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September 22, 2026
Top Post
Global Banks Collaborate on Principles for Trusted Agentic Commerce
Bank of America
"ASB Bank, Bank of America, Capital One, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, ING Group and NatWest Group unite to publish a set of joint principles as agentic commerce is poised to reshape the future of payments. The principles are designed to help guide the development of agentic commerce while supporting wider industry collaboration. Publication of this paper builds on a wider conversation, with the consortium inviting participants across the ecosystem to apply the principles in practice and shape future implementation."
GoCardless Processes the First Agentic Account-to-Account Payment in the UK
Business Wire
"GoCardless has processed the first agentic account-to-account transaction in the UK, an AI-driven donation on its website for Trussell, the anti-poverty charity and community of food banks. The transaction was completed through a conversation with an AI agent whilst the payer stayed in complete control. Each donation amount -- £5, £10, or £15 per month -- comes with a description of how funds will be used. The supporter selects their option, then the AI agent prompts them to enter their bank details to set up a Direct Debit mandate."
On the web
Amazon Versus Meta: The First Big Turf War of Agentic Shopping
Internet Retailing
"Amazon has blocked Meta’s AI shopping agent Muse from browsing and buying items from its retail platform. Shoppers who attempted to use Muse on Amazon on 20 September received the message: “Continued access by an unauthorized AI agent violates Amazon’s Conditions of Use, to which our customers have agreed.” The standoff between the two tech giants points to a bigger issue: tension over who controls the agentic shopping experience and the valuable first-party customer data it generates."
SoFi Becomes First National Bank to Go Live with Stablecoin Settlement across Mastercard’s Global Payments Network
Business Wire
"SoFi Technologies, Inc. and Mastercard announced that stablecoin settlement is now live across SoFi Bank, N.A.’s debit and credit card program, bringing stablecoin settlement through SoFiUSD, issued by a federally regulated bank, to Mastercard’s global payments network following the companies’ partnership announced in March. As part of the launch, SoFi Bank is migrating its entire $25 billion card program to stablecoin settlement of transactions using SoFiUSD. Transactions are live on the blockchain today."
UPI Merchant Fees Set To Boost PhonePe And Google Pay
StratNews Global
"India’s decision to introduce merchant fees on UPI payments could create a major new revenue stream for leading digital payment apps. Walmart-backed PhonePe and Google Pay could earn millions of dollars annually. From October 15, merchants will face a 0.4% fee on transactions above 2,000 rupees ($21). According to estimates from Bernstein, the new fee could generate up to $1.1 billion in annual revenue for payment apps by March 2028. Based on market share, PhonePe and Google Pay could receive around $900 million of that amount."
JPMorgan's Neukirchen on India Payments Business [Video]
Bloomberg
"Max Neukirchen, Global Co-Head of Payments at JPMorgan, discusses the business opportunities in India’s merchant payments sector. He speaks with Menaka Doshi at the sidelines of the JPMorgan India Conference in Mumbai."
PhonePe Gets Preliminary Approval for UAE Payment Licenses
Investing
"PhonePe said it received in-principle approval from the UAE central bank for two licenses covering retail payment services, card schemes, and stored value facilities. The Walmart-backed digital payments platform said the approval follows initial regulatory due diligence. The company still needs final central bank approval before it can start commercial operations in the Gulf state. PhonePe said it plans to work with regional banks, licensed payment service providers, and local technology vendors once it receives final regulatory approval."
Shopify Turns Meta’s Muse Into a Shop Pay Checkout Channel
ContentGrip
"Shopify is partnering with Meta so Muse can use Shop Pay to complete purchases across Shopify stores, giving the personal AI agent a direct checkout path through Shopify’s commerce infrastructure. The partnership makes Shopify’s approach to agentic commerce clearer. As AI assistants become shopping interfaces, Shopify wants its catalog and payment rails to remain underneath the transaction even when the customer never begins on a merchant storefront."
The ECB Just Launched a Way to Settle Tokenized Assets Without Stablecoins. What It Means for RLUSD and XRP in Europe.
Yahoo Finance
"The European Central Bank (ECB) has launched a new settlement system called Pontes. The system lets eurozone banks settle trades involving tokenized assets using central bank money instead of stablecoins. Pontes is the ECB's first live service for tokenized markets, designed to do what Ripple's RLUSD was meant to do for institutions."
Mastercard, Flybits and Rogers Bank Establish Secure Agentic Commerce Benchmark
The Fast Mode
"Mastercard, Flybits and Rogers Bank announced Canada’s first successful deployment of a landmark agentic commerce transaction involving an AI-powered commerce platform, card issuer and payments network, demonstrating how AI-powered shopping experiences can prioritize consumer control, transparency and security."
On the wires
ACI Worldwide Extends ACI Connetic to Support Payments Orchestrated Through Swift’s Ledger
Business Wire
"ACI Worldwide announced it is bringing intelligent routing for Swift ledger transactions to ACI Connetic, its cloud-native payments hub. The capability will allow banks to process tokenized deposit payments alongside traditional payment types using the same operational controls, workflows and infrastructure, eliminating the need for separate digital-asset payment operations."
Finzly Certified for Request for Payment on the RTP® Network
PR Newswire
"Finzly announced it is technically certified to provide Request for Payment (RfP) functionality to financial institution participants of the RTP® network, operated by The Clearing House, following the successful go-live of the capability at one of its bank customers. The deployment gives the bank the ability to originate, receive and respond to payment requests through APIs and customer-facing digital experiences. RfP remains an emerging capability in U.S. banking."
September 21, 2026
On the web
Amazon Blocks Meta’s Muse AI Assistant in New Standoff over Agentic Shopping
Geek Wire
"Amazon says it has cut off Meta’s new Muse personal AI agent from shopping on Amazon.com on behalf of customers, after attempting unsuccessfully to get the Facebook parent company to voluntarily exclude the e-commerce site from the experience. The problem, Amazon says, is that it never agreed to any of it. Meta didn’t tell Amazon that Muse would access its store, the agent doesn’t identify itself when it browses, and it appears to capture and store customer credentials, which the company says could create privacy and security risks."
ECB Launches Pontes, a Digital Euro Platform for Banks, as Europe Races to Counter Stablecoin Dominance
Glitchwire
"The European Central Bank activated Pontes on Monday, September 21, marking the start of Europe's wholesale digital currency infrastructure. The distributed ledger technology bridge connects tokenized securities platforms to the Eurosystem's TARGET real-time gross settlement system, allowing banks to settle DLT-based transactions in central bank money rather than private stablecoins or commercial bank deposits."
Visa’s Stablecoin Settlement Just Hit $20 Billion. The Rail Is Built Before the Rules Are.
Yahoo Finance
"Visa has officially crossed the $20 billion annualized run rate for stablecoin settlement, a milestone that serves as a instrument in the debate over the future of payment rails. This momentum arrives at a curious moment in the regulatory calendar. The GENIUS Act, which established the federal framework for payment stablecoins, is set to become fully enforceable on January 18, 2027. Yet, the federal agencies tasked with writing the rulebook — including the OCC, FDIC, Fed, NCUA, Treasury, FinCEN, and OFAC — missed their July 18, 2026, deadline."
September 18, 2026
Top Post
B2B Payments: A Gradual Shift from Checks to Electronic Payment Methods
The Federal Reserve
"Although U.S. business-to-business (B2B) payments have shifted from checks to electronic payments over the past decade, many businesses still make and receive B2B payments with checks. Electronic payment methods, which include wire, Automated Clearing House (ACH), instant payments, and credit and debit cards, have the potential to remove some of the manual processing; however, businesses face challenges to fully migrating to electronic payment methods."
On the web
Visa and ISG Launches Visa Payment Passkey to Enable Passwordless, Secure Digital Payments at GFF 2026
ANI News
"In-Solutions Global (ISG) in collaboration with Visa, recently announced at Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2026 the launch of Visa Payment Passkey, enabling cardholders to authenticate online and in-app payments using device biometrics or a device PIN instead of one-time passwords (OTPs). With Visa Payment Passkey, banks and merchants on ISG's payments platform can offer FIDO-based, phishing-resistant authentication for card-not-present transactions — replacing SMS OTPs with a faster sign-in built directly into the checkout flow."
PayPal’s New Platform Lets Anyone Issue a Dollar Backed by a Dollar
Crypto News
"PayPal, M0, and MoonPay launched PYUSDx on September 9, letting any business issue an application-specific stablecoin backed by PayPal USD. Three issuers are live at launch which the companies say have collectively processed more than $100 million. The structure has two layers: PYUSD is issued by Paxos Trust Company, a federally regulated national banking association, and backed by dollar deposits and Treasuries. Tokens created on PYUSDx are not PayPal or Paxos products and cannot be sent, received, or used inside PayPal or Venmo."
PhonePe Brings UPI Payments to Feature Phones Without Internet
ETCIO
"PhonePe has introduced UPI 123Pay, a revolutionary service aimed at feature phone users.This innovative solution permits UPI transactions without the need for internet access,allowing seamless peer-to-peer and merchant payments. Additionally, an AI helpline offerssupport for registration and activation in various languages, significantly enhancing digitalpayment accessibility in rural and semi-urban regions."
Apple Pay Set to Launch in India Next Month with Axis Bank as First Partner
iThinkDifferent
"Apple Pay is on track to launch in India next month, starting with credit cards issued by Axis Bank. The move would finally bring Apple’s payment service to one of the few major economies where it still isn’t available. According to a report from Reuters , three people familiar with the plans said Apple is preparing a phased rollout that begins with a single banking partner rather than a broad, multi-bank launch."
Education: U.S. Currency Program Now Producing Nonsequential $1, $2, $5, $20 Straps
FRB Services
"In 2023, the U.S. Currency Program (USCP) began a multiyear process of modernizing its banknote production equipment, which will result in nonconsecutive sequencing of serial numbers on all new straps of U.S. currency. During the transition period, changes to serial number sequencing will be phased in by denomination. Until the transition is complete, both sequential and nonsequential straps may appear in orders of U.S. currency. The USCP is now producing $1, $2, $5 and $20 denominations on the new equipment."
Hyundai Card Eyes Larger Avalanche Stablecoin Rollout
Crypto News
"Hyundai Card says its Avalanche pilot settled a $20,000 intercompany transfer in roughly seven minutes. Hyundai Motor America converted dollars into USDT before sending funds to Hyundai Motor Mexico directly. Hyundai Card plans to test whether the operating model can handle larger transaction volumes reliably. Tether, Avalanche and Axiym supported the first pilot, while Hyundai led compliance and settlement design."
On the wires
Ant International Launches Industry's First Full-Stack AI-Native Solutions for Payment, Account, FX, Treasury and Growth Operations for Global Businesses
Business Wire
"In an industry first, Ant International launched a full stack of AI-native solutions for payment, account, FX, treasury and growth operations for global businesses. The AI-native product suite is built on a 2-layered security architecture, and our 2 proprietary foundation models: a payment foundation model, and a time-series transformer forecasting model for FX and liquidity. Underpinning the FinAI stack are also 2 major pillars for payment interoperability: Agentic Mobile Protocol and a blockchain-based wholesale settlement platform."
September 17, 2026
Top Post
Only 7% of Fashion Shoppers Trust AI to Buy for Them Today, Showing Merchants Must Build Confidence in Agentic Commerce
Business Wire
"Fashion and sportswear consumers are increasingly embracing AI throughout the shopping journey, particularly when it helps them find better value. However, new research conducted by YouGov on behalf of ACI Worldwide shows that trust, transparency and control remain critical requirements before consumers are ready to hand purchasing decisions to AI agents."
On the web
Mastercard Links up with Alchemy to Offer Agentic Shopping Option
Seeking Alpha
"Mastercard and Alchemy have teamed up to advance the use of agentic AI shopping for purchases, the companies said. Alchemy provides the tech that allows users to issue virtual payment cards to AI bots embedded with a slate of restrictions, such as spending limits and types of products that may be purchased. The company's AgentCard will support Mastercard payment credentials through an integration with Mastercard Agent Pay, giving developers a way to build AI agents that can safely complete purchases for users online, Alchemy said."
Citi and Mastercard Launch ‘Smart Subscriptions’ in the UAE
Mastercard
"Citi has launched Smart Subscriptions in the UAE, marking its first deployment of the solution anywhere in the world and selecting the UAE as its global launch market. Delivered in collaboration with Mastercard, the launch also makes Citi the first bank in the Middle East to go live with Mastercard's subscription management capability. The new feature allows Citi cardholders to view and manage all their digital subscriptions – from streaming services to meal deliveries – directly in the Citi banking app."
ACI Worldwide Expands ACI Connetic with Advanced Financial Messaging Technology to Power Intelligent, Future-Ready Payments
ACI Worldwide
"ACI Worldwide announced the expansion of ACI Connetic with a powerful cloud-native Financial Messaging capability, designed to help banks modernize payments infrastructure, simplify complexity, and scale real-time processing across domestic and cross-border networks. ACI’s advanced financial messaging technology delivers cloud-native, intelligent messaging that transforms how banks manage payments and other systemic messages across account-to-account (A2A) rails."
Nacha: 10 Years of Same Day ACH is Just the Beginning
Nacha
"The story of Same Day ACH is about much more than the numbers. It’s about how the payments industry came together to make ACH payments faster while preserving the reach, safety and reliability that have made the ACH Network the backbone of the U.S. financial system. The 2016 launch was just the beginning. And Nacha continues to provide enhancements. On Sept. 17, 2027, the Same Day ACH per-payment limit will increase tenfold from $1 million to $10 million."
BofA’s CashPro App Facilitates More than €100 Billion in Payments Approved by European Companies
Bank of America
"CashPro mobile token, Bank of America’s mobile authentication solution, replaces the need for a physical token. Together with biometrics, Q RQR Sign-In and push authentication, it enables corporate treasury users to access CashPro and approve transactions securely from their mobile devices. Bank of America recently enhanced the payment approval experience to provide greater visibility into payment details and make approvals more efficient."
Best Buy Opens Up Gift-Buying and Discover Through ChatGPT Ahead of Holidays
Digital Commerce 360
"Best Buy is bringing ChatGPT into its holiday shopping strategy, giving customers another way to find gifts and buy products without leaving the AI platform. In a Sept. 14 blog post, Best Buy noted that shoppers can “find gift ideas and shop Best Buy products through ChatGPT,” including completing purchases directly in the chat interface. The company listed ChatGPT among its broader plans for the upcoming holiday season, which also include an expanded online marketplace, faster fulfillment and new in-store technology experiences."
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