MAG Insights

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  • Membership Update

    MAG Benefits – Taking a closer look at the MAG’s Learning Center.
    Kari Hartley

    MAG Benefits – Taking a closer look at the MAG’s Learning Center.

    Jun 10, 2021

    MAG Merchant Members and Sponsors join the Merchant Advisory Group (MAG) for many different reasons. Payments education and resources, networking with industry peers, and staying on top of payments developments are among the top of the list for most. The value MAG provides in these areas is likely the reason MAG enjoys high membership and sponsorship retention year after year.

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  • Conference Update

    Flexibility is the Name of the Game for the MAG 2021 Annual Conference and Tech Forum
    Andrea Rouse

    Flexibility is the Name of the Game for the MAG 2021 Annual Conference and Tech Forum

    Jun 4, 2021

    As the world takes steps to return to normal, the MAG is doing its part as well! We are offering our upcoming 2021 MAG Annual Conference and Tech Forum in multiple formats to reach as many payments professionals as possible and allow everyone to attend in the way that is most convenient for them.

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  • International Perspective

    The Payments Journey Starts with the Consumer
    Jonathon Gould

    The Payments Journey Starts with the Consumer

    May 6, 2021

    The speed of change we are witnessing around the world has never been greater or more exciting. It is taking place in every region of the globe and in every industry—with the Asia Pacific region and payments being no exception. The many advances that are occurring on what seems a daily basis are delivering previously unthinkable flexibility and speed across all borders. At Discover® Global Network, we see the opportunities and recognize the challenges. We know the most important work we do is to strive to meet our customers’ needs and protect their security while ensuring seamless payment experiences throughout the world.

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  • What's up in Washington

    How does payments policy fit into the 2021 agenda?
    Beth Provenzano

    How does payments policy fit into the 2021 agenda?

    Apr 23, 2021

    I was on a conference call recently when I realized I have advocated on payments policy for retailers in various roles for a decade as of this April. Time flies when you’re having fun, right?

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  • Innovate Now

    Driving down the Merchant Priorities Road(map) in 2021
    Eric O'Brien

    Driving down the Merchant Priorities Road(map) in 2021

    Apr 16, 2021

    Best Practices. You may have heard this term a lot lately. The MAG published four Best Practice Guides in 2020. The guides were organized by a group of merchants, whose mission was to pull together considerations, recommendations and best practices on specific topics. There were many worthy topics in 2020 to deeply examine and assess. These are great resources for merchants who hear buzz words all the time like “8-digit BIN” and “Debit Routing,” but don’t have the full grasp on what that means, or what they should be doing to react to it.

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  • Evolution in Payments

    Trip Down Memory Lane
    Laura Townsend

    Trip Down Memory Lane

    Mar 23, 2021

    Does the U.S. payments industry learn from its experiences or will we experience a bit of Déjà vu? Many of you have tried to forget the good times of 2015 when the EMV liability shift was upon us. Some of you may still be in a state of disbelief that was now almost six years ago! What?!? However, U.S. market chip trends suggest only three quarters of POS/ATM transactions are chip-on-chip six years later. Wait, there is more?...

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  • CEO Update

    The Evolving Alternative Payments Landscape
    John Drechny

    The Evolving Alternative Payments Landscape

    Mar 12, 2021

    The payments space has never been a static environment, and recently it has evolved even more rapidly with a hotbed of activity. Whether it is cryptocurrency, Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) or faster payments, there are many new choices coming to market which merchants need to consider for their checkout experience.

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  • Board Member Corner

    Engage with the MAG to Drive Positive Change in Payments This Year!
    John Aglialoro

    Engage with the MAG to Drive Positive Change in Payments This Year!

    Mar 5, 2021

    I am honored to write to you today as one of the newest MAG board members. As we move into 2021, we have reason to be hopeful for a brighter tomorrow, as well as excited to be part of a payments industry that is advancing at an even faster pace into the 21st century.

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  • Education

    MAG Introduces Interactive Payments eLearning Course
    Leah Collins

    MAG Introduces Interactive Payments eLearning Course

    Mar 5, 2021

    The MAG has officially launched a first of its kind eLearning course, Merchant Payments 101! Not only was this an exciting endeavor for the MAG, but we believe it is an even more exciting resource for all stakeholders of the payments system and especially the merchant community.

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  • Board Chair Update

    MAG 2020 Year-in-Review
    Kathy Hanna

    MAG 2020 Year-in-Review

    Dec 9, 2020

    The date was February 11th, MAG was having the opening session of the Mid-Year Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, with hundreds of payment professionals gathered to network and learn about payment services, trends and initiatives that impact merchants’ customers and bottom line.

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  • Payments Technology

    CISO Fireside Chat “A View from the Hot Seat”
    Kacie Paine

    CISO Fireside Chat “A View from the Hot Seat”

    Sep 2, 2020

    Cybersecurity is more important than ever as people shift their behaviors in light of COVID. Several CISOs from merchant member companies will join Mastercard CISO Ron Green during MAG’s virtual Tech Forum on October 14 to discuss what keeps them up at night and how they address emerging security threats across their businesses.

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MAG MEMBER HIGHLIGHT

Why Microsoft Values the MAG

Why Microsoft Values the MAG

Microsoft has invested in payments capabilities over the last decade to be able to meet our customers where they want to pay and optimize around the same. During that time, the world of payments has evolved and become much more intricate with an array of options with uncertain returns. Determining what to do and what not to do has become more art than science and we have leveraged the forums and connections made at the MAG to help us decipher how to maneuver in the payments sphere and how to capitalize on emerging and prevailing trends.

MAG SPONSOR HIGHLIGHT

The Digital Transformation of Payments: A Powerful Case for Omnichannel Commerce

Fiserv —  The Digital Transformation of Payments: A Powerful Case for Omnichannel Commerce

In a year that brought tremendous disruption to all walks of life, 2020 will also be seen as a turning point for merchants, particularly those who had already started down the path toward emerging payments technologies. These businesses gained a significant competitive head start, allowing them to quickly implement changes in support of dramatic consumer behavioral shifts. As online, curbside, and third-party delivery purchases dominated the shopping experience, those who were able to meet this consumer demand were best positioned to take advantage of the opportunities.
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The Merchant Advisory Group

Driving positive change and innovation in the payments industry that serves the merchants interest through collaboration, education, and advocacy.