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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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November 26, 2025
On the web
BHIM Launches UPI Circle Full Delegation, Allowing Senior Citizens, Young Adults to Make Payments Independently Within Set Limits
The Economic Times
"The NPCI BHIM Services Limited on Tuesday announced the introduction of UPI Circle Full Delegation on the BHIM Payments App, allowing primary users to authorise their trusted contacts to make UPI payments on their behalf of up to Rs 15,000. The move is expected to be a game-changer for senior citizens who have their own bank accounts but often hesitate from making digital payments and young adults who can manage their daily or educational expenses with safe, parent-controlled access."
Wise Becomes First Non-Bank to Go Live on Japan's Zengin System via API and Settle Directly With Bank of Japan
Fintech Finance
"Wise is now the first non-bank operating in Japan to connect via the newly established API method rather than the existing Relay Computer system. Additionally, Wise is now the first Funds Transfer Service Provider to settle payments directly with the Bank of Japan, making domestic yen payments almost instant by eliminating the need for intermediary banking partners."
Introducing One Click Payments: A Simpler, Faster Way to Pay by Bank in Europe
Plaid
"One click streamlines the open banking payment journey for Pay by Bank users through a cleaner, more accessible experience. For returning users and those who’ve selected their bank earlier in the onboarding journey, one click automatically recalls their preferred bank and removes the selection pane entirely."
November 24, 2025
On the web
ECB Calls Stablecoins a Threat to Global Financial Stability… Again
Cryptopolitan
"The European Central Bank just flagged stablecoins as a global threat. Again. On Monday, the bank put out a pre-release of its financial stability review, warning that the sudden rise in these tokens needs serious attention. Even though things look fine right now, the bank says that could change real fast if stablecoins get adopted for more uses. One of the biggest issues? If people start swapping bank deposits for stablecoins, banks could lose a big source of funding."
OCBC Rolls Out In-App Calls for Retail Customers
Asian Banking & Finance
OCBC is rolling out in-app calls on its digital banking apps, enabling customers to call the bank’s contact centre even when they travel outside Singapore. OCBC said that it expects in-app calls to be especially valuable to customers who need urgent assistance while abroad, such as in cases of suspected credit card fraud or account security concerns. The in-app capability also prevents impersonation fraud, OCB said, noting that security questions and SMS One-Time Passwords (OTPs) to verify customers who call banks’ hotlines may be increasingly susceptible.
Eurosystem Moves Forward on Work to Connect Tips With India’s Unified Payments Interface and With Nexus Global Payments
European Central Bank
The Governing Council of the European Central Bank (ECB) has decided to further advance the ongoing initiatives to interlink the Eurosystem’s TARGET Instant Payment Settlement (TIPS) service with other fast payment systems globally. The decision is part of the Eurosystem’s overall efforts to make it easier for businesses and consumers in Europe to send and receive payments to and from other countries, including remittances.
November 21, 2025
On the web
Africa’s Digital Payments Gain Momentum: SIIPS 2025 Reveals $2 Trillion in Instant Payments Driving Growth and Inclusion
AfricaNenda
"Africa’s digital payments landscape is expanding at a record pace, marking a turning point towards more inclusive interoperable financial systems. The State of Inclusive Instant Payment Systems (SIIPS) 2025 Report, released by the AfricaNenda Foundation, in partnership with the World Bank and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), reveals how instant payment systems (IPS) are driving economic participation, innovation, and opportunity across the continent."
November 20, 2025
On the web
Central Bank of Brazil Clarifies Rules for Rejecting Transactions Suspected of Fraud
Finsiders Brasil
"The Central Bank [of Brazil] published clarifications regarding the rejection of payment transactions whose recipients are accounts identified as having " founded suspicion of involvement in fraud. According to Communiqué No. 44,253, the responsibility for rejecting suspicious transactions does not lie solely with the institutions where the funds ended up. "Sending institutions must also reject the transfer of funds to the recipient account if there is a well-founded suspicion of fraud," the text states."
Eurosystem Moves Forward on Work to Connect Tips With India’s Unified Payments Infrastructure and With Nexus Global Payments
European Central Bank
"The Governing Council of the European Central Bank (ECB) has decided to further advance the ongoing initiatives to interlink the Eurosystem’s TARGET Instant Payment Settlement (TIPS) service with other fast payment systems globally. The decision is part of the Eurosystem’s overall efforts to make it easier for businesses and consumers in Europe to send and receive payments to and from other countries, including remittances."
November 19, 2025
On the web
Peru To Roll Out UPI-Like Payment System By Next Year
MSN
"Peru will implement by next year the UPI-like real-time digital payments system, according to Peruvian Ambassador Javier Manuel Paulinich Velarde. NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) and the Central Reserve Bank of Peru (BCRP) had first announced a landmark partnership to introduce the real-time payments system in Peru in 2024. Once implemented, it will make Peru the first South American country to adopt the Unified Payment Interface (UPI) technology."
On the wires
Nuvei and European Payments Initiative Launch Wero Payments for European eCommerce Merchants
Cision
"Nuvei announced that its eCommerce merchants have started processing transactions via Wero, the innovative digital wallet of the European Payments Initiative (EPI). Wero is designed to deliver instant, secure account-to-account payments across Europe. Wero enables instant account-to-account (A2A) payments through SEPA Instant Credit Transfer protocols, allowing consumers to pay securely and directly from their bank accounts in seconds."
November 18, 2025
On the web
Canada Approves Budget That Advances Policy for Stablecoins
CoinDesk
"Parliament narrowly passed Prime Minister Mark Carney's first budget. A section governs the issuance of stablecoins, overseen by the Bank of Canada. Issuers in Canada must maintain one-to-one reserves "composed exclusively of the reference currency or other high-quality liquid assets," allow immediate redemptions and meet a suite of requirements on risk management in times of failure. The Bank of Canada will supervise and maintain the registry of approved applicants. The non-bank stablecoin issuers wouldn't be allowed to grant "any form of interest or yield in respect of that stablecoin, whether in cash, digital assets or other consideration" to their customers."
Brazil Eyes Taxing Crypto for Cross-Border Payments, Sources Say
Reuters
"Brazil is looking at taxing the use of cryptocurrencies for international payments, two officials with direct knowledge of the discussions told Reuters, closing a loophole in the country's usual levy on foreign-exchange transactions. One of the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity about the confidential talks, said the Finance Ministry is looking at expanding its financial transaction tax (IOF) to some cross-border transfers using virtual assets and stablecoins that the central bank classified this month as forex operations."
November 17, 2025
On the wires
Pix to Approach 8 Billion Monthly Transactions as It Marks Five-Year Milestone, Ebanx Study Finds
GlobalNewswire
"Marking its fifth anniversary on November 16, Brazil’s instant payment system, Pix, is on course to surpass seven billion monthly transactions for the first time, potentially reaching 7.9 billion in December. In this month, holiday shopping typically drives peak volumes—an expected 15% increase from September. This growth is expected to push Pix’s total transaction volume in 2025 to USD 6.7 trillion. No other instant payment system worldwide has achieved this milestone so quickly—not even India’s real-time payment method, UPI."
November 14, 2025
On the web
Africa’s Digital Payments Gain Momentum: SIIPS 2025 Reveals $2 Trillion in Instant Payments Driving Growth and Inclusion
AfricaNenda
"Africa’s digital payments landscape is expanding at a record pace, marking a turning point towards more inclusive interoperable financial systems. The State of Inclusive Instant Payment Systems (SIIPS) 2025 Report, released by the AfricaNenda Foundation, in partnership with the World Bank and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), reveals how instant payment systems (IPS) are driving economic participation, innovation, and opportunity across the continent."
On the wires
Visa Expands Visa Intelligent Commerce Across Asia Pacific, Prepares for AI Commerce Pilot by Early 2026
PR Newswire
"Visa today announced significant strides in expanding Visa Intelligent Commerce across Asia Pacific, accelerating the region's push into agentic commerce – a new era where AI-powered agents shop and pay on behalf of consumers."
November 13, 2025
On the web
ChatGPT Joins PhonePe: AI To Transform UPI Payments Across India
Patna Press
"In a major leap for India’s fintech sector, PhonePe has announced a strategic partnership with OpenAI, aiming to integrate ChatGPT-powered AI features into its digital payments app. The move marks the beginning of a new era where artificial intelligence meets everyday transactions, making UPI interactions smarter, faster, and more conversational. Through this collaboration, users will be able to access AI-driven suggestions and assistance directly within the app."
November 11, 2025
On the web
Bank of England Launches Consultation on Regulating Systemic Stablecoins
Bank of England
"The Bank of England published a consultation paper setting out its proposed regulatory regime for sterling-denominated systemic stablecoins. Such stablecoins are a new type of digital money designed to maintain a stable value and could be used for retail payments and wholesale settlement in the future. This marks a significant step in preparing for a future where new forms of digital money may be widely used for payments alongside existing ones."
Brazil Puts Stablecoins Under FX Rules
Disrupt Africa
"Brazil’s central bank will treat stablecoin payments as foreign-exchange operations while extending consumer-protection standards and licensing to crypto providers. Stricter rules typically reduce scams and increase mainstream comfort, laying groundwork for broader crypto adoption as regulated on-ramps mature."
November 10, 2025
On the web
Italy’s Banks Support Ecb’s Digital Euro Plan, but Want to Spread Out Costs Over Time: Reuters
The Block
"Italy’s banks support the European Central Bank’s plan to introduce a digital euro but want its required investments to be spread out over time, a top official of Italy’s banking association said, per Reuters. The ECB in recent weeks has advanced its plan to introduce a digital euro, finalizing a roadmap with EU finance ministers to develop the central bank digital currency (CBDC), projected to launch in 2029 given EU approval next year."
Paytm Unveils All-New App With AI Features to Enhance Payment Experience
Business Standard
"Paytm, India's full-stack merchant payments leader, has launched a redesigned version of its flagship app, integrating artificial intelligence-driven features to personalise everyday transactions for its users. The update introduces a cleaner user interface alongside over 15 new features. One of the standout innovations is the launch of "Gold Coins," a first-of-its-kind initiative that rewards users with digital gold on every payment, adding a valuable savings dimension to regular transactions."
November 7, 2025
On the web
Canada’s Federal Budget Includes Open Banking, Payments, Stablecoins as Key Focus Areas
Crowdfund Insider
"The Canadian Government has released its budget for the year 2025. The budget primarily centers on several major themes, such as: shifting from reliance to resilience, adequately protecting Canada’s sovereignty as well as security, and building a stronger Canadian economy. The budget confirms the importance of payments in enabling these core objectives via: Safer payments; more choice for Canadians; faster payments; consumer-driven banking; stablecoins; transparent international remittances; fixing misdirected payments."
RuPay Emerges as India’s Preferred Credit Card Network - All Thanks to UPI Integration
MSN
"Analysts said, RuPay has recently gained momentum in the credit-card ecosystem due to the availability of credit cards on the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) platform. They said that currently, RuPay's share in the credit-card market is around 16 per cent as against about 3 percent two years ago, they added. In late 2022, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had given the approval to link RuPay credit-cards only to UPI."
November 6, 2025
On the web
Beyond QR Codes: The Indonesian Unicorn Driving Southeast Asia’s Digital Payments Evolution
NBC
"Indonesian fintech unicorn Xendit is helping reshape Southeast Asia’s payment landscape by offering Stripe-like infrastructure tailored to the region’s unique challenges. In this episode of CNBC’s “Beyond the Valley,” Xendit co-founder and Chief Operating Officer Tessa Wijaya joins Arjun Kharpal at the Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology (SWITCH) to discuss unifying a fragmented payments system landscape, learning from her first startup in the food business and the challenge of moving the Asian payment market away from QR codes."
November 5, 2025
On the web
OpenAI's ChatGPT Go Now Free in India: Users Fume as UPI Payments Fail During Free Plan Rollout
The Economic Times
"OpenAI is offering ChatGPT Go free for 12 months to users in India starting November 4, 2025. The company announced that anyone who signs up during this limited-time promotional period will receive free access to the otherwise paid plan. But OpenAI's AI chatbot ChatGPT is once again facing glitches with UPI payments, second in recent months. Many users of AI chatbot complained they have experienced payment issues with the UPI option."
On the wires
Game Developers Can Now Capture More Holiday Demand With Xsolla’s Expanded Payments Portfolio
Business Wire
"Xsolla, announced new local payment methods across key markets in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The expansion introduces 10 new local payment options that match how players already pay in their home markets, including: Europe: MB Way (Portugal); Asia: JKOPay (Taiwan); Paidy (Japan); Africa: Airtel Mobile Money (Tanzania, Madagascar) and MTN Mobile Money (Cameroon, Congo-Brazzaville, Zambia); Paga (Nigeria); Bank Transfers (Nigeria); MVola (Madagascar); Spenn (Rwanda, Zambia); Latin America: Mercado Pago (Uruguay)."
November 4, 2025
On the web
Payday Super to Deliver Stronger Retirement Outcomes for Australians
Australian Payments Plus
"Australian Payments Plus (AP+) has welcomed the passing of payday super legislation, which will help improve retirement savings for millions of Australians by ensuring superannuation contributions are paid at the same time as wages. The New Payments Platform (NPP), operated by AP+ will play a central role in enabling payday super. The ATO in August approved the NPP as a payment method for superannuation contributions and confirmed that, from July 2026, all super funds must be able to receive superannuation payments via the NPP."
November 3, 2025
On the web
PhonePe Rolls Out ‘PhonePe Protect’ to Safeguard Users From Fraudulent Transactions
ITVoice
"PhonePe has rolled-out ‘PhonePe Protect’– a security framework designed to safeguard users from fraudulent transactions. The feature also offers insights into the risks involved when transactions are declined for security reasons. ‘PhonePe Protect’ incorporates a mechanism to identify and block transactions directed toward mobile numbers that are flagged as suspicious by The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) through their ‘Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI)’ feature."
Tokenization Takes Prime Role in Hong Kong’s Fintech 2030 Strategy
Trading View
"The Hong Kong Monetary Authority is seeking to grow the tokenization ecosystem as part of its four-pronged growth strategy for its fintech sector over the next five years. In a statement on Wednesday during Hong Kong Fintech Week, HKMA said its Fintech 2030 strategy will focus “on four strategic pillars” referred to as “DART,” covering data, artificial intelligence, resilience and tokenization across 40 initiatives."
JPYC Stablecoin Launches in Japan. Has a Fraud Compensation Policy
Ledger Insights
"JPYC went live as a Japanese regulated stablecoin. It is the first Yen stablecoin to launch under Japan’s stablecoin regulations, which came into force in 2023. The law supports three types of issuers: funds transfer service providers such as JPYC, trust banks acting for third parties, or commercial banks. By international standards, the stablecoin has a novel feature – it offers compensation for fraud under certain circumstances. The issuer also announced a Philippines deal."
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