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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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June 2, 2026
On the web
Hey Savi and PayPal Launch UK's First Agentic Commerce Platform with In-App Checkout [Video]
PayPal
"Hey Savi launched UK's first agentic commerce experience with native checkout powered by PayPal. The app is the first of its kind AI-powered, brand agnostic fashion search platform for women, making it easier for shoppers to find, compare and buy must-have styles without leaving the app. Debenhams Group - including the Group brands Debenhams, Karen Millen, Boohoo and Pretty Little Thing – is the first retailer in the UK to bring end-to-end AI-powered shopping to UK consumers."
May 20, 2026
On the web
PayPal’s Dollar-Backed Stablecoin Is Now Live Across Africa
Tech Labari
"The San José-based payments giant has announced that PayPal USD (PYUSD), its dollar-backed stablecoin, is now available to users across 70 markets, including a broad expansion across Africa. The move represents a dramatic scaling of the token’s reach: previously, PYUSD was only available for holding in the United States and the United Kingdom. The rollout now adds 68 new jurisdictions, with African countries including Uganda and Malawi among the newly supported markets."
May 19, 2026
On the web
PayPal Partners with Anthropic to Close the AI Gap for Small Businesses
PayPal Newsroom
"Eighty-two percent of small businesses surveyed say adopting AI is essential to staying competitive, but seventy-three percent say they don’t have the tools or training to do it. PayPal is partnering with Anthropic to close that gap. AI Fluency for Small Business is a free online course offering practical, expert-backed training built around real advice from small business owners. It’s a meaningful step toward our 2030 goal of supporting 25 million people and small businesses with the skills they need to thrive in the digital economy."
May 11, 2026
On the web
Venmo’s Biggest Makeover in Years Comes at a Very Interesting Time
Techcrunch
"Venmo is rolling out a significant redesign over the coming months that aims to make the app more useful, social, and easier to navigate. This is the peer-to-peer payments app’s biggest refresh since 2021. PayPal, which owns Venmo, is restructuring to spin Venmo off as a standalone business unit — a move widely seen as laying the groundwork for a potential sale. Stripe has reportedly expressed interest in buying PayPal outright. The rollout will begin this week, followed by additional features over the next few months."
PayPal and Google Cloud Say Crypto Rails Are Key to Scaling Agentic Commerce
MEXC
"Executives from both companies argued that traditional payment systems are not designed for AI-driven transactions. Rich Widmann, Global Head of Strategy for Web3 at Google Cloud, stressed that AI agent interaction in the current web environment is poorly designed. “An agent can’t get a bank account. It’s not just hard; it’s impossible, due to both technological and regulatory challenges,” he said. Widmann described crypto as an excellent machine-readable interface for payments."
On the wires
Seattle Seahawks and PayPal announce PayPal as the team's Official Fan-to-Fan Payments & Exclusive Digital Ticket Payment Processing Partner
PR Newswire
"The Seattle Seahawks and PayPal Holdings, Inc., a global leader in payments, announced today a new multi-year partnership to become the team's Official Fan-to-Fan Payments & Exclusive Digital Ticket Payment Processing Partner. The Seahawks become the first NFL club partner for PayPal, following the company's landmark announcement with the league in April."
April 30, 2026
On the web
Paypal’s New CEO Makes Venmo a Standalone Business Unit as Potential Buyers Circle
CNBC
"PayPal is separating Venmo into its own standalone unit for the first time, part of a broader reorganization that creates three distinct segments, CNBC has learned exclusively. The restructuring comes as PayPal faces takeover interest from potential buyers, including Stripe, with Venmo considered the company’s most valuable and most acquirable asset."
April 27, 2026
On the wires
PayPal Brings New Commerce-Grade Identity Solution to Advertising Industry
PR Newswire
"Most identity solutions in advertising are built on estimates, guesswork, or probabilistic signals. PayPal changes that by introducing something different: PayPal Ads ID, an advertising identifier grounded in verified commerce relationships. The digital advertising industry has long struggled with a foundational identity problem. According to the 2025 State of the Industry report , only 21% of brands, agencies, and publishers say they are very confident that they can accurately identify and reach their target audiences across digital channels."
April 16, 2026
On the web
Venmo Continues Its Evolution from a Peer-to-Peer App into a Money Movement App for the Next Generation
PayPal Newsroom
"Venmo today announced the expansion of Stash¹, its rewards program, giving customers a new way to earn cash back on everyday purchases from some of their favorite lifestyle brands. In addition to Venmo Debit Mastercard² purchases, customers can now earn up to 5% cash back when they pay with Venmo at select merchants in their chosen bundle¹. The expansion makes it easier than ever to turn the purchases customers are already making into tangible value each month."
April 15, 2026
On the web
The Moment Is Now: What PayPal Beyond Revealed About the Future of Commerce
PayPal Newsroom
"At PayPal Beyond 2026, the mood was clear: move with speed and intention. As leaders gathered in San Francisco, conversations centered on a simple but pressing reality – consumer behavior is shifting fast, powered by AI, and shaped by economic pressure and geopolitical uncertainty. For enterprises and partners gathered in San Francisco this week, the real question isn’t whether to adapt, it's how fast."
March 17, 2026
On the web
PayPal Eyes 70-Country PYUSD Expansion With Rewards For Its Stablecoin, Despite CLARITY Act Limbo
CoinDesk
"The expansion comes as the CLARITY Act remains stalled in the Senate due to disagreement over stablecoin rewards. As per the last proposal, PayPal would not be able to offer rewards on stablecoin holdings since it is not the issuer of PYUSD. Regulatory uncertainty could force PayPal to revise its rewards model or international strategy."
March 6, 2026
On the web
PPRO and PayPal Enable Swish Payments for Global eCommerce
IBS Intelligence
"PPRO has partnered with PayPal to enable Swedish mobile payment service Swish on PayPal’s platform, allowing millions of Swedish consumers to use their preferred domestic payment method when shopping with international online merchants. The integration connects Swish’s user base of around 8.7 million people to PayPal’s global merchant network, enabling them to pay at thousands of online stores worldwide using a payment method already widely adopted in Sweden."
February 24, 2026
Top Post
Stripe Is Considering Acquisition of All or Parts of PayPal, Bloomberg News Reports
Yahoo Finance-Reuters
"Payments firm Stripe is considering an acquisition of PayPal or parts of the digital payments pioneer, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. Stripe, which is privately held and is among the industry's most valuable companies, has expressed a preliminary interest in a potential acquisition of PayPal or its assets, the report said."
On the web
PayPal Data Breach Led to Fraudulent Transactions
Security Week
"PayPal recently disclosed a data breach that affected customers’ personal information and led to fraudulent transactions. The personal information was exposed for nearly six months, between July 1 and Dec. 13, 2025. Exposed information included names, email addresses, dates of birth, phone numbers, and business addresses combined with SSNs. The code that had introduced the error was rolled back; affected customers’ passwords were reset. In a statement, PayPal said it notified the roughly 100 customers affected by the incident.”
February 16, 2026
On the web
PayPal Makes Solana Default for PYUSD Stablecoin Payments
Live Bitcoin News
"PayPal has named Solana as the default blockchain for PYUSD stablecoin payments, marking a new step in its digital asset strategy. The company said the integration aims to provide faster settlement and near-zero transaction costs for users worldwide."
February 12, 2026
On the wires
Sabre, PayPal, and Mindtrip Partner to Deliver the Industry’s First End-To-End Agentic AI Experience for Travel
PR Newwire
"Sabre Corporation, PayPal Holdings, and Mindtrip, announced a strategic partnership to deliver a next-generation agentic AI experience that reimagines how consumers discover, plan, book, and manage travel. The collaboration unites Mindtrip's agentic consumer platform, PayPal's agentic commerce capabilities, and Sabre's enterprise-grade travel technology and agentic AI expertise. The companies are set to launch in Q2 2026."
February 3, 2026
On the web
PayPal Appoints Enrique Lores as Chief Executive Officer and David W. Dorman as Independent Board Chair
PayPal
"PayPal Holdings Inc. announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Enrique Lores as President and CEO, effective March 1, 2026. Lores, who has served on the PayPal Board for nearly five years and as Board Chair since July 2024, succeeds Alex Chriss. To ensure a seamless transition, Jamie Miller, Chief Financial and Operating Officer, will serve as Interim CEO until Lores assumes the role. David W. Dorman has been appointed as Independent Board Chair, effective immediately."
January 28, 2026
On the web
PayPal: Crypto Goes Mainstream: 4 in 10 U.S. Merchants Accept Digital Assets
PayPal Newsroom
"Cryptocurrency payments are quickly moving into the mainstream of U.S. commerce. According to new research from the National Cryptocurrency Association (NCA), a non-profit organization dedicated to helping Americans understand and use crypto with confidence, and PayPal, nearly 4 out of 10 (39%) of merchants already accept cryptocurrency at checkout, and more than four in five merchants (84%) believe crypto payments will become common within the next five years, signaling a shift in how businesses respond to evolving customer preferences."
January 23, 2026
On the web
Education: Making Sense of the AI Shopping Protocol Moment
PayPal
"Over the past year, agentic commerce has moved rapidly from idea to reality. Instead of browsing websites themselves, customers are increasingly asking AI assistants like ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot and others to discover products, compare options, and even make purchases on their behalf. To support these experiences, the industry is developing new technical specifications—known as protocols—that define how AI agents, merchants, and payments systems interact. Here’s a clear look at what agentic commerce protocols are, how the landscape is shaping up, and what it means for merchants navigating what comes next."
January 22, 2026
On the web
PayPal to Acquire Cymbio, Accelerating Agentic Commerce Capabilities
PayPal Newsroom
"PayPal announced it has agreed to acquire Cymbio, a multi-channel orchestration platform that helps brands sell across agentic surfaces, including Microsoft Copilot and Perplexity, and other e-commerce channels. PayPal previously partnered with Cymbio as part of its agentic commerce services, a suite of solutions that allows merchants to attract customers and drive sales in the new era of AI-powered commerce."
January 20, 2026
On the wires
PayPal Introduces Free DIY Tax Filing for PayPal Debit Card Customers
PR Newswire
"PayPal announced a new partnership with april, a leading embedded tax technology platform, allowing U.S. PayPal Debit Mastercard® customers to file their 2025 federal and state tax returns for free using april's DIY tax filing service, saving approximately $1603 in typical costs. With this partnership, PayPal keeps financial management in one convenient destination while expanding the suite of financial tools that help customers get more out of their money."
January 14, 2026
On the web
Deutsche Bank Expands Support for PayPal to Strengthen Global Payment Capabilities
PayPal
"PayPal and Deutsche Bank announced the expansion of their long-standing relationship that will deliver enhanced payment solutions across the United States, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. Under this expanded agreement, Deutsche Bank will scale up the merchant settlement, payouts, and begin withdrawals and collection solutions for PayPal in the US. In Europe and Asia-Pacific, Deutsche Bank will support PayPal in various ways as well."
January 8, 2026
On the web
PayPal Powers Microsoft’s Launch of Copilot Checkout
PayPal
"PayPal announced that they are teaming up with Microsoft to support the launch of Copilot Checkout in Copilot, enabling shoppers to discover, decide, and pay—without ever leaving the Copilot experience. PayPal will power surfacing merchant inventory, branded checkout, guest checkout and credit card payments, starting with Copilot.com. Merchants’ product catalogs will seamlessly become purchasable leveraging PayPal’s store sync, a capability of PayPal’s recently launched agentic commerce services, which are designed to allow merchants to attract customers and future-proof their business in the new era of AI-powered commerce.
December 18, 2025
On the web
PayPal to Use PYUSD Stablecoin to Fund AI Infrastructure Through USD.AI
Coindesk
"PayPal is extending the role of its PYUSD stablecoin into artificial intelligence finance, linking it to onchain funding mechanisms developed by USD.AI, a stablecoin protocol that provides credit to AI companies. Loans issued by USD.AI to finance graphics processing unit (GPUs), data centers and related AI infrastructure will be denominated in PYUSD, with borrowers able to receive proceeds directly into PayPal accounts, according to an announcement shared with CoinDesk."
December 15, 2025
Top Post
PayPal Submits Applications to Establish an Industrial Bank to Expand Access to Financial Services for U.S. Small Businesses
PayPal
"PayPal Holdings, Inc. announced it has submitted applications to the Utah Department of Financial Institutions and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to establish PayPal Bank, a proposed Utah-chartered industrial loan company."
November 13, 2025
On the web
PayPal Relaunches in the UK: Smarter Way to Pay Online and Now In-Stores With Game-Changing PayPal+ Loyalty Programme
PayPal Newsroom
"PayPal is relaunching as a unified payment experience for customers to shop online and now in-stores. PayPal customers across the UK can access the new PayPal+ loyalty programme, with PayPal Debit and Credit Cards also available. PayPal's first ever loyalty programme is available to British customers before anyone else in the world. Consumers can sign-up to PayPal+ for free in the PayPal app and start earning points on both online and in–store purchases."
November 11, 2025
On the web
Venmo Introduces 'Venmo Stash' to Reinvent Rewards
PayPal Newsroom
"Venmo announced the launch of Venmo Stash1, a rewards program designed to give customers more value that grows with every interaction. Venmo Stash is always on and flexible, evolving alongside customers as they engage across Venmo's expanding suite of products and services. Venmo Stash builds on the app's evolution from a peer-to-peer payment app into an everyday commerce platform, designed to drive greater engagement with Venmo products."
October 29, 2025
Top Post
Introducing an Agentic Commerce Solution for Merchants From PayPal and Google Cloud
Google Cloud
"Modern consumers demand a seamless, personalized shopping journey, from initial product discovery all the way to final purchase. With the rise of agentic AI, merchants now have an opportunity to deliver a truly assistive and cohesive experience across every touchpoint. PayPal and Google Cloud have announced bringing agentic shopping experiences to life with a new offering that combines Google Cloud’s Conversational Commerce agent with payments powered by PayPal."
October 28, 2025
On the web
OpenAI and PayPal Team Up to Power Instant Checkout and Agentic Commerce in ChatGPT
PayPal Newsroom
"PayPal, Inc. announced it will adopt the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP) to expand payments and commerce in ChatGPT. Millions of ChatGPT users will be able to check out instantly using PayPal, and PayPal will support payments processing for merchants leveraging OpenAI Instant Checkout. PayPal will also connect its global merchant network to OpenAI, creating a platform for tens of millions of small businesses and the largest brands in the world to sell within ChatGPT."
October 16, 2025
On the web
Paypal’s Crypto Partner Mints a Whopping $300 Trillion Worth of Stablecoins in ‘Technical Error’
CNBC
"Paxos, the blockchain partner of PayPal mistakenly minted $300 trillion worth of the online payment giant’s stablecoin on Wednesday in what the company called a “technical error. Paxos mistakenly minted the stablecoins as part of an internal transfer, before it “immediately identified the error and burned the excess PYUSD,” the company said in a social media statement. There aren’t enough dollars in global circulation to back $300 trillion PYUSD, which would theoretically require more than double the world’s estimated total GDP."