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A leading payments industry news source for more than 17 years. Glenbrook curates the news and keeps you abreast of the important daily headlines in payments.
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May 20, 2026
On the web
Tether Brings USDT Payments to Over 200,000 Merchants in New Partnership
Crypto News
"Stablecoin issuer Tether has announced a significant expansion of its $USDT payment capabilities, enabling transactions at more than 200,000 merchant locations worldwide. The initiative is the result of a collaboration with decentralized treasury management protocol Lydian and U.S.-based payments company Shift4, marking one of the largest integrations of a stablecoin into traditional retail and online commerce."
PayPal’s Dollar-Backed Stablecoin Is Now Live Across Africa
Tech Labari
"The San José-based payments giant has announced that PayPal USD (PYUSD), its dollar-backed stablecoin, is now available to users across 70 markets, including a broad expansion across Africa. The move represents a dramatic scaling of the token’s reach: previously, PYUSD was only available for holding in the United States and the United Kingdom. The rollout now adds 68 new jurisdictions, with African countries including Uganda and Malawi among the newly supported markets."
Worldline and Klarna Partner to Enable Flexible, Online and In-Store Payments Everywhere
Klarna
"Worldline and Klarna have announced the signing of a framework agreement to improve access to Klarna’s full suite of flexible payments across online and in-store points of sale serviced by Worldline. Worldline will integrate Klarna more deeply into its technology stack, and acquire transactions, making it much simpler for businesses to offer Klarna to their customers."
Klarna Launches AI-Powered Shopping Search App in ChatGPT
Klarna
"Klarna launched the Klarna Shopping Search app in ChatGPT, bringing real-time product discovery directly into the conversation. With the Klarna Shopping Search app in ChatGPT, they simply describe what they're looking for and instantly see visual results with up-to-date prices, availability, and offers from multiple merchants, all within the same conversation. The Klarna Shopping Search app then seamlessly redirects users to the merchant’s site to complete their purchase."
FedNow’s Role in Modernizing Payments
Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
"One key part of that the U.S. payments system is the FedNow® Service, the Federal Reserve’s instant payment rail. Launched in 2023, it enables financial institutions to move funds instantly – 24/7, 365 days a year. While FedNow is focused on domestic payments, the Fed is also exploring how it could eventually help make cross-border payments faster and simpler. Executive Vice President and Chief FedNow Executive Nick Stanescu discusses why FedNow was created, how it works, and what it could mean for businesses, consumers, and the future of financial access."
Fireblocks Joins x402 Foundation, Launches Agentic Payments Suite
PR Newswire
"Fireblocks announced the launch of its Agentic Payments Suite, delivering the infrastructure for agent-initiated payments using any stablecoin, on any blockchain. The Suite covers the full lifecycle of agentic payments; from the wallet infrastructure agents use to send funds, to the acceptance layer merchants use to receive them. Fireblocks has also joined the x402 Foundation, the Linux Foundation-hosted governing body for the x402 protocol, delivering the security extension that adds request integrity and spend governance to the protocol."
European Banks Rally Behind a Euro Stablecoin
ING
"Qivalis, the ING-backed consortium building Europe’s first regulated euro stablecoin, has announced that 25 banks are joining, bringing total membership to 37. More banks means broader reach, and a stablecoin that’s increasingly relevant for clients doing business in euros. The consortium plans to launch a regulated euro-denominated stablecoin in the second half of 2026, subject to regulatory approval."
PPRO Partners with Nubank to Enable Nupay, Unlocking Access to Brazil’s Digital Banking Ecosystem
PPRO
"PPRO announced its partnership with Nubank to provide merchants and PSPs with direct access to its native payment method, NuPay. With over 115 million customers in Brazil, NuPay enables seamless authorisation through a single click or biometric scan directly within the institution’s secure app environment. By eliminating the need to share card details with merchants, it enhances security, improves approval rates, and provides stronger protection against friendly fraud and chargebacks."
FIS Launches Enterprise Risk Suite on AWS to Provide Continuous Cloud-Native Delivery
FIS Global
"Global financial technology leader FIS® announced the launch of FIS Enterprise Risk Suite on Amazon Web Services (AWS). Upgrading risk software has always meant disruption and for firms managing risk in real-time, that’s a trade-off they can’t afford. This deployment on AWS reduces this by delivering a cloud-native risk management platform that keeps financial institutions on the latest version of the software, continuously and without operational disruption."
Google Launches Smart Digital Cart; Upgrades Agentic Commerce Standard
Chain Store Age
"Google continues developing new ways for consumers to leverage Agentic artificial intelligence while shopping. The tech giant is introducing a new intelligent digital shopping cart called Universal Cart and also adding new features to the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), an open standard for agentic AI-based commerce intended to cover the entire shopping journey from discovery and buying to post-purchase support, as well as a new agentic payments protocol. Highlights of Google’s new agentic shopping tools follow."
dLocal CEO Says Payment Fragmentation Is Its Moat as Growth Momentum Builds
Yahoo Finance
"dLocal’s key moat is its ability to give global merchants one integration into more than 60 emerging markets, where fragmented payment systems and regulations often create major friction for expansion. CEO Pedro Arnt said the company is shifting from a more defensive rebuild phase to growth initiatives, with emphasis on new products like BNPL, alternative payment methods, merchant of record services, and omnichannel payments, while expanding in Southeast Asia and other regions."
On the wires
MoneyGram Becomes Tempo's Anchor Remittance Validator in Strategic Blockchain Partnership
PR Newswire
"MoneyGram announced a partnership with Tempo, a purpose-built Layer 1 blockchain for high-volume, real-world payments, to deepen its blockchain infrastructure and advance stablecoin-based settlement across its global network. The partnership marks a strategic step in MoneyGram's journey to build an open, interoperable global payments network on stablecoin rails, one that operates across chains, across borders, and across the full spectrum of how people move money."
Visa Threats Report: As Network Security Strengthens, Criminals Accelerate Shift to AI-Enabled Social Engineering
Business Wire
"Visa released its Spring 2026 Biannual Threats Report, revealing that scams have become the fastest-growing source of consumer harm as criminals increasingly use artificial intelligence and social engineering to manipulate people into authorizing payments themselves. The report underscores a critical shift in the fraud landscape: while core payment security continues to strengthen at the network level, criminals are redirecting their efforts away from technical system compromises toward exploiting human trust."
May 19, 2026
Top Post
NMI Acquires Dwolla, Strengthening Its Embedded Payments Platform With Advanced Money Movement Capabilities
PR Newswire
"NMI®, a global leader in embedded payments infrastructure, announced it has acquired Dwolla, one of the best-known account-to-account (A2A) payment infrastructure providers, recognized for its API-first approach to money movement. The acquisition brings together NMI’s strengths in payment acceptance, channel distribution, onboarding and merchant lifecycle management with Dwolla’s API-first capabilities in account-to-account infrastructure, real-time payments, open banking and many-to-many funds flow."
On the web
Would You Let Robots Spend Your Money? Google Is Betting on It
The Verge
"Google is going all in on AI-driven shopping even as some competitors back off. At Google I/O, the company unveiled the latest iteration of its AI commerce tools: a “Universal Cart” that works across different retailers and Google products like Gemini — and eventually YouTube and Gmail, too. Users can add products to Google’s universal cart as they browse Search and chat with Gemini and then check out through Google. The cart will also track prices, provide in-stock notifications, suggest potential discounts, and alert shoppers to potential issues with their selections."
Zip US and InComm Payments Bring Flexible Payments to Gift Cards, Giving Shoppers a New Way to Pay
InComm Payments
"Zip and InComm Payments,announced a partnership that brings installment buying to the gift card category. Through the integration, eligible shoppers can purchase popular gift card brands directly in the Zip app. With 4.6 million active customers in the US and 29,000 merchant partners, Zip is bringing that same flexibility to gift cards, giving consumers more flexibility over how they manage their spending.¹"
Centerbase Selects AvidXchange as the Exclusive Partner to Power Embedded Payments
AvidXchange
"AvidXchange announced that it has been selected by Centerbase, a leading provider of legal practice management software, as the exclusive partner to power embedded payments through its Accounts Payable as a Service solution. This solution delivers a modernized payment workflow designed specifically for the operational, compliance, and security needs of today’s law firms."
Mastercard: How to Stop the Scammers Behind the Storefronts
Mastercard
"The growth of digital payments helped millions of legitimate businesses move online fast and gave people a convenient, safe way to shop from home. But the same tools that help a real merchant launch quickly also made it simpler for criminals to set up fake storefronts. Technology like generative AI has made it even harder for consumers to detect them, thanks to deepfake videos from non-existent satisfied customers, rafts of testimonials generated from a single prompt and professional-grade websites and ads."
PayPal Partners with Anthropic to Close the AI Gap for Small Businesses
PayPal Newsroom
"Eighty-two percent of small businesses surveyed say adopting AI is essential to staying competitive, but seventy-three percent say they don’t have the tools or training to do it. PayPal is partnering with Anthropic to close that gap. AI Fluency for Small Business is a free online course offering practical, expert-backed training built around real advice from small business owners. It’s a meaningful step toward our 2030 goal of supporting 25 million people and small businesses with the skills they need to thrive in the digital economy."
Plaid: What ChatGPT’s New Experience Signals for Digital Finance
Plaid
"OpenAI introduced a preview of a new personal finance experience in ChatGPT, powered by Plaid. Pro users in the U.S. can now connect their financial accounts with Plaid and get real-time answers and insights tailored to their actual financial picture, beyond generic guidance and information on best practices."
Worldline and Klarna Partner to Enable Flexible, Online and In-Store Payments Everywhere
Klarna
"Worldline and Klarna announced the signing of a framework agreement to improve access to Klarna’s full suite of flexible payments across online and in-store points of sale serviced by Worldline. Worldline will integrate Klarna more deeply into its technology stack, and acquire transactions. The rollout will begin this year with the integration into the Global Collect platform, which is Worldline’s global online payment solution for international e-commerce players in the Travel & Digital sectors."
May 18, 2026
On the web
Bank of America to Pay $2.25 Million in ATM Fee Lawsuit
ATM Marketplace
"Bank of America agreed to pay $2.25 million via its class action lawsuit related to ATM fees at 7-Eleven locations. The class action lawsuit Schertzer, et al. v Bank of America, N.A., et al. alleged that the bank charged exorbitant ATM fees at transactions at FCTI Inc. ATMs, according to a report by WFTV. Both parties agreed to settle out of court, with Bank of America denying any wrongdoing. The lawsuit alleged that the bank would charge customers two out-of-network fees for balance inquiries."
Apple Pay India Rollout Delayed Amid Commission Standoff with Banks
CNBCTV18
"The delay comes despite the technology infrastructure for the launch being largely in place. According to one of Apple Pay’s India launch partners, the service could technically go live “the next day”, but talks with large credit card issuers remain stuck over commercial terms. Apple is reportedly seeking 20 basis points (bps) per transaction from partner banks, while large lenders are only willing to offer 15 bps, in line with the commission structure Apple follows globally, including in the US."
Lumin Digital Unveils Lumin Solaire, an AI-Native Intelligence Layer Embedded in Its Compounding Growth Platform
Lumin Digital
"Lumin Digital unveiled Lumin Solaire, an AI-native intelligence layer embedded across its platform. The Lumin Solaire intelligence layer is embedded directly within the platform, built into the architecture from the ground up rather than retrofitted on top. Leveraging a unified data foundation, Solaire operates across the entire system, continuously improving platform performance, member experience, and operational efficiency."
Paytm Launches ‘Pocket Money’ for Teens to Make UPI Payments Without Bank Accounts
Indian Startup News
"Paytm has launched Paytm Pocket Money, a feature that allows teenagers to make UPI payments without needing their own bank account. The feature is built on the National Payments Corporation of India’s UPI Circle framework. It enables parents or trusted family members to provide controlled payment access through the Paytm app, while monitoring spending in real time. Teenagers can use the service for everyday transactions including school and college canteens, metro rides, cab fares, mobile recharges and shopping."
Mastercard and JD.com Announce Strategic Partnership to Support Business Growth Through Payments Innovation
Mastercard
"Mastercard and JD.com, a technology and service company with supply chain at its core, announced a strategic partnership to deliver innovations that build a more connected, secure and intelligent commerce ecosystem. JD.com and Mastercard will work together to further integrate and enhance global payment connectivity by developing a payment infrastructure to support JD.com’s international business development and enable broader use cases in global commerce."
May 15, 2026
On the web
Lines, Pressure and Lost Profits: New Research from Global Payments Highlights the Cost of Order Anxiety at Restaurants
Global Payments Inc.
"Global Payments Inc. released new research revealing the hidden impact of stressful quick service restaurant (QSR) ordering moments, including that 60% of customers say they default to their usual order when rushed, likely ignoring special offers and new items. The survey of 2,000 U.S. QSR customers uncovers the hidden impact of "order anxiety" and how it may be silently shrinking restaurant revenues."
Amazon Ditches Rufus Chatbot, Launches Alexa Shopping Agent in AI Strategy Pivot
CNBC
"Amazon is axing its Rufus chatbot and making its Alexa assistant the centerpiece of its artificial intelligence shopping strategy. The company introduced Alexa for Shopping, an e-commerce bot that can answer queries and take actions on behalf of users. Amazon said the tool brings together Rufus and Alexa+, and taps a user’s history and other data to be “the world’s best, most personalized AI assistant for shopping.”"
Education: Stripe Sessions 2026 Keynote in 12 Minutes [Video]
YouTube
"Everything Stripe launched at Sessions 2026 in 12 minutes."
May 14, 2026
On the web
FedNow® Service Network Intelligence API Launches
The Federal Reserve
"Financial institutions and service providers sending instant payments over the FedNow Service now have access to a new risk mitigation tool that will empower them to send instant payments with confidence. With the network intelligence API, FedNow participants can access receiver account-level data observed over the service, adding an extra layer of information to help them assess the risk of a potential payment. The API, which launched on April 28 for early adopters of the tool, joined the Federal Reserve Financial Services’ (FRFS) suite of fraud and risk mitigation features."