Looking for a restaurant on the block…chain? Paying the bill could be getting a glow up.

New technologies are taking the world by storm, transforming even the simplest money transactions, like settling the check at the end of the meal. A new app* from the co-founder of Resy and Eater allows diners a menu of flexible options like splitting the tab, paying with rewards points, or using a stablecoin cryptocurrency.

According to Empower research, 61% of Gen Z say they’re unsure how to divide a bill among friends at a restaurant and nearly half of Americans (46%) say they’re uncomfortable asking to be paid back. Most prefer requesting their cash through an app (51%), but modern solutions have modern dilemmas, too: About two-thirds (64%) are uncertain whether to round to the nearest dollar.

Check, please.

— The Editors 

🍬 Sweet and savory: Snack time is about to get a whole lot sweeter – and saltier – in a $35.9 billion* deal. Mars, the maker of M&M’s and Skittles, is buying Kellanova, whose brands include Pringles and Cheez-It, in the largest acquisition in the packaged food category in over a decade. If you want to take a bite out of inflation, check out some of the bargains, according to CPI data.

🚲 Going places: A first-of-its-kind transportation program is cycling through the Boston area, bringing cargo e-bikes* to those looking for transit alternatives. With more room for groceries or passengers, the e-bikes are closer to a car than two-wheels. Getting around is big business, as the electric cargo bike market size is projected to reach $2.14 billion* in the U.S. by 2032. Costing $2.50 to unlock and then 25 cents per minute, the e-bike has a range of about 30 miles on a single charge.

💳 Credit score boost: More parents are helping their children build credit early by adding them as authorized users on the account. Nearly 700,000* 22- to 24-year-olds have enjoyed this parental perk in the last year. Since the length of credit history can account for 15-20% of a person’s overall score, getting a head start could make it easier to qualify for loans down the line. Check out the average credit score and how you stack up.

🎃 The glow of Stocktober: There’s no crystal ball for the market, but the myth of a spooky season glows in October – and its fearsome reputation is not entirely undeserved. Halloween month has seen many of the most spectacular market crashes. These include 1987, when the S&P sank by 20.5% on Oct. 19 – its largest single-day drop ever in percentage terms – and two consecutive days in 1929, Oct. 28 and 29, when the S&P dove 12.3% and 10.1%, respectively. Yet on average, October has delivered positive returns historically – higher returns than those produced by the “January effect,” another historically positive month. No matter the month, investors should consider the long view, in moments of market volatility or prosperity.

Making the sale gets a makeover

Advertising giant Publicis Groupe has paid $500 million* to acquire Influential, a marketing firm that drove an estimated $150 million in revenue last year through its network of 3.5 million influencers.

As consumers turn away from traditional advertising channels, internet personalities are making their mark on shoppers, with 74%* of people trusting influencers’ product recommendations and 61% having made a purchase based on an online review. More than 50 beauty brands have been launched by celebrities and social media influencers since the start of the decade.

Brand partnerships can mean big money on both sides: Influencer marketing spending is expected to increase to $8.14 billion this year and $9.29 billion in 2025.

Americans spend close to two and a half hours a day browsing for things they’d like to own, according to Empower research, and apparel (49%) takes the crown of items they’re considering most – perhaps with help from an influencer.

From the glow of your phone

Americans are syncing up with a new messaging app: WhatsApp has hit 100 million* monthly active users in the U.S., compared with the billions of users worldwide, perhaps putting an end to the blue vs. green bubble* debate among texters.

Meta acquired the service for $19 billion in 2014, and WhatsApp stands out among traditional texting methods due to its ability to encrypt messages* from end to end. The added security measure is more important than ever, when texting scams cost U.S. consumers $330 million* in 2022; the median loss per victim was around $1,000.

Protecting wealth goes beyond just securing your phone and texts. This 5-step checklist can help you take a quick pulse on how to safeguard your spending and savings, too.

The fitness market is glowing

The boutique fitness market is expected to reach $80 billion* by 2029, and many companies are finding strength in numbers.

Self Esteem Brands, which owns a chain of 24-hour gyms in the U.S., is merging with Orangetheory, a brand of 1,500* locations specializing in group workout classes, to form a combined company with around $3.5 billion in annual revenue.

Peloton Interactive is partnering with Hyatt Hotels, in which travelers can take a spin on its bikes in over 800* locations. This expansion joins a 2022 deal where Peloton teamed up to bring bikes to 5,400 Hilton hotels in the U.S.

Empower research found that people spend an average of $97 a month on exercise, and 27% say gyms are worth splurging on.

🧀 Say cheese: Chuck E. Cheese hopes to get deal-seeking families smiling. The chain’s new subscription service starts at $7.99* a month and offers up to 40 games per visit with a 20% discount on refreshments. Additional membership tiers unlock more games and bigger perks on food and drinks. People have been piling into subscription services, as these businesses saw a 300% jump in sales from 2013 to 2018. That’s more than the revenue made by all the companies in the S&P 500 during the same time.