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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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January 22, 2026
On the web
PayPal to Acquire Cymbio, Accelerating Agentic Commerce Capabilities
PayPal Newsroom
"PayPal announced it has agreed to acquire Cymbio, a multi-channel orchestration platform that helps brands sell across agentic surfaces, including Microsoft Copilot and Perplexity, and other e-commerce channels. PayPal previously partnered with Cymbio as part of its agentic commerce services, a suite of solutions that allows merchants to attract customers and drive sales in the new era of AI-powered commerce."
On the wires
Jack Henry Rapid Transfers Delivers Competitive Edge to Banks and Credit Unions
PR Newswire
"Banks and credit unions are giving high marks to Jack Henry™ Rapid Transfers, the new cloud-native solution from Jack Henry™ that enables fast, secure me-to-me money movement for consumers and small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Through integrations with Visa Direct and Mastercard Move, the solution uses debit card rails to enable users to quickly and securely move funds from virtually any external financial institution, neo-bank, brokerage, or crypto exchange into their primary bank or credit union accounts."
January 21, 2026
On the web
Regions Bank Selects Worldpay to Transform Business Payments
Regions
"Regions Bank announced a major collaboration with payments technology company Worldpay®, a Global Payments company. This new collaboration is designed to enhance how Regions’ business clients, ranging from small businesses to major enterprises, accept payments and manage cash flow operations."
Fiserv and Sumitomo Mitsui Introduce Clover Suite of Products, Enabling Digital Commerce for Millions of Merchants
Fiserv, Inc.
"Fiserv, Inc. announced a new strategic partnership with Sumitomo Mitsui Card Company, Limited (SMCC) to bring Fiserv’s Clover®suite of products to the country. This collaboration will bring an integrated payments and business management platform to millions of retail, food & beverage and professional service small businesses (SMBs) in Japan, driving digital transformation, improving operational efficiency, and accelerating adoption of cashless payments."
Amex Expands Pay Over Time Auto-Enrollment to Business Green, Gold and Platinum Cards
CNBC
"While Amex is traditionally known for its pay-in-full card model, the company is making adjustments to its card lineup to accommodate the changing needs of business owners. Pay Over Time is a buy now, pay later feature that applies to eligible purchases. Amex states that annual fees, cash advances, including cash and other cash equivalents, certain insurance premiums and any other fees owed to American Express are not eligible for Pay Over Time."
On the wires
TreviPay Launches Pay by Invoice for Issuers Enabled by Visa Credentials
Business Wire
"TreviPay announced the launch of its Pay by Invoice solution for Visa-issuing banks, enabling issuers to capture a greater share of the $58 trillion North American B2B payments market. Through this collaboration with Visa, a world leader in digital payments, TreviPay’s order-to-cash automation technology combines with Visa’s commercial payment capabilities to help issuers move fragmented B2B spend into strategic, issuer-financed, invoice-based transactions."
UnionPay at Davos: Transforming Cross-Border Payments with Connectivity and AI
PR Newswire
"Against the backdrop of global economic realignment, UnionPay, one of the world's largest card payment organizations, is focusing on cross-border network connectivity as a practical entry point. UnionPay is innovating to foster an open and inclusive international payments ecosystem—built on multilateral collaboration, interoperability, and shared value. At the same time, it is exploring the responsible application of digital technologies, including artificial intelligence in payments, seeking solutions that offer efficiency, security and financial inclusion."
January 20, 2026
On the web
The New Rules of the Road for Agentic Commerce
Mastercard
"Mastercard joined forces with Google on its Universal Commerce Protocol, an open protocol that enables interoperability between AI agents and merchants. They continue to collaborate across the value chain, including Google’s Agent Payments Protocol and Agent2Agent Protocol, OpenAI’s Agentic Commerce Protocol, and more to ensure these platforms meet the same standards for clear user intent, secure credentials and verifiable agent identity."
Block, Inc. Surpasses $200 Billion in Credit Provided to Customers, Continuing to Address Global Lending Gaps
Block, Inc.
"Block, Inc. announced it has provided access to more than $200 billion to customers in global lending across its portfolio of credit products, including Cash App Borrow, Afterpay, and Square Loans.¹ Through this work, Block is proving that with the right technology, inclusive lending and responsible risk management aren't opposing forces; rather, they're the foundation of sustainable credit for the next generation."
On the wires
PayPal Introduces Free DIY Tax Filing for PayPal Debit Card Customers
PR Newswire
"PayPal announced a new partnership with april, a leading embedded tax technology platform, allowing U.S. PayPal Debit Mastercard® customers to file their 2025 federal and state tax returns for free using april's DIY tax filing service, saving approximately $1603 in typical costs. With this partnership, PayPal keeps financial management in one convenient destination while expanding the suite of financial tools that help customers get more out of their money."
January 19, 2026
On the web
Worldline and YouLend Launch Cash Advance to Unlock Fast, Seamless Capital for Europe’s SMBs
Worldline
"Worldline and YouLend announced the launch of Cash Advance, an innovative financing solution designed to empower small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) with fast, data-driven access to capital. Cash Advance enables merchants to apply for funding through a simple, fully integrated user experience - eliminating traditional friction, paperwork, and uncertainty."
PNC Bank CEO Says Stablecoins Must Choose: Be a Payment Tool or a Money Market Fund
CoinDesk
"PNC Bank CEO Bill Demchak said stablecoins that pay interest resemble money market funds and should face the same regulations. His comments came as lawmakers continue to debate whether stablecoins can offer yield under the GENIUS and Clarity Acts. Demchak warned against letting stablecoins serve as both investment products and payment tools without clear regulatory oversight."
Capital One Sweetens Settlement Deal
U.S. News
"Capital One has agreed to amended $425 million settlement that would result in more compensation for affected 360 Savings customers. The settlement would resolve a lawsuit accusing Capital One of creating two similarly named savings accounts – 360 Savings and 360 Performance Savings – that paid substantially different interest rates and leaving customers in the dark about which account they held. Plaintiffs said the resulting confusion caused customers to lose millions in potential interest."
Bank of America Warns Stablecoins Could Drain $6 Trillion from Bank Deposits
Phemex
"Bank of America has cautioned that the rise of stablecoins could lead to a significant shift in U.S. bank deposits, potentially draining up to $6 trillion from the banking system. During a recent earnings call, CEO Brian Moynihan highlighted concerns that stablecoin adoption might reduce banks' lending capacity and increase borrowing costs. Moynihan noted that while Bank of America is prepared to adapt, the broader financial system could face challenges as deposits move into stablecoin environments."
January 16, 2026
On the web
Payments Fintech dLocal Plans Business Expansion into Asian Markets
Crowdfund Insider
"dLocal Ltd is set to significantly strengthen its footprint in Asia during 2026. The Uruguay-based fintech company, which enables global merchants to seamlessly connect with consumers in high-growth regions across Latin America and Asia, views the continent as a critical area for long-term expansion. In an interview at the Punta Tech Meetup conference in Uruguay, CEO Pedro Arnt highlighted the scale of opportunity in Asia, describing the initiative as a multi-year endeavor."
Mobile Payments on the Rise, Cash Continues to Decrease [UAE]
Visa Middle East
"Across the UAE, payment habits continue to rapidly evolve, with more consumers embracing faster, more secure digital experiences. Visa’s third edition of its ‘Where Cash Hides’ report¹ shows 68% of UAE consumers are largely non-cash users, making most of their payments with payments cards or mobile devices. This is an increase of 7% compared with last year, highlighting a clear move away from relying on cash."
On the wires
Visa Supports Chinese Cardholders to Add Cards to Apple Pay for a More Convenient and Secure Payment Experience
PR Newswire
"Visa announced its support for Chinese Visa cardholders to pay with Apple Pay. Together with Apple, Visa will enable Chinese cardholders to add Visa cards from participating banks to Apple Pay and make payments at overseas Visa-accepting merchants, in-store, in-app and online. Today, 79 percent of in-person transactions globally are made contactlessly with NFC."
January 15, 2026
On the web
Infographic: Fednow® Service 2025 Recap
FRB Services
"Momentum of the network is strong. Participating financial institutions are leveraging the service to meet demands, improve customer experience and gain a competitive edge. Nearly 1,600 participating financials institutions across all 50 states. Click to see more."
Will Affirm's Smart Underwriting Shift Redefine BNPL Risk?
TradingView
"Affirm recently upgraded how it evaluates credit risk by embedding richer real-time financial signals into its underwriting process, like up-to-the-minute bank account balances and cash flow trends. Instead of relying mostly on static credit reports or past behavior, Affirm now adds dynamic data that shows how a consumer’s finances look at the moment they want to make a purchase. This upgrade is already live for Affirm Card users who link a third-party bank account or use an Affirm Money Account, and it will soon be offered more broadly to anyone who opts in to link their banking data."
Worldline Empowers Agentic Commerce With New AI Capabilities
Worldline
"Worldline is introducing new capabilities to connect AI agents to its global payment ecosystem, making payments agent-ready and enabling merchants to experiment with AI-powered workflows and commerce experiences. Worldline’s Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers on the Global Collect platform address this by acting as a secure bridge and translation layer between LLMs and Worldline’s APIs, enabling AI agents to initiate payment actions via natural language."
Afterpay Data Reveals 96% of U.S. Customers Paid Off Black Friday Cyber Monday Purchases Early or On Time
Block
"Afterpay announced that 96% of its U.S. Pay-in-4 customers who shopped during the 2025 Black Friday and Cyber Monday period paid off their purchases early or on time. The data reflects a broader trend of consumers using Afterpay as a tool to manage holiday spending responsibly—without the burden of interest charges or revolving debt that often accompany traditional credit card purchases."
Nacha: EFT Healthcare Claim Payments Continue to Rise in 2025
Nacha
"It’s a trend that started more than a decade ago: Every year there’s a steady climb in the number of ACH healthcare claim payments from insurers to healthcare providers, and the value of those payments. 2025 is no exception, and the figures are impressive. Last year’s payments were worth a combined $2.94 trillion, up almost 11% from 2024, and a jump of 234% from 2014."
January 14, 2026
On the web
Deutsche Bank Expands Support for PayPal to Strengthen Global Payment Capabilities
PayPal
"PayPal and Deutsche Bank announced the expansion of their long-standing relationship that will deliver enhanced payment solutions across the United States, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. Under this expanded agreement, Deutsche Bank will scale up the merchant settlement, payouts, and begin withdrawals and collection solutions for PayPal in the US. In Europe and Asia-Pacific, Deutsche Bank will support PayPal in various ways as well."
Visa Partners With BVNK to Enable Stablecoin Payouts on Visa Direct
Decrypt
"Payments giant Visa has partnered with London-based stablecoin infrastructure provider BVNK to enable stablecoin-funded payouts across Visa Direct, expanding the network’s payment options beyond traditional fiat rails. Under the partnership, BVNK will power stablecoin payments for Visa Direct, Visa’s $1.7 trillion money-movement platform."
Visa 2026 Global Economic Outlook: AI Adoption and Shifting Trade Patterns Drive Economic Transformation Beneath Steady Growth
Visa
"Visa forecasts structural economic transformation driven by AI adoption, supply chain rewiring and accelerating business investment that supports stable 2.7% global growth. Global GDP projected to grow 2.7% in 2026, with surface stability masking fundamental shifts in trade, technology and demographics; Rise in business investment gains should offset softening consumption; Small businesses outpace consumers in AI adoption, with AI-integrating firms showing significantly higher transaction growth"
FIS Launches Industry-First Offering Enabling Banks to Lead and Scale in Agentic Commerce
FIS Global
"FIS® announced the launch of its first offering to enable agentic commerce on the heels of announcing the close of the acquisition of its FIS® Total Issuing™ Solutions portfolio. FIS’ new agentic commerce offering is the first to enable banks to safely and securely conduct commerce with AI agents and card networks."
Klarna Expands Digital Bank Offer With Peer-To-Peer Payments
Klarna
"Klarna has launched instant peer-to-peer payments in 13 European countries, marking the next step in its evolution as a digital bank. The new feature enables Klarna customers to send money to friends and family, whether splitting bills or gifting cash, directly from the Klarna app: as simple as handing someone cash, with the protection of a regulated bank."
January 13, 2026
On the web
Ingenico Launches Digital Currency Solution, Enabling Stablecoin Payments at Physical Checkouts, in Partnership With Walletconnect Pay
Ingenico
"Ingenico announced a partnership with WalletConnect Pay to enable stablecoin payments directly at checkout. The integration allows merchants to accept supported stablecoins, giving customers additional payment options and convenience when making purchases."
Rising Payment Costs Push Uber to Drop Visa in Kenya
TechCabal
"Ride-hailing giant Uber has stopped accepting VISA cards in Kenya, cutting off a payment option once central to its pitch to business travellers and expatriates in East Africa’s biggest e-hailing market. Uber confirmed the decision, which took effect in January, in a statement to TechCabal, pointing to a review of payment methods following a jump in global costs."
On the wires
Blackhawk Network Launches Category-Specific Prepaid Rewards Card for Fuel, EV Charging and Grocery Applications
Business Wire
"Blackhawk Network is expanding its partnership with Mastercard® to launch two new filtered prepaid card rewards products: the Drive Prepaid Card and the Grocery Prepaid Card. Designed to support more purposeful and relevant payment programs, these cards provide flexible reward options in high-demand redemption categories that align with targeted business goals."
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