This message was sent to ##Email## To advertise in this publication please click here July 7, 2021 .MAC UPDATES Level Up 21 - Agenda Session Updates Level Up 21 sets sail July 27-28 for two days of industry discussions, collaborations, and information exchange. Are you on the boarding list? This year’s agenda theme, Navigating the New World, focuses on strategies for success after the past year and the impacts of COVID on the industry. With over twenty sessions created by and for members, the agenda has something for you. Education sessions are tailored for all levels of expertise; if you are joining the payments industry or a seasoned captain, we have something for you. View the full agenda, detailed session descriptions, and list of industry speakers here. READ MORE MAC Members - Save on your Level Up Registration! MAC’s premier industry event, Level Up, features more than 20 educational sessions captained by thought leaders and subject matter experts in the payments industry. MAC members receive exclusive member-only pricing of $199 for this event. Are you a member? The Merchant Acquirers' Committee (MAC) is an association of payments professionals and organizations dedicated to protecting the integrity of the payment ecosystem through ongoing education, communication, and collaboration among its members. MAC membership provides education, networking, and other resources to organizations within the payment ecosystem to help them manage risk, prevent fraud and stay secure. Learn more about the value of a MAC membership and join today; we are ready to connect. READ MORE  SPONSORED VIDEO Webinar Series: KYC Beginner to Pro for Merchant Acquirers Boarding more merchants faster is key to growing a merchant acquiring business, but it’s risky. KYC due diligence is more than simply a required “tick-the-box” task—it’s the first and critical line of defense against boarding bad actors. This series is designed for risk managers looking to implement the latest advancements in KYC technologies to speed due diligence and underwriting while increasing revenue and compliance. WATCH VIDEO .INDUSTRY NEWS Fintech funding trends during the pandemic International Banker According to its most recent “Pulse of Fintech” report, KPMG Global found that global investment in financial technology in 2020 through venture capital (VC), private equity (PE) and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) routes was $105 billion from 2,861 deals, significantly lower than the $168 billion recorded the previous year. From the outset, therefore, this suggests that the general uncertainty that has pervaded investor sentiment since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic led to a retreat in funding for the fintech (financial technology) sector. And yet, there have been plenty of signs of resilience, particularly during the latter months of the year, which bodes well for a full recovery in investment levels by the end of 2021. READ MORE Mastercard, Eazy team to provide digital payment tools to SMBs PYMNTS Mastercard and Bahrain-based Eazy Financial Services are working together to equip small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and micromerchants with online payment technologies and access to financial services, according to an announcement. “Partnering with FinTechs is an important part of how we reshape and advance the digital payments landscape. We are delighted to collaborate with Eazy and offer access to our innovative solutions. Together, we are able to support small businesses and merchants across the Kingdom and give them access to the right tools, ensuring the transition to digital payments acceptance is smart, seamless, and simple,” J.K. Khalil, country manager for Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Levant at Mastercard, said in the announcement. READ MORE  SPONSORED CONTENT Promoted by Verisk Financial G2 MERCHANT BOARDING GUIDE: Learn how to streamline your KYC processes Online payment fraud is costing business owners billions TechRadar Businesses are set to suffer over $206 billion in losses from identity fraud in the period between 2021 and 2025, according to new figures. A study from Juniper Research has highlighted growing issues for merchants, especially since the arrival of the global coronavirus pandemic. To put the huge figure into perspective; Juniper’s number is equivalent to nearly 10 times Amazon’s net income for the 2020 financial year. READ MORE Smaller is bigger for payments giants The Wall Street Journal Digital payments players are going to be competing hard for small businesses as they emerge from the hardships of the pandemic with new ways of selling. It just isn’t clear what game they will be playing. READ MORE  PRODUCT SHOWCASE Age Verification For Your Merchant Portfolio AgeChecker.Net is the leading provider in online age verification for age-restricted industries. Compliance for Tobacco, Vape, CBD, gaming, supplements and many more. Require your merchants to use online age verification for age restricted products. Protect your merchant portfolio by adding an additional layer of KYC compliance. LEARN MORE Rise in online payments spurs questions over cybersecurity and privacy CNBC As more and more consumers embrace new methods of payment on e-commerce sites, questions over cybersecurity have become even more critical for businesses. In a Mastercard survey on new payments, conducted across 18 markets globally, a majority of consumers polled said they were willing to consider emerging payment methods such as digital or mobile wallets, QR codes and even cryptocurrencies. READ MORE Why are payments facilitators worth watching? eMarketer First popularized by firms like PayPal and Square, the payments facilitator (payfac) model is reshaping the payments ecosystem, allowing nonpayments companies that adopt it to participate more fully in the payments revenue stream. The payfac model is a framework that allows merchant-facing companies to embed card payments into their software — which in turn enables their customers to process payments. Companies that implement this payment model are called payfacs. The model was created to help SMBs accept online payments more easily, specifically by providing those merchants with a simpler payment onboarding process than what has traditionally been available from ISOs and merchant service providers (MSPs). READ MORE  SPONSORED CONTENT Promoted by The Third Party Payment Processors Association Free Webinar: Foundations of U.S. Anti-Money Laundering Efforts and International Cooperation TPPPA 2021 Training Schedule Including AAP & APRP CEC Eligible Webinars Multi-acquiring gives merchants access to diversity of consumer payment options PYMNTS In a world of unforeseen reboots, outages, service disruptions and more, to boost payments acceptance, merchants should consider establishing relationships with a range of acquirers if and when the need arises. According to ACI Worldwide Executive Vice President Debbie Guerra, this so-called multi-acquiring approach is one way that businesses can not only ensure continuity, but can also ensure resilience by being able to take advantage of top-line opportunities wherever and whenever a backup is needed. READ MORE  CONTENT SHOWCASE Announcing a New Webinar Series! Promoted by LegitScript LegitScript's all-new Knowledge Partner Webinar Series delivers four free one-hour courses on buy now pay later, domestic gambling, the state of payments risk and compliance, and conducting merchant ad reviews. LEARN MORE Technological hurdles plague digital payment industry: Innoviti The Economic Times Fintech player Innoviti Payment Solutions aims to use technology to add intelligence to payment transactions, helping merchants, banks and brands utilize the power of digital payments. Innoviti claims that it has processed over $6.5 billion worth of merchant payments from 1000 cities. READ MORE The post-pandemic payments world — or how the industry adapted to change The Paypers As the world adapted to the pandemic, we have seen a dramatic shift in consumer behavior and an increased interest in alternative and local payment methods. What does the payments landscape look like now, when the crisis is starting to subside? READ MORE  SPONSORED CONTENT Promoted by Arnall Golden Gregory LLP A New Sheriff in Town: FTC Commissioner Rohit Chopra Chosen to Lead CFPB Supreme Court Hears Oral Argument over FTC’s Section 13(b) Authority New Frontiers for the FTC in Healthcare Following the Consolidated Appropriations Act Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020 Makes Significant Changes to BSA/AML Regime Merchant, Beware: That Surcharge May Be Illegal Rapyd to acquire Valitor payments company for $100 million Finance Feeds Rapyd, the UK-based ‘fintech as a service’ company, has announced that it would be acquiring the Valitor payments platform for $100 million from the Arion Bank. Valitor is an Iceland-based company that is also into payments solutions and facilitates card processing services for its merchants across Iceland, UK, and Ireland. READ MORE FEATURED WHITEPAPERS   Promoted by Sysnet Global Solutions Are you ‘prescribing’ the right security solution to your merchants? When it comes to small businesses, an all-in-one cybersecurity solution is just what the doctor ordered.   DOWNLOAD NOW     Promoted by Select Choice The world is changing every day. Help your team stay ahead of the curve with people solutions from Select Choice. In our latest whitepaper, Making Moments Matter, you'll have access to leading research on staff and resource development.   DOWNLOAD NOW   Report: Mobile changes the game for managing remote worker spend PYMNTS Enterprises of all sizes and sectors are grappling with legacy spend management processes. Not only do many of them rely at least partially on pen, paper and spreadsheets to keep track of who owes what to whom and when, but those that use digital tools often use multiple systems at a time. The result is an endless maze of forms, emails and messages that reduce transparency and make it nearly impossible for them to make informed financial decisions. READ MORE   MAC Dispatch Connect with MAC Jason Zimmerman, Director of Publishing, Multiview, 469-420-2686 | Download media kit Oliver Kirby, Senior Content Editor, Multiview, 289-695-5401 | Contribute News MAC 3736 W Shoreview Ln   |  Coeurdalene, ID 83814  213-309-6165   |  Contact Us  |  www.macmember.org Click here to unsubscribe.  Learn how to add us to your safe sender list so our emails get to your inbox. ADVERTISE SUBSCRIBE PAST ISSUES   7701 Las Colinas Ridge, Ste. 800, Irving, TX 75063