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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 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."
September 29, 2025
On the web
UK and US Launch Joint Taskforce for Crypto Regulation
Banking Exchange
"The governments of the UK and US have agreed to establish a joint taskforce aimed at reducing barriers for banks and corporates raising capital and strengthening cooperation on cryptocurrency regulation. The Transatlantic Taskforce for Markets of the Future will be backed by UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. It will also be co-chaired by officials from both finance ministries and include participation from market regulators."
September 15, 2025
On the web
The Retail Payments Infrastructure Board (RPIB) [UK]
Bank Of England
"On 15 July 2025, the Payments Vision Delivery Committee (PVDC) announced a new model to deliver the next generation of UK retail payments infrastructure, supporting businesses and consumers across the economyOpens in a new window. The new model embeds public and private sector collaboration, utilising the right expertise in the right functions to drive transformation. The Bank of England will set up and chair the Retail Payments Infrastructure Board (RPIB), which will include broad representation across the payments ecosystem (banking sector, fintech as well as merchants and end users)."
September 4, 2025
On the web
Thousands of Scammers Are Impersonating the Financial Watchdog – [UK]
MSN
"The financial watchdog has warned consumers to be on the alert for fraudsters impersonating its staff. It warned that one of the most common scam methods is fraudsters claiming that the FCA has recovered funds from a crypto wallet that was opened illegally in the individual’s name. Another common method is to target loan scam victims, who are often very vulnerable, and claim the FCA can help them recover the money they have lost. They are then persuaded to hand over further funds."
September 3, 2025
On the web
Bank of England Overhauls Core Payments System Settling £800bn a Day
Tech Informed
"The Bank of England has completed a multi-year overhaul of the UK’s Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) service, marking one of the most significant upgrades to the country’s financial plumbing in decades. RTGS is the backbone of wholesale payments: it allows financial institutions to move money between each other instantly, in “real time” and on a one-to-one basis, rather than netting off positions later."
August 29, 2025
On the web
UK Banks to Invest £1.8 Billion in GenAI by 2030 as Zopa Bank Unveils Plans to Re-Skill 100,000 Workers
Financial IT
"Digital bank Zopa and Juniper Research have today released a new study detailing the seismic impact of Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) on the UK banking sector. UK banks are poised to invest over £1.8 billion ($2.5bn) in Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) by 2030 to increase staff productivity, cut costs, and enhance user experience -- underscoring the growing importance of Large Language Models (LLMs) in meeting evolving customer expectations."
August 19, 2025
On the web
UK Crypto Investors Hail Regulatory Changes as ‘Pivotal Moment’
Financial Times
"Regulatory changes that give UK retail investors greater access to cryptocurrencies have been hailed a “pivotal moment” for the market by industry figures. The Financial Conduct Authority’s decision last week to lift the ban on offering crypto exchange traded products to retail investors has even been likened to the modernising “Big Bang” reforms of the 1980s."
August 18, 2025
On the web
Tide Strips Card Numbers to Reduce Card Fraud Risk
Startups Magazine
"Tide has become the first UK provider of business cards to remove printed numbers from its cards – eliminating its own exposure to several major types of card fraud that rely on visible card details. New Tide cards will no longer carry a printed long card number, expiry date, or three-digit security code. Darren Deal, Senior Vice President, Fintech, Government and Digital Partnerships, Mastercard UK & Ireland, said: “At Mastercard, we’ve already committed to phasing out manual card entry across Europe by 2030."
July 18, 2025
On the web
FCA Proposes Stricter BNPL Rules Amid Debt Concerns [UK]
IBS Intelligence
"The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has unveiled a series of new proposals aimed at tightening regulation of the country’s fast-growing Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) market, as policymakers look to address mounting concerns over consumer debt and affordability. The proposed rules would see BNPL lenders required to carry out mandatory affordability checks to ensure that borrowers are able to repay loans without falling into financial distress."
July 15, 2025
On the web
Payments Vision Delivery Committee Update [UK]
GOV.UK
"The National Payments Vision set out the government’s ambitions for a world-leading payments ecosystem which drives innovation, supports competition and ensures security, in line with the Growth Mission. It established the Payments Vision Delivery Committee to enhance regulatory coordination and drive implementation of key activities – including setting out the approach for the development and delivery of the UK’s retail payments infrastructure needs."
Bank of England Governor Warns Banks Not to Issue Stablecoins – Report
Ledger Insights
"In an interview with UK newspaper The Times, the Governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey, warned the world’s largest banks not to issue stablecoins. Rather than issuing stablecoins, Governor Bailey would prefer that banks stick to tokenized deposits, in part because they are blockchain equivalents of conventional deposits."
July 10, 2025
On the web
UK Launches First Compliance Wallet
Banking Exchange
"The UK has introduced its first compliance wallet, designed to reduce the average number of property ID checks from 5.4 to just one through a single, reusable solution. Credas Technologies has launched a compliance wallet, a reusable solution that aims to streamline the homebuying process by removing repeat compliance checks and tackling growing fraud risks across regulated sectors. The wallet is built for use across all regulated sectors but will first launch in the property market, where repeat compliance checks have been identified as a persistent issue."
July 9, 2025
On the web
Mastercard, Visa’s Merchant Fees Breach Competition Law, UK Tribunal Rules
MSN
"Global payments processors Visa and Mastercard's default multilateral interchange fees which are charged to retailers infringe competition law, a London tribunal ruled on Friday in the latest round of the long-running legal saga. London's Competition Appeal Tribunal unanimously ruled that Visa and Mastercard's multilateral interchange fees breach European competition law, in a ruling in linked lawsuits brought by hundreds of merchants."
June 27, 2025
On the web
Mastercard, Visa's Merchant Fees Breach Competition Law, UK Tribunal Rules
Reuters
"Global payments processors Visa and Mastercard's default multilateral interchange fees which are charged to retailers infringe competition law, a London tribunal ruled on Friday in the latest round of the long-running legal saga. London's Competition Appeal Tribunal unanimously ruled that Visa and Mastercard's multilateral interchange fees breach European competition law, in a ruling in linked lawsuits brought by hundreds of merchants."
June 20, 2025
On the web
FTC Fines Payment-Processor Paddle $5 Million for Alleged Support of Schemes
Insurance Journal
"Paddle.com Market, a U.K.-based payment processor, and its subsidiary, Paddle.com, Inc., will pay $5 million and be permanently banned from processing payments for tech-support telemarketers, said the Federal Trade Commission this week. The FTC alleged that Paddle abused the U.S. credit-card system and enabled deceptive foreign operators to access it, costing consumers millions of dollars."
May 29, 2025
On the web
UK Fraud Losses Hold Steady at £1.17bn as Experts Warn of Evolving Threats
IBS Intelligence
"Fraud continues to pose a grave threat to the UK’s financial stability and consumer safety, with losses from unauthorised and authorised fraud reaching a staggering £1.17 billion in 2024, according to UK Finance’s annual fraud report. While the figure remains broadly unchanged from 2023, the unrelenting scale of the threat has drawn calls for urgent cross-sector action."
May 19, 2025
On the web
New Rules to End Buy-Now, Pay-Later Wild-West, Protect Millions of Shoppers and Drive Growth [UK]
GOV UK
"From next year, BNPL firms will need to follow consistent standards — so shoppers will know exactly what they’re signing up to when they opt to break up payments, whether they can afford it, and how to get help when things go wrong. That means upfront checks to make sure people can repay what they borrow, fairer and faster access to refunds, and the right to complain to the Financial Ombudsman — bringing BNPL in line with other credit products."
May 8, 2025
On the web
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 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."
April 23, 2025
On the web
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."
April 15, 2025
On the web
Banked Acquires UK’s Vibepay To Accelerate Global Adoption of Pay by Bank
Disruption Banking
"Global Pay by Bank platform, Banked announced the acquisition of UK-based app VibePay, to accelerate global Pay by Bank adoption through innovative consumer and merchant incentives. Like Cash App and Venmo in the US, the company has gained a loyal Gen Z and Millennial following, pioneering ‘Conversational Commerce’ through an innovative blend of personalised offers, peer-to-peer payments and financial insights."
April 14, 2025
On the web
Digital Pound Experiment Report: Offline Payments
Bank of England
"This project aimed to assess whether it is technically feasible to implement an offline payment functionality for a digital pound. We worked with Thales, Secretarium, IDEMIA Secure Transactions, Quali-Sign and Consult Hyperion to assess different offline payment solutions. An ‘offline payment’ is a payment that occurs while neither payer nor payee has access to the central bank digital currency (CBDC) network, usually due to the lack of an internet connection."
April 3, 2025
On the web
A Look to the Future: A Deep Dive into Account-to-Account Payments [UK]
EPAM
"The world of payments is undergoing a significant transformation, with a strong emphasis on offering account-to-account (A2A) payments as an alternative to traditional card payments...The UK government recognizes the immense potential of A2A payments and has outlined a vision to make them a ubiquitous payment method."
March 26, 2025
On the web
UK Banks Suffer 803 Hours of It Outages—Blame Ageing Legacy Systems
IBS Intelligence
"The frequent IT outages across UK banks, including the recent high-profile disruptions at Barclays, stem from a mix of ageing legacy systems, rising cyber threats, and the increasing complexity of digital banking infrastructure. Many financial institutions still rely on outdated core banking technology, making them vulnerable to crashes and prolonged service disruptions."
March 12, 2025
On the web
UK Payments Regulator to Be Abolished and Absorbed by Financial Watchdog
MSN
"Britain's payments regulator will be abolished and its remit absorbed by another financial regulator, the government said as it aims to cut red tape in favour of growth. The Payment Systems Regulator (PSR), which oversees systems including MasterCard and bank transfers, tackles problems such as fraud, excessive fees and lack of competition among banks and payment providers. The payments watchdog will be wrapped within the FCA, the government said, providing a single point of contact for businesses and ultimately reducing expenses.."
March 11, 2025
On the web
British Weather Drives Surges in Online Spending
A1 Retail Magazine
"Online retailers enjoyed a 137 percent surge in outdoor-related sales this weekend (8th and 9th March 2025), as temperatures soared, compared to the average weekend so far this year according to Checkout.com. This was even up 35 percent from last weekend’s payday weekend, which would normally see the highest peaks in overall spending."
On the wires
Revealed: The Top 5 Late Payment Excuses Costing UK Businesses Millions
GlobeNewswire News Room
"Late payments remain a major challenge for UK businesses, with billions of pounds tied up in overdue invoices. According to the Federation of Small Businesses, 50,000 small businesses collapse every year due to late payment. According to new data gathered by the UK’s leading Business debt collection agency specialists Federal Management, businesses across the country are facing an increasing number of excuses from clients who fail to pay on time."
February 18, 2025
On the wires
Emburse Brings Apple Pay to Customers in the UK
Business Wire
"Emburse, whose leading travel and expense solutions power forward-thinking organizations, today brings Apple Pay to UK customers. An Emburse Card is a corporate card that comes with built-in controls providing greater visibility over spending than traditional corporate cards."
January 17, 2025
On the web
UK’s Payment Systems Regulator Commits to Work on VRPS in Strategy Review
Open Banking Expo
"The UK’s Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) has committed to working closely with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to take forward work on the overall framework for commercial Open Banking payments, focusing on the initial phase of Variable Recurring Payments (VRPs), over the next two years."
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