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April 23, 2025
On the web
eBay and Klarna Deepen Global Strategic Partnership to Empower Flexible Shopping in the U.S.
Klarna
"eBay announced the expansion of its global strategic partnership with Klarna, the AI-powered payments and commerce network, to the U.S. market. eBay is rolling out Klarna’s flexible payments options to millions of eBay’s U.S. shoppers. The expanded partnership reflects eBay’s continued investment in bringing more choice, flexibility, and control to buyers while enhancing affordability across key categories."
ACH Network Sees Strong Start to 2025; Volume and Value Increases for Both Standard and Same Day ACH
Nacha
"The ACH Network began 2025 with impressive gains in both standard and Same Day ACH during the first quarter. ACH payment volume rose 4.2% to 8.5 billion. The value of those payments was $22.1 trillion, up $1.4 trillion, or 6.6%, from a year earlier. Same Day ACH continued its growth trajectory, recording 326 million payments valued at $897 billion."
Credit-Card Companies Brace for a Downturn
WSJ
"Credit card companies are bracing for a potential economic downturn and increasing reserves to cover expected future losses. Delinquencies are rising and are in line with levels from before the pandemic. Some firms are tightening lending or targeting affluent clients; Amex sees steady performance among high-income consumers. [Subscription Required]"
Unlock the Power of Instant Payments by Exploring Transaction Types
FedPayments Improvement
"Understanding the different types of instant payment transactions is key to leveraging their full potential. From streamlining business operations to enhancing individuals’ financial flexibility, here’s a closer look at how instant payments are being used today – and the opportunities they create for the future."
Safaricom CEO Pledges M-Pesa Upgrade With Zero Downtime
Developing Telecoms
"Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa has pledged to elevate the company’s mobile money platform, M-Pesa, into its next phase-emphasising the need for stronger cybersecurity and uninterrupted service. Speaking about the upcoming M-Pesa 2.0, Ndegwa said the upgrade would be rolled out within the next 6 to 12 months, citing an urgent need to “keep ahead of the crooks” attempting to breach their systems. In contrast, earlier versions of M-Pesa - such as those introduced in 2021 - often required full system outages."
How is AI Revolutionizing the Payment Industry in 2025
RFID JOURNAL
"AI brings exciting opportunities in the payments industry, helping from fraud mitigation and better customer experiences to streamlined operations. But challenges remain—regulatory hurdles, data privacy concerns, and the need for modern infrastructure. In this article, we will delve into the benefits, challenges, and opportunities for key industry stakeholders looking to leverage the full potential of artificial intelligence in their payments business."
Stripe Launches New Features for Businesses in Japan, Adds PayPay Integration
IBS Intelligence
"Stripe has launched a set of major product updates aimed at supporting businesses in Japan and international companies expanding into the Japanese market. Stripe is now making it easier for businesses to cater to local customer expectations by enabling support for PayPay, Japan’s widely used digital wallet with over 68 million users. Businesses can now accept PayPay for online purchases and benefit from faster payouts, receiving funds in as few as four business days—far ahead of the industry norm of month-end settlements."
Fiserv Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire Brazilian Fintech Money Money
Fiserv, Inc.
"Fiserv, Inc. announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Brazilian fintech Money Money Servicos Financeiros S.A. This transaction expands Fiserv’s services in Brazil, enabling small and medium-sized businesses to access capital that can be invested in the growth and maturation of their businesses."
Haboo Money Teams up With Griffin to Launch ‘Save-As-You-Repay’ Wallet
Open Banking Expo
"UK fintech haboo money has partnered with bank for fintechs Griffin to offer a “save-as-you-repay” wallet designed to give borrowers more control and flexibility over loan repayments, through the use of variable recurring payments (VRP) and behavioural “nudges”. The new save-as-you-pay wallet from haboo provides borrowers with flexible repayment options, by replacing direct debits with VRP, and aims to encourage responsible overpayments to help individuals pay down debt faster."
Paydify Launches To Enable Businesses Worldwide To Accept Crypto Payments
The Daily Hodl
"Paydify, a universal gateway for any crypto payments, has officially launched to enable businesses to accept crypto payments from any wallet or blockchain network. Built to simplify fragmented blockchain infrastructure, Paydify turns complex crypto payments into a smooth checkout experience – with real-time stablecoin settlement and zero transaction fees."
Transaction Disputes What are They & Why Do Customers File Them?
Chargebacks911
"Transaction disputes are never good news for merchants… but they don’t have to be the end of the world, either. In this post, we’ll examine when and why this mechanism should be used, as well as how you can stop the next dispute before your customer calls the bank."
Stablecoins and Crypto Shocks: An Update
Liberty Street Economics
"Stablecoins are crypto assets whose value is pegged to that of a fiat currency, usually the U.S. dollar. In this post, we document the growth of stablecoins since 2019, including the evolution of the reported collateral backing major stablecoins. Then, we estimate the impact on the stablecoin industry of large bitcoin price increases that occurred between 2021 and 2025."
On the wires
Global Financial Crime Prevention Leader Feedzai Acquires Demyst to Break Down Data Silos and Accelerate Risk Decisions
PR Newswire
"Feedzai announced that it has acquired Demyst, including its Zonic data workflow orchestration platform, intellectual property, and sophisticated data-integration capabilities. This strategic move is part of Feedzai's vision to unify data orchestration and risk management into a single platform, providing financial institutions with the real-time data, analytics, and trusted artificial intelligence they need to make the best possible risk decisions."
Bilt Rewards Expands Network of Homes Into Student Housing, Introduces Capability to Pay Student Loans With Bilt Points
Business Wire
"Bilt Rewards, the payments and commerce network that transforms housing and neighborhood spending into rewards and benefits, announced an expansion of its network of homes to include student housing properties, with American Campus Communities as its launch partner. Bilt is introducing a first-of-its-kind feature allowing members to redeem their Bilt Points toward eligible student loan payments."
April 22, 2025
Top Post
Affirm Expands Credit Reporting with TransUnion to All Pay-Over-Time Products
Business Wire
"Affirm Holdings, Inc. is expanding the credit reporting of its pay-over-time products to TransUnion, the companies jointly announced. All Affirm pay-over-time loans issued from May 1, 2025 onward, including Pay in 4 and longer-term monthly installments, will be reported to TransUnion."
On the web
Circle Announces Payments Network to Transform Global Money Movement
Business Wire
"Circle Internet Group, Inc. announced Circle Payments Network (CPN) to connect financial institutions – banks, neo-banks, payment service providers, virtual asset service providers and digital wallets – and enable real-time settlement of cross-border payments using regulated stablecoins. CPN marks the next chapter in Circle’s evolution, extending beyond trusted stablecoins and developer platforms to power a globally connected payments network."
Curve Pay Launches on Android - The Wallet with Total Bank Coverage, Superior Spending Insights and Zero Foreign Exchange Fees
The Wise Marketer
"Curve Pay brings Android users unmatched spending visibility, comprehensive bank and card coverage, zero foreign transaction fees on all linked cards, and advanced money management tools, setting a new standard for convenience, security, and savings in mobile wallets."
Capital One and Discover Merger Gains Approval in Jawdropping Deal
EMARKETER
"The Capital One and Discover deal received the final regulatory approval and will close on May 18. Combined, the two companies will have $660 billion in assets...What this means: The megadeal will dramatically shake up the payments and banking industries. Capital One will switch some of its cards from Visa’s and Mastercard’s networks to the Discover network. This will shift competitive dynamics."
Fast Payments in Action: Emerging Lessons From Brazil and India
Atlantic Council
"As the rise of instant payment systems transforms the global financial sector, more governments are considering launching their own central bank-led immediate payment systems. Pix and Unified Payments Interface (UPI), Brazil and India’s respective instant payment systems, provide two key lessons for governments interested in implementing new fast or immediate payment systems."
Agentic AI: The Evolution of Autonomous Fraud Detection
Global Banking & Finance Review
"Fraudsters have consistently positioned themselves at the cutting edge of technological innovation. With the recent explosion in AI capabilities—spanning large language models (LLMs), Generative AI, and now Agentic AI—criminal actors are leveraging advanced techniques to create deepfake images, video clones, and voice impersonations that deceive victims into transferring funds. Meanwhile, financial institutions face mounting pressure to evolve their fraud prevention systems beyond traditional rule-based or purely predictive models."
Digital Wallets Poised To Overtake Credit Cards in Hong Kong by 2030: Report
South China Morning Post
"A survey found that 42 per cent of Hongkongers use Alipay and 22 per cent use Apple Pay, but credit cards are likely to remain relevant"
Central Bank of Kenya Lifts 10-Year Ban on New Bank Licences
Techpoint Africa
"Starting July 1, 2025, the regulator will begin accepting applications for fresh banking licences, ending a moratorium that began in 2015 following the collapse of Dubai Bank and Imperial Bank, which shook public confidence in the sector."
VantageScore Expands New Open-Banking Credit Score for Lending to Underserved Borrowers
VantageScore
"VantageScore announced the expansion of their groundbreaking VantageScore 4plus pilot program for lenders launched in partnership with Credit Builders Alliance. The pilot leverages the industry leading VantageScore 4.0 credit score with open banking data to deliver the new VantageScore 4plus credit score model."
Mastercard: Start Path’s Emerging Fintech Program Welcomes 8 New Startups
Mastercard
"Eight startups join Start Path, Mastercard’s award-winning startup engagement program: LetMePark, UbiRider, Asistobe, it’s electric, Krowd, Bluespine, ipaymy and Dataiera. As the newest additions to Start Path’s global portfolio — which is comprised of more than 450 startups from over 60 countries — these companies will participate in a dedicated Emerging Fintech program focused on supporting innovation in high-growth sectors of payment technology."
April 21, 2025
Top Post
What Magstripe Card Extinction Means for Banks
American Banker
"By 2029, no new Mastercard credit or debit cards will be issued with a magnetic stripe, according to the card network, and by 2033, Mastercard said magnetic stripes will be gone from circulation, except for prepaid cards in the U.S. and Canada. [Subscription Required]"
On the web
Samsung Wallet’s ‘Installment Payments’ and Money Sending Features Surface
9 to 5 Google
"While Samsung Wallet has remained steady in feature releases over the past couple of years, two new features in the pipeline are likely to change how users interact with the app on a daily basis. Those Samsung Wallet features include a new installment payment function and a money-sending tool. Both get an early look in a recent Samsung Wallet leak of the beta release."
Discover Financial Services Hit With $250 Million Penalty
Investing
"Discover Financial Services, a $40.16 billion financial services giant with a "GREAT" financial health score according to InvestingPro, and its affiliates have been ordered to pay $250 million in civil money penalties, as announced in a recent Securities and Exchange Commission filing. The orders, dated April 16, 2025, for Discover Bank, and April 18, 2025, for Discover Financial Services and DFS Services LLC, resolve investigations by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System into a card product misclassification issue previously disclosed by the company."
Amazon Is Trialling a Major New Feature That Could ‘Revolutionise Shopping’
MSN
"Although you can get your hands on almost everything at Amazon, a new feature could see the retailer broadening its horizons even further. Currently being trialled in the US, the ‘buy for me’ button allows customers to browse and purchase items from across the internet – even those Amazon doesn’t sell. When searching for certain products, shoppers will be shown listings from other sites, with the option to buy the latter directly through Amazon."
Payarc, AWS Collaborate to Enhance Payment Processing Operations with AI
Amazon
"Payarc is taking AI-powered payments to the next level, using Amazon Web Services (AWS) to drive unprecedented automation, intelligence, and efficiency across its platforms. By integrating AWS’s advanced AI and analytics, Payarc is delivering real-time insights, predictive churn analytics, and automated workflows that strengthen fraud detection, boost customer retention, and uncover new revenue opportunities."
April 18, 2025
Top Post
Federal Reserve Board Announces Approval of Application by Capital One Financial Corporation To Merge With Discover Financial Services and Issues a Consent Order With Discover
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
"The Federal Reserve Board announced its approval of the application by Capital One Financial Corporation, of McLean, Virginia, to merge with Discover Financial Services, of Riverwoods, Illinois, and thereby indirectly acquire Discover Bank, of Greenwood, Delaware."
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