Today In Payments: DoorDash Acquires Robotic Food Prep Company; RBC Says Apple Pay Should Include Crypto Functionality

In today’s top news, DoorDash is acquiring food prep company Chowbotics, and an RBC analyst said Apple Pay should develop crypto functionalities. Plus, a report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found people expect to spend more in 2021.

DoorDash Acquires Robotic Food Prep Company

DoorDash announced that it will acquire Chowbotics, a California-based automated food preparation company. Its core product is a robot called Sally, which resembles a salad vending machine that can create customizable salads, bowls, cereals and snacks.

RBC Says Apple Pay Should Include Crypto Functionality

RBC Capital Markets said Apple would benefit by developing a crypto exchange out of its Apple Wallet. It could also benefit from adding a digital currency to its capabilities, which “would send even more users to ‘Apple Exchange.’”

NY Fed Report Shows Positive Spending Outlook For 2021

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York found consumers expect to be spending more this year than they have in several years past. People also remain optimistic about the labor market, and things like job security and the ability to find a job.

Google Taps Global Payments As Its Payments Processor

Global Payments Inc. and Google have partnered to offer cloud-based functionalities. Global Payments will migrate its merchant acquiring infrastructure to Google Cloud and will equip Google with merchant acquiring services, while both companies will roll out go-to-market and co-sell activities jointly, according to the announcement.

How Half Of All Businesses Are Closing The Receivables Cash Flow Gap

Digital may be the mantra of the 2020s, but 49 percent of businesses still rely on manual processes to manage their accounts receivables. In the B2B Payments Readiness Innovation Playbook, 460 businesses provided an inside look at the current state of their receivables process and the innovations on their roadmaps to accelerate the order-to-cash cycle.

Just Press Buy: Buy Buttons Impact Retail Performance During Q4

More than three-quarters of merchants offered buy buttons in Q4 2020 to ease checkout frictions and reduce cart abandonment. Results varied among retail segments, as seen in the PYMNTS’ Buy Button Report, which surveyed 811 retail sites from across 17 segments to examine how usage affected their customers’ experience at checkout.

Crypto Beyond Celebrity: Mainstream Acceptance On The Horizon For Bitcoin?

What will it take to get bitcoin into mainstream commerce? A lot less volatility and a lot more acceptance points. Here is the landscape of promises and pitfalls for bitcoin and its peers — beyond the celebrity (and celebratory) tweets.