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June 17, 2025
Top Post
One Month to Go! Have You Finalized Your Iso® 20022 Preparedness and Contingency Plans?
FRB Services
"In less than one month, Federal Reserve Financial Services (FRFS) will transition to the ISO 20022 format for the Fedwire® Funds Service on July 14, 2025. As part of your overall readiness preparations for the upcoming migration, we highly recommend that you finalize your preparedness and contingency plans as soon as possible. It is critical that you have a contingency plan in the event that you are not ready to send or receive ISO 20022 messages through the Fedwire Funds Service or your wire ecosystem is not ready for ISO 20022 messages beginning July 14."
On the web
A Retail CBDC Design for Basic Payments: Feasibility Study
Bank of Canada
"We frame the wide spectrum of possible system architectures for an online retail central bank digital currency (CBDC) and identify a promising architecture well-suited for basic payments. We select OpenCBDC 2PC, a representative system design that fits this architecture and analyze it using a range of criteria to assess the feasibility of such system designs."
PPRO Adds Pix Automático to Its Local Payments Platform to Serve the Booming Brazilian Subscription Market
PPRO
"PPRO announced the launch of Pix Automático on the PPRO platform, on day one of the Central Bank of Brazil’s live rollout. Pix Automático, developed by the Central Bank of Brazil, allows consumers to authorise recurring payments such as subscriptions, utilities, and memberships with a single upfront consent. This eliminates the need for manual approvals with each transaction, reducing friction and improving retention in the payment journey."
JPMD: JPMorgan Files Cryptocurrency Trademark
U.Today
"JPMorgan Chase, the largest US banking institution by total assets under management, recently led a trademark for what appears to be a cryptocurrency called "JPMD."
Alipay Enables In-Store Payment Functionality Across China for AR Glasses in Partnership With Rokid
Retail Technology Innovation Hub
"Rokid, a specialist in augmented reality, has launched Rokid Glasses, its latest AR device. In China, the product supports in-store payments facilitated by Alipay’s digital technology and multidimensional risk control solution for AR glasses. This will begin rolling out to users starting in June, with over 250,000 units thus far ordered. Users link their Alipay account via the Rokid app and enable voice verification. In stores, they say: “Rokid, pay 10 RMB."
On the wires
eTip Collaborates with Visa to Deliver Rapid, Secure Digital Tip and Wage Payments to Digital Wallets
PR Newswire
"eTip, the award-winning benefits platform specializing in digital tipping for hospitality and service industries, today announced a new collaboration with Visa to help deliver funds directly to participating digital wallets in real-time. Now, service industry professionals—from hotel staff to restaurant workers—can quickly send funds to their participating financial apps such as Venmo and PayPal without waiting multiple business days to access their earnings."
VGS, The World’s Leader in Payment Tokenization, Celebrates A Decade of Payments Innovation and 5 Billion Tokens Stored
Business Wire
VGS, the world's leader in payment tokenization and a trusted credential management platform for global businesses, celebrates the 10-year anniversary of its founding. In addition to celebrating 10 years of payment innovation, VGS has proudly reached another significant milestone: surpassing 5 billion tokens stored.
June 16, 2025
Top Post
Nubank Launches Automated Pix With Smart Bill Search
Nu International
"Nubank announces the launch of Automated Pix, a new option to pay recurring bills with convenience and security, available to customers starting June 16. The new feature will be accompanied by the ‘Search Upcoming Bills’ feature, which will give customers complete freedom to choose how and when to pay – whether fully automatically or in a facilitated manner, with alerts and simple one-click approvals directly in the app."
On the web
Accept/Pay Global Launches Real-Time Payments with Interac, Empowering Businesses to Move Money Instantly
Canada Newswire
"Accept/Pay Global announced the launch of its Real-Time Payments with Interac product, enabling businesses across Canada to send and receive payments instantly and securely using Interac e-Transfers. Enterprise customers and financial platforms looking to streamline collections and disbursements can now integrate with our API to deliver speed, convenience, and reliability in payments."
The Rise of Embedded and Invisible Payments
Atlanta Fed
"...Invisible payments —often requiring no active authorization step at all. Transactions are triggered automatically using sensors, account credentials, or behavior data. At Amazon Go stores, cameras and radio frequency identification technology track what you take, and your account is charged as you walk out—no checkout, no tapping, no scanning. Sam's Club has introduced a "scan and go" system that allows shoppers to scan items with their phones and skip the checkout line. Over the past three years, use of this feature has grown by 50 percent , with one in four customers now using it."
Visa Releases Money Travels: 2025 Digital Remittances Adoption Report for North America
Visa
"Visa Inc. unveiled its Money Travels: 2025 Digital Remittances Adoption Report, highlighting the growing influence of digital remittance applications in North America, driven by convenience, security, and user-friendly experiences. Pain Points: Fees: High fees remain a concern, with 27% of U.S. and 30% of Canadian respondents citing this as a major issue when sending digitally. Traditional methods and hidden fees: 35% of U.S. and 28% of respondents said they had experienced some kind of hidden fee when using cash, checks or money orders."
Cantaloupe, Inc. Enters into Definitive Agreement to Be Acquired by 365 Retail Markets
Cantaloupe, Inc.
"Cantaloupe, Inc., a global technology leader offering end-to-end technology solutions for self-service commerce, announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by 365 Retail Markets. Cantaloupe’s and 365’s complementary strengths will enable the combined company to offer a seamless unattended retail platform for customers around the globe, from hardware to software, and payment processing technology to data analytics."
Comerica Bank Ushers in New Era of RTP® Through New On-Behalf-Of (OBO) Payment Solutions
PR Newswire
"Comerica Bank announced it will become an early adopter of The Clearing House's revised rules for domestic On-Behalf-Of (OBO) payments on the RTP® network operated by The Clearing House. Comerica Bank, and its client Monex USA, a provider of international payments, corporate FX and currency risk hedging services, took part in one of the first OBO payments under the revised rules."
U.S. Bank and Fiserv Create Market-Leading, Integrated Agent Card Issuance
U.S. Bank
"U.S. Bank and Fiserv have entered into a partnership in which U.S. Bank’s industry-leading Elan Financial Services credit card program will be integrated into the Credit Choice solution from Fiserv, with plans to introduce significant new capabilities later this year."
Investors Are Missing Major Red Flags Amid a Fintech Frenzy
Raconteur
"A flurry of failed fintech deals raises important questions over the number of acquisitions investors are making without the right due diligence"
On the wires
Amidst Economic Uncertainty, Consumers Lean into Gift Cards, Digital Gifting, and AI-Driven Purchases
Business Wire
"Despite ongoing economic uncertainty, American consumers plan to buy more gift cards this year, strategically using them to manage budgets, find deals, and control spending, according to new research from leading branded payments provider Blackhawk Network (BHN). The research provides actionable insights specifically for retailers, restaurants, and brands. It highlights significant growth in digital gifting, increasing adoption of AI-driven shopping, self-use trends—with nearly one-third of consumers purchasing gift cards for their own use—and the rising influence of Generation Alpha."
June 13, 2025
Top Post
Amazon, Walmart, and Expedia Consider Issuing Stablecoins to Sidestep Costly Card Fees
Crypto Briefing
"Top American retailers and travel companies, including Amazon, Walmart, and Expedia, are weighing the launch of their own stablecoins to reduce payment processing costs, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday, citing people with knowledge of the effort. The potential shift could help merchants save billions of dollars in fees tied to card payments, including interchange fees."
On the web
Stripe Will Help Millions of Shopify Merchants to Accept Stablecoin Payments
Stripe
"Stripe announced a deeper partnership with Shopify, in which Stripe will help millions of Shopify merchants accept stablecoin payments. In a few weeks, Shopify merchants across 34 countries will be able to accept payments in USDC. Shoppers will be able to pay with USDC on Base using their preferred crypto wallet."
Introducing USDC on Shopify: Simple, Borderless Payments for Merchants
Shopify
"Shopify is joining forces with Coinbase and Stripe to bring frictionless, secure stablecoin payments to merchants around the world"
Zru Incorporates Network Tokens Into Its Payment System to Enhance Conversion in Ecommerce
Marketing4eCommerce
"The Spanish payment orchestration platform Zru has announced the addition of a new feature to its system: network tokenization. This technology, driven by leading card brands like Visa and Mastercard, allows the real card number to be replaced by an identifier (token) that can continue to function even if the physical card changes (due to loss, renewal, or expiration)."
June 12, 2025
Top Post
Carvana Launches Real-Time Down Payment Capabilities
Auto Finance News
"Carvana has implemented request for payments technology and instant payments capabilities for down payments on vehicle purchases, allowing consumers to obtain their vehicle faster. The online used-car dealership has integrated financial services provider Plaid’s RFP technology, which leverages The Clearing House’s real-time payment (RTP) network to streamline the consumer-to-business payment process."
On the web
Coinbase Partners With Shopify to Bring USDC Payments to Merchants
CNBC
"CNBC Crypto World: Coinbase’s Jesse Pollak discusses the company’s new partnership with Shopify to bring USDC stablecoin payments to merchants."
New Coinbase One Card to Launch on the American Express Network
American Express
Today, at Coinbase’s State of Crypto Conference, Coinbase announced that it will launch its first credit card, the Coinbase One Card, on the American Express Network. The Coinbase One Card will offer up to 4% Bitcoin back on every purchase, offered by Coinbase and Cardless, and issued by First Electronic Bank. The card will be exclusively available to Coinbase One members in the U.S., and more details will be available this fall.
Business Email Compromise Are You a Target for BEC Scams?
Chargebacks911
"The FBI calls business email compromise “the $26 billion dollar scam.” How is that possible? This article will take a close look at BEC scams to explain what they are, why they’re such an expensive problem, and also how you and your employees might be targeted."
Paytm Shares Plunge 10% as Government Denies MDR on UPI
NewsBytes
"Shares of One97 Communications, the parent company of digital payments platform Paytm, fell by as much as 10% on Thursday. The decline came after the Finance Ministry rejected rumors about the possible introduction of a Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) for Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions. The ministry called such reports "baseless and sensational speculations" that create unnecessary uncertainty among citizens."
Citi Expands Global Payments Platform in Shift Towards ‘Self-Sustainable’ Model
The Banker
"Citi is pushing ahead with the global implementation of a new payments infrastructure that marks a break from reliance on external vendors, as the bank rolls out a platform first piloted in Malaysia last year. Citi’s engineers built the payments processing capabilities into microservices — and used the Icon Payments Framework to develop a common payments processing workflow. IPF underpins a microservices architecture for processing real-time gross settlement transactions on an ISO 20022 -native platform."
Visa, Chainlink Successfully Complete CBDC, Stablecoin Swap Between Hong Kong, Australia
CryptoSlate
"Visa and Chainlink have completed a key milestone in the Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s (HKMA) e-HKD+ Pilot Programme, successfully testing a cross-border blockchain transaction using central bank digital currency (CBDC) and stablecoins. The trial, conducted in partnership with ANZ, ChinaAMC, and Fidelity International, is one of the first real-world simulations of programmable money being used for cross-border investment in tokenized assets."
Buy Now Pay Later Provider Zilch to Launch First Physical Card
Evesham Journal
"Zilch, which offers buy now, pay later for brands such as Amazon and Iceland, is launching its first physical card as part of a new partnership with Visa."
On the wires
Ant Unit Plans to Apply for Stablecoin Issuer License in Hong Kong
Yahoo Finance-Reuters
"Ant Group, an affiliate of China's e-commerce giant Alibaba, plans to apply for a license to issue stablecoins in Hong Kong through its overseas arm Ant International, the subsidiary said in a statement on Thursday. Last month, Hong Kong's legislature passed a stablecoin bill that establishes a licensing regime for fiat-referenced stablecoin issuers in Hong Kong."
Marqeta to Power New Klarna Debit Card in the U.S.
Business Wire
"Marqeta, Inc. announced it is working with Klarna, the global digital bank and flexible payments provider, to enable the Klarna Card: a new debit card powered by Visa Flexible Credential (VFC) that allows access to built-in flexible payment options."
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