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☆ Putin has spent years championing de-dollarization — but a new reality is setting in
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-25 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Russia faces sweeping sanctions over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and has been locked out of the US dollar-dominated global financial system, including the widely used SWIFT financial messaging system, making payments and transactions challenging. The Kazan Declaration, issued Wednesday, did not mention global dollar dominance — but it highlighted alternatives. AdvertisementChina — even though it's in a prolonged slowdown — is expected to be the top contributor, accounting for about one-fifth of global growth over the five years. AdvertisementHowever, BRICS economies have a smaller global presence in global financial flows, limiting the impact of de-dollarization, the ING analysts added. Other issues include what countries would use the alternative currencies for and if the West would sanction such alternative systems, he said.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, —, he's, Alexander Kolyandr, Tom Keatinge Organizations: Service, ING, United, United Arab Emirates, Bloomberg, International Monetary, Center for, Centre for Finance, Security, Royal United Services Institute Locations: BRICS, Russian, Kazan, Russia, Ukraine, cryptocurrencies, Brazil, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, United Arab, USA

☆ Putin's expanded BRICS summit proves he has friends — but risks buckling under its own contradictions
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-22 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementRussia is flexing its muscles at the center of the BRICS economic bloc, which seeks to rival the West. Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates are the new BRICS entrants, joining the earlier members Russia, India, China, Brazil, and South Africa. He said it had "no chance" of political unity given its members' competing interests and starkly differing attitudes. The greenback, though, will be hard to dethrone — even without competing priorities and rivalry among BRICS members. AdvertisementHe said that while BRICS members were united in a desire for change, "there's no real strategy within BRICS aside from fancy phrases to make it work."

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin, Abishur Prakash, Anton Barbashin, South Africa —, Barbashin, Una Aleksandra Berzina, Evgeny Roshchin, Johns Hopkins University's Henry A, Putin, SWIFT, Yakov Organizations: Service, West, United, South, Riddle Russia, Riga Stradins University's China Studies Center, Politico, Center for, Johns, Kissinger Center, Global Affairs, Partners, Bank for International Locations: Russia, Western, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, United Arab Emirates, India, China, Brazil, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Russian, Toronto, —, Ukraine, standoffs, Moscow

☆ Flutterwave CEO GB Agboola on rebuilding trust, and strengthening Africa’s payments future
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-17 | by ( Stephanie Busari | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CEO Olugbenga “GB” Agboola was celebrated for his leadership and lauded as a trailblazer in African fintech, providing digital payment services for businesses across the continent. However, Agboola says Flutterwave has weathered the storm and emerged stronger than ever. In his first major interview since the allegations, Agboola told CNN that Flutterwave is on a mission to rebuild trust and strengthen its governance practices. She says Flutterwave’s fast growth exposed weaknesses in governance, compliance, risk management strategies and inadequate internal controls. Beyond the focus on governance and structure, Agboola envisions a future where Africa’s diverse payment systems are seamlessly integrated into a unified marketplace.

Persons: Flutterwave, Olugbenga, Agboola, ” Agboola, “ We’ve, ”, Mitesh Popat, ” Popat, “, ” Bawo, ” Egbakhumeh, “ Flutterwave, Africa Agboola, we’re Organizations: CNN, Kenyan, Citibank, Nigeria’s Economic, Commission, Global, MainStreet Bank, American Express Locations: Kenya, ”, Flutterwave, Africa, Ghana, Zambia, Uganda, Rwanda, United States, Nigeria, San Francisco

☆ Inside a high-tech parking garage where robots valet park your car
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-15 | by ( Ray Parisi | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Five bays equipped with self-serve kiosks provide entry and exit to the building's automated parking garage. Automated parking is a growing trend in high-end real estate where buildings from New York to Miami now come equipped with kiosks, car lifts and car-parking robots. One of five car lifts inside the automated parking system. The AGVs are essentially free roaming, self-charging, robo-parkers that use vision systems, lifts and lasers to precisely park and retrieve cars. An AGV prepares to park a Ferrari inside the Brickell House's automated parking system.

Persons: Ginger Monteleone, Monteleone, ParkPlus, Peter Manis, Manis, Billionaire Palmer Luckey, Luckey, Palmer Organizations: Brickell House, CNBC, Grand View Research, ParkPlus, Brickell, Ferrari, VR, Anduril Industries, Anduril Industries CNBC Locations: Miami, New York, Manhattan, North America, Brickell, ParkPlus Florida, Newport Beach , California

☆ Russia pitches trading centers in a widening plan to move away from the US-dominated global financial order
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-14 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Russia is proposing alternative payment systems and commodity centers. Challenges include entrenched dollar dominance and existing global trading systems' liquidity. Other than championing alternative payment systems based in non-dollar currencies, Russia is also pitching the set-up of centers for mutual trade in commodity resources. Moving BRICS trade to trading centers within the bloc would also involve the use of local currencies and facilitate a move away from using the dollar for trade, according to the document. Russia faces an uphill battle in changing the basics of dollar-dependent financial trading systems.

Persons: —, Yakov, Brent Organizations: Service, Russia's Finance Ministry, Partners, Tass, Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Grain, country's Agriculture Ministry, Brent, International Monetary Fund Locations: Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, Brazil, India, China, South Africa, Russian, Pakistan, Kazan, masse, Scotland

☆ AI is transforming fraud prevention in digital payments. Here's how.
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-11 | by ( Sponsor Post | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Visa Protect is an AI-driven suite of solutions that includes real-time risk scoring to help prevent fraud and secure digital transactions. These risk solutions harness the power of artificial intelligence to help safeguard merchants, financial institutions, and consumers at every transaction stage. AI shines in fraud preventionFor over 30 years, Visa has been a leader in using AI to combat fraud. But AI has proven to be a powerful weapon in risk prevention for digital payments and transactions. Learn more about Visa Protect risk solutions.

Persons: James Mirfin, Mirfin, We've Organizations: Visa, Research, Visa Protect, Open Banking, Intelligence, Service, Insider Studios

☆ PayPal just opened a new ad business. The exec leading it unpacks the plan to link advertisers with its trove of transaction data.
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-10 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

PayPal is set to launch an ad business, starting in the US. AdvertisementPayPal is set to announce the official launch of PayPal Ads on Thursday. This new advertising business looks to help marketers tap into data on the billions of transactions that take place across its payments platforms. Users can opt-out of their data being shared with advertisers, PayPal said. Advertisement"Mastercard already has a data business," Webster said.

Persons: —, Mark Grether, Uber's, Grether, JiYoung Kim, Lyft, It's, Alex Chriss, Diego Scotti, Robert Webster, Webster, Dunn, Bradstreet Organizations: PayPal, Service, Business, Amazon, Walmart, Nordstrom, Ticketmaster, Chriss, Verizon, TAU Marketing Solutions, Mastercard Locations: York, Germany, Experian

☆ Judge's ruling against Google in Epic Games case highlights a shift in antitrust law
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-09 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A law professor said the ruling shows how antitrust law is used against Big Tech companies. Management and law experts told Business Insider the ruling highlights how antitrust law is being used against Big Tech companies — and could cost Google billions of dollars in lost revenue. Historically, he said, liberal judges tended to favor antitrust law more than conservative ones. When Epic Games' case against Apple was similarly appealed, the Supreme Court denied requests to hear it, leaving Apple with its partial victory. AdvertisementRepresentatives for Epic Games directed Business Insider to a public thread about the Google ruling, posted on X by the company's CEO, Tim Sweeney.

Persons: —, James Donato's, Peter Cohan, Cohan, Apple, Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, Eric Chaffee, Chaffee, Alden Abbott, Abbott, Tim Sweeney, Sweeney Organizations: Google, Apple, Big Tech, Service, Management, Epic Games, Northern, Northern District of, Babson College, Case Western Reserve University School of Law, Epic, DOJ, Business, Mercatus Center Locations: California, Northern District, Northern District of California, United States

☆ Tensions rise between banks and tech companies over online fraud liability in the UK
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-07 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Meta is facing calls from U.K. banks and payment firms like Revolut to financially compensate people who fall for scams on their services. Proposals to make tech firms liableTensions have been running high between banks and tech companies for some time. A key ask has been for the tech firms to share more detailed intelligence on how criminals are abusing their platforms. Social media firms not doing enough to combat and remove attempts to defraud internet users was another complaint from regulatory authorities at the event. Jones added that it was tough to "break the inertia" at tech companies to "really get them to get after it."

Persons: Jaap Arriens, it's, Meta, Woody Malouf, Matt Akroyd, Kate Fitzgerald, Rob Jones, Jones Organizations: Nurphoto, Getty, Systems, PSR, Payments Association, Facebook, NatWest, Metro Bank, Financial Times, Labour Party, CNBC, Stewarts, Social, Economic Crime, U.K, National Crime Agency, Tech, Meta, Intelligence Locations: London

☆ Visiting China in 2024: A guide to visas, mobile payments and more
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-10 | by ( Maggie Hiufu Wong | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +20 min

We’ve put together a guide to some of the most frequently asked questions regarding China travel. China travel FAQsDo you need a visa to go to China? However, travelers visiting under these visa-free transit programs have more restrictions in terms of places they can visit. Exploring the country via China’s vast high-speed railway network is not an option for those entering under the two transit visa schemes. Beijing, China's capital city, accepts international travelers visiting under the 144-hour visa-free transit program.

Persons: it’s, ”, Denny Tian, Gabriela Correia, Correia, Tian, Greg Baker, Correira, ” Gabriela Correia, David Tucker, We’ve, John Seaton Callahan, China ’, Kevin Frayer, –, ” Correira, you’ve, Didi, Uber, Yan Cong, China’s Organizations: CNN, Immigration Administration, China, Google, Getty, “, Service, Shanghai Hongqiao, Hong Kong, Hong, Hong Kong Immigration, Travelers, Facebook, ”, Publishing, United, US, Baidu, Apple, China Railway, Bloomberg Locations: China, Beijing, Portugal, Shanghai, AFP, “, Hunan, Singapore, Thailand, Austria, Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, New York, Japan, South Korea, United Kingdom, United States, Hong Kong, Macau, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Asia, Tibet, Tibet Autonomous Region, Hainan, China's, Hawaii, ”, Canada

☆ Western sanctions are so tight that Russia and China could soon use an ancient trading system. It's worked before.
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-13 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewRussia and China are planning to revive the age-old practice of barter trade to get around Western sanctions, Reuters reported on Thursday. Since barter trade doesn't require monetary payments, it would allow Russia and China to skirt such issues. Russia has used barter trade beforeIt would not be Russia's first time using barter trade. Problems with barter tradeEven so, barter trade isn't widely practiced in modern society. Russian authorities are working on other ways to skirt Western payment sanctions.

Persons: —, Alexandra Prokopenko Organizations: Service, Reuters, Business, Russia, Kommersant, United Arab, RIA Novosti, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center Locations: Russia, China, Russian, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Austria, Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, India

☆ Consumers reported losing $210 million to scams across payment apps last year. A new bill wants to help future victims get their money back.
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-07 | by ( John Towfighi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Consumers and small businesses sent $806 billion across 2.9 billion Zelle transactions in 2023, both up 28% from 2022. Consumers reported losing $210 million to scams across all payment apps in 2023, according to data from the Federal Trade Commission. The new bill aims to amend the law to make banks more liable for all financial transactions, whether they're authorized or unauthorized. AdvertisementOver 99.95% of all Zelle transactions in 2023 were completed without instances of fraud, according to Zelle. In the meantime, the Protecting Consumers from Payment Scams Act will go to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs for review.

Persons: —, JPMorgan Chase, PayPal —, Maxine Waters, Sen, Richard Blumenthal, Elizabeth Warren, Waters, Zelle, Blumenthal, Wells Fargo, Wells, Cameron Fowler Organizations: Service, Bank of America, JPMorgan, Business, PayPal, Consumers, Federal Trade Commission, Rep, Homeland Security, Governmental Affairs, Investigations, Blumenthal, Services, Warning Services, SEC, Consumer Financial, Banking, Housing, Urban Affairs Locations: Zelle, Wells Fargo, jtowfighi@businessinsider.com

☆ Sanctions-hit Russia is rushing to set up payment systems, including crypto, to make trading easier
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewRussia is stepping up sanctions-evading measures to keep its international trade flowing. Russian central bank governor Elvira Nabiullina said the first transactions are expected by the end of this year, per Reuters. An existing ban on crypto payments in Russia remains, but Moscow's greenlighting crypto for international trade marks a significant shift. Russia could be eying a digital-currency-based settlement systemIt isn't clear how Russia's crypto and digital currency regimes will shape up. Even China, which has one of the world's most advanced digital currencies, relies on a "two-tier" system involving banks as wallet-holding agents.

Persons: —, Elvira Nabiullina, Nabiullina, Vladimir Putin, Moscow hasn't, Christopher Granville, Granville Organizations: Service, Russia's, Duma —, Reuters, Business, Bloomberg, US Treasury, GlobalData, Lombard, Russia Locations: Russian, Russia, Ukraine, cryptocurrencies, Hong Kong, Moscow, China, UAE, Turkey, Austria, India

☆ Why do women’s haircuts cost more than men’s?
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-27 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Last year, the average cost for a standard women’s haircut was $51.71 compared with $34.56 for a men’s haircut across the United States, according to transaction data provided exclusively to CNN by Square, a payment systems provider. A man gets his hair cut in a barber shop in Colchester, United Kingdom. That report found the average cost of a women’s haircut ranging between $45 and $75 across the country, while men’s toggled between $25 and $50, though it did not specify whether the typical women’s haircut included extra services such as a blow dry. “When you go to cosmetology school to become a hair stylist, you learn to how to cut hair,” they told CNN. Goldie x Bob is one such hair salon that, five years ago, threw out its gender-based price list.

Persons: London CNN —, YouGov, ” Matthew Smith, Carl Court, Fred Jones, I’m, ”, Jones, “, Tara Farmer, ” Farmer, Raychel Brightman, Newsday, Caroline Larissey, ” Larissey, ‘, Kristin Rankin, Rankin, ” Rankin, Goldie, Bob, Liz Burns, Ashlie, Burns Organizations: London CNN, CNN, Square, Professional Beauty Federation of California, Getty, & Beauty Federation, “ Locations: United States, South Dakota, Colchester, United Kingdom, West Babylon , New York, New York City, Denver, Ashlie Heath

“This outage is historic in scale,” Mikko Hypponen, a research specialist at the software company WithSecure and a cybercrime adviser to Europol, told DealBook. It issued a software update that is causing Microsoft systems, including its Azure cloud service, to crash or not function properly. Long queues of airline passengers could be seen at airports around the world, with some resorting to manual check-in. In France, the television networks TF1 and Canal+ told the public on X that they could not go on the air on Friday morning. The incident points to how reliant the global economy is on a handful of major tech companies to run vital infrastructure.

Persons: ” Mikko Hypponen, Europol, DealBook, George Kurtz, CrowdStrike, ” Organizations: Microsoft, United, Delta, Airlines, Air France, KLM, Japan Airlines, TF1, Sky Locations: Europe, Asia, France

☆ Bank of England reports problems with CHAPS payments system
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Blurred buses pass the Bank of England in the City of London on 7th February 2024 in London, United Kingdom. The Bank of England said on Thursday that a "global payments issue" was affecting the interbank payments service CHAPS, delaying some high-value and time-sensitive payments including some house purchases. "We are mindful of the impact this is likely to have and are working closely with a third-party supplier, industry and other authorities to resolve the issue as promptly as possible," it said in a statement. Retail payment systems and cash machines were unaffected, the BoE added. The CHAPS system - which is operated by the BoE - has suffered technical problems before, including in August last year and in 2014 when the Real-Time Gross Settlement system, which underpins CHAPS, did not work normally for several hours.

Persons: BoE, underpins CHAPS Organizations: Bank of England Locations: City of London, London, United Kingdom

☆ The Chinese yuan has helped fund Russia's trade and war machine — but those days may be numbered
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-18 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

The Chinese yuan has become a key currency for Russia's trade settlement. But tightened US sanctions are freezing and delaying yuan payments, Bloomberg reports. AdvertisementWestern sanctions have shut Russia out of the dollar-dominant global financial order, but the country has managed to keep its wartime economy humming thanks to the Chinese yuan. But even this line of trade looks like it's starting to get shut down, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday. Several unnamed major Russian commodity exporters told Bloomberg that trade with China has become increasingly difficult as even direct payments made in the yuan are getting frozen or delayed.

Persons: — Organizations: Bloomberg, Service, Business Locations: Russia, China

☆ Russia's weakened energy trade and lost access to the dollar will spark a severe recession within a year, a top economist says
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-13 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewVladimir Putin's claims that Russia's economy is doing just fine may soon be hard to back up. That's mainly because Russia is losing two things its economy desperately needs, he told Business Insider — a robust energy trade and a steady flow of US dollars. Moscow's economy is extremely dependent on petrodollars, or dollars obtained through the oil and gas trade, Gorodnichenko said. AdvertisementThat could put Russia's economy on the fast track to a recession in the next 12 months, Gorodnichenko predicted. Withering energy empireThe energy trade is Russia's biggest money maker.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin's, Yuriy Gorodnichenko, Gorodnichenko, Putin, Gorodnichkeno Organizations: Service, UC Berkeley, Business, Kremlin, Bank for International Settlements, Soviet Union Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Soviet, Soviet Union, China

☆ A top Russian banker says Russia's payment methods should be a 'state secret' because the West keeps shutting them down so fast
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-05 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Russia faces intense pressure from sanctions targeting payment systems. A top Russian banker says the country should stop talking about payment mechanisms due to sensitivity. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementRussia's top financial officials admitted the country is under huge pressure from sanctions as their methods for making trade payments keep getting shut down. On Wednesday, a top Russian banker said the methods should be made a "state secret" due to their sensitivity, Reuters reported.

Persons: —, Andrei Kostin, Russia's Organizations: Service, Reuters, VTB Bank, Business Locations: Russia, Russian

☆ Russia adopts Chinese yuan-to-ruble as benchmark exchange rate after US sanctions force a further move away from the dollar
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-14 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewMoscow is adopting the Chinese yuan-to-ruble exchange rate as its benchmark currency pair after the US expanded sanctions against Russia on Wednesday, the country's central bank said on Thursday. The new US sanctions prompted the Moscow Exchange to end dollar and euro trading on Thursday, causing confusion — since the exchange rate is now opaque. Related storiesRussia's central bank appeared to seek to calm the market in a statement on Thursday. AdvertisementThe central bank added in its statement to Russia's RBC News that the yuan has become "the main currency" on the Moscow Exchange. It will "set the trajectory for other currency pairs" and be the guideline for market participants, the central bank said.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin, Russia — Organizations: Service, Russia, Business, TASS, RBC, Moscow Exchange Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Russia's

☆ What the US can do to halt de-dollarization, according to one think tank expert
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The US can counter de-dollarization efforts, a think tank expert says. Currency experts have sounded the alarm on what it could mean for the dollar hegemony in global trade and finance. To that end, the US should look to prevent counter-coalitions from forming, and do so by seeking out healthy foreign policy and positive trade partnerships, she said. To prevent the trend from accelerating further, the US should also actively pursue dollar stability through tech-based financial solutions, such as developments in digital payments. The same argument was posed by two other think tank experts on Monday, who warned that internal US dysfunction was the real threat to the dollar.

Persons: —, Carla Norrlöf, Norrlöf, it's, dollarization Organizations: Service, greenback, Project Syndicate, Atlantic Council Locations: Russia, China, Washington

☆ De-dollarized payment systems are cropping up. Here's why they're unlikely to dent greenback dominance.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The emergence of new regional payment systems likely won't spur de-dollarization, OMFIF said. According to commentary published Thursday, obstacles are already afflicting new regional payment systems, even as de-dollarization rhetoric creeps up. AdvertisementMeanwhile, efforts to assemble regional financial systems have delivered the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System, OMFIF cited as one example. For instance, it's even launched its own payments infrastructure, the Cross-border Interbank Payment System. But China's efforts to create an alternative system are a defensive ploy for now, OMFIF wrote in a separate note from May.

Persons: OMFIF, —, Julian Jacobs, it's, That's, Zoe Liu Organizations: Service, Monetary, Financial, Forum, United Arab, China, Foreign Relations Locations: China , Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Russia, Ukraine, Beijing, Taiwan

☆ With JPMorgan, Mastercard on board in biometric 'breakthrough' year, you may soon start paying with your face
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Todd Wasserman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

In January, Steak 'N Shake, a fast-casual restaurant in the Midwest, started installing facial recognition kiosks in its 300 locations for patron check-in. "We believe our partnership with JPMorgan is a watershed moment for biometric payments as it represents the first time a leading merchant acquirer has agreed to push biometric payments to its merchant customers," Miller said. "JPMorgan brings the kind of credibility and assurance that both merchants and consumers need to adopt biometric payments." The majority still prefer fingerprint scans to facial recognition, according to a 2023 survey from PYMENTS, but age is a factor. Juniper Research forecasts over 100% market growth for global biometric payments between 2024 and 2028, and by 2025, $3 trillion in mobile, biometric-secured payments.

Persons: PopID, Dennis Gamiello, John Miller, Miller, acquirer, Sheldon Jacobson, Jacobson Organizations: Foods, Mastercard, NEC, Target, AliPay, KFC, JPMorgan, Consumers, Juniper Research, University of Illinois, Facebook Locations: Flippy, Pasadena , Calif, Midwest, Brazil, Asia, Pacific, Illinois, China, McDonald's, U.S, Urbana, Champaign

☆ The lunch rush is dead as Americans live for the weekend
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( J.J. Mccorvey | Haley Messenger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

These signs point to a new normal for Americans' post-pandemic leisure spending, which has stayed resilient despite the higher costs of going out. In 2023, 1.88% of the food and drink transactions Square processed took place between 11 a.m. and noon on Saturdays, up from 1.60% in 2019. Nowhere was the shift toward evening and weekend spending starker than in Boston, one of 23 major cities Square analyzed. There, a 10.1% decline in weekday lunch transactions was more than offset by 10.3% and 1.6% increases in weekend and happy hour transactions, respectively. "I don't really prioritize drinking during the weekdays," Louie said, and his weekend leisure spending "is quite inconsistent."

Persons: That's, Ara Kharazian, Brunch, Kharazian, Sara Senatore, AJ Kurban, Kurban, it's, Soojin Lee, Cornell University's Nolan, Young, They're, Senatore, I'm, Nicholas Louie, Louie Organizations: University of Toronto, ARA, Bank of America, Cornell University's, Cornell University's Nolan School of Hotel Administration, Covid Locations: U.S, workdays, Boston, Brooklyn, Manhattan, York

☆ How your iPhone could get better if Apple loses its big legal battle
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

More smartwatch optionsA Google Pixel Watch and the iPhone don't play as nicely together as an Apple Watch and the iPhone. GoogleIf the Apple Watch isn't your cup of tea, a court loss for the company could make using an alternative watch with the iPhone more seamless. Prosecutors said the Apple Watch depends too much on the iPhone while other smartwatches aren't nearly as compatible with the iOS system. iOS users might have been overcharged for music streaming subscriptions due to the fees placed on app developers by Apple, regulators said. "This lawsuit threatens who we are and the principles that set Apple products apart in fiercely competitive markets," Apple told BI in a statement.

Persons: —, Apple's, you'll, Apple, Jonathan Kanter, Kanter, Riley Testut, Jamie Court, you've, they've, Testut Organizations: Apple, DOJ, Service, US Department of Justice, CNBC, EU's, EU, Epic, Consumer, LA Times, Watch, Apple Watch, Google, Prosecutors, European Commission Locations: EU

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