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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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September 17, 2026
Top Post
Only 7% of Fashion Shoppers Trust AI to Buy for Them Today, Showing Merchants Must Build Confidence in Agentic Commerce
Business Wire
"Fashion and sportswear consumers are increasingly embracing AI throughout the shopping journey, particularly when it helps them find better value. However, new research conducted by YouGov on behalf of ACI Worldwide shows that trust, transparency and control remain critical requirements before consumers are ready to hand purchasing decisions to AI agents."
On the web
Mastercard Links up with Alchemy to Offer Agentic Shopping Option
Seeking Alpha
"Mastercard and Alchemy have teamed up to advance the use of agentic AI shopping for purchases, the companies said. Alchemy provides the tech that allows users to issue virtual payment cards to AI bots embedded with a slate of restrictions, such as spending limits and types of products that may be purchased. The company's AgentCard will support Mastercard payment credentials through an integration with Mastercard Agent Pay, giving developers a way to build AI agents that can safely complete purchases for users online, Alchemy said."
Citi and Mastercard Launch ‘Smart Subscriptions’ in the UAE
Mastercard
"Citi has launched Smart Subscriptions in the UAE, marking its first deployment of the solution anywhere in the world and selecting the UAE as its global launch market. Delivered in collaboration with Mastercard, the launch also makes Citi the first bank in the Middle East to go live with Mastercard's subscription management capability. The new feature allows Citi cardholders to view and manage all their digital subscriptions – from streaming services to meal deliveries – directly in the Citi banking app."
ACI Worldwide Expands ACI Connetic with Advanced Financial Messaging Technology to Power Intelligent, Future-Ready Payments
ACI Worldwide
"ACI Worldwide announced the expansion of ACI Connetic with a powerful cloud-native Financial Messaging capability, designed to help banks modernize payments infrastructure, simplify complexity, and scale real-time processing across domestic and cross-border networks. ACI’s advanced financial messaging technology delivers cloud-native, intelligent messaging that transforms how banks manage payments and other systemic messages across account-to-account (A2A) rails."
Nacha: 10 Years of Same Day ACH is Just the Beginning
Nacha
"The story of Same Day ACH is about much more than the numbers. It’s about how the payments industry came together to make ACH payments faster while preserving the reach, safety and reliability that have made the ACH Network the backbone of the U.S. financial system. The 2016 launch was just the beginning. And Nacha continues to provide enhancements. On Sept. 17, 2027, the Same Day ACH per-payment limit will increase tenfold from $1 million to $10 million."
BofA’s CashPro App Facilitates More than €100 Billion in Payments Approved by European Companies
Bank of America
"CashPro mobile token, Bank of America’s mobile authentication solution, replaces the need for a physical token. Together with biometrics, Q RQR Sign-In and push authentication, it enables corporate treasury users to access CashPro and approve transactions securely from their mobile devices. Bank of America recently enhanced the payment approval experience to provide greater visibility into payment details and make approvals more efficient."
Best Buy Opens Up Gift-Buying and Discover Through ChatGPT Ahead of Holidays
Digital Commerce 360
"Best Buy is bringing ChatGPT into its holiday shopping strategy, giving customers another way to find gifts and buy products without leaving the AI platform. In a Sept. 14 blog post, Best Buy noted that shoppers can “find gift ideas and shop Best Buy products through ChatGPT,” including completing purchases directly in the chat interface. The company listed ChatGPT among its broader plans for the upcoming holiday season, which also include an expanded online marketplace, faster fulfillment and new in-store technology experiences."
Grab to Acquire Majority Stake in Atome Financial, Accelerating Growth and Profitability of Financial Services Segment [SE Asia]
Grab
"Grab Holdings Limited and Atome and certain other parties have entered into definitive agreements for Grab to acquire a controlling 60% equity interest in Atome Financial in cash for $1.49 billion. The proposed transaction, if completed, would combine Atome Financial’s business – spanning Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) loans, consumer cash loans, BNPL cards and digital lending with Grab’s financial services business."
Block’s Juan Hernandez on Cash App Score, the Future of Credit and a New Lending Tool
Block
"This week, Block released a new illustrative macro sensitivity tool for Cash App Borrow, providing a first of its kind view into how the Borrow lending portfolio could respond as the economy changes. The tool provides a window into how shifting economic conditions could show up in originations and risk loss under different macro scenarios."
European Central Bank (ECB) Opens Digital Euro Pilot to Online and Mobile Merchants
BitKE
"The Eurosystem has launched a call for expressions of interest inviting e-commerce and mobile commerce (m-commerce) merchants operating in the euro area to participate in its digital euro pilot. The call follows the selection of payment service providers (PSPs) that will take part in the pilot. The pilot will give selected merchants an opportunity to work with the European Central Bank (ECB) and euro area national central banks to test a simulated digital euro ecosystem and provide feedback that could help shape the digital euro’s technical specifications."
September 16, 2026
On the web
PhonePe CEO Breaks Silence on UPI Charges
India.com
"The new Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) framework for UPI transactions will not impose any charges on customers. The move is necessary to make India’s digital payments ecosystem financially sustainable, PhonePe CEO Sameer Nigam said. The CEO clarified customers will continue to use UPI without any charges, while small merchants with an annual turnover of less than Rs 1 lakh will also remain outside the MDR regime. For larger shops, 96% of transactions, which are all below Rs 2,000, there will be no charge, according to him."
Mastercard and Trip.com Pave the Way for Agentic Commerce in the Travel Sector [Video]
Mastercard
"Mastercard and Trip.com have joined forces to showcase AI powered booking experiences for the travel sector. Powered by Mastercard’s Agent Suite for Merchants and in partnership with Network International, the organizations are showcasing how consumers will be able to search, book, and complete purchases through Trip.com’s AI agent TripGenie. By combining Trip.com’s travel ecosystem."
Pidgin Partners with Millennium Corporate Credit Union to Bring Unified Instant Payments to Nearly 300 Credit Unions
Business Wire
"Pidgin, a secure, unified instant payments platform built for the future of payments, has partnered with Wichita, Kansas-based Millennium Corporate Credit Union, giving its nearly 300 credit unions across the Midwest and beyond access to FedNow, RTP, and stablecoin capabilities as part of a single, scalable payments strategy."
Circle Launches Arc Mainnet, an Economic Operating System for the Internet
Circle
"Circle Internet Group, Inc. announced the public mainnet launch of Arc, an open Layer 1 blockchain purpose-built for financial markets, real-time money movement, and agentic economic activity. Arc launches with native integration into Circle’s full-stack platform; a founding validator cohort drawn from the institutions that run global finance; more than 100 applications; and more than 100 institutional and ecosystem builders spanning global banks, asset managers, payment networks, exchanges, custodians, DeFi protocols, wallets, and AI platforms."
BIS: Hidden by Complexity? Measuring Stablecoin, Crypto and Decentralised Finance Ecosystems
Bank for International Settlements
"Cryptoassets, stablecoins and decentralised finance (DeFi) generate vast amounts of publicly available blockchain data. Yet translating these data into meaningful measures of economic activity is challenging. We demonstrate that widely used indicators of DeFi activity are highly dependent on methodological choices and underlying assumptions. We use granular data to examine transfer values, token issuance, decentralised exchange activity and stablecoin holdings."
Digital Payments Linked to £88 Billion in Additional Sales for UK Businesses, Visa Report Finds
Visa
"Modern payment systems have enabled £88bn in additional sales for UK businesses since 2019, according to a new report from Visa and Public First. This is equivalent to around £2,500 per business per year over that period. The report examines the significant economic impact that digital payments have in the UK and the critical role they play in powering future growth. The research estimates that digital payments contributed £7.5 billion to the UK economy in 2024,"
September 15, 2026
Top Post
India Ends Free Ride for Larger Transactions on Its Ubiquitous Digital Payments Network
TechCrunch
"India has put a price on larger transactions on its digital payments network, ending years of free processing for merchants. The country’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) will impose a 0.4% merchant fee on certain payments above ₹2,000 (about $21) from October 15, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) said. Consumers will continue to use the service for free, NPCI said. UPI’s merchant fee is capped at ₹300 (about $3) for transactions of ₹75,000 (around $783) or more, while payments of ₹2,000 or less will remain free for merchants."
On the web
Visa Finds New Stablecoin Partner in Velocity After Losing BVNK to Mastercard
Tech Times
"Velocity, a London-based stablecoin settlement and treasury platform, closed a $10 million add-on to its Series A on September 15, 2026, bringing the company's post-money valuation to $200 million. The investors in the extension, Visa Ventures, Circle Ventures, Haun Ventures, Ripple, and more represent nearly every power center in global payments and digital assets. The name at the top of that list: Visa, the world's largest card network, just backed a startup whose technology is designed to route corporate settlement off Visa's own traditional rails."
Google Pay to Add Device Biometrics for Mastercard Payments in India
Biometric Update
"Mastercard and Google Pay plan to allow users in India to authenticate eligible card payments with a fingerprint or face scan on their smartphones. The optional biometric authentication feature will be available through participating issuing banks to customers with an eligible Mastercard saved in Google Pay. Mastercard says it is intended for utility bills, mobile recharges, and eligible online merchant checkouts. The companies expect to begin rolling it out by the end of 2026."
More Ways to Pay: Tap to Pay Is Coming to Walmart and Sam’s Club
Walmart
"Customers and members will soon have another convenient way to pay at checkout Walmart wants customers and members to have choice in how they pay, so they can check out in the way that works best for them. Now, beginning Aug. 24, we will be adding Tap to Pay to our payment options at select Walmart stores and Sam’s Club locations, with plans to roll it out to all U.S. stores and clubs by the end of 2026 and to fuel stations by mid-2027."
Wells Fargo Launches ExpressSend Mobile International Money Transfer Service in Mobile App
MarketScreener
"Wells Fargo announced the launch of ExpressSend Mobile, bringing its international money transfer service into the Wells Fargo Mobile app. The new remittance experience gives customers a convenient and secure way to send money to family and friends in 12 countries. Wells Fargo is the only major U.S. bank offering a dedicated mobile remittance service. With ExpressSend Mobile, customers can send money to family and friends in 12 countries. Customers can send funds to a bank account or cash pickup location in these countries."
Ant International's Agentic Mobile Protocol Rolls Out Globally with Wallets and Acquirers
TechWire Asia
"As Ant International builds out its Agentic Mobile Protocol (AMP) with deeper interoperability and open-source initiatives, fintech and payment leaders are deploying the protocol globally at an accelerated pace. 10 Alipay+ mobile wallet partners will support AMP in Phase I. They are: Alipay (China), AlipayHK (Hong Kong SAR, China) and more. Phase I Acquiring partners: Adyen, Allinpay, Checkout.com, Fiserv, Global Payments, Nuvei, and Worldline. Cross-Sector Partnership on Trust with Card Networks, Monetary Authority of Singapore"
TreviPay Partners with Dynatos to Add e-Invoicing Capabilities to its B2B Payments Infrastructure
Business Wire
"TreviPay, a global B2B payments infrastructure partner, announced a partnership with Dynatos to expand e-invoicing capabilities for TreviPay clients operating across Europe and other markets. Through the partnership, Dynatos Routty Cloud proposition will provide embedded e-invoicing technology and compliance support, helping TreviPay clients exchange invoices across different formats, networks and country requirements in Europe and other global markets."
On the wires
ID.me and Plaid Announce Partnership to Strengthen the Integrity and Speed of Government Benefit Payments
PR Newswire
"ID.me and Plaid announced a partnership that enables government agencies to verify both the person requesting a benefit and the associated financial account receiving it, in one place. By combining ID.me's digital identity wallet with Plaid's financial account verification tools, agencies are able to check that the account receiving a payment belongs to the verified recipient before funds move, with ID.me verifying the person and Plaid verifying the bank account."
Vista Equity Exploring Strategic Options for Financial Software Provider Finastra, Sources Say
Reuters
"Private equity firm Vista Equity Partners is exploring strategic options for Finastra which could include a potential sale of the software provider focused on financial institutions, four people familiar with the matter said. The buyout group is working with investment bankers at Morgan Stanley on the process, which is in its early stages and could include a full sale of the company but also may result in Vista divesting a stake or Finastra merging with or acquiring another industry player, said the sources."
September 14, 2026
On the web
AI-Powered B2B Fraud Is Forcing Companies to Rethink Trust
J.P. Morgan
"AI-enabled fraud increasingly targets trust before payment, using compromised or convincingly impersonated identities to insert false instructions into legitimate workflows. An authorized, policy-compliant payment can still be fraudulent when the identity or instruction behind it has been compromised. Stronger prevention depends on verifying trust at critical handoffs and aligning teams around clear ownership and escalation."
Visa Research: The Rise of the “Couch Economy” Is Reshaping Consumer Spending
Visa
"New Visa Business and Economic Insights research finds consumers are increasingly shopping, streaming, dining and managing daily life from home, creating new opportunities for businesses that can deliver convenience and ongoing digital engagement. Digital commerce expanded across all six markets studied between 2019 and 2026. In three illustrative markets, the share of domestic payment volume occurring online and in-app rose from 48% to 58% in the U.S., 10% to 24% in Poland and 35% to 55% in the UAE."
New AI Powered Coffee Alarm Clock Service Launched by Starbucks and Alipay Ah Bao for Chinese Consumers
Retail Technology Innovation Hub
"Starbucks and Ah Bao, Alipay’s AI agent, have launched a new AI powered service - the Coffee Alarm Clock - for Chinese consumers. Users can set this up by first opening the Alipay app, swiping right and telling Ah Bao “Buy me a Starbucks iced Americano at 10 a.m. every day”. They then create a personalised name for the alarm clock and enable Alipay notifications in the app settings. Then wait for Ah Bao to execute the task every day."
Thunes Launches Cross-Border Payouts Across Six New Middle East Markets
Thunes
"Thunes announced a major expansion of its Direct Global Network across the Middle East. The expansion introduces new payout services into six key markets: the Kingdom of Bahrain, Lebanon, the Sultanate of Oman, South Yemen, Syria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This move significantly enhances Thunes’ cross-border infrastructure in the region, delivering faster, highly transparent payment solutions for Members of Thunes’ Direct Global Network."
India: RBI Executive Director Unveils New RuPay And UPI Payment Innovations At GFF 2026
BW Disrupt
"The Reserve Bank of India announced the launch of several innovations, including a pilot of the Unified Ticketing Platform, a concept showcase of RuPay ON-THE-GO Card-on-Device Tokenisation, RuPay Tap on Phone, RuPay passkey-based biometric authentication, and cross-border merchant payments using RuPay credit card on UPI International. The initiatives are designed to enhance convenience, security and user experience while enabling the next generation of digital commerce across transit, tourism, e-commerce and cross-border payments."
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