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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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March 25, 2026
Top Post
Visa to Bring Privacy-Preserving Payments to Canton Network
Visa
"Visa announced it will join the Canton Network as the first major global payments company to serve as a Super Validator, to help extend privacy‑preserving blockchain infrastructure to banks and financial institutions around the world. Visa will be one of 40 Super Validators on Canton. That move goes straight to a core challenge for financial institutions: the same transparency that gives blockchains their appeal can clash with privacy expectations financial institutions operate under. Canton Network, a blockchain built for regulated finance, has privacy built in from the beginning, so organizations can use shared infrastructure without exposing sensitive information."
On the web
Shopify: Millions of Merchants Can Sell in AI Chats
Shopify
"Starting this week, millions of merchants can sell to ChatGPT users via Agentic Storefronts. Agentic Storefronts give merchants out-of-the-box access to major AI channels—ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, AI Mode in Google Search, and the Gemini app—managed centrally from the Shopify Admin. And, with Agentic plan, now publicly available, brands not using Shopify for ecommerce can add products to Shopify Catalog to reach shoppers and sell across these same AI channels."
Google Just Launched a New Gemini-Powered Dark Web Monitoring Service
IT Pro
"Google has announced the launch of a new AI-powered dark web monitoring service, allowing enterprise security teams to keep tabs on emerging threats and exposed information. The new dark web intelligence capabilities, offered through Google Threat Intelligence , use Gemini to analyze threat actors activities relevant to particular organizations. The new AI capabilities aim to streamline threat intelligence operations, according to Google, removing the need for enterprises to manually input and update keywords on an as-they-go basis."
American Express Refreshes Business Card Line With Eight New, Enhanced Features, Including AI
MSN
"American Express introduced its new Graphite Business Cash Unlimited card and will debut a new Corporate Cash Back Card in the fall as it seeks to keep existing business customers and attract new ones. During the year, the company plans to release eight new or enhanced products that are designed to simplify financial operations and improve productivity for businesses. The updates include new expense management software and a new ChatGPT Business statement credit for the U.S. Business Platinum and Business Gold Card."
Ripple Targets Brazil Growth With Full Payments & VASP License
The Crypto Times
"Ripple has launched its comprehensive suite—payments, custody, prime brokerage, and treasury—for institutional clients across Brazil. The firm is also officially applying for a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) license with the Central Bank of Brazil (BCB). This comes amid Ripple’s native dollar-pegged stablecoin, RLUSD, officially surpassing a $1.55 billion market capitalization."
March 24, 2026
On the web
How Adding Send for Instant Payments Spawned Good Surprises for BofA
Digital Transactions
"Bank of America went live with the ability to receive RTP transactions in November 2018 and added the send function the following March. BofA set out to design the send component “smartly.” “It was, let’s build this with the end in mind. Let’s build this smartly. Let’s not just build it for what we are seeing right in front of us,” Lee said. That was accomplished, she added. As for wire revenue—Bank of America, according to its online fact sheet, processes an average of $1.9 trillion in wire transfers per day globally—the addition of instant payments did not erode it."
Six Infrastructure Fronts Reshaping Fintech Payments
JPMorgan
"Infrastructure investments across payments, fraud detection, AI and networks form an interconnected system. Smart sequencing creates compounding advantages rather than isolated wins."
Solana Debuts Solana Developer Platform With Mastercard and Western Union as Early Users
The Street
"The Solana Foundation announced the launch of the Solana Developer Platform (SDP). This new "one-stop-shop" is designed specifically for large enterprises and financial institutions to build and launch financial products on the Solana blockchain using simple APIs. By grouping the best infrastructure tools into a single, unified interface, the platform aims to help big businesses get to market in a way that is efficient, compliant, and easy to scale."
Worldpay, Now Global Payments, Joins EPI to Roll Out Wero Instant Payments Across Europe
IBS Intelligence
"Global Payments Inc. announced its Worldpay business has joined the European Payments Initiative (EPI) as a Principal Member, enabling clients to begin offering Wero – the pan-European instant payment solution – over the coming months. As an EPI member, the company’s clients will be able to accept Wero payments across Europe, giving consumers more choice and flexibility at checkout. Enabling Wero builds on the company’s ongoing effort to expand its leading European payment acceptance capabilities and deliver innovative solutions for clients worldwide."
Feedzai Unveils RiskFM AI Foundation Model for Financial Crime Prevention
Feedzai
"Feedzai unveiled RiskFM (Risk Foundation Model), the industry’s first Tabular Foundation Model purpose-built for financial data and risk decisioning. RiskFM marks a fundamental shift in how financial crime is detected and prevented. For decades, institutions have relied on rules and manually-engineered machine learning models built one customer at a time. RiskFM changes that as a purpose-built frontier model that spans across fraud detection, anti-money laundering (AML), and broader risk decisions across the entire financial crime lifecycle."
March 23, 2026
Top Post
Federal Reserve Payments Study (FRPS)
Federal Reserve
"The Federal Reserve Payments Study (FRPS) is an ongoing effort to estimate aggregate trends in noncash payments in the United States, offering a periodic benchmark of developments in the U.S. payments system to policymakers, the industry, and the public."
On the web
Splitit Launches Splitit Go™, Extending Card-Linked Installments to Field Sales
PR Newswire
"Splitit announced the launch of Splitit Go™, a mobile solution that brings credit-card-linked installments into face-to-face sales environments, including field services, in-store purchases, consultations, and other in-person transactions. Contractors, medical providers, automotive service centers, and specialty retailers often discuss large purchases directly with customers, where affordability concerns can delay or prevent a sale. Splitit Go allows merchants to introduce installment options instantly when a purchase decision is made."
March 20, 2026
Top Post
Visa Launches ‘Agentic Ready’ Programme to Advance Agentic Commerce in Europe
Visa
"Visa announced the launch of Visa Agentic Ready, a new global programme, designed to support the payments ecosystem as it prepares for a new era of agentic commerce. Launching first in Europe, including the UK, this builds on Visa Intelligent Commerce. In its first phase, Visa Agentic Ready focuses on issuer readiness, providing issuing partners with a structured pathway to test and validate agent-initiated transactions, working in close partnership with Visa and selected merchants to explore how these transactions could operate securely, at scale, in controlled production environments."
On the web
Klarna Card Reaches 5 Million Active Customers
Klarna
"Klarna announced that the Klarna Card has reached 5 million active customers globally, underscoring rapid adoption as consumers shift towards new forms of payment which provide more control over day-to-day money management. The card draws from the customer's own funds for everyday spending, with the option to spread the cost of a specific purchase, like a large appliance or a flight, when it makes sense to do so. The result is a card that offers genuine spending control without the long-term debt obligations that come with traditional credit cards."
Education: Federal Reserve: Automated Clearing House Payments
Federal Reserve History
"Automated Clearing House (ACH) payments were first established in the 1970s by the Federal Reserve System and the banking industry. Up to that point, cash and checks had been the principal methods for retail payments in the United States. ACH payments, which are initiated electronically, were envisioned as a more-efficient payment method. In the late 1960s and 1970s, the Federal Reserve and the banking industry shared the common goal of moving beyond paper checks. Some contemporaries feared "that the check system was going to grind to a halt" because of growing volumes (Howard 1981)."
March 19, 2026
Top Post
Visa Launches Visa Intelligent Authorisation to Modernise Payment Processing in Europe
Visa
"Visa announced the launch of Visa Intelligent Authorisation (VIA) in Europe. This new capability on the Visa Acceptance Platform enables acquirers (banks and other financial institutions that process payments for merchants) to modernise their payment processing while strengthening operational resilience through a single API connection, helping eliminate the need for expensive, time‑consuming infrastructure rebuilds. In Europe, Visa is partnering with an initial group of acquirers including Comercia Global Payments, Elavon, Fiserv, UNICRE and Worldline to unlock VIA’s capabilities."
On the web
Ingenico and Visa Collaborate to Accelerate Unified Commerce Solutions Across Industries
Ingenico
"Ingenico has collaborated with Visa, a global leader in payments, to enhance and expand value with current and future clients. The solution combines Ingenico's Android-based AXIUM smart POS terminals with the Visa Acceptance Platform, including gateway and risk management services. By using Visa's extensive experience in e-commerce, this collaboration can grow Ingenico’s innovative payment options, seamless online transactions, and ability to deliver scalable omnichannel solutions designed to meet clients' diverse needs."
Apple Update Frees Families From Sharing Only 1 Payment Option
CNET
"With the latest OS updates, Apple users on Family Sharing will be able to select their own payment options for new purchases. Soon, Adult family members can be part of Family Sharing and use the individual payment methods they have saved, perhaps to their Apple Wallet, without needing any workarounds."
NCR Voyix to Sell Bank Technology Solutions Business in Japan
NCR Voyix
"NCR Voyix announced it has reached an agreement to sell its bank technology solutions business in Japan, operated by NCR Commerce Japan Ltd., to NTT DATA, a trusted global business and technology services leader headquartered in Tokyo. The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2026. The business has supported financial institution clients in Japan for many years, delivering specialized technology and mission‑critical services including foreign exchange, loan, call center, video teller and network solutions."
March 18, 2026
On the web
Mastercard and Google Team Up to Build Trust for AI-Powered Shopping
The Defiant
"Mastercard has unveiled Verifiable Intent, a new open, standards-based trust framework co-developed with Google, designed specifically for "agentic commerce" — a world where artificial intelligence (AI) systems don't just assist shoppers, but actively plan, decide, and complete purchases autonomously. The core problem Verifiable Intent aims to solve is visibility: when a consumer delegates a purchase to an AI agent, the clear “click buy” or "tap to pay" moment that traditionally signals intent disappears."
Visa’s Jack Forestell Calls the Agentic Web the Biggest Payments Opportunity in Two Decades
Crypto News
"Visa’s Chief Product and Strategy Officer just said the quiet part loud. Jack Forestell told attendees at the Wolfe Research FinTech Forum last week that “the agentic web is the biggest opportunity that I’ve seen in my 20-plus years in payment technology.” That’s not a throwaway line from a mid-level product manager. It’s the strategic thesis of a $592 billion company that processes roughly $16.7 trillion in payment volume annually. When Visa says something is the next big thing, the payments industry tends to pay attention — or scramble to catch up."
Square's 2026 Local Economy Report Reveals the Neighborhood Network Effect
Block
"Square published its 2026 Local Economy Report report, a first-of-its-kind analysis revealing how "regulars" and the neighborhood networks they create are the backbone of thriving local economies. The report reveals that regular customers drive 6x more revenue for local businesses and unpacks the patterns and trends in their spending. This includes regulars making predictable purchases, tipping more generously, and prioritizing in-person experiences, which ultimately creates the steady demand businesses rely on during periods of economic uncertainty."
JPMorgan Partners With Mastercard to Launch Virtual B2B Card in Europe
Retail Systems
"JPMorgan Chase’s payments arm has partnered with Mastercard to launch its virtual card in Europe. JPMorgan Payments plans to tap into Europe’s position as the world’s second-largest payments market after rolling out the virtual card in the US. By adopting the JPMorgan Payments virtual card, businesses in sectors such as insurance, healthcare, travel and commercial real estate can digitise accounts payable and receivable."
Capital One Launches Capital One Travel App
Capital One
"Capital One announced a strategic evolution of its travel business and award-winning travel portal, as well as the launch of the Capital One Travel App. Capital One is taking a step forward in its goal to build a fully integrated travel franchise, bringing the technology, talent, and supplier relationships underpinning Capital One Travel in-house. The Capital One Travel App is the ultimate expression of this evolution—a unified ecosystem that leverages award-winning technology to help cardholders travel smarter and with greater confidence."
Klarna Smashes 1 Million Merchants Milestone
Klarna
"Klarna has surpassed 1 million merchants globally. Klarna has grown the number of merchants offering its payment methods by 47% in the past year, adding 285,000 merchants in 2025, and more than 115,000 in the final quarter alone. The growth is being driven by Klarna's expanding agreements with the world's leading payment service providers, giving merchants around the world easier access to Klarna at checkout."
American Express Now Offers Virtual Cards in Concur Expense to Simplify Expense Management
American Express
"American Express announced the integration of American Express Virtual Cards into Concur® Expense, expanding its partnership with SAP® Concur to deliver integrated spend management solutions to enterprise clients. Employees can use Virtual Cards for business spending while administrators maintain control through built-in spending limits, get added security through uniquely generated Card numbers, and can review, manage and reconcile expenses all in one place."
March 17, 2026
On the web
PayPal Eyes 70-Country PYUSD Expansion With Rewards For Its Stablecoin, Despite CLARITY Act Limbo
CoinDesk
"The expansion comes as the CLARITY Act remains stalled in the Senate due to disagreement over stablecoin rewards. As per the last proposal, PayPal would not be able to offer rewards on stablecoin holdings since it is not the issuer of PYUSD. Regulatory uncertainty could force PayPal to revise its rewards model or international strategy."
PPro Integrates Cash App Pay, Connecting Merchants With Millions of Gen Z and Millennial Consumers
PPRO
"PPRO announced that Cash App Pay is now available on its platform to merchants and PSPs operating in the U.S. This partnership enables businesses in PPRO’s network to offer a fast, mobile-first payment method that meets the expectations of digitally native American consumers and helps merchants connect with Cash App’s engaged customer base. Cash App Pay allows customers to pay directly from their Cash App balance*, linked bank account, or debit card, without needing to use a physical card."
Early Warning Services Expands Paze® Online Checkout to Citi
Early Warning
"Early Warning Services, the company behind Zelle, announced that Citi will offer Paze, the bank-offered online checkout solution, expanding access to millions of customers through one of the largest U.S. credit card issuers. Eligible Citi cardmembers will be able to activate Paze through Citi.com, the Citi Mobile® App or mywallet.paze.com. Customers can then look for the Paze button at the online checkout of participating retailers and easily complete their purchase with just a few clicks."
Mastercard to Acquire BVNK to Connect On-Chain Payments and Fiat Rails
Mastercard
"Mastercard announced a definitive agreement to acquire BVNK, a leader in stablecoin infrastructure, for up to $1.8 billion, including $300 million in contingent payments. The deal further expands Mastercard’s end-to-end support of digital assets and value movement across currencies, rails and regions."
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