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.
Search Payments News
July 2, 2025
On the web
The Yuan's Digital Leap: Betting on China's Stablecoin Ambitions in a Dollar-Dominated World
AInvest
"The global financial system is on the cusp of a seismic shift as China accelerates its push to tokenize the yuan through digital currency initiatives. With the U.S. dollar still dominating 80% of global payments, Beijing's efforts to internationalize the yuan via its digital counterpart—the e-CNY (digital yuan)—and yuan-backed stablecoins are no mere technical experiment."
Hokkoku, Soft Space to Unveil SoftPOS Supporting Stablecoin Payments [Japan]
Yahoo Finance
"Hokkoku Financial, in collaboration with fintech firm Soft Space, has revealed plans to launch a SoftPOS solution. The solution enables merchants to process contactless card payments and regulated stablecoin transactions using mobile devices."
Ripple Applies for U.S. Banking License, Following Circle's Lead
MSN
"Crypto firm Ripple Labs has applied to become a U.S. bank, joining stablecoin issuer Circle Internet Group in a push to bring digital asset operations under federal oversight, according to a media report published Wednesday. Ripple, the company behind the XRP token, will need approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to secure a national banking license, the Wall Street Journal reported."
Wise Files to Connect to Fed Payment Rails to Bypass Banking Intermediaries
Capital Brief
"Wise has filed an application to be directly regulated by the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to create a national trust bank in the US, Bloomberg reported citing documents. If granted, the charter would allow Wise to connect directly to the payment rails of the Federal Reserve to clear and settle US dollar-based payments."
On the wires
Nacha Supports Executive Order to Eliminate Federal Check Payments, Citing Cost Savings and Fraud Reduction
Business Wire
"Nacha submitted formal comments in support of Executive Order 14247, 'Modernizing Payments To and From America’s Bank Account,' applauding the Treasury Department’s efforts to eliminate paper checks for federal disbursements and collections. The executive order, which directs a full transition to electronic payments by Sept. 30, 2025, for federal disbursements, aligns with long-standing Nacha priorities to enhance efficiency, security and inclusion in the payments system."
NAB Welcomes Confirmation of Payee [Australia]
NAB News
"NAB has today welcomed the launch of the banking industry’s new Confirmation of Payee system to help tackle scams. Customers making payments with a BSB and account number in the NAB App and Internet Banking will benefit from the technology as it is rolled out at NAB."
Bank Groups Call for Swift, Secure Transition As Treasury Phases Out Paper Checks
Bank Policy Institute
"The Bank Policy Institute, The Clearing House Association and the Consumer Bankers Association submitted joint comments to the U.S. Department of the Treasury late yesterday urging prompt action to fully transition to secure, modern electronic payment methods and minimize the use of checks. The letter — submitted in response to a Treasury request for information relating to the Executive Order on Modernizing Payments — emphasized the importance of eliminating paper checks from government disbursements to reduce risk and ensure all recipients benefit from faster, more reliable payment delivery."
July 1, 2025
On the web
InComm Payments Picks NCR Atleos for Cardless ATM Cash Pickup
ATM Marketplace
"InComm Payments partnered with NCR Atleos to use its ReadyCode API for cardless cash pickup at more than 23,000 ATMs, according to a press release. Through this partnership, InComm Payment's fintech and banking partners can offer customers a code through their apps to provide the cardless cash pickup. ReadyCode is active at ATMs in more than 40 states."
Visa and Mastercard's $253B Nightmare: The Crypto Threat That's Skipping the Swipe
Yahoo Finance
"A major turf war is heating up in the payments worldand Visa and Mastercard suddenly find themselves on defense. Stablecoins like USDC are gaining traction, with companies like Shopify, Coinbase, and Stripe quietly rerouting payments around traditional card networks."
Pesalink and The Fintech Alliance Partner to Accelerate Digital Payments in Kenya
TechAfrica News
"Pesalink has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with The Fintech Alliance, marking a significant step towards enhancing Kenya’s digital payment ecosystem. This partnership aims to accelerate access to fast, interoperable, and inclusive digital payments throughout the country."
On the wires
Ending the Paper Check Era: Early Warning Offers Ready-to-Deploy Solution to U.S. Department of the Treasury
Zelle Newsroom
"Early Warning Services, LLC. submitted a comment letter today responding to the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Request for Information regarding the transition to electronic payments for all federal disbursements and receipts. Early Warning is the company behind Zelle, the peer-to-peer payment network. In 2024, American consumers and small businesses used Zelle to send over $1 trillion."
June 30, 2025
On the wires
Klarna and Bolt Partner to Deliver One-Click Flexible Payments to 80 Million Shoppers in the U.S.
PR Newswire
"Klarna, the global digital bank and flexible payments provider, today announced a strategic partnership with Bolt—the checkout, identity, and payments platform—to integrate Klarna's flexible payment options directly into Bolt's CheckoutOS. With customers increasingly seeking flexible payment solutions tailored to their needs, this integration empowers merchants to deepen engagement and build trust by offering Klarna's payment options directly at checkout."
BILL Delivers Innovation to Transform Payments Experience Between Enterprise Suppliers and SMBs Across Its Growing Network
Business Wire
"BILL, a financial operations platform for small and midsize businesses, today announced the launch of BILL Supplier Payments Plus. This new offering helps large suppliers quickly and efficiently process and reconcile high volumes of payments from thousands of SMBs with greater speed, accuracy and ease–while delivering a more seamless payment experience for the businesses they work with."
FIS and Visa Deepen Their Relationship to Provide Regional and Community Banks With Easier Access to Powerful Payments Capabilities
FIS
"FIS and Visa have expanded their relationship to collaborate on new value-added payment capabilities for financial institutions of all sizes, helping to level the technological playing field for regional and community banks across money in motion."
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."
IMF Study Suggests Interoperability Boosts Digital Payments Use
Biometric Update
"The International Monetary Fund has published a report on growing retail digital payments, which is a significant aim of many digital public infrastructure and financial inclusion programs worldwide. Specifically, the study looks at the value of interoperability as policymakers globally are looking to boost retail digital-payment use."
The Rise of Embedded and Invisible Payments
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
"The other day, I pre-ordered my coffee in an app, stopped into my local shop, and walked out with my drink. No wallet, no personal identification number, no paper receipt—just a quick, unremarkable moment. It made me realize how much payments have faded into the background of daily life. What used to be a clear step in the transaction process is now often barely noticeable."
Here’s Everything New for Apple Wallet in iOS 26
9to5Mac
"Apple Wallet, like every other iOS 26 app, is getting some Liquid Glass UI changes this year. But iOS 26 is also an especially packed update for new features coming to Apple Wallet. Here’s what’s new."
On the wires
Bolt Announces Bolt Connect for Marketplaces and Launches Support for Stablecoin Payments
PR Newswire
"Bolt, the checkout, identity and payments platform, today announced Bolt Connect, a new product designed to help marketplaces onboard merchants faster, streamline operations and scale with fewer resources. Bolt Connect gives marketplace operators a single integration to support one-click merchant onboarding, built-in compliance workflows, and low-fee or no-fee payouts."
June 26, 2025
On the web
Crypto Exchange Kraken Debuts Peer-to-Peer Payments App Krak
Reuters
"Crypto exchange Kraken on Thursday launched a peer-to-peer payments app that enables users to send and receive funds - in both cryptocurrency and fiat currency - across more than a hundred countries. The move is a bid to expand Kraken's offerings beyond its digital asset trading business, and puts the firm in competition with PayPal, Venmo and Block's CashApp."
On the wires
Wirex Launches Institutional-Grade Stablecoin Payments on Fireblocks
PR Newswire
"Wirex is proud to announce that Wirex Pay Chain is now officially supported on Fireblocks, a digital asset and payments infrastructure platform. This integration enables Fireblocks' institutional clients to easily access Wirex Pay's self-custodial stablecoin payment infrastructure, offering a secure and scalable gateway to stablecoin innovation."
Balance and Alibaba.com Partner to Bring Flexible B2B Payments to SMEs Across the United States
Business Wire
"Balance, the AI-powered financial infrastructure platform for B2B commerce, announced today the launch of “Pay Later for Business” on Alibaba.com, an embedded financing solution designed to give U.S. small and medium-sized enterprises greater purchasing power and more control over how and when they pay. With this solution, Alibaba.com’s U.S. business users have the option to access instant credit at checkout, enabling eligible ones to finance purchases."
Big Ten and Big 12 Enter Historic Partnerships With PayPal to Enable Institutional Payments for Student-Athletes in New Revenue Sharing Model
PayPal Newsroom
"PayPal today announced multi-year agreements with the Big Ten and Big 12 Conferences that will modernize the distribution of institutional payments from universities to student-athletes in a new revenue-sharing model. The new institutional payments initiative enables athletic departments to seamlessly dispense payments through PayPal, ensuring a secure, efficient, and transparent way to distribute funds to payees."
June 25, 2025
On the web
New Zealand's Xero to Buy US Fintech Melio for up to $3 billion
Reuters
"New Zealand accounting software giant Xero agreed to buy U.S.-Israeli payments provider Melio for as much as $3 billion, the companies said on Wednesday, accelerating the Kiwi firm's push into the U.S. with the country's biggest outbound deal in over a decade."
On the wires
FedNow Service Launches New Risk Mitigation Features and $1 Million Transaction Limit
FedNow News Center
"A new account activity threshold feature is now available for the FedNow Service, allowing financial institutions to strengthen risk mitigation efforts by defining dollar value and transaction velocity thresholds based on customer segments. The new functionality coincides with a transaction limit increase from $500,000 to $1 million to support higher-value use cases, including business-related transactions."
Spreedly Announces Just-In-Time Card Updates for Visa Cards to Reduce Failed Payments
Spreedly
"Spreedly today announced a strategic enhancement to its platform through the integration of Just-In-Time Card Updates for Visa Cards powered by Visa Account Updater. Outdated card details are a key driver of failed payments, particularly in recurring billing or subscription models."
Taco Bell Introduces PayPal and Venmo as New in-App Payment Options with Exclusive 20% Cash Back Summer Offer
PayPal
"Today, PayPal announced it has teamed up with Taco Bell to deliver a fast, secure, and deliciously rewarding way to pay in the Taco Bell app and website. Now, Taco Bell customers can choose to pay with PayPal or Venmo, giving them more choice and rewards while delivering a quick and easy checkout experience."
June 24, 2025
On the web
Buy Now, Pay Later Loans Will Factor in to Americans' Credit Scores
CNN
"FICO plans to launch a suite of credit scores later this year that incorporate BNPL data, providing lenders a window into what’s been a big blind spot: consumers’ repayment behavior on these increasingly popular installment loans."
On the wires
EuroPA and EPI Launch Collaboration to Expand Sovereign Pan-European Payments
EPI
"The EuroPA alliance (European Payments Alliance) – represented by Bancomat, Bizum, MB WAY (SIBS), and Vipps MobilePay – and EPI Company (EPI) have announced their cooperation, now exploring solutions to rapidly address Europe’s sovereignty challenge in payments, especially regarding cross-border transactions."
Chainlink and Mastercard Partner to Enable Over 3 Billion Cardholders to Purchase Crypto Directly Onchain
PR Newswire
"Chainlink and Mastercard are connecting the offchain payments world directly to the onchain DeFi world in close partnership with zerohash, Swapper Finance, Shift4 Payments, and XSwap, while leveraging the Uniswap protocol."
Take us with you
Payments on Fire is available on iTunes, Spotify, Google, Stitcher, Pocket Casts, and other podcast apps and services. Or just say “Alexa, play Payments on Fire podcast.”
