Germany's cartel office regulator said on Monday it had initiated proceedings against payment company PayPal Europe over the possibility that it hindered competition. The subject of the proceedings was PayPal's rules for extra charges and the presentation of PayPal in the terms of use for Germany, the watchdog said. PayPal did not immediately reply to a request for comment. The regulator is investigating in particular rules that say merchants may not offer their goods and services at a lower price to customers who choose a cheaper payment method than PayPal.

“Users of the popular MetaMask Web3 wallet will soon be able to buy the second-most-popular cryptocurrency, Ether, via PayPal. Similar to PayPal’s checkout feature at online stores like Etsy and eBay, the integration with ConsenSys’s MetaMask will let users buy and transfer Ether by logging in into MetaMask, tapping the “buy” button, and logging into PayPal before making a purchase. The company said in a statement that select U.S.-based MetaMask customers will be able to use PayPal to buy Ether as of Wednesday, and that the feature will be rolled out to all U.S. users in the coming weeks. A crypto wallet like MetaMask is often the starting point for interacting with Web3 applications like play-to-earn games and some metaverse platforms. Adding PayPal to MetaMask could broaden the customer base for some of these applications by removing the complexity from buying crypto.”

“Today, PayPal announced it is adding passkeys as an easy and secure log in method for PayPal accounts. Passkeys are a new industry standard created by the FIDO Alliance and the World Wide Web Consortium that replace passwords with cryptographic key pairs, offering customers a simple and secure way to log in to PayPal based on technology that is resistant to phishing and designed so that there is no shared passkey data between platforms. The new PayPal log in option will first be available to iPhone, iPad, or Mac users on PayPal.com and will expand to additional platforms as those platforms add support for passkeys. A founding member of the FIDO Alliance, PayPal is one of the first financial services companies to make passkeys widely available to its users. This cutting-edge security standard is significant as passkeys address one of the biggest security problems on the web, which is the weakness of password authentication. Over 2.6 billion records were hacked in 2017 and of these hacks, 81% are estimated to have been caused by password stealing and guessing1. Many consumers recycle passwords across online services, which can not only be cumbersome but can also lead consumers to reuse the same, potentially vulnerable passwords across services. Passkeys are designed to replace passwords for an even more seamless and secure login experience with PayPal.”

“PayPal announced the introduction of PayPal Rewards, a new unified rewards program that gives customers an easy way to shop, earn, track, save, and redeem rewards and offers all in one place – their PayPal app. PayPal Rewards connects PayPal’s merchant offers, cash back savings, and shopping products into one experience. As consumers continue to navigate high prices heading into the holiday shopping season, deals, discounts, and cash back remain top priorities, with 25% of consumers stating loyalty programs are the most important factor when deciding where to shop1.”

“The news: PayPal rolled out the PayPal Zettle Terminal in the US after an EU launch last year, per a press release. PayPal already offers Zettle’s card reader solution in the US. Terminal is an all-in-one point-of-sale (POS) solution for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs); It lets SMBs track stock levels and manage sales, reporting, and payments all in one place; The device’s mobility––from its handheld design to its ability to accept payments via a cellular connection––sets it up to attract small and micro-businesses, especially those like vendors at a farmers market without permanent storefronts. The opportunity: Amid a fintech downturn and other market turmoil, PayPal is focused on recentering the company back to its core business. Its three-pronged growth strategy targets its digital wallet, Braintree, and checkout, which bringing Terminal to the US can support.”

“PayPal Holdings, Inc. today announced the rollout of the PayPal Zettle Terminal to small businesses in the U.S. following its launch in European markets last year. Terminal is an all-in-one point-of-sale solution that offers increased mobility in-store for small businesses. With its sleek design, Terminal is ready to go right out of the box, with no need for a second device to pair it with. Featuring a touchscreen, this digital in-store solution is easy to set up and use, offering small businesses simplicity, speed, and mobility.Terminal comes with a pre-loaded SIM card, and its combined Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity means that small businesses are no longer dependent on fixed checkout points, making the checkout completely mobile. The seller is free to complete the entire checkout process, from start to finish, wherever the customer is – on the shop floor, by the table, on the terrace, at the point of delivery, or anywhere where there’s mobile coverage. Terminal can also include an integrated barcode scanner and can be attached to a dock that has a built-in printer for on-the-spot receipt printing.”

“PayPal Holdings, Inc. today in partnership with National Philanthropic Trust (NPT) and Vanguard Charitable announced Grant Payments, a new product that enables Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) sponsors, community foundations and other grantmakers to deliver grants to charities quickly and electronically via PayPal. Grant Payments will enable charities to receive grants shortly after the funds have been approved by the grantmaker. Both grantmakers and charities will have access to all available grant details, including donor information when provided, via a PayPal dashboard. Eligible and participating charities have been vetted per PayPal’s strong compliance standards.”

“PayPal has joined Coinbase’s TRUST Network in order to comply with the financial industry’s Travel Rule. PayPal is collaborating with Coinbase on regulatory compliance. According to a statement from Coinbase on August 22, the payments giant has joined Coinbase’s Travel Rule Universal Solution Technology (TRUST) network. With the rest of the TRUST network, PayPal will work on increasing compliance with the so-called Travel Rule required of U.S. financial institutions by the Bank Secrecy Act. This rule requires financial institutions to share information about customers when those customers make transactions over a certain amount. Coinbase’s TRUST network aims to disclose the necessary data while protecting user privacy. It will avoid using a central store of user data and ensure its members are trustworthy through a compliance and risk management solution from Exiger.”

“State Farm, the largest insurer of vehicles and homes in the US, announced today the expansion of its Digital Pay solution to include claim payouts delivered instantly into a customer’s PayPal account. Through Digital Pay, claims can be reviewed, approved, and paid digitally. Customers can choose their payout method, which can be sent to a debit card, directly to the customer’s bank account, or to digital wallets, such as PayPal. When a customer opts for a digital payout, they can receive funds into their personal account in a matter of seconds. Digital Pay is enabled by Carat from Fiserv.”

“Traditional payment methods are increasingly evolving into digital payment methods. PayPal is one of the leading names today in the world of digital payments and arguably, the most popular one due to its competitive PayPal fees and numerous other benefits. Paypal earned its prominence by partnering with eBay and is widely recognized by most, if not all, online vendors today. It offers several features to help companies efficiently process and manage their finances and transactions. With digitalization increasing and e-commerce booming, the demand for platforms like PayPal has also been skyrocketing. Consequently, more competitors of PayPal are entering the market. This growing market saturation will likely make PayPal face challenges in the future…”

“Traditional payment methods are increasingly evolving into digital payment methods. PayPal is one of the leading names today in the world of digital payments and arguably, the most popular one due to its competitive PayPal fees and numerous other benefits. Paypal earned its prominence by partnering with eBay and is widely recognized by most, if not all, online vendors today. It offers several features to help companies efficiently process and manage their finances and transactions. With digitalization increasing and e-commerce booming, the demand for platforms like PayPal has also been skyrocketing. Consequently, more competitors of PayPal are entering the market. This growing market saturation will likely make PayPal face challenges in the future.”

PayPal Holdings Inc. today announced it is expanding its suite of credit offerings to include a new business credit card to better meet the everyday financing needs of small business owners. The PayPal Business Cashback Mastercard, issued by WebBank and powered by the Mastercard network, is the first business credit card offered through PayPal. The card has no annual fee and rewards cardholders with 2% cashback on all purchases with no rewards earning caps or expiration, making it among the highest cashback rewards value available

“In the coming weeks, we [PayPal] will be rolling out two changes to our peer-to-peer pricing structure in the U.S., specifically for Goods & Services payments. We will be simplifying our goods & services fee structure and changing the ways U.S. business accounts can receive payments, effective for PayPal customers in the U.S. on July 28, 2022.”

“After Apple shook up the Buy Now, Pay Later market with news that it would now be a competitor to established firms, PayPal this morning is introducing another buy now, pay later product to follow the 2020 launch of its “Pay in 4″ installment program. The new offering,PayPal Pay Monthly,” is designed to give customers a more flexible way to pay, the U.S. payments giant said. Instead of having to pay off purchases over a 6-week period as before, “Pay Monthly” users can break down the total cost into monthly payments over a 6 to 24-month period.”

“PayPal has enabled a feature that would allow users to send cryptocurrencies to external wallets. This function will allow the payment behemoth to work like any other crypto service platform that provides currency transfers.”

“PayPal has announced that it will let users transfer cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin to other wallets and exchanges. The payments giant said yesterday (7 June) that the feature is available to select users in the US, with plans to roll it out to all eligible US customers in the coming weeks.”

“Jetty, the financial services company on a mission to make renting a home more affordable and flexible, today announced an investment from PayPal Ventures and Experian Ventures. The new funding will enable Jetty to accelerate the growth of its existing suite of products and invest in product expansion. Jetty aims to support renters and properties at every stage of the rental journey, with current product offerings, including Jetty Deposit, a security deposit alternative; Jetty Rent, a flexible rent payment program; and Jetty Protect, a modern renters insurance product. Jetty’s network of property owners and operators own and manage millions of rental units across the country.”

“PayPal is working hard on supporting all possible digital services, including digital currencies and central bank digital currencies (CBDC), vice president Richard Nash said in an exclusive statement to Cointelegraph at the World Economic Forum on May 23…The firm is reportedly also considering launching its own stablecoin named PayPal Coin.”

“Sellers in a hurry to access money stored in their PayPal accounts will pay higher fees to use its Instant Transfer service beginning next month. However, sellers who can wait 1-3 business days to transfer funds to their bank account or debit card will continue to pay no fees for Standard Bank Transfers….Two significant Instant Transfer fee changes that will roll out on June 17, 2022 include the following: – Instant Transfer fees for PayPal Consumer Accounts will go from 1.5% plus a $0.25 minimum/$15 max to 1.75% plus a $0.25 minimum and a $25 maximum. – Instant Transfer fees for PayPal Business accounts will remain at 1.5% of the transfer amount, but the $0.25 minimum fee will go to $0.50, and PayPal will remove the existing $15 maximum cap on fees.”

“PayPal Holdings, Inc. today announced the launch of Tap to Pay with Zettle by PayPal for small businesses in the UK. The new function, which will begin rolling out today, enables individual sellers and small businesses to accept contactless payments in-person directly on their Android mobile devices, with no additional hardware and no additional fees. The launch comes at a time where popularity of contactless payments continues to rise, with nearly 70%1 of debit card transactions and over half (56%) of credit card transactions now being contactless. In fact, since the raise of the contactless spend limit last October (from £45 to £100) the average contactless spend has increased by 29% per transaction, from £11.86 in September 2021 to £15.30 in December 2021.”

“The stable coin market has been doing fairly well, boasting a market cap of $166 billion and a daily trading volume of $72 billion. In January, PayPal confirmed that it has explored launching its own stable coin after a developer noticed code on its iOS app hinted at the existence of a PayPal Coin. While PayPal clarified the code was related to a recent hackathon, it would be interesting to map out the potential influence a stable coin from PayPal would have on the industry.”

“Aon plc and PayPal Holdings, Inc. today announced an initiative to help millions of PayPal’s small business customers in the U.S. access insurance simply and quickly. The unique digital insurance program will enable PayPal’s small business customers in the U.S. to shop for, purchase and manage insurance coverage through Aon’s CoverWallet solution on the PayPal Commerce Platform, online and in minutes. Customers can also obtain personalized advice and guidance from Aon’s licensed insurance advisors.”

“Consumers in Japan setting up an account with mobile payments service provider PayPay can now verify their identity by scanning the NFC chip in their driving licence and uploading a selfie. Customers were previously able to verify their identity on the PayPay Money app with their driving licence, but had to take photographs of the document and add personal information manually during the process.”

“PayPal (NASDAQ: PYPL), today announced it is delivering more ways to help retailers manage returns by enabling merchants who offer PayPal Checkout to use the Happy Returns return and exchange portal software at no additional cost1. Additionally, the company has partnered with Ulta Beauty which increases the total number of Happy Returns Return Bar locations to more than 5,000. As online shopping has continued to accelerate during Covid, average return rates have increased to more than 20%, making it more important than ever for merchants to manage their post-purchase processes more effectively.”

“As a global leader in commerce and payments with bold ambitions for shaping how blockchain, crypto, digital currencies will provide increased access to financial services in the near term, we believe it is crucial to engage with the world’s best leaders to better understand the industry’s most compelling opportunities and complex challenges. To support not only our current and future products in the space but our broader mission of leading the way towards a more affordable, efficient and inclusive digital financial system, we have established a cross-disciplinary advisory council on Blockchain, Crypto and Digital Currencies (BCDC) comprised of some of the world’s leading experts in cryptography, distributed technology, regulation, economics, and capital markets.”