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Leading cash-back credit cards need to drive acquisition in a cutthroat segment of the card market. Our exclusive consumer survey data reveals which emerging features issuers should invest in to win over customers.

Almost one-third (31%) of US consumers would prioritize spending on essential items this year if a trade war or tariffs increased the price of products they regularly purchase, according to a January survey from First Insight.

Digital technologies are reshaping customers' in-store payment experience. Here’s what payment providers must know about in-store payment digitization trends.​

This will solidify Walmart’s role as a major payments player and can be a large revenue generator for the retailer

To view the full user number forecast for each leading BNPL fintech, click Affirm, Afterpay, or Klarna. But growth among leading fintechs will taper in the face of greater BNPL competition. Banks continue to roll out post-purchase payment flexibility features, and Citi even offers a point-of-sale BNPL option in partnership with Amazon.

A lot can happen in a week. Rue21’s customer overlap with TikTok Shop could position the brand to benefit from a potential TikTok ban. Meanwhile, Gen Z consumers are increasingly choosing alcohol-free lifestyles, reflecting health-conscious preferences. Cost-consciousness drives brand switching, but convenience remains key in purchase decisions. Here are five stats that caught our eye this week.

Steep discounts drove shoppers to spend on Cyber Monday: The Monday after Thanksgiving is poised to be the biggest online shopping day in US history.

The company used its two-sided network to capitalize on the holiday weekend

While it still faces hurdles, the company’s finances have improved markedly—setting it up for a strong IPO in 2025

Trump's tariff policies fuel uncertainty: How brands and retailers can best prepare amid a perpetually shifting landscape.

Gen Zers are flocking to emerging payment methods, but card-based options, led by debit cards, remain supreme. Payment providers must align offerings with Gen Z’s preferences now as their spending power grows.

But we expect other networks to refine their marketing strategies, including Affirm, Shopify, and Square. These fintechs already power payments industry growth. Personalized offers that help bind their customers to merchants will only strengthen their grip. This would boost payment processing, POS product sales, and embedded finance product uptake for their partners.

Apple’s BNPL debut may worry incumbent providers like Affirm and Klarna, which have yet to turn a profit. Tumbling valuations have rocked the industry. BNPL firms like Klarna and Affirm have seen their valuations slide as market volatility rattles the tech sector.

Reports swirled in September that Affirm is readying to launch its own service called Affirm Plus. The bigger picture: Klarna is preparing for an IPO in the US. The BNPL fintech has been on a profitability push ahead of a potential IPO. And it’s working: Globally, Klarna achieved its first quarterly profit since 2019 in Q3 2023, bringing in SEK 130 million ($11.89 million).

Affirm recently partnered with an eyewear retailer, for example, and Klarna partnered with a B2B car-rental company. Greater acceptance. BNPL debit cards and partnerships like Affirm’s with Walmart have made it easier to use BNPL in stores. What’s next? All of these drivers will boost BNPL’s growth throughout 2024.

Steep discounts drove shoppers to splurge on Black Friday: Consumers scooped up bargains across several categories, helping online sales jump 14.6% YoY the day after Thanksgiving.