money

The latest update to PayPal enables cryptocurrency - Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin and the like - holding and trading. PayPal tested cryptocurrency features for a small set of users in the weeks between October and now - now it's time for all USA-based PayPal users to get a shot at using several digital currencies on the platform. As of yet, cryptocurrency features are available only inside the USA, while select international markets will launch in the first half of 2021.

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The economic impact payment (stimulus check) deadline for registration is approaching. As talks in DC continue to hint at a second stimulus check for late 2020, those that haven't yet received - or registered for - their Economic Impact Payment have a date to watch. November 21, 2020, 3PM ET is the deadline for you to request your Economic Impact Payment in any of three instances.

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Today eBay announced a "sneaker authentication program" for the first time*. This system works with an "initial authentication by an independent team of industry experts," allowing some of the most valuable pieces of footwear to go through the auction process with an added layer of trust. This may well be a sign of things to come, with eBay gaining a new level of usership thanks to this layer of professionalism never available at eBay before.

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Around this time last year, Venmo announced it planned to release a credit card. After that, the company went more or less silent about its credit card plans, but today Venmo finally broke that silence. Venmo is now rolling out its credit card to select customers in the US, and what might help it stand out from the crowd is the way its handles cash back rewards.

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Apple Pay still has the majority of the mindshare when it comes to mobile payment but Google Pay is closely catching up. Samsung Pay, on the other hand, seems to have fallen by the wayside but still has a trick or two up its sleeve. Aside from the MST tech that makes it compatible with even traditional magstripe terminals, Samsung is launching the service in Germany with a feature it has not made available anywhere else, making it practically possible to link any bank account to Samsung Pay.

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Robinhood announced today that they were experiencing service disruptions in their web app. A very similar situation took place on Monday, the 31st of August, 2020 (yesterday), as two of the most popular stocks in the world issued stock splits. Both Tesla and Apple split their stocks over the past few days, and both stocks have appeared to rise as fast as they did before said split - or faster.

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The IRS released an update to their public listing of questions and answers for the Economic Impact Payment (EIP) 2020 with regard to 2020 tax returns. This update suggests that a number of citizens needed more information on their EIP, with respect to the following: "Do I need to pay back all of some of the Payment if, based on the information reported on my 2020 tax return, I don't qualify for the amount that I already received?"

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HMD Global just closed a $230-million dollar investment round with investments from Google, Qualcomm, and Nokia. This makes a whole lot of sense as HMD Global works with Foxconn to create Nokia-branded (brand licensed) Android smartphones with Qualcomm Snapdragon processors inside. They've made some pretty decent smartphones over the past few years, and they're on the verge of becoming a premiere player in the "highly affordable smartphones with 5G connectivity" market.

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In in the summer of 2020, US citizens are edging ever closer to their second major stimulus check in less than a year. This payment was otherwise titled an "Economic Impact Payment" (EIP) by the IRS, and will be sent automatically to most US taxpayers. IF you filed a tax return in 2018, 2019, or are a senior or retiree, the IRS suggested that "no further action is needed" in order for you to get a Economic Impact Payment.

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We are living in an increasingly online and mobile world but even if we are able to buy our foods and supplies online, sooner or later all of us will have to make our way to a bank for some face to face transactions. Given today's global situation, however, that has also become increasingly risky and people have started looking into online and digital banking solutions. Presuming we make it that far, Google Pay will be offering one such alternative next year.

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The United States government sent checks to citizens in early 2020, and a 2nd stimulus check is likely coming soon. At the moment at which this article is set to go live, the exact timing and amount of each stimulus check has not yet been finalized. Until we get there, we're readying all the ways in which we can track our check and get payment as soon as possible.

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Things have come full circle in the mobile payments industry. What started out as a move away not just from cash but even from plastic has now embraced the latter again. Apple started out with a contact-less Apple Pay but eventually moved to releasing a physical Apple Card so it's not exactly surprising to hear that Samsung would be following suit. That's exactly what it did and now its Samsung Money, a collaboration with fintech startup SoFi, is finally arriving in the US to make plastic cards hip again.

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