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May 13, 2025
Top Post
‘It Is Not Illegal to Charge Fees,’ Apple Tells Brazilian Regulator on NFC Probe
9 to 5 Mac
"Apple Pay and the iPhone’s NFC sensor have long been the subject of disputes around the globe. Last year, the European Commission compelled Apple to grant developers access to the NFC reader, and more recently, the company expanded this access in other regions due to increasing regulatory pressure. Now, a national payment system in Brazil has a regulatory body taking an even closer look at the iPhone’s NFC, and it appears the company isn’t willing to budge."
On the web
Circle’s Dollar Coin Payment Network: South Korea Left Out
Business Korea
"Circle Internet Group, the issuer of the dollar-based stablecoin USDC, has established a systemenabling global remittance and settlement solely through stablecoins. However, it has been revealedthat not a single South Korean company has participated in the network. Critics argue that due tothe legal and institutional vacuum regarding stablecoins in Korea, domestic nancial institutionsand ntech companies are falling behind."
On the wires
Telecom Italia Mulls Including Insurance, Payments, Energy Services in Bylaws, Sources Say
Reuters
"Italy's biggest phone group Telecom Italia is considering adding insurance, digital payments and energy to its business as described in its bylaws ahead of expanding the offering of those services, two sources told Reuters. Having sold its prized landline grid, TIM, the heir to Italy's phone monopoly, is looking to reshape its consumer arm to offer clients more services beyond mobile and fixed broadband connectivity, to boost its average monthly revenue per unit."
May 12, 2025
On the web
FamApp Overtakes Amazon Pay In April’s UPI Count, PhonePe Continues To Lead
Inc42 Media
"FamApp By Trio (erstwhile FamPay) surpassed Amazon Pay to become the eighth biggest Unified Payment Interface (UPI) player in April. The month of April saw a marginal decline of 2.2% in the UPI transactions. Maintaining the domination streak, PhonePe and Google Pay continued to hold the duopoly in the UPI market."
Nigeria Adopts Papss to Simplify Intra-African Cross-Border Payments
Trade Finance Global
"The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has unveiled a progressive circular that dramatically simplifies documentation requirements for transactions via the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS). Under the new directive, effective immediately, individuals can now conduct transactions up to $2,000 per month with minimal documentation, while corporate entities enjoy a threshold of $5,000. Only basic know your customer (KYC) and anti-money laundering (AML) documents will be required."
May 9, 2025
On the web
Brazil’s Central Bank Presents Regulatory Priorities for 2025 and 2026
Mattos Filho
"On April 24, 2025, the Central Bank of Brazil (BCB) announced its list of regulatory priorities for 2025 and 2026. The main topics include the evolution of Open Finance, virtual asset regulations, monitoring artificial intelligence usage, and the expansion of Pix's functionalities."
May 8, 2025
On the web
Ethiopia: M-Pesa Launches Digital Fuel Payment Service at Bole Total Energies Station
2Merkato
"M-Pesa Safaricom has officially launched a digital fuel payment service at the Bole Total Energies gas station in Addis Ababa, enabling customers to pay for fuel directly through their mobile phones. The new service aims to offer a fast, secure, and convenient payment solution for drivers, streamlining the process of fueling vehicles using digital technology."
Ghana to Begin Digital Asset Regulation in September
CoinGeek
"Ghana’s central bank will begin overseeing the digital asset space later this year, pending the passage of legislation currently before parliament, Governor Johnson Asiama has revealed. Asiama spoke at the African Leaders and Partners Forum, held in Washington on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)-World Bank Spring Meetings. He pledged the Bank of Ghana’s (BoG) commitment to promoting digital asset adoption by enforcing friendly laws that protect consumers without stifling innovation."
Singapore Central Bank Addresses Delays on Cross-Border Payments
The Banker
"The success of new cross-border, real-time payment systems require co-operation and some creative thinking to overcome initial challenges. “We introduced an asynchronous flow to bridge this gap, where a new confirmation was introduced, which indicated that a transfer has been relayed that, in turn, allowed banks to inform their customers that their payment is on its way,” said Loh, deputy managing director for corporate development at MAS."
UK Seeks Feedback On Banning Consumers From Borrowing To Buy Crypto
Silicon UK
"The United Kingdom continues to plot out its regulation in the years ahead, governing cryptocurrencies and digital assets. The Financial Conduct Authority announced the issuing of a discussion paper, seeking feedback on rules to ban investors from using borrowed funds, such as credit card balances, to invest in cryptocurrency."
May 7, 2025
On the web
Central Bank of Brazil Publishes New Rules for the Operation of Automatic Pix
Finsiders Brasil
"In recent days, the Central Bank (BC) published new rules for the operation of Automatic Pix . The measures include, for example, a longer period for financial institutions that serve companies to stop offering the modality. With its launch confirmed for June 16, Automatic Pix entered the testing phase."
How Stablecoins Are Revolutionising Cross-Border Payments in Africa
Techpoint Africa
"Cross-border payments in Africa are some of the most expensive and complex in the world. According to the World Bank, sub-Saharan Africa remains the most costly region for remittances, with an average cost of 8.37%. But a relatively quiet revolution is underway, powered by stablecoins, a kind of cryptocurrency designed to hold steady value, usually pegged to fiat currencies like the US dollar."
May 6, 2025
Top Post
ANZ Scraps Passwords for 1 Million Customers in ‘Revolutionary’ Online Banking Change
Yahoo Finance
"ANZ is scrapping passwords for internet banking for its digital banking arm ANZ Plus. The move makes it the first Australian bank to offer a fully passwordless internet banking option. From mid-2025, ANZ Plus customers will be able to log into internet banking through two authentication methods. Either by using a passkey, which could be their fingerprint, face or mobile device PIN, or by entering their mobile number and approving a login request sent to their ANZ Plus app."
On the web
Payments Canada Updates Automated Clearing and Settlement System Rules to Enhance Payment Processing
Crowdfunder Insider
"On April 28, 2025, Payments Canada implemented significant updates to the rules governing the Automated Clearing and Settlement System (ACSS), a critical infrastructure for processing electronic payments in Canada. The amendments specifically target bill payment incident management, payment tracing facilities, and the treatment of funds transfer pre-authorized debits (PADs)."
May 5, 2025
On the web
European Central Bank Partners With Private Sector Through Digital Euro Innovation Platform
European Central Bank
"The European Central Bank (ECB) has established an innovation platform to collaborate with European stakeholders in the context of the digital euro project. Almost 70 market participants – including merchants, fintech companies, start-ups, banks and other payment service providers – have signed up to work with the ECB to explore digital euro payment functionalities and use cases."
“Better Than Cash”: PayPal Announces Plans to Revolutionize In-Store Payments in Germany
PayPal Newsroom
"PayPal is expanding in physical stores across Germany this summer. One of the most trusted brands in Germany, PayPal announced plans to bring everything consumers love and trust about PayPal in store. In the coming weeks, PayPal’s first-ever contactless mobile wallet will launch nationwide, available to PayPal consumers in Germany before anywhere else in the world."
May 2, 2025
On the web
FCA Does Not Want Britons to Buy Crypto on Credit
Finance Magnates
"The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is exploring restrictions on UK residents purchasing cryptocurrencies on credit, and is now seeking public feedback on this and other proposed regulatory measures. However, the British agency would exempt authorised stablecoin purchases from these credit restrictions."
Volt’s One-Click Payto Payment Solution Made Available to Shopify Customers in Australia
Volt
"Volt announced its expansion to the Australian market with Shopify. Volt is enabling Shopify merchants to offer Australian consumers a one-click checkout experience powered by PayTo. In Australia, Volt will be first-to-market on Shopify with a one-click checkout built on PayTo, a real-time payment system developed by the country’s New Payments Platform in 2022."
April 30, 2025
On the web
Banked, Chemist Warehouse and Shopback Launch Australia’s First In-Store Pay by Bank With Rewards Program
Banked
"Banked, the leading global Pay by Bank provider, has partnered with Australia’s top retail pharmacy group Chemist Warehouse, and leading shopping, rewards, and payments platform ShopBack, to launch the country’s first in-store Pay by Bank experience that also allows consumers to earn Cashback and rewards."
April 29, 2025
On the web
Indian Authorities Keen to Charge Merchants Fees to Bolster Homegrown Payments Network, Sources Say
MarketScreener
"India's payments authority, the central bank, and industry are pushing the government to allow a fee on digital payments to large merchants made via its homegrown network to help boost growth, five sources told Reuters. The charge, known as Merchant Discount Rate (MDR), is considered crucial to boosting investment for payments firms, and reviving slowing growth in payments made via the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), India's own network, the sources said. "
European Payments Initiative Calls for Unity Among Local Wallets to Strengthen EU Autonomy
Tech.eu
"The European Payments Initiative calls on local providers to unite under a homegrown system, aiming to reduce dependence on Visa, Mastercard, and Big Tech wallets."
April 28, 2025
On the web
Delivering the Real-Time Rail to Canada
Payments Canada
"The technical build of the Real-Time Rail (RTR) has achieved 60 per cent completion on all fronts and is on target to be finished, as planned in Q3 of 2025. Once built, testing will begin on the system."
NPCI’s Netbanking 2.0 Looks to Replicate UPI Success, but Challenges Loom
Policy Circle
"The National Payments Corporation of India is set to give the net banking system a major makeover, aiming to replicate the revolutionary success of Unified Payments Interface and make online transactions even easier for users. The ambitious project, called Netbanking 2.0, is being spearheaded by NPCI’s subsidiary, NPCI Bharat BillPay Ltd, and is expected to go live within the next three to four months. Trial runs have already been completed."
On the wires
ECB Forms Group to Simplify Banking Rules
Reuters
"The European Central Bank has launched a task force, chaired by Vice President Luis de Guindos, that will look for ways of simplifying banking rules in Europe, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Saturday. The central bank governors of Germany, France, Italy and Finland are also part of the task force, the source said."
April 25, 2025
On the web
Binance Tightens South African Compliance Rules for Crypto Transfers
Cointelegraph
"Binance is set to implement new compliance measures for South African users, requiring sender and receiver information for all crypto deposits and withdrawals. In an announcement on April 23, the largest exchange in terms of daily trading volume of cryptocurrencies said the move comes in response to local regulatory demands."
April 23, 2025
On the web
Stripe Launches New Features for Businesses in Japan, Adds PayPay Integration
IBS Intelligence
"Stripe has launched a set of major product updates aimed at supporting businesses in Japan and international companies expanding into the Japanese market. Stripe is now making it easier for businesses to cater to local customer expectations by enabling support for PayPay, Japan’s widely used digital wallet with over 68 million users. Businesses can now accept PayPay for online purchases and benefit from faster payouts, receiving funds in as few as four business days—far ahead of the industry norm of month-end settlements."
Haboo Money Teams up With Griffin to Launch ‘Save-As-You-Repay’ Wallet
Open Banking Expo
"UK fintech haboo money has partnered with bank for fintechs Griffin to offer a “save-as-you-repay” wallet designed to give borrowers more control and flexibility over loan repayments, through the use of variable recurring payments (VRP) and behavioural “nudges”. The new save-as-you-pay wallet from haboo provides borrowers with flexible repayment options, by replacing direct debits with VRP, and aims to encourage responsible overpayments to help individuals pay down debt faster."
April 22, 2025
On the web
Curve Pay Launches on Android - The Wallet with Total Bank Coverage, Superior Spending Insights and Zero Foreign Exchange Fees
The Wise Marketer
"Curve Pay brings Android users unmatched spending visibility, comprehensive bank and card coverage, zero foreign transaction fees on all linked cards, and advanced money management tools, setting a new standard for convenience, security, and savings in mobile wallets."
Fast Payments in Action: Emerging Lessons From Brazil and India
Atlantic Council
"As the rise of instant payment systems transforms the global financial sector, more governments are considering launching their own central bank-led immediate payment systems. Pix and Unified Payments Interface (UPI), Brazil and India’s respective instant payment systems, provide two key lessons for governments interested in implementing new fast or immediate payment systems."
Digital Wallets Poised To Overtake Credit Cards in Hong Kong by 2030: Report
South China Morning Post
"A survey found that 42 per cent of Hongkongers use Alipay and 22 per cent use Apple Pay, but credit cards are likely to remain relevant"
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