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May 28, 2025
Top Post
ISO 20022 for Financial Institutions: The Path to Compliance
Convera
"A key complexity of the ISO 20022 rollout is that payment schemes around the world are migrating on varied timelines and with different implementation strategies. For example: Fedwire in the United States plans to fully adopt ISO 20022 on July 14, 2025; The Eurosystem’s T2, and EBA Clearing’s EURO1 have already migrated; Australia’s New Payments Platform (NPP) is powered by ISO 20022 messaging standards; The SWIFT network will complete its transition to ISO 20022 for international cross-border payments in November 2025."
On the web
PayPal Gets RBI Nod for Cross-Border Transfers—Who Benefits and How
NewsBytes
"PayPal Payments (PayPal), the Indian arm of PayPal Holdings, has received in-principle approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate as a cross-border payment aggregator. Another fintech firm, Worldline ePayments India, also announced that it has received RBI's approval to operate under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007."
Explore the First Brief in Our EMV 3DS Mini-Series
U.S. Payments Forum
"EMV® 3-D Secure (EMV 3DS) is a powerful tool for reducing eCommerce fraud, improving transaction approval rates, and protecting merchants from chargebacks. In this first installment of the U.S. Payments Forum’s EMV 3DS Mini-Series, we break down: How EMV 3DS works across issuer, acquirer, and interoperability domains; Real-world use cases like high-risk, high-value, and cross-border transactions; Key benefits for merchants—including fraud reduction, customer trust, and liability protection; Common adoption challenges and how to overcome them"
Did You Know Payment Stablecoins Have Similar Run Risks as Money Market Funds?
ABA Banking Journal
"Payment stablecoins issued by nonbanks are economically equivalent to MMFs. One could even characterize them as tokenized MMFs used for payments. They share the same vulnerabilities with MMFs, and may suffer similar runs under stress. As Congress and regulators debate the right level of stablecoin regulation, these run risks and the potential role of the Fed warrant careful consideration."
Vietnam Urges Corporate Banking Customers to Complete Biometric Verification as Deadline Looms
Biometric Update
"Vietnam is making biometric verification integral to corporate banking. From July 1 corporate bank customers will only be allowed to withdraw funds or conduct electronic payment transactions if their legal representatives have completed biometric and ID document verification. Electronic transactions will only be permitted if the biometric data and identity documents of the account holder or legal representative match encrypted ID card data, such as the citizen ID card, or through a verified digital identity account."
Worldpay to Enable Stablecoin Payouts for Global Businesses in Collaboration with BVNK
Worldpay
"Worldpay® and BVNK announced they are working together to enable nearly instant global payouts in stablecoins for Worldpay clients in the U.S. and Europe. This collaboration will enable Worldpay’s clients to pay out to customers, contractors, creators, sellers, and other 3rd party beneficiaries in stablecoins across more than 180 markets nearly instantly, all without having to hold or handle stablecoins themselves."
Visa Brings Click to Pay to Hong Kong with ZA Bank
IBS Intelligence
"Visa has announced the official rollout of Click to Pay in partnership with ZA Bank, Hong Kong’s first and largest virtual bank. This launch makes ZA Bank the first card issuer across Asia Pacific to enable the Visa Click to Pay solution, with further expansion planned in 11 additional regional markets."
Elon Musk Confirms Surprising New Feature on X
Yahoo Finance
"X owner Elon Musk confirmed on May 25 that the social media platform will soon unveil a payments feature. As the Tesla Owners Silicon Valley informed on X that Musk has confirmed X is launching X Money soon, the billionaire responded, "This will be a very limited access beta at first. When people’s savings are involved, extreme care must be taken."
Fighting Fraud Across the Globe: What Other Countries are Doing
Nacha
"If ever there was a case where misery loves company, it’s fraud. “Fraud is a global issue,” said Jane Larimer, Nacha President and CEO. To discover what’s being done in other parts of the world, Larimer brought together leaders from Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and the UK for the April 28 panel “Industry Focus: Fighting Fraud Across the Globe: What Can the U.S. Learn from Other Geos?” at Smarter Faster Payments 2025."
Tink, Adyen Partner to Bring Pay by Bank to Vodafone Customers in Germany
Open Banking Expo
"Tink, A Visa Solution, and Adyen, the global financial technology platform of choice for leading businesses, have announced a partnership with Vodafone, a leading telecoms company, to offer their customers in Germany the option to pay their prepaid tariff and outstanding post-paid balances using Pay by Bank."
On the wires
Circle Launches Initial Public Offering
Business Wire
"Circle Internet Group, Inc., a global financial technology company and stablecoin market leader, announced the launch of the initial public offering."
May 27, 2025
Top Post
Defaults Rise as ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ Users Struggle to Repay Loans
Finance & Commerce
"More Klarna customers are having trouble repaying their “buy now, pay later” loans, the short-term lender said this week. The disclosure corresponded with reports by lending platforms Bankrate and LendingTree, which cited an increasing share of all “buy now, pay later” users saying they had fallen behind on payments."
On the web
ACI Worldwide Redefines Payments with ACI Connetic
ACI Worldwide
"ACI Worldwide has announced the integration of the major UK, EU and global networks’ payment capabilities into ACI Connetic, ACI’s transformative, cloud-native payments hub. These include Swift cross-border payments, RTGS payments including Target2, SEPA Instant RT1 and TIPS payments, with the addition of more capabilities planned."
Customers Want Security, Ease of Use From Their P2P Transfer Brands
J.D. Power
"When it comes to P2P (person-to-person) transfers, bank customers are fiercely loyal to the brand they prefer. However, according to new J.D. Power data, network effects, security and ease of use play a large role in determining which “additional” brands consumers are using."
Europe’s Banks Brace for Real-Time Payments —And Millions in Lost Interest
IBS Intelligence
There’s no such thing as banking hours anymore. Weekends, evenings, holidays — they’re all fair game now. With the EU’s SEPA Instant Payments Regulation set to become mandatory by October 2025, banks are being pushed into a world where euro payments must clear in seconds, 24/7/365. It is a landmark shift designed to modernise European payments, but it comes at a steep cost.
Adyen Enables Tap to Pay on iPhone in Seven Additional European Markets
Adyen
"Adyen goes live with Tap to Pay on iPhone in Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Iceland, Luxembourg, and Malta."
On the wires
Volante Launches Regulatory-Ready Web3 Prepaid Card for Salary Payments
Business Wire
"Volante Labs Limited (volantechain.com) has launched the Volante Card, the world’s first Web3-enabled prepaid card designed specifically for salary disbursement—no traditional bank account required. Designed to serve billions of unbanked individuals globally, the Volante Card provides a secure, seamless, and compliant solution for both employers and workers."
May 23, 2025
Top Post
BBVA and Caixabank Process Europe’s First Interbank RTP Transactions
FinTech Futures
"Spanish banking giants BBVA and CaixaBank have successfully conducted the first bank-to-bank Request to Pay (RTP) transactions in Europe. The transactions were part of a ring-fenced pilot programme conducted between April and May, and were completed via instant transfer processed by domestic payment services provider Iberpay."
Big Banks Explore Venturing Into Crypto World Together With Joint Stablecoin
WSJ
"The nation’s biggest banks are exploring whether to team up to issue a joint stablecoin, a step intended to fend off escalating competition from the cryptocurrency industry. The conversations have so far involved companies co-owned by JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup, Wells Fargo and other large commercial banks, according to people familiar with the matter. Those include Early Warning Services, the operator of the peer-to-peer payment system Zelle, and the Clearing House, the real-time payment network. [Subscription Required]"
BHMI Enhances the Concourse Financial Software Suite® to Support the Illinois Interchange Fee Prohibition Act (IFPA)
Business Wire
"BHMI announced that its Concourse Financial Software Suite has been updated to support compliance with the Illinois Interchange Fee Prohibition Act (IFPA). The IFPA, enacted in June 2024 and set to take effect on July 1, 2025, prohibits payment card networks, issuers, acquirer banks, and processors from assessing or receiving interchange fees on portions of electronic payment transactions that represent state or local taxes and gratuities."
On the web
Curve Pay Launches iPhone NFC Payments as Apple Pay Alternative
MacRumors
"British fintech company Curve has launched contactless payments for iPhone users in the European Union, becoming the second third-party payment service after PayPal to take advantage of Apple's newly opened NFC interface. The Curve Pay app allows users to make tap-to-pay purchases without using Apple Pay or the Wallet app, following PayPal's debut of similar functionality in Germany earlier this month."
From Onboarding to Settlement in Minutes: TransFi Launches BizPay to Redefine Global Business Payments
GlobeNewswire News Room
"TransFi launches BizPay, a unified global payment platform enabling instant, compliant cross-border transactions with AI-powered routing and 250+ local methods across 100+ countries. At the heart of BizPay is an engine built for precision. Using AI-powered dynamic routing and 70+ backend integrations, every payout or pay-in is optimized for the fastest and most cost-effective route—whether that’s via fiat or stablecoin rails. "
Ethiopia Unveils Faydapass Digital Wallet to Boost Financial Inclusion
Biometric Update
"Ethiopia has launched what it calls the FaydaPass wallet, the latest move in its digital public infrastructure (DPI) program aimed at speeding up financial inclusion as well as verification for access to a number of other government services. Tech5 and payments giant Visa supported the country in the development of the wallet, the former providing its T5-Airsnap and T5-OmniMatch systems, according to a joint announcement shared on May 21."
Citi Rolls Out PayTo Solution for Institutional Clients in Australia
IBS Intelligence
"Citi has launched its PayTo initiator service, providing institutional clients with a fast, secure and cost-effective alternative to traditional credit card, debit card, or direct debit payments. With PayTo, Citi’s institutional clients can now initiate real-time account-to-account pull payments, allowing their end-customers to authorise payments directly from their bank accounts. This capability facilitates instant transactions and improves transparency."
On the wires
ECB Hopes to Have Political Deal on Digital Euro by Early 2026
Reuters
"The European Central Bank hopes to have all the political decisions in place by early next year to issue a digital euro and would then need two to three years to launch the currency, ECB board member Piero Cipollone said on Thursday. The ECB has been working on a digital version of the euro for years but progress has been slower than expected, mostly because legislation is still not in place to allow the bank to proceed."
May 22, 2025
Top Post
Stop Making Cents: US Mint Moves Forward With Plans to Kill the Penny
AP News
"The U.S. Mint has made its final order of penny blanks and plans to stop producing the coin when those run out, a Treasury Department official confirmed Thursday. An immediate annual savings of $56 million in reduced material costs is expected by stopping penny production, according to the official, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity to preview the news."
On the web
More Than 50% of Fraud Driven by AI and Hyper-Realistic Impersonations, But Banks Also Use Generative AI to Fight Back
Feedzai
"Feedzai released its 2025 AI Trends in Fraud and Financial Crime Prevention report, uncovering how generative AI is used in financial fraud. More than 50% of fraud involves the use of artificial intelligence. Generative AI has emerged as a powerful tool for criminals, enabling the creation of hyper-realistic deepfakes, synthetic identities, and AI-powered phishing scams."
American Express Expands Footprint in the Caribbean
American Express
"From Barbados to Bermuda, your Amex Card is now accepted across 22 Caribbean islands like never before. Over the past few years, American Express has worked to expand acceptance in the region, fostering partnerships with local banks and elevating the experiences offered Card Members. Turks & Caicos, The Bahamas, Antigua & Barbuda, and Jamaica have the highest Amex acceptance rates, while St. Lucia and St. Kitts & Nevis follow closely behind."
Mastercard and MoonPay Team Up to Mainstream Stablecoin Payments
Mastercard
"Mastercard and MoonPay will join forces to enable people and businesses to pay and be paid using stablecoins across global markets. Enterprises and fintechs will be able to leverage Mastercard branded cards linked to users’ stablecoin balances, empowering cardholders to spend their stablecoins, which will simultaneously be converted to fiat currency, at more than 150 million locations where Mastercard is accepted worldwide."
Circle Launches Circle Payments Network for Real-Time Stablecoin Payments
Crypto News
"Circle has officially launched the mainnet for its Circle Payments Network. The CPN will be a new blockchain-based system designed to facilitate real-time cross-border payments and settlements using its stablecoin, USDC. The CPN is built to support business-to-business payments, cross-border remittances, enterprise treasury operations, and payroll disbursements."
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