In a world of changing tastes and tech, it’s hard to make it to the top. It’s even harder to stay there. Our philosophy is that when you start with what your merchants need, and empower your members with the incentives and products to bring it to them, the rest takes care of itself. Whether […]
AI continues to take the world by storm. It’s hard to go a day without grappling with the newest major breakthrough, as everything from cars to customer service gets automated. It’s even harder to figure out what it means for our industry. One thing is certain: major changes are already underway, and tomorrow’s payment space […]
Why the subscription-based POS model is boosting revenue and delivering better service across the payments ecosystem. Point-of-sale (POS) technology is once again undergoing a major shift. While offices have generally made money selling terminals and collecting modest service fees, the new model centers on recurring revenue through Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). While merchants may initially resist the […]
The payments industry is evolving fast, with new technologies transforming how we send, receive, and track money. There are more options than ever to pay, and transaction fees are lower than ever before. We get more useful information from every payment, driving better service and higher sales. But while these innovations promise so much, there […]
Picture this: you’re in the middle of the lunch rush, your staff is juggling orders, and suddenly your point-of-sale system glitches, or it hits you with a surprise hardware update. That’s a nightmare that, sadly, many of us have experienced. Maybe your POS trauma was a forced hardware upgrade that you had to pay for, […]
What’s changed in 2025, and what it means for credit card issuers and payment platforms. In January, we published an article outlining how the credit card and payments landscape might shift depending on the outcome of the 2024 election. When we wrote that post, the industry was in the thick of a regulatory crackdown on […]
QR codes have been around for a long time. Those digitized squares were invented in 1994, and for years their use was mostly limited to industrial inventory management. But in the past few years, and especially since the pandemic, they’ve made a serious comeback. Thanks to smartphones, digital wallets, and changing consumer behavior, QR codes […]
The way people move money is changing fast—and peer-to-peer (P2P) payments are leading the charge. Whether it’s splitting a dinner bill, paying rent, or sending a gift, platforms like Venmo, Cash App, and PayPal have become household names. With just a few taps on a phone, users can instantly transfer funds from one account to […]
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming just about every industry, and the payments space is no exception. New AI-powered solutions are driving efficiency, enhancing customer service, and strengthening payment security. As businesses and consumers increasingly rely on digital solutions, AI is stepping in to optimize processes, reduce costs, and safeguard financial data. However, AI is a […]
In 2024, COCARD hit some major milestones that underscore our commitment to growth, innovation, and continued leadership in the payment solutions space. This was our first full year of strategic integration with MiCamp, and we’ve already seen positive transformations as a result of the partnership. Not only did we continue to grow, but this was […]
It seems that the credit industry has come under a microscope in the past few months. As the Biden administration wraps up its term, it has heaped increased scrutiny on the space. Credit card Rewards programs, Buy-Now-Pay-Later (BNPL) offers, and interest are all in the government’s regulatory crosshairs in 2024 and beyond. The scrutiny on […]
It’s a digital world; your customers know it, and they hope you know it too! One new solution that people love is the convenience and speed of contactless payment methods. From Apple Pay to tap-to-pay credit cards, contactless payments are becoming the preferred choice for many shoppers. For merchants, this shift presents an opportunity to […]
As we approach the 2024 U.S. presidential election, an unexpected bipartisan agreement has surfaced: Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump support exempting tips from federal income tax. This policy proposal is gaining traction in key battleground states like Nevada, where service industry workers are a significant voting bloc. As the discussion intensifies, […]
As the digital landscape continues to reshape consumer behavior, one payment option has been gaining significant traction among younger shoppers in North America: Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL). This payment method allows customers to make purchases and pay in installments, often without interest. It’s not just a passing trend—it’s a revolution in the way people, […]
When social media first hit the scene, few would have expected the central role it would play in any company’s marketing strategy. What started as a hangout for angsty college kids, then angsty teens, then everyone else, has become a ubiquitous tool for connecting and sharing information. That tool is especially powerful for companies looking […]
During COVID, QR codes felt like a godsend. Rather than a menu that you didn’t really know had been wiped down, a QR code gave you a truly contactless experience. In the years since, QR codes have stuck around, while our fears of contagion have not. A Morning Scan over Coffee: Convenient or Clunky? Scanning […]
Paying just gets easier, cooler, and more futuristic as the years go by. For decades, the payment space was relatively static; people paid with plastic, cash, or the occasional check. Today, customers have a bounty of options to stylishly pay for goods and services. One option, attractive for its convenience and cool factor, is the […]
Recently, I was renting a bicycle in a quiet midwestern town when I came face to face with a device I hadn’t seen in roughly twenty years. “We just need to take a copy for security, and then we’ll throw it away when you come back to pay,” the employee assured me. I handed her […]
Tipping has a fascinating history in American culture, dating back to the years following the Civil War. Though the practice comes from medieval Europe, the US has one of the strongest tipping cultures in the world today. In 2024, though, a growing number of Americans are finding gratuities, well, gratuitous. The Dreaded Question A woman […]
Before the massive network of member-owners and happy merchants, before booking over $10 billion in annual payment volume, and before rolling out some of the industry’s most sophisticated and seamless payment and CRM solutions in the industry, we knew we were special. COCARD has been a leader in payment processing since its inception, long before […]
For many, 2023 was a year of fear. Stubborn inflation, recession worries, and international conflict hung like a cloud over the US and the rest of the world. Despite a gloomy backdrop, the US economy proved more resilient than many expected, and there’s a stronger sense of optimism in 2024’s business outlook than there was […]
December 4, 2023 For Immediate Release | Scottsdale, Arizona In a significant move within the financial services sector, MiCamp Solutions, an acclaimed full-service provider of Fiserv and Repay proudly announces a landmark strategic alliance with COCARD. This partnership is further bolstered by MiCamp Solutions increasing its investment and involvement in COCARD, signaling a new chapter […]
Picture this: a customer comes into your store, grabbing several items that catch their eye. When they approach the counter to pay, they discover that you only accept cash. Disappointment washes over their face, they replace the items and walk out. If you’re still not taking cards, you’ve likely had a few moments just like […]
While attending Retail Now in Orlando, I purposefully compared POS solutions that were entirely Locally Installed, Cloud-Based and Hybrid. For some reading this article you may not be aware but the biggest trend in POS solutions is migrating to a hybrid solution. The premise is simple. A hybrid Point of Sale (POS) system combines elements […]
Last month we outlined the origination of Embedded Banking and how companies are now offering a fully embedded solution that includes aspects of traditional banking, lending, processing payments, and delivering a platform that will enable a merchant to provide lending and capital to consumers at the point of purchase if necessary. The offering is incredibly […]
The Rise of Embedded Banking Introduction: In recent years, the financial industry has witnessed a remarkable transformation with the emergence of embedded banking. Embedded banking refers to the integration of financial services into non-financial platforms and applications, seamlessly blending banking functionalities with everyday activities. This innovative approach to banking has gained significant traction, enabling businesses […]
Picture this: your business just received an urgent message from a customer about a payment issue. Before your support team even gets a chance to respond, an AI-powered chatbot on your website steps in and resolves the problem instantly. A few days later, you wake up to learn a fraudulent transaction from a stolen card […]
If you want to lead in any industry, you better follow the news. This is doubly true for the payments space, whose regulations, technology, and trends are always changing. Let’s get you caught up on how the regulatory environment could change in 2023, and what it could mean for you and your clients. In an […]
One thing we can safely say about last year: no one was bored! Across industries, businesses grappled with a number of challenges. Customers and boardrooms dealt with rising inflation, hurting both wallets and bottom lines. From the stock market to a changing job environment, the economy looked a lot gloomier by the end of the […]
The cannabis industry is one of the nation’s fastest-growing, with more and more states moving to fully legalize it for medical and recreational use. The roughly $10 billion market is expected to maintain an average growth rate of roughly 15% through the 2020’s, an exciting prospect for investors and entrepreneurs looking to enter the industry. […]
Who doesn’t love a discount? For both merchants and customers, cash discounting is a powerful tool to add more value in every transaction. It enables merchants to provide a promotional discount and minimize the cost that each customer pays. While COCARD leverages its deep relationships and innovative technology solutions to provide our merchants the best […]
We know that surcharges for using a card can add up to a big bill every year for businesses. It makes sense to pass some of that cost along to the customers that incur them, not the ones who pay in cash. NCAs (non-cash adjustments) are gaining steam among merchants, and in most of the […]
There’s never a dull moment in our industry. We have to constantly adapt to new technologies, tastes, and policies. So far, this decade is already bringing us a whole lot of change, with antitrust action shaping up to be the year’s game-changer. There’s a piece of proposed legislation, making its rounds through Washington, that could […]
From gadgets to groceries, people have more ways than ever to pay in easy pieces. The buy now, pay later (BNPL) revolution is taking off around the world, largely driven by digital platforms. Though slower to gain traction in the United States, the revolution is coming here too. In a recent survey, the number of […]
When the pandemic first hit, the panic was the gut reaction across the country. It may feel much longer than two years ago when we crowded into grocery stores for toilet paper and disinfectants. Before we knew it, we were walled off from the friends we love. The luckiest among us were walled in with […]
Every day, we’re inundated with chilling news of data breaches, as well as damning allegations of our favorite companies basically spying on us. While customer data is giving companies unprecedented insight into how to better serve their clientele, it also opens the door to serious breaches of public security, privacy, and trust. In this environment, […]
Every time a customer engages with us, they speak volumes about what works and what doesn’t. They tell us how to better reach and serve them. They give us a wealth of information, often without saying a word. Now and certainly in the future, leading businesses are defined by how well they can hear this […]
How has the pandemic impacted your professional life? If things are a little out of whack since 2020 began, you’re certainly not alone. At COCARD, we see opportunity in any change, even the seismic shift of the last couple of years. We turned a challenge into an opportunity, growing our member-owned network by over 40% […]
You probably remember the first time you saw it, that moment of confusion, curiosity, and interest. You watched the person in front of you in line simply wave their phone over the credit card reader, and after the confirmation ding, the receipt was printed and they were on their way. What the heck just happened? […]
At COCARD, we don’t just have members; we have partners. As a member-owned network of ISOs (independent sales offices), we strive to make sure our products and services add maximum value to our members, merchants, and their customers. If a single part of that chain isn’t getting the absolute most out of their relationship with […]
Credit card fraud, one of the most common forms of identity theft, is on the rise. Already a pernicious problem before 2020, the pandemic sent the number of fraud incidents skyrocketing, costing Americans billions of dollars. In 2021, the cost of credit card fraud was estimated at a whopping $8 billion. The number of victims […]
Over the last few years, the frenzied speculation of cryptomania has given way to an understanding that cryptocurrency is here to stay.
More and more, businesses are accepting major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin as payment, and credit card providers are starting to offer them as rewards.
Earning cryptocurrency as cashback is a major innovation, with unique challenges and benefits for consumers.
Time will tell whether this remains a niche offering for crypto enthusiasts, or whether more people are drawn to the opportunity to earn a solid return on their rewards.