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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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September 2, 2025
On the web
Zelle Payment Network Reframes Everyday Payments as Acts of Care [Video]
Lbb Online
"Zelle, the person-to-person payment network that reaches more than 150 million enrolled accounts in the US, has launched a new brand platform and creative campaign: 'When It Counts.' More than a tagline, 'When It Counts' signals Zelle’s shift from utility to cultural relevance, positioning the platform as quietly essential infrastructure in the people-for-people economy."
Klarna Launches Debit-First Card Across Europe for Everyday Spending
Klarna
"Klarna is expanding its debit-first card across the EU, following a successful US launch in July this year. The Klarna Card challenges traditional credit card providers by giving consumers the power to pay upfront or flexibly, and 685,000 Americans have already signed up for the card since July. The Klarna Card, powered by Visa Flexible Credential, is debit by default, letting users pay instantly with their own money, while also offering flexible options."
Uber Drivers Fear For Safety As Platform Now Allows Cash Payments: 'We Have A Target On Our Head'
Yahoo Finance
"Drivers working with Uber Technologies Inc. have expressed concern as the ride-hailing platform officially begins accepting cash payments for rides in the U.S. With Uber offering cash payments in multiple cities like Los Angeles, Tampa, San Diego and Jacksonville, drivers working with the ride-hailing giant fear for their safety as they could be targets for theft, Business Insider reported on Wednesday."
August 29, 2025
On the web
Software Eats the Checkout-Evolution of POS [History]
Mastercard
"For decades, the point of sale (POS) has been the driving force behind in-store transactions. However, in the rapidly advancing landscape of technology, emerging innovations are redefining the traditional POS. As technology continues to move forward, customers are seeking seamless and personalized shopping experiences."
Automated Clearing House Payments [History]
Federal Reserve History
"Automated Clearing House (ACH) payments were first established in the 1970s by the Federal Reserve System and the banking industry. Up to that point, cash and checks had been the principal methods for retail payments in the United States. ACH payments, which are initiated electronically, were envisioned as a more-efficient payment method."
August 28, 2025
Top Post
ISO 20022 for Financial Institutions: Navigating the End of Coexistence
Swift
"Are you prepared for the end of coexistence inNovember 2025? After 22 November 2025, the coexistence period between MT & ISO 20022 ends, and all cross-border payment instructions sent by financial institutions must be exchanged in the ISO 20022 messaging standard."
On the web
Zelle® Launches “When it Counts” Brand Platform, Elevating $1 Trillion in Payments into Moments that Matter
Early Warning
"Zelle®, the person-to-person payment network that reaches more than 150 million enrolled user accounts in America, is launching a new brand platform and campaign: “When it Counts.” The campaign, which goes live on September 2, shows everyday payments – to a babysitter, a roommate, or a loved one far from home – as quiet acts of care that power the people-to-people economy."
Proposing a Trusted Agentic Commerce Protocol
Forter
"AI Agents have barely begun to meet their potential. Across Forter’s network of over 280,000 merchants, we’ve seen a 700% increase in the number of sites where agents are browsing. While Agentic transactions might start as a fraction of total purchases, merchants don’t know who will be behind them. They won’t be using or augmenting their data sets. And if it’s a highly valuable customer behind the agent interaction, this disintermediation can lead to a rapid loss of control and revenue."
Payments Unbound
J.P. Morgan
"As new technology disrupts industries, the most successful companies are exploring new organizational paradigms. Crucially, the role of the treasury is evolving. J.P. Morgan Payments and WIRED take a closer look at how real-world treasurers are navigating these shifts and are putting innovation to work to make the most of new opportunities."
Driving Commerce: 3 Developments Putting the Automotive Economy in the Fast Lane
Mastercard
"More seamless EV charging, real-time parking info and remote software updates can help revolutionize how we get around."
On the wires
Green Dot, Along with Its Rapid! Pay Division, Joins the Workday Partner Program to Bring Seamless and Value-Driven Payroll Solutions to Workday Clients
Business Wire
"Green Dot Corporation along with its wage and disbursements division, rapid!, announced it has joined the Workday Partner Program. Through this partnership, Green Dot will deliver innovative payroll and payment solutions including earned wage access (EWA) designed to help streamline operations, improve employee retention and promote financial wellness for Workday customers."
Chase Supports Customers with Transition to Direct Deposit for Government Payments
Business Wire
"In light of the U.S. Department of the Treasury's announcement to phase out paper checks for most federal payments by September 30, 2025, Chase branches will be actively informing customers about the advantages of direct deposit, such as: Safety: Reduces the risk of lost or stolen checks; Speed: Payments are deposited directly into accounts, often on the same day they are issued; Convenience: Customers can access their funds anytime, anywhere."
August 27, 2025
Top Post
Instant Payment Use Cases: Property and Casualty Insurance
Fed Now
"The FedNow® Service can offer insurance carriers the ability to instantly send final and irrevocable funds 24x7x365, creating an opportunity to modernize the policyholder experience, thus growing satisfaction and enhancing loyalty. This resource describes the advantages of transferring funds with instant payments, and outlines next steps for insurance carriers, service providers and financial institutions."
On the web
Mastercard Expands Partnership With Circle to Transform Digital Settlement for Merchants and Acquirers in Region
Mastercard
"Mastercard and Circle are deepening their longstanding partnership to enable USDC and EURC settlement for acquirers in the Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EEMEA) region. This expanded effort marks the first time that the acquiring ecosystem in EEMEA will be able to settle transactions in stablecoins, further cementing Mastercard’s role in connecting blockchain-native crypto assets with traditional fiat commerce infrastructure. Arab Financial Services and Eazy Financial Services will be the first to benefit from this expanded effort."
Google Cloud Is Developing Its Own Blockchain for Payments, Currently in Private Testnet
The Block
"Google Cloud is building its own blockchain network, named Google Cloud Universal Ledger (GCUL), for the financial sector, according to Rich Widmann, Google Cloud's Web3 Head of Strategy, who announced this on Tuesday. Widmann wrote in a LinkedIn post that GCUL aims to provide financial institutions with a "performant, credibly neutral" blockchain platform that enables Python-based smart contracts."
Adyen Partners with Prommt to Power Seamless, Secure Payments in Hospitality and Beyond
Prommt
"Adyen announced a joint partnership with Prommt, the premium pay by link solution trusted by top brands in hospitality, travel, luxury retail, and professional services. Prommt’s market-leading platform enables hotels to request and collect secure, efficient and premium branded remote payments. It supports features like scheduled sends, automated reminders (SMS/email), file attachments, reporting, and refund management."
On the wires
German Banks Halted 10 Billion Euros in PayPal Payments on Fraud Concerns, Says Newspaper
Reuters
"German banks blocked PayPal payments totalling more than 10 billion euros ($11.7 billion) over fraud concerns, the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper reported on Wednesday, without specifying its sources. The payments were halted on Monday after lenders flagged millions of suspicious direct debits from PayPal that appeared last week, the newspaper said."
August 26, 2025
On the web
How ACI Worldwide Plans to Take APP Scams Head-On - Part 1
Bank Info Security
"Real-time payments, or RTPs, and other forms of cashless transactions enable instant money transfers, offering convenience for both individuals and businesses. Cross-border RTPs alone now shift billions of dollars in remittance fees instantly. But fraudsters are exploiting the speed of these transactions, tricking millions of victims into parting with their savings through authorized push payment, or APP, scams. One way to contain this fraud is by embedding network intelligence into the messages associated with RTPs."
The Conversion Paradox: 3DS Trends in Regulated Markets
Stripe
"Last year, we analyzed 3D Secure (3DS) trends in unregulated markets, where we found that US issuers often declined transactions that requested 3DS, viewing the request itself as a fraud signal. Since then we analyzed authentication and conversion data across businesses in the European Economic Area (EEA), the United Kingdom (UK), and Japan. Our findings reveal a surprising paradox: even with very high two-factor authentication trigger rates—which traditionally add friction to the checkout flow—France, the UK, and Japan still maintain high conversion rates."
JPMorgan, Already No. 1 in Card Spending, Wants Even More
WSJ
"When it comes to credit-card spending in the U.S., JPMorgan Chase JPM is already number one. Evidently, that isn’t enough for the banking giant. The bank overall added about 10 million new card accounts a year from 2022 to 2024." [Subscription Required]
On the wires
Sightline Payments Partners With Cross River to Develop First-Ever Integrated Payments Ecosystem for the U.S. Gaming Industry
PR Newswire
"Sightline Payments in collaboration with Cross River Bank has created a first-of-its-kind solution for the gaming industry, Sightline Debit. Sightline's new debit solution reimagines the gaming payment ecosystem—redefining where funds are stored and how transactions are authorized through a demand deposit account (DDA) at Cross River. Customers gain greater control over their money by having segregated funds meant for gaming activity."
August 25, 2025
On the web
Walmart Canada Teams With Klarna for In-Store Flex Payments
Chain Store Age
"Walmart Canada is extending a digital "buy now, pay later" partnership to its stores. Walmart Canada is rolling out in-store payment solutions from Klarna across its network of more than 400 stores. The retailer launched the Klarna buy now, pay later solution on its e-commerce site and app in 2023. Walmart Canada shoppers can use Klarna to pay in-store via QR code at assisted checkout lanes, choosing between the pay in full option for a seamless one-time payment or pay in 4 to split purchases into four interest-free installments for purchases more than $50."
August 22, 2025
Top Post
Visa Shutters US Open-Banking Unit as Data Fight Heats Up, Bloomberg News Reports
MSN/Reuters
"Payments processor Visa has shut its open-banking business in the United States, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. The business gives fintechs easier access to customer bank data, helping them offer smoother sign-ups and money transfers."
August 21, 2025
On the web
Students Say Managing Bills Is the Hardest Part of Being an Adult at University [Visa A2A] [UK]
Visa
"More than a third (39%) of UK students find managing bills the hardest part of ‘adulting’ at university. Visa A2A, a new technology from Visa, is set to transform how students manage their recurring bill and subscription payments. Visa A2A technology, which is now ready for market in the UK, enables a smarter digital experience than the traditional system in place for bank transfers used for bills and subscriptions. It also includes advanced security features and a dispute resolution service."
EDEKA Paschmann First German Retailer to Use Diebold Nixdorf's AI-Powered Solution to Combat Shrink at Self-Checkout
Diebold
"EDEKA Paschmann in Düsseldorf is the first supermarket in Germany to use Diebold Nixdorf's Vynamic® Smart Vision I Shrink Reduction solution at its self-service checkouts. The AI-enabled technology addresses errors at the self-service checkout – both unintentional and deliberate – and offers retailers protection against the most common cause of loss in self-checkout. In addition, the systems are equipped with Diebold Nixdorf's automatic, AI-powered age verification."
Datalex and Gr4vy Enter Exclusive Partnership to Bring Payment Orchestration to the Airline Industry
Gr4vy
"Gr4vy, the cloud-based payment orchestration platform, has announced a strategic partnership with Datalex, a market leader in airline e-commerce solutions, to bring next-generation payment orchestration capabilities to the airline industry. Gr4vy’s cloud native, payment orchestration platform integrates directly into DLX Pay, Datalex’s payment platform built specifically to meet the needs of airlines."
Visa Must Face Debit Card Monopoly Class Action, US Judge Rules
CNBCTV18
"A $5.6 billion settlement over card swipe fees in 2019 doesn’t apply to a new set of antitrust cases accusing Visa Inc. of monopolising the debit card market, a US federal judge ruled. The two sets of cases do overlap, but the facts in the new group “are materially different” from the earlier group, US District Judge Margo Brodie ruled on Wednesday (August 20) in Brooklyn, New York."
On the wires
Fifth Third Announces Acquisition of DTS Connex, Adding Scale, Innovation in Cash Management
Business Wire
"Fifth Third announced its acquisition of DTS Connex, a leader in cash management software solutions for multi-location businesses such as retailers, restaurants and healthcare providers. The acquisition adds expanded capabilities in cash logistics offerings, infrastructure and risk management to Fifth Third’s Commercial Payments business."
August 20, 2025
Top Post
Payments Study: Gathering Data from Thousands of Depository Institutions
Atlanta Fed
"My colleagues at the Atlanta Fed and I have been reaching out to leaders in the payments industry to assist them with responding to the Depository and Financial Institutions Payments Survey (DFIPS). This every-three-years survey is an essential component of the Federal Reserve Payments Study (FRPS). New this year: the FRPS is collecting data on the number and value of instant payments, encompassing real-time payments and FedNow."
August 19, 2025
On the web
Nuvei Integrates with Zuora to Power Global Subscription Payments
Morningstar
"Nuvei announced a strategic integration with Zuora, a leading monetization platform for modern business. The partnership enhances Nuvei's ability to support enterprise recurring revenue at a global scale and provides Zuora's customers with a robust payments infrastructure to accelerate growth in both established and emerging markets."
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