1+ hour, 40+ min ago (892+ words) AI is reshaping both patient and staff workflows, but misaligned incentives remain the healthcare industry's deepest barrier. Connected healthcare depends less on technology than on overcoming fragmentation and inertia. Luma's acquisition of Tonic aims to fix the biggest choke point in healthcare: patient intake. Watch more: Need to Know: Luma's Aditya Bansod For all the futuristic rhetoric surrounding healthcare innovation, the reality for most Americans remains largely analog. "I had an MRI done recently, and the results were literally handed to me on a CD-rom," said Aditya Bansod, co-founder and CTO of Luma Health, during a discussion hosted by PYMNTS CEO Karen Webster. Such is "the paradox at the heart of U.S. healthcare: a system awash in digital tools yet mired in manual processes. When, during the same visit, Bansod asked about digital transfer of his MRI results, the staff told…...

1+ hour, 42+ min ago (205+ words) Every now and then a dark horse appears in the PYMNTS App Provider Rankings that shows how much consumers are willing to discover and explore new apps in what would seem to be a settled category. That's the case with streaming apps. The biggest moves in this category over the past month didn't come from Spotify or Netflix. It came from Qobuz. Apple Music took the third spot with a four-point increase. Apple Music is Apple's all-in-one streaming hub for more than 100 million songs, live radio and music videos, wrapped in lossless and Spatial Audio playback, tight integration with iPhone, CarPlay, Watch and HomePod, and curated playlists that sit a tap away from your lock screen. Put together, you get a very Apple story: a mature app that already owns the default position on iOS quietly adds sticky, AI-driven features…...

1+ hour, 42+ min ago (201+ words) Every now and then a dark horse appears in the PYMNTS App Provider Rankings that shows how much consumers are willing to discover and explore new apps in what would seem to be a settled category. That's the case with streaming apps. The biggest moves in this category over the past month didn't come from Spotify or Netflix. It came from Qobuz. Apple Music took the third spot with a four-point increase. Apple Music is Apple's all-in-one streaming hub for more than 100 million songs, live radio and music videos, wrapped in lossless and Spatial Audio playback, tight integration with iPhone, CarPlay, Watch and HomePod, and curated playlists that sit a tap away from your lock screen. Put together, you get a very Apple story: a mature app that already owns the default position on iOS quietly adds sticky, AI-driven features…...

1+ hour, 42+ min ago (304+ words) Software platforms serving education, healthcare and field services are adopting embedded payments at a pace that signals a shift in how these industries want to transact. The new angle in PYMNTS Intelligence's latest Payment Processing Tracker, "Vertical-First Payments: How Low-Code Wins in Education, Healthcare and Field Services," is how low-code tools are broadening access to modern payment infrastructure for vertical markets traditionally defined by manual processes and slow collections. The report found that platforms are gaining traction by integrating payments directly into the systems that students, patients and professionals already use, reducing friction and accelerating cash flow. Key data points include: Beyond these figures, the report highlighted sector-specific dynamics that explain why low-code embedded payments are gaining momentum. Healthcare presents the different challenge of complex regulations, high administrative costs and inconsistent reimbursement timelines. Providers still handle paper forms and phone-based…...

1+ hour, 42+ min ago (304+ words) Software platforms serving education, healthcare and field services are adopting embedded payments at a pace that signals a shift in how these industries want to transact. The new angle in PYMNTS Intelligence's latest Payment Processing Tracker, "Vertical-First Payments: How Low-Code Wins in Education, Healthcare and Field Services," is how low-code tools are broadening access to modern payment infrastructure for vertical markets traditionally defined by manual processes and slow collections. The report found that platforms are gaining traction by integrating payments directly into the systems that students, patients and professionals already use, reducing friction and accelerating cash flow. Key data points include: Beyond these figures, the report highlighted sector-specific dynamics that explain why low-code embedded payments are gaining momentum. Healthcare presents the different challenge of complex regulations, high administrative costs and inconsistent reimbursement timelines. Providers still handle paper forms and phone-based…...

1+ hour, 43+ min ago (353+ words) With inflation and changing government policies prompting widespread uncertainty, 6 in 10 American workers are facing pocketbook challenges while lacking the steadiness and predictability of a salaried job. " Gen Z workers especially are working outside of fixed-salary roles. Nearly 3 in 4 get their income in other ways, with 51% earning hourly wages, 9% earning contract or consulting fees, 7% earning income from gig or platform work and 5% earning commission-based pay. More Americans are relying on part-time jobs to make ends meet. According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of employees working full-time dropped by 0.5%, or 695,000 people, between 2023 and 2024. The number of part-time workers jumped 3.7%, or just over 1 million people, during the same period. But as more consumers rely on hourly, project-based and gig work to make ends meet, rather than the stability of a fixed salary, they may find it harder to…...

1+ hour, 43+ min ago (758+ words) TOMS is rebuilding its brand by combining nostalgia with digital-first execution. CEO Jessica Alsing said TOMS has "a ton of unaided brand awareness" that can be reactivated with creator-driven storytelling. The brand is scaling its iconic footwear through digital channels, wholesale, collaborations and product-led relevance. Watch more: Inside the Next Chapter of Brand Building at TOMS Some brands become iconic, embedding themselves into culture, closets and conversations. But even the most recognizable names eventually reach a moment when they must refresh, reintroduce themselves and reclaim their place in a market that has evolved around them. That is the moment TOMS now occupies, and CEO Jessica Alsing told PYMNTS CEO Karen Webster in an interview for "The SKU" series that the goal is to lead the brand into a new chapter built on clarity, modern execution and deeper connection. TOMS has…...

1+ hour, 43+ min ago (769+ words) TOMS is rebuilding its brand by combining nostalgia with digital-first execution. CEO Jessica Alsing said TOMS has "a ton of unaided brand awareness" that can be reactivated with creator-driven storytelling. The brand is scaling its iconic footwear through digital channels, wholesale, collaborations and product-led relevance. Watch more: Inside the Next Chapter of Brand Building at TOMS Some brands become iconic, embedding themselves into culture, closets and conversations. But even the most recognizable names eventually reach a moment when they must refresh, reintroduce themselves and reclaim their place in a market that has evolved around them. That is the moment TOMS now occupies, and CEO Jessica Alsing told PYMNTS CEO Karen Webster in an interview for "The SKU" series that the goal is to lead the brand into a new chapter built on clarity, modern execution and deeper connection. TOMS has…...

7+ hour, 33+ min ago (429+ words) Mastercard has launched a coalition that aims to help consumers and small businesses around the world use digital tools to enhance their financial health and resilience. The new Global Financial Health Coalition includes financial institutions, nongovernmental organizations, telcos, wallet providers and others, Mastercard said in a Monday (Nov. 24) press release. "Our goal is to foster an environment where innovation is responsible, users are protected, and everyone has the tools and knowledge to thrive," the company said in the release. The coalition includes several companies that are developing solutions that promote financial health, according to the release. Among them are DANA, GCash, TrueMoney, MTN Group Fintech, MOCO, Axian, Daviplata and The Center for Financial Inclusion. "Guided by three core principles " connecting people to the right financial tools, harnessing technology to protect them as they engage, and empowering their journey toward financial…...

7+ hour, 33+ min ago (429+ words) Mastercard has launched a coalition that aims to help consumers and small businesses around the world use digital tools to enhance their financial health and resilience. The new Global Financial Health Coalition includes financial institutions, nongovernmental organizations, telcos, wallet providers and others, Mastercard said in a Monday (Nov. 24) press release. "Our goal is to foster an environment where innovation is responsible, users are protected, and everyone has the tools and knowledge to thrive," the company said in the release. The coalition includes several companies that are developing solutions that promote financial health, according to the release. Among them are DANA, GCash, TrueMoney, MTN Group Fintech, MOCO, Axian, Daviplata and The Center for Financial Inclusion. "Guided by three core principles " connecting people to the right financial tools, harnessing technology to protect them as they engage, and empowering their journey toward financial…...