the same time, internet and mobile penetration in Sri Lanka is at 50.8%, which is lower than in Southeast Asia and globally, but foreseen to accelerate in the long term.

“The increased volume of consumption in Sri Lanka, exceeding 53 Bn USD in 2020, and the third wave of the pandemic are spurring the growing demand for alternative financing. Therefore, lending is expected to increase by 25% in 2021, with the demand for additional funds continuing to rise every year onward. According to our research, 6.5 million creditworthy individuals are already in need of alternative financing this year. The launch of Robocash.lk offering consumer loans marks Robocash Group's entry into the fast growing lending market in Sri Lanka, where we aim to facilitate financial inclusion and meet the urgent spending needs of Sri Lankans”– shared Sergey Sedov, Chief Executive Officer at Robocash Group.

The service is designed to provide simplified and fast processing of short-term personal loans for creditworthy individuals having limited access to finance. The customers of Robocash.lk will be able to borrow up to Rs 60,000 (300 USD) automatically without any additional charge. Owing to the use of in-house automated technologies, the loan will be issued in mere minutes after filling out an application. In contrast to traditional credit companies, Robocash.lk customers are required to provide a minimum set of documents and can apply for a loan without leaving home or work any time of the day and throughout the week, including holidays.

The rebrand will empower the most influential community in payments, where the connections, collaboration and learning shape an industry that works for all

Leading payment organisations came together to celebrate innovation in the financial sector last night at the Emerging Payments Association’s (EPA) 14^th annual Emerging Payments Awards (EP Awards) ceremony. Held at JW Marriot Grosvenor House Hotel, London, the event was attended by over 750 individuals from the most influential companies in fintech.

Along with the awards winners, the EPA also announced its rebrand to The Payments Association during the ceremony, with the name change taking effect throughout October. The association has seen significant growth over the past few years, welcoming names such as Nationwide, J.P. Morgan and KPMG to the community, and the new name reflects the breadth and diversity of payment businesses that are represented; unifying the entire ecosystem, catering for all things payments.

The UK’s fintech sector is booming, raising $5.7bn in the first half of 2021, more than doubling the total investment secured in the industry in 2020. Such success is down to the innovation and commitment performed by each individual fintech. Meanwhile, the EPA has increased its volume of members by 20% in the last year alone, with evolution and progression at the heart of the payments industry.

At the EP Awards, Comviva Technology Ltd were among the winners, celebrating two award wins for Best Direct Account to Account Solution and Leading Financial Services or Payments Start-up. Banking Circle took home the prize for Best Back Office Innovation for its real-time clearing and settlement global network, and Alison Donnelly, Director of fscom, came away with the Industry Contributor of the year Award.

With a record number of submissions for this year’s awards, the judging panel, made up of independent experts, had a tough job in reviewing the hundreds of submissions from across the world to select the final winners of the 20 awards.

Tony Craddock, Director General at the EPA, said: “Having hosted the awards for 14 years, it is incredibly exciting and motivating to see the growth journeys of companies big and small. This is especially true after the year we have all experienced, as we are learning about the new, innovative ways in which they are performing to evolve our payments sector. As our members have grown, so too have we and this rebrand will serve to further enrich the opportunities for our members within the payments industry.”

He continued: “The community that we have built since we were established is our most valuable asset and our aim in becoming The Payments Association is to empower the most influential community in payments, where the connections, collaborations and learning shape an industry that works for all.”

The full list of winners for 2021 is as follows:

• Best International Payments, Remittance or Use of FX: Currensea
• Best Financial Inclusion Payments Initiative: India Post Payments Bank and Financial Software and Systems (FSS)
• Best B2C Payments Programme: ACE HollPeiser – MuchBetter
• Best B2B Payments Programme - B2B Wallet: PartnerPay by Amadeus
• Best Open Banking Initiative: Konsentus Verify
• Best B2B/B2C Banking Initiative: Bankily by Banque Populaire De Mauritanie (BPM) and Comviva
• Best Partnership Initiative: ClearBank Tide Business Banking
• Best Use of Payments Data or AI in Financial Services: Sentinels 

• Most Innovative Mobile or Financial Service Payments Solution: Refreshed PayMaya App by PayMaya Phillippines, Inc
• Most Innovative Merchant Services: Skiply by RAKBANK 

• Best Back Office Innovation: Banking Circle 

• Best Customer Facing Experience: ID-Pal 

• Leading Financial Services or Payments Start-Up: MOVii by Movii and Comviva Technologies Ltd 

• Leading Emerging Payments Organisation: PayMaya Philippines, Inc 

• Best Use of Crypto in Financial Services: Seamless Crypto Spending by Contis 

• Best Direct Account to Account Solution: MOVii and Comviva Technology Ltd 

• Best Lending Initiative: Oxbury Bank Plc
• Best CSR or Charity Initiative: Worldcoo’s Charity Rounding Up – Worldcoo 

• Best Market Expansion Programme: Marqeta 

• Industry Contributor of the Year: Alison Donnelly, Director, fscom

The Emerging Payments Awards celebrate innovation, collaboration and emerging payments by recognising companies that have made significant advances in how we pay today. The celebrity host of this year’s awards was Hugh Dennis, who kept the audience entertained throughout the evening. 

For more information on the work and services of the EPA, or to learn more about the rebrand to The Payments Association, you can visit: www.emergingpayments.org or contact: marketing@emergingpayments.org

n on the work and services of the EPA, or to learn more about the rebrand to The Payments Association, you can visit: www.emergingpayments.org or contact: marketing@emergingpayments.org

If you are running a forex brokerage, it is important to know that your trader’s room (CRM) is one of the most crucial aspects of your business operation. Those who are setting up a new business and exploring the various Forex and Crypto broker solutions on offer should be aware that a good Forex CRM system is central to running your business optimally. Regardless of whether you’re an existing brokerage or a new enterprise, CRMs are an essential component for your business as they allow for effective customer interaction, and a whole lot more. A good CRM system performs a long list of tasks and collects customer information, hence is invaluable to your business. In this respect, they are also very useful when it comes to converting leads into real clients. In this article, you can learn more about the benefits of opting for the best CRM money can buy. 

In such a large industry, it’s not surprising to hear that there is a vast array of CRM solutions available on the market. Good news, but each one offers many different functions, so which one do you choose? It is advisable to research what’s out there and make an educated decision on the one best suited for your type of business and what you are trying to achieve. It goes without saying that choosing the right one for your requirements needs to be thoroughly assessed for its suitability. Flexibility issues are at the core of B2Core which has designed a CRM solution that can deal with all kinds of businesses differing needs. The company’s innovative pack-based solution offers a long list of functions that delivers an all-encompassing collection of useful features, with the opportunity to have a unique bespoke service that fits your precise business requirements. 

Many industry-leading brokerages already use B2Core. For them, choosing it was an easy decision as it offers a solution with benefits not available with other CRMs. To follow are some of the top advantages you will gain from implementing B2Core.

What is B2Core?

B2Core handles tasks involving the organisation of the work of Forex brokers and crypto exchanges, back office for employees and administrators, front-end for traders, verification and registration of customers and countless payment functions. It is ideal for professional businesses including FX and crypto brokers, converters, spot and margin exchanges, EMIs and crypto wallets/companies that accept cryptocurrency payments. Many of B2Broker’s existing clients already use it, so if you’re a prospective client looking for an industry-leading solution designed for your business, you’ve come to the right place. To add to this, the solution has won several industry awards in recognition of its cutting-edge, industry-leading technology and the outstanding service it offers.

An Innovative Pack-Based Solution 

If you’re looking for a solution that is better than the industry-average with a requirement for extended functionality to handle a higher level of work and a highly customised range of demands, B2Core will exceed your expectations in comparison with other products in the market. 

B2Core’s pack-based solution introduces a brand new concept to the market, enabling you not only to choose a package that suits your requirements exactly, but to pay only for what you need. For example, some brokers will find the Basic package ideal for their needs but those with more demands will benefit from the extended set of features available in the Advanced and Enterprise packages. 

With B2Core, you get a pack-based product which is highly responsive to your clients requirements. It’s flexible enough to be adjusted to meet a broader range of tasks should the need arise. It is also compatible with most trading platforms so if you are a Forex or Crypto Broker business looking for an MT4 CRM, you’ve found your perfect solution!

Unbeatable Range of Features

B2Core is one of the top choices for all professional businesses. Its impressive range of features include the following: 

• An adaptive dashboard where users can access all their activities and allows admins to add, replace and delete widgets.

• Access to real-time financial data generated in a convenient and easy-to-use format.

• The ability for users to analyse trading activity to check and keep track of their clients’ data.

• Easy KYC account verification procedures with a section where all verification level changes are displayed and other details including SumSub and IDM, etc are shown.  

A special note is made of the UI interface which is so convenient to use. Its customisable set of personal settings include, for example, the ability to switch between light and dark modes. In addition, an unlimited number of workspaces, market depth widget, branding of the client’s cabinet, and a long list of other useful features will give you the means to set yourself apart from your competitors.

B2Core supports multiple language options and offers a mobile version with features including Login, Registration, Wallets, MT4, Deposit and Transfer with over 30 payment integrations. 

A Great CRM Solution Designed for Every Business Need

In summary, B2Core is an impressive CRM solution in so many ways thanks to its huge range of customisable features and the opportunity for users to choose exactly what suits them. It is the solution of choice for every professional company and one which competently handles the client-facing operations of all types of financial business, regardless of complexity. 

B2Core is truly an efficient, high-performance system which will exceed your expectations as it easily surpasses all the “one size fits all” client cabinet solutions in the market. B2Core implementation couldn’t be easier and you can be up and running in just 7 days after signing the agreement. Sign up today!

• Tide and Adyen collaborate to bring payment link product to Tide members

• Tide Payment Links will offer a quick, easy, and low-cost option for receiving card payments

Tide, the UK’s leading business financial platform Tide is not a bank, but a business financial platform and the leading digital challenger in business banking services. We believe that a platform approach is the future of business banking, allowing us to offer both financial and admin services to SMEs saving them time (and money) to allow them to focus on what they love: running their businesses. has announced today a partnership with the leading payment technology provider, Adyen, to expand its platform with a payment acceptance offering.

In line with Tide’s platform model - connecting smart and intuitive tools to a business bank account - helping small business owners save time (and money) on their financial admin, Tide has selected Adyen as its first partner within the payment acceptance space. Powered by Adyen’s advanced technological offering, Tide will allow members to accept card payments from customers quickly and easily, at a low cost, via the soon-to-be-launched Tide Payment Links.

Tide Payment Links will allow small business owners to accept card payments quickly, easily and remotely, with the option to include a payment link on invoices. Payment links have proven a popular method of making payments with the pandemic expediting the decline in the use of cash - over 1.2 million small and micro-businesses* are already using card acceptance tools, with the volume of ATM withdrawals 40% lower in October 2020 compared to the previous year**. Tide Payment Links will offer a hassle-free, secure way to make and receive payments.

Adyen will provide the back-end technology for Tide Payment Links, with members interacting with a streamlined Tide interface. Tide regularly collaborates with industry leaders to deliver complex products, integrating them into the platform and offering Tide members a rich and intuitive experience that can be scaled quickly.

Mark Hazzard, VP of Financial Services at Tide said: “We are delighted to have selected Adyen as our partner for the delivery of Tide Payment Links. Adyen’s leading technology and expertise in the payment acceptance sector mean we are confident we will be able to offer our members a great way to accept card payments that’s simple for them and their customers.

“We know that as a result of the pandemic, the use of cash has been in steeper decline, and it is important that small businesses have options available for their customers to make payments. Accepting card payments can be difficult and expensive for one-man-bands such as freelancers and contractors, Tide Payment Links will be a simple option to add to invoices and we hope it will help small business owners to get paid more quickly.

“We look forward to introducing many more payment acceptance products to Tide members in due course, offering a wide array of options for small businesses to receive payments.”

Colin Neil, Managing Director of Adyen UK said: “We're very excited to partner with Tide to extend their business banking offering for small businesses. We value the opportunity of teaming up with a forward-thinking financial technology company by enabling Tide members to streamline their payments set up, and further improve businesses efficiencies.”

Smart Engines technology helps Royal Caribbean Group streamline the guest boarding experience. Use of the Smart ID Engine has reduced friction and improved the guest experience, freeing terminal agents’ time to focus on personalizing guest interactions.

Royal Caribbean Group is known for premium service. Using Smart Engines technology, guests are presented a travel document scanning process that is quick and intuitive, and offers the guest a streamlined experience in the terminal before boarding the cruise. Indeed, most guests quickly and efficiently scan their travel documents at home before traveling to the terminal. When document scanning is necessary at the terminal, terminal agents efficiently handle the task leveraging the Smart ID Engine.

“By leveraging Smart Engines Smart ID Engine technology, we have been able to advance the guest arrival experience by removing friction, and by simplifying the experience at home and at the terminal.” — says Tim Klauda, VP Product, Royal Caribbean Group.

“Royal Caribbean Group strives - through innovation - to provide the best cruise experience to its guests and we share this same goal. Entering the cruise industry with the world’s leading cruise line is an important milestone for Smart Engines. We would like to thank Royal Caribbean Group for trusting us,” — states Dr. Vladimir Arlazarov, Founder and CEO of Smart Engines.

There are other synergies to the Royal Caribbean Group and Smart Engines collaboration. Both companies are united in a common goal to protect the environment. In 2020, Smart Engines joined the UN Global Compact. Smart Engines research is aimed at creating new energy-efficient neural network architectures. The proprietary Green OCR® technology, developed in Smart Engines software products for document scanning, enables it to reduce carbon footprint in the process of machine learning and the use of AI on many devices.

Wells Fargo unveiled the Reflect card, a no-annual-fee credit card with an 18-month introductory 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers, per a press release.

Here’s how it works: The Reflect card extends the 0% APR offer for an extra three months if customers make their minimum monthly payments on time for the first 18 months.

Other features include cell phone protection when customers use their card to pay their monthly cell phone bill and fraud protection. Cardholders can also earn cash back in the form of statement credits through the My Wells Fargo Deals rewards program.

The opportunity: The Reflect card can help Wells Fargo tap credit-averse customers who may normally use other interest-free or flexible payments solutions to encourage spending on its cards.

Avoiding interest is a top driver of debit and buy now, pay later (BNPL) use: In 2020, 40% of US consumers said they used BNPL solutions to avoid paying credit card interest, according to The Motley Fool. And another 53% of US consumers said they used debit cards because they wanted to pay with funds they had available at the time of purchase and avoid debt, per PYMNTS.

• Reflect can help Wells Fargo attract new customers and stop its market share from being eroded by fintechs like digital bank Upgrade—which helps customers build credit with a fee-free low-interest credit card that has a built-in installment payment plan. Upgrade’s flexible card was pegged as the fastest-growing US credit card by outstandings, per The Nilson Report.
• Wells Fargo can also use the Reflect card to keep up with JPMorgan Chase, which introduced Slate Edge, a credit card that gives customers who pay on time automatic consideration for 2% APR reductions each year and a credit line increase.

The bigger picture: Wells Fargo has been optimizing its business to focus on sectors with strong revenue-generating potential, like credit cards.

• In June, the issuer introduced the Active Cash card—which offers unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases and an introductory 0% APR for 15 months—as part of a broader line of credit card products rolling out next year.
• And in 2020, Wells Fargo stopped offering personal lines of credit to new customers—though it will keep the product for existing customers who use it or plan to reactivate it. This can drive new customers to its credit cards and increase payments volume.

Related Content: Want to learn more about the tactics issuers are using to invigorate credit card spending? Check out the “Credit Cards in the ‘Next Normal’” report.

Demand to Digitize Financial Research Workflows Accelerates Global Adoption 

Sentieo, the leading next-generation financial research platform provider, announced it has expanded its presence in the European market and doubled its team in the United Kingdom. The growth is driven by increasing demand for the company’s AI-driven financial research platform and represents a firm commitment to more than 50 active customers in the region, including Schroders, Kames, S.W. Mitchell, Cape Capital, Amiral Gestion and Ownership Capital. The London-based team has been bolstered by the addition of a Director of UX Design, a Director of Product, and three sales and client success executives, with the expectation to double the sales team again over the next 12 months.

The London expansion follows Sentieo’s Series B funding round in May 2021, which was led by Ten Coves Capital with participation from existing investors Centana Growth Partners and Studio Management. The capital supports the company’s mission to invest in the people and the technologies that are helping global customers transform the way they conduct financial and corporate research. 

“We are excited to expand our business and grow our team in Europe, to meet increasing demand for our solutions in the region,” noted David Lichtblau, CEO of Sentieo. “Providing an innovative cloud-based platform that can modernise the research workflow and drive analyst collaboration for more powerful investment analysis has catapulted our momentum around the globe. As the industry evolves, our team will continue to lead our clients through their digital transformation process and help deliver the competitive insights they need to succeed.”  

Following record revenues in 2020, demand for Sentieo’s AI-driven platform continued throughout the pandemic as investment firms sought cloud-based solutions that could enable their teams to work remotely and collaborate seamlessly. Featuring innovative AI search and sentiment analysis, market and alternative data, modeling and analytics – all supported by an integrated research management system – Sentieo is empowering customers around the world to reinvent how the investment research process is done.

With Sentieo, research analysts no longer need to rely on disparate tools and legacy applications like terminals, emails, and Excel documents to conduct financial research. By providing a centralized hub for analysts to do their work – in or out of the office – investment firms can modernize their research workflows, share ideas, and strengthen the investment analysis process to achieve Alpha for their clients.

To learn more about how Sentieo is transforming financial research for customers around the world, visit www.sentieo.com.

 Marshmallow, the digital insurance unicorn, has appointed Caroline Gillard as its first Chief People Officer as part of its broader strategy to scale its culture as the business continues its high-growth trajectory. 

The appointment, which became effective on 14th September, comes just weeks after Marshmallow announced its $85mn Series B fundraise, which valued the company at $1.25bn, making it one of the first UK unicorns founded by people of Black heritage. 

Having previously held roles at Babylon Health, Moonpig, McArthurGlen and Skype, Gillard brings 20 years of experience in HR to her new role. As part of her remit, she will lead the company’s people, talent and learning operations and advance Marshmallow’s commitment to its unique culture. She will report to Alexander Kent-Braham, Co-Founder and Co-CEO. 

Marshmallow also recently appointed Sam Knott as Vice President of Marketing to support its efforts to build brand awareness, reputation and engagement as the company continues on its ambitious growth plans, which have already seen customers double in the last 12 months. He joined from Dyson, where he had served as the company’s Global E-Commerce Director and held Marketing Director roles in Japan and the US, helping build a globally recognisable brand and boost revenue growth. 

Having increased its headcount by more than 200% in the past year, the company expects to hire 400 people over the next 24 months, expanding into new markets and building new products. 

For more information on its expansion, as well as the latest opportunities to join Marshmallow’s rapidly growing team, please click here. 

Commenting on the hires, Oliver Kent-Braham, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, said: 

“Both Caroline and Sam bring with them a wealth of experience, having spent time at a variety of high profile companies. 

Our culture has always been a strategic advantage. As we enter a new phase of growth and development, I’m excited to welcome Caroline and Sam to the company, and I know both will have an enormous impact.”