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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 6, 2025
Top Post
Mastercard, Ripple and Gemini Test Card Payments on XRP Ledger
Yahoo Finance
"Mastercard has joined forces with Ripple and Gemini to test a new way to settle credit card transactions using the RLUSD stablecoin on the XRP Ledger. The plan would connect Gemini’s credit card, which is issued through WebBank, to a blockchain-based system where settlement happens using RLUSD instead of the usual behind-the-scenes bank transfers. The project is expected to roll out in the coming months, once it clears regulatory reviews and participating partners are officially onboarded."
October 30, 2025
On the web
Real-Time Payments Systems: A Force for Transformation
OMFIF
"A vibrant, safe and innovative RTP ecosystem depends on conditions that are co-created by the public and private sectors. Success is defined by three core imperatives: security, interoperability and digital extensibility. A new report published by OMFIF and Mastercard, Future-proofing the architecture of real-time payments, finds that these three dimensions must be advanced in parallel to realise the promise of safe, inclusive and future-ready payments ecosystems that enable broad participation across stakeholders."
October 27, 2025
On the web
Mastercard Introduces First-Ever Threat Intelligence Solution to Combat Payment Fraud at Scale
Mastercard
"Mastercard announced Mastercard Threat Intelligence. The solution brings together Mastercard’s fraud insights and global network visibility with curated cyber threat intelligence from Recorded Future's platform to help payment fraud and merchant compliance teams at banks proactively detect, prevent, and respond to cyber-enabled fraud. Key features: card testing detection, digital skimming intelligence, merchant threat intelligence, payment ecosystem threat intelligence, and payment intelligence reports. "
October 24, 2025
Top Post
The Imposter’s Playbook [Video]
Mastercard
"Cybercriminals’ tactics are becoming increasingly more sophisticated, using the latest AI and deepfake technology to create convincing fakes of your voice, texts, emails, and even your face to trick your friends, colleagues and loved ones into sharing their personal information, account info and money. Episode 2 of Mastercard’s “Anatomy of a Scam” documentary series explores the rise of impersonation scams through the eyes of one loving Midwest family."
October 16, 2025
Top Post
Mastercard Is Supercharging Commercial Payments Innovation
Mastercard
"Mastercard is pioneering a future where consumer-grade simplicity can be the norm for B2B payments. As consumers, we book a ride or order a coffee, and the payment for these services is seamlessly embedded. Mastercard is introducing two new innovations – Commercial Connect API and clearing controls – to accelerate that same intuitive ease and unlock enhanced controls across B2B transactions."
October 15, 2025
On the web
Mastercard Adds Features for B2B Payments
CPA Practice Advisor
"Mastercard has announced two new innovations – Commercial Connect API and clearing controls – to accelerate the same intuitive ease consumers have and unlock enhanced controls across B2B transactions. The solution will address industry-wide challenges of expanding services requiring multiple APIs by simplifying integration even further through one, scalable connection."
Scaling Agentic Commerce With Trust
Mastercard
"As the digital economy evolves, a new frontier is emerging through agentic commerce, where AI agents can assist consumers with the buying process (agent-assisted commerce) as well as autonomously find and buy products, guided by the consumer’s intent (autonomous agentic commerce). This paradigm shift provides consumers and businesses with unparalleled convenience and efficiency — but it also presents new challenges related to trust, security and interoperability."
October 14, 2025
Top Post
Mastercard Launches Merchant Cloud to Simplify and Support Commerce Growth in Global Acceptance Ecosystem
Mastercard
"Mastercard announced Merchant Cloud, a next-generation payments platform. The platform offers scheme-agnostic solutions for credential tokenization, guest checkout, fraud protection, identity verification, and approval rate optimization. It also provides customers with a variety of gateway services, such as omnichannel experiences, efficient transaction routing, and access to data insights."
On the wires
Visa, Mastercard Agree to $199.5 Million Settlement in Merchants’ Class Action
Reuters
"Visa and Mastercard have agreed to pay a combined $199.5 million to settle a nearly decade-old class action that accused them of forcing merchants to swallow some of the costs of fraudulent transactions involving counterfeit, lost, or stolen cards."
October 13, 2025
On the web
Mastercard Payment Optimization Platform Uses the Power of Data to Drive More Approvals
Mastercard
"Mastercard unveiled a new service, the Payment Optimization Platform (POP), which is designed to improve approval rates for merchants using data to make intelligent decisions about transactions. Early pilot results show a 9% to 15% increase in conversions. Mastercard continues to roll-out POP with Adyen, NEOPAY, Tap Payments and Worldpay."
October 7, 2025
Top Post
When It Comes to Fraud, a Sense of Insecurity and Even Inevitability, Global Survey Shows
Mastercard
"The survey about cybersecurity reveals some stark generational differences and growing anxiety over AI-generated scams. Seven of 10 people say that it’s harder to secure their information on digital platforms than it is to secure their own home, according to a new global survey conducted for Mastercard. Anxiety over AI is widespread, from the potential for AI systems to be hacked and turned against its users to automated large-scale cyberattacks to AI-generated voice cloning for scam calls to deepfakes interfering in government and threatening national security."
October 2, 2025
On the web
Mastercard Unveils a Dedicated Network to Deliver Personalized Content Across Channels at Scale
Mastercard
"Mastercard unveiled Mastercard Commerce Media, a new digital media network. Mastercard is leveraging its permissioned data, trusted reputation, industry-leading technology and connections to advertisers, publishers and consumers to power smarter, personalized commerce across the board. With its existing base of 25,000 advertisers and reach to 500 million enrolled consumers, Mastercard Commerce Media operates both in owned channels as well as bank and other publishing outlets around the world."
Mastercard Launches Small Business Navigator in Canada to Enable Small Business Resilience
Mastercard
"Mastercard announced more support for Canadian small business owners, including the launch of Small Business Navigator in Canada, which grants small business owners access to resources designed to help simplify operations, control costs, and empower efficiency. The suite of resources offers free economic insights, cost-saving opportunities and cybersecurity resources, reinforcing Mastercard's commitment to the small business community that goes far beyond payments."
September 29, 2025
On the web
Corpay and Mastercard Move Extend Near Real-Time Payments to New Markets
Business Wire
"Corpay and Mastercard announced an expansion of their long-standing collaboration to enable corporates, small businesses and financial institutions to make near real-time payments to 22 new markets across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. This milestone, revealed at the annual Sibos conference leverages Mastercard Move’s money movement capabilities and its extensive network to deliver faster, more secure and transparent cross-border payments."
Mastercard Unveils Global Reach Partner Program to Accelerate Customer Expansion Initiatives
Mastercard
"Mastercard introduced its Global Reach Partner Program, a new global expansion framework that makes it easier for customers to expand into new markets around the world. Mastercard’s Global Reach Partner Program features include: speed to market; simplified processes; customized approach; efficiencies; dedicated global enablement team."
September 17, 2025
On the web
Fueling the Digital Economy: Mastercard Start Path Welcomes Five New Startups to the Blockchain and Digital Assets Program
Mastercard
"Mastercard Start Path announced five companies that have joined the startup engagement program for Blockchain and Digital Assets: Plume, Nomyx, Borderless.xyz, keyrails and Nominis. This program, first launched in 2023, is dedicated to supporting high-potential startups fueling the future of digital finance through trusted, blockchain-powered innovation."
September 15, 2025
On the web
Citi & U.S. Bank to Pilot Mastercard’s AI Payments Service
Banking Exchange
"Citi and U.S. Bank Mastercard cardholders will be the first to trial Agent Pay, a new service that allows AI agents to initiate and complete transactions on behalf of users. Mastercard unveiled the technology in April and plans to roll it out to all US cardholders by the holiday season, ahead of a global launch. Agent Pay is designed to embed payments into the growing ecosystem of agentic AI, which are artificial intelligence tools that act independently to handle tasks for users."
September 12, 2025
On the wires
Mastercard Simplifies Business Payments With Oracle Integration
PR Newswire
"Mastercard has announced the local launch of a new embedded virtual card payment capability, with Westpac becoming the first commercial issuer in Australia to activate the solution for clients using Oracle Fusion Cloud Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). The integration leverages Mastercard's innovative virtual card solution and Oracle's B2B technology platform to deliver a seamless, secure, and fully embedded virtual card experience."
September 11, 2025
Top Post
Mastercard Unveils New Tools and Collaborations to Power Smarter, Safer Agentic Commerce
Business Wire
"Mastercard is working with AI and commerce leaders including Stripe, Google and Ant International’s Antom to make secure agentic transactions accessible and scalable for digital merchants and platforms globally. By the holiday season, all U.S. Mastercard cardholders will be enabled for the Mastercard Agent Pay program, with global rollout to follow shortly thereafter. Ahead of this, Citi and U.S. Bank Mastercard cardholders will be the first to have the opportunity to experience AI-enabled shopping as agentic commerce providers and enablers like PayOS and other industry players go live."
On the web
Mastercard, NCR Atleos, and ITCard to Enhance Contactless Experiences at ATMs
Mastercard
"Mastercard in collaboration with NCR Atleos and ITCARD, can provide cash securely withdrawn – and other services accessed - using your phone—no PIN required. Multiple countries in Europe have already deployed contactless ATMs. However, when using their mobile phone, the cardholder is asked to enter their PIN in addition to authenticating themselves via mobile wallet using biometrics. The Consumer Device Cardholder Verification Method (CDCVM) streamlines this process, verifying a cardholder’s identity using a mobile device for contactless payments. The consumer authenticates themselves on their phone before tapping the ATM to start their transaction thereby streamlining interactions at the ATM."
September 9, 2025
On the web
Mastercard Unveils Customizable Decisioning Solution for Financial Institutions
Mastercard
"Mastercard unveiled On-Demand Decisioning (ODD), a new solution that gives financial institutions more control over authorization decisions. It is the first offering of its kind that allows an issuer the ability to define decisioning criteria directly on the Mastercard network — unlocking new opportunities to optimize performance and ensure transaction outcomes are aligned with the financial institution’s consumer experience strategy."
September 2, 2025
On the web
Infosys, Mastercard Collaborate on Cross-Border Payments
Yahoo Finance
"Infosys announced a strategic collaboration with Mastercard to offer financial institutions enhanced access to Mastercard Move, its portfolio of money movement capabilities. Mastercard Move provides direct disbursers, banks, non-bank financial institutions and their customers with fast, secure money transfer solutions, both domestically and internationally."
August 29, 2025
On the web
Software Eats the Checkout-Evolution of POS [History]
Mastercard
"For decades, the point of sale (POS) has been the driving force behind in-store transactions. However, in the rapidly advancing landscape of technology, emerging innovations are redefining the traditional POS. As technology continues to move forward, customers are seeking seamless and personalized shopping experiences."
August 28, 2025
On the web
Driving Commerce: 3 Developments Putting the Automotive Economy in the Fast Lane
Mastercard
"More seamless EV charging, real-time parking info and remote software updates can help revolutionize how we get around."
August 27, 2025
On the web
Mastercard Expands Partnership With Circle to Transform Digital Settlement for Merchants and Acquirers in Region
Mastercard
"Mastercard and Circle are deepening their longstanding partnership to enable USDC and EURC settlement for acquirers in the Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EEMEA) region. This expanded effort marks the first time that the acquiring ecosystem in EEMEA will be able to settle transactions in stablecoins, further cementing Mastercard’s role in connecting blockchain-native crypto assets with traditional fiat commerce infrastructure. Arab Financial Services and Eazy Financial Services will be the first to benefit from this expanded effort."
August 11, 2025
On the web
Harnessing the Transformative Power of AI in Africa
Mastercard
"Africa is at an inflection point, when smart technologies hold the potential to make a real difference to people’s lives. A co-ordinated, integrated approach to the development and implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) strategies can propel sustainable and equitable development, with gains in fields such as economic policymaking, agriculture, manufacturing, banking, and finance."
August 8, 2025
Top Post
ISO 20022: Data Rich Messaging Advances Top Cross-Border Real-Time Payment Use Cases
Faster Payments Council
"In today's fast-evolving financial ecosystem, ISO 20022 has emerged as a foundational standard driving greater efficiency, transparency, and innovation across global payments. Whether enabling seamless buyer-to-supplier transactions, powering mobile banking apps for real-time foreign exchange and travel payments, or streamlining regulatory compliance, ISO 20022 provides the structured, data-rich messaging that modern finance demands."
August 6, 2025
On the web
Mastercard Wants Everyone to Have a Digital Wallet and mDL to Make ID Like Payments
Biometric Update
"Online ID verification causes friction for customers more often than not, yet identity theft makes up 40 percent of Europe’s online fraud. Digital identity can work simply and deliver trust like payment cards, however, says Mastercard. The EU Digital Identity Wallet is in part a recognition of this issue, according to a post by Mastercard EVP for Services Europe Michele Centemero, who sees an opportunity for digital ID to work more like his company’s forte, digital payments."
World Bank Group Joins African Development Bank Group and Mastercard as Co-Chair of Mobilizing Access to the Digital Economy (Made) Alliance: Africa
Mastercard
"The World Bank Group has signed on as co-chair of the Mobilizing Access to the Digital Economy (MADE) Alliance: Africa, an initiative aiming to provide digital access to critical services for 100 million individuals and businesses across Africa by 2034."
August 4, 2025
On the web
Clarifying Recent Headlines on Gaming Content
Mastercard
"Mastercard has not evaluated any game or required restrictions of any activity on game creator sites and platforms, contrary to media reports and allegations. Our payment network follows standards based on the rule of law. Put simply, we allow all lawful purchases on our network. At the same time, we require merchants to have appropriate controls to ensure Mastercard cards cannot be used for unlawful purchases, including illegal adult content."
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