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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
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."
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."
RTP® Network Marks May Day with Record-Breaking Volume and Value
theclearinghouse
"The RTP® network, the nation’s largest system that processes over 98% of the U.S. economy’s bank-to-bank instant payments, set new single-day records by processing 2.27 million transactions worth $8.62 billion on May 1, reflecting the continued adoption of instant payments by consumers, financial institutions, and businesses. The volume growth of the RTP network, operated by The Clearing House, is driven by consumers looking for instant access to their funds to help balance household budgets."
Can Mastercard Ride the Agentic Commerce Wave With PhotonPay?
Yahoo Finance
"Mastercard is exploring the fast-growing world of agentic commerce through a new collaboration with PhotonPay. The companies recently completed a live AI-powered payment demonstration in Hong Kong, where an AI agent autonomously selected, booked and paid for a ride using a tokenized payment credential. The test transaction combined PhotonPay’s programmable financial infrastructure with Mastercard’s Agent Pay capabilities."
Citi: Bridging the 24/7 Divide: How Blockchain and Tokenization Can Propel Finance Into the Real-Time Future
Citigroup
"The financial industry faces an "Always-On Divide"—a structural gap between the 24/7 digital economy and a legacy financial system constrained by batch processing, market hours and fragmented liquidity Blockchain and tokenization offer a solution by creating a programmable infrastructure where digital assets, tokenized deposits and smart contracts enable real-time, continuous and automated financial operations."
Adyen Collaboration with SAP Supports the Launch of SAP Unified Payment
Adyen
"Adyen announced a new collaboration with SAP, deepening its partnership to support the launch of the SAP Unified Payment solution. This native, fully embedded solution is designed to remove the structural complexity of global commerce by connecting digital storefronts directly to the financial backbone of the enterprise."
Affirm CEO Max Levchin on Growth Outlook [Video]
CNBC
"Max Levchin, Affirm founder and CEO, joins ‘Squawk Box’ to discuss takeaways from the company’s annual investor day, state of the Buy Now, Pay Later business, state of the consumer, growth outlook, and more."
Amazon’s New Prime Business and Amazon Business Credit Cards, Powered by U.S. Bank and Mastercard, Are Now Available with Enhanced Rewards and Flexible Financing
Mastercard
"Amazon launched the new Prime Business Card and Amazon Business Card, bringing together the Amazon rewards business customers love with powerful new benefits to help businesses make the most of their spending on Amazon. These cards, issued by U.S. Bank as part of the Mastercard network, offer rewards wherever customers are shopping, access to flexible financing for purchases, and no annual or foreign transaction fees."
May 13, 2026
Top Post
New Fed Data: Differences in Payments Activity at Large and Smaller Institutions
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
"This commentary is based on new data released by the FRPS in March, detailing payments activity by the 100 largest DIs by transaction account deposit size. The release provides the number and value of check, ACH, wire, and alternative payments (bank bill pay and person-to-person) at the 100 largest DIs and all other DIs for 2015, 2018, and 2021. The average business transaction account balances at the Top 100 DIs by deposit size imply that these DIs serve the largest businesses in the US. This flows through to payments."
On the web
Google Teams with Affirm, Klarna for Flex Payments in AI, Search
Chain Store Age
"Google is partnering with two leading flexible payment platforms to provide new options for checkout with Google Pay in its AI and search environments. The tech giant is collaborating with Affirm and Klarna to bring flexible payment opportunities to its Google Gemini agentic AI engine and its search offering, including AI mode, via the Google Pay digital payment tool in the U.S. Following are overviews of Google’s new partnerships with each flexible payment provider:"
Fiserv Expands Clover’s Restaurant Portfolio with New Fine Dining Solution, Clover Reserve Powered by Tabit
Fiserv, Inc.
"Fiserv, Inc. announced an exclusive Clover partnership with Tabit, a mobile-first, AI-driven restaurant POS and hospitality technology provider, to launch Clover Reserve powered by Tabit. It delivers advanced capabilities designed to manage the intricate requirements for fine-dining restaurants, including multi-course pacing, sophisticated floor management, and white-glove table service. The solution enables a true tableside experience, allowing staff to open, modify, split, tip, and close checks without disrupting service."