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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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July 7, 2026
On the web
The Numbers Are In: Soaring Volume, Participation Mark Three Years of the FedNow® Service
The Federal Reserve
"Three years strong, the FedNow Service continues to drive innovation and power instant payments nationwide. Explore this infographic for a snapshot of the network’s growth, recent enhancements and what’s ahead.
Quarterly FedNow Service Statistics: https://www.frbservices.org/resources/financial-services/fednow/volume-value-stats"
Bridge (Stripe’s Stablecoin Infrastructure Platform) Secures MiCA and EMI Authorisations Across All 27 EU Member States
Bridge (Stripe)
"Bridge has secured both a Crypto-Asset Service Provider authorisation under the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) and an Electronic Money Institution license in Luxembourg. This dual-licensing covers all 27 EU member states. This milestone compounds the investment we’re making in Europe. Bridge already enables businesses and developers worldwide to easily convert funds between stablecoins and EUR."
WeChat Opens the Door to the Agentic Financial Future
The Finanser
"Tencent – the Chinese Tech Titan – has quietly embedded an intelligent assistant inside one of the largest digital ecosystems on the planet. Unlike Visa or Mastercard, which primarily authorise and route transactions, WeChat Pay owns the customer view before, during and after the payment. It knows who you are talking to, what you are buying, where you are, which merchant you chose, how you paid and what you did next."
Apple Brings Back Card Payments for Apple Account Purchases in India After a Four-Year Hiatus
TechCrunch
"Apple has begun restoring card payments for Apple Account purchases in India more than four years after withdrawing the option, the latest sign of how the iPhone maker is adapting its services to regulatory changes that have reshaped the country’s digital payments landscape. The change, which is rolling out in phases, allows users in India to add eligible Visa and Mastercard credit and debit cards to their Apple Account to pay for subscriptions such as iCloud+ and Apple Music, as well as App Store purchases."
Alipay AI Platform Backed by 1B Users as Ant Group Abandons Blockchain
The Cryptonomist
"Alipay has launched an invite-only beta of its Alipay AI platform, giving developers, merchants, and third-party software vendors the tools to wire their services directly into its conversational AI ecosystem. Ant Group spent years building out blockchain-based solutions. That chapter appears to be closing. Ant Group and Alipay are now shifting their platform expansion energy entirely into AI, not Web3. It’s a prioritization shift where the blockchain enthusiasm of the late 2010s has given way to an intense focus on large language models and AI infrastructure."
July 6, 2026
On the wires
Klarna Submits Application for U.S. Banking License
Business Wire
"Klarna, the global digital bank and flexible payments provider, today announced it has submitted applications to the Utah Department of Financial Institutions and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to establish Klarna Bank USA, a proposed Utah-chartered industrial bank."
July 2, 2026
On the web
Square Introduces New ChatGPT and Claude Integrations
Square
"Square today announced a new ChatGPT app and Claude plugin, helping sellers get discovered and transact at the exact moment customers are making purchasing decisions through AI-powered conversations."
Microsoft Brings Safety to AI-Driven Commerce with New MCP Server
CX Today
"Microsoft introduced a managed MCP server in Dynamics 365 Commerce to ensure AI agents interact securely with retail systems. Without a secure layer between AI agents and retail systems, AI can become an operational and security risk and organizations lose control over its actions. “We used it to build a voice-driven commerce agent that puts natural-language intelligence right on top of Dynamics 365 Store Commerce, so store associates can search the catalog, manage carts, look up customers, and handle everyday POS tasks just by talking.”
On the wires
Worldline, ING and Visa Complete a Live Agentic Payment Transaction in Europe
Yahoo Finance
"Worldline and ING announce the successful execution of a new live, end-to-end agent-driven payment transaction in Europe with Visa. The transaction illustrates how AI-enabled journeys can begin to operate securely within existing regulatory requirements, including Strong Customer Authentication."
PayPal Joins the European Payments Council
PayPal Newsroom
"PayPal has officially joined the European Payments Council (EPC), marking an important milestone in our commitment to the future of payments in Europe."
July 1, 2026
Top Post
Federal Reserve Issues Initial Findings from Its 2025 Triennial Payments Study
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
"The Federal Reserve issued initial findings from its 2025 triennial payments study. The information shows how consumers and businesses chose to make noncash payments, using different types of cards, ACH payments, and checks. The study shows that the total number of noncash payments made by consumers and businesses increased to 236.6 billion in 2024. Overall, the number of noncash payments more than tripled since 2000."
J.P. Morgan Payments and NPCI Team up to Power Real-Time FX for Cross-Border UPI
J.P. Morgan
"J.P. Morgan Payments and National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) are collaborating to provide real-time FX rates for cross-border Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions across multiple currencies. The collaboration connects J.P. Morgan Payments’ FX platform and API-based integration capabilities with NPCI’s UPI infrastructure to enable faster, more transparent international payment experiences."
On the web
Tencent Quietly Tests TenPayGo, Targeting Inbound Travelers with Payment Experience Requiring No Local Phone Number or Domestic Card
BigGo Finance
"Tencent Holdings is internally testing a new standalone payment app called TenPayGo, primarily targeting overseas visitors to China. The app significantly lowers usage barriers, requiring only an email registration and linking to Visa, Mastercard, or Apple Pay to transact at tens of millions of WeChat Pay merchants across China—no domestic phone number or bank card is needed."
OCBC Pilots AI Avatar Banking App for Clients With Over S$1.5 Million AUM
Fintech Singapore
"OCBC has introduced an AI avatar banking app for selected wealth customers in Singapore. The beta version of OCBC WoW will first be offered by invitation to employees and customers served by OCBC Premier Private Client wealth advisors. These customers have at least S$1.5 million in assets under management with the bank."
Visa Expects Stablecoins to See Limited Adoption in Retail Payments
Trend
"Stablecoins are unlikely to become widely used for paying for goods and services in stores in the foreseeable future, but they may play an important role in cross-border transfers, B2B settlements, and emerging markets, Visa's Group President, Oliver Jenkyn, said. Jenkyn made the statement at a briefing held as part of the Visa Payments Forum in Paris. According to him, blockchain technology and stablecoins are still in the early stages of development, but their potential to transform international payments remains significant."
New Tools from Stripe Allow German Businesses to Sell Globally—Including to AI Agents
Stripe
"Stripe shared new tools to help businesses in Germany sell to and via AI agents. Stripe announced that, beginning later this year, businesses in Germany will be able to sell to customers inside AI interfaces with the Agentic Commerce Suite, which makes products discoverable and purchasable from inside AI interfaces through a single integration. AI companies in Germany can now meter token consumption and charge customers for their exact usage in real time with Metronome, integrated into Stripe Billing."
June 30, 2026
Top Post
UnionPay Launches AI Computing Card: Bank Cards Begin Integrating Large Language Models
Moomoo
"China UnionPay, together with Ping An Bank and Tencent Cloud, launched the "AI Intelligent Computing Card." This is a debit card designed for consumers seeking AI‑powered computing power; applications will be available through the Ping An Bank Pocket Bank app. Ping An Bank also plans to launch a co-branded credit card. This card's core benefits consist of access to large‑model token packages, GPU inference hours, and usage rights for AI‑powered office and learning tools."
On the web
Introducing Open USD
Join Open Standard
"Open USD announced a new stablecoin for global money movement. Stablecoins are being rapidly adopted for their speed, cost, and programmability. At the same time, businesses face hurdles: fees to mint and redeem most stablecoins are prohibitively expensive at larger volumes; companies aren’t always able to benefit from the revenues earned on the underlying reserves; and developers have little recourse if the roadmaps of third-party issuers do not meet their needs. Open USD introduces three key design principles..."
Three Years Strong: A Conversation with Nick Stanescu on FedNow® Service Growth, Enhancements, and What Comes Next
Federal Reserve
"Three years in, the FedNow Service continues to build momentum, empower safe and efficient instant payments at scale, and unlock business opportunities for financial institutions of all sizes across the U.S. In this Q&A, we speak with Executive Vice President and Chief FedNow Executive Nick Stanescu about the network’s industry impact and the innovations shaping its next phase of growth."
American Express® Expands Membership Rewards® Points Redemption Opportunities for U.S Card Members Checking Out with Apple Pay®
American Express
"American Express is expanding Membership Rewards® points redemption options for eligible Card Members with the launch of Use Pay with Points with Apple Pay. The feature allows Card Members to redeem points directly within Apple Pay’s easy, secure and private checkout experience online, giving them greater flexibility to use points on everyday purchases."
Visa Highlights Key Role of Smartphones in Global Payment Transactions
Trend
"The company is developing a suite of solutions that simplify both accepting and sending payments, turning smartphones into universal financial transaction tools. Traditional POS terminals remain expensive and not always economically feasible for small retailers. There is a particular focus on reducing barriers to accepting payments through Tap to Phone and Visa Accept technologies, which allow smartphones to be used as fully functional payment terminals. Visa Accept allows for almost instant merchant registration through a banking app, with initial transaction limits set that can be expanded as the business grows."
New Zelle® Research: The Group Chat Is Lit. Settling Up Is Another Story.
Early Warning
"New research from the Zelle Avoidance Economy Report finds that 76% of Gen Z consumers who have fronted money for a group expense, like a trip or event, say they were not fully repaid, and 55% say it created tension or negatively affected a relationship. Nearly half (47%) say they have gone into debt to cover group expenses."
Amazon Offers Agentic Shoppers up to 365 Days of Price History
Chain Store Age
"Amazon is expanding the price history capabilities of its "Alexa for Shopping" solution. Released in May 2026, Alexa for Shopping” combines the personalization capabilities of the next-gen Alexa+ voice model with the functionality of its Rufus agentic AI shopping assistant (which was discontinued as part of the launch) to deliver a targeted shopping experience where customers can browse and shop the full Amazon store using voice, touch, or both. Now Alexa for Shopping shows 30, 90, and 365 days of price history,"
Mastercard Launches Africa Cybersecurity Center of Excellence to Help Secure the Continent’s Digital Future
Mastercard
"Mastercard announced the launch of its Africa Cybersecurity Center of Excellence, a pan-African initiative designed to strengthen cyber resilience, enhance collaboration and help safeguard the trust that underpins Africa's expanding digital economy."
Feedzai Opens $9 Trillion Fraud Intelligence Network
Feedzai
"Feedzai announced the availability of Feedzai IQ Score, an AI-native, network-derived fraud risk scoring solution for banks of all sizes. Feedzai IQ Score marks a fundamental shift in how fraud is detected. Financial institutions today face a growing “Silo and Legacy Paradox,” meaning data used to prevent fraud is restricted to internal sources, and replacing existing end-to-end risk infrastructure can be time consuming and disruptive."
Chargebacks911: 2026 Chargeback Field Report Released
https://chargebacks911.com/chargeback-field-report/
"The 2026 Chargeback Field Report provides a real-world look at chargeback management in the Card-Not-Present Payments Space. Built on a proprietary survey data from more than 250 merchants, the report offers a picture of how charge backs and chargeback abuse are affecting merchants today. We looked at how chargebacks affect different industries, business models, and transaction sizes, with a strong focus on eCommerce."
June 29, 2026
On the web
X Money Rolls Out to More Verified Users and Its 6% Savings Rate Is Just the Opening Move
Startup Fortune
"X Money expanded to a broader pool of verified US users on June 25, 2026, offering 6% APY on FDIC-insured deposits, 3% cashback, and a personalized metal Visa debit card. Built on Cross River Bank's infrastructure, the launch positions X as the most credible American super-app attempt yet, while the verified-user gating addresses a peer-to-peer payments market badly damaged by fraud."
BIS Warns Stablecoins Risk Fragmenting Global Financial System
Trading View
"The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) warned that the rapid expansion of stablecoins risks fragmenting the global monetary system and weakening sovereign monetary control, urging central banks and the financial industry to accelerate the development of tokenized forms of central bank and commercial bank money as a safer alternative."
Why Meta’s Cred Investment Matters for WhatsApp Pay in India
The Economic Times
Meta's substantial investment in Cred and appointing its founder Kunal Shah as global head of WhatsApp signals a major push into India's fintech landscape. For Meta, with Shah at the helm, there is a chance that WhatsApp's position in India, its largest market, will go beyond messaging into payments, commerce, and business services.
UAE Central Bank Licenses Adyen for Expanded Operational Capabilities
Zawya
"Adyen announced that it has obtained its Retail Payment Services Category II license from the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE). The reaching of this regulatory milestone represents the strategic evolution of Adyen’s established presence in the UAE, beginning in 2020, where it has powered payments for leading brands including Careem, Ellington Properties, Gargash Group, Noon and Ziina."