More than one in five (21%) of consumer payments were made online in 2024, representing 36% of the total value spent, up from 28% just two years previously, according to the European Central Bank. And around nine out of ten people made at least one digital payment last year — including on the web, in […]
When a global IT outage forced millions of computers offline in July 2024, the world didn’t stop turning — but many businesses ground to a halt. The outage cost Fortune 500 companies alone an estimated $5.4 billion as card and phone payments and online banking were severely disrupted. But the 2024 outage may prove […]
From “nudges and sludges” to “confirmshaming,” dark patterns are the colourfully-named web design tricks retailers use to manipulate consumers online. Dark patterns include last-minute fees, complicated opt-out processes and — in the case of confirmshaming — using emotive language to guilt or panic you into doing something you’d rather not, such as buying extra items […]
When you’ve already spent a small fortune on flights and hotels, planning your budget for day-to-day spending on your trip abroad can be a bit of a buzzkill. Indeed, not having to worry about spending money is why half of Brits believe all-inclusive holidays are such good value. But whether it’s dining out, transport or […]
When the first cash machine was introduced to the UK in 1967, banking was forever revolutionised, enabling Brits to withdraw their hard-earned cash at any time of day or night. But with new technologies came new ways to pay, and cash has somewhat fallen by the wayside in recent years; indeed, in 2022, half […]
