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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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March 20, 2026
Top Post
Visa Launches ‘Agentic Ready’ Programme to Advance Agentic Commerce in Europe
Visa
"Visa announced the launch of Visa Agentic Ready, a new global programme, designed to support the payments ecosystem as it prepares for a new era of agentic commerce. Launching first in Europe, including the UK, this builds on Visa Intelligent Commerce. In its first phase, Visa Agentic Ready focuses on issuer readiness, providing issuing partners with a structured pathway to test and validate agent-initiated transactions, working in close partnership with Visa and selected merchants to explore how these transactions could operate securely, at scale, in controlled production environments."
On the web
Starling Launches UK’s First Agentic AI Financial Assistant
Starling Bank
"Starling Bank has launched the UK’s first Agentic AI financial assistant, which can help manage day-to-day finances, share personalised financial insights and give general banking guidance to personal account holders. The in-app ‘Starling Assistant’ offers an all-new conversational banking interface that responds to voice and natural language prompts before carrying out banking tasks on the customer’s behalf, from setting up personalised saving goals to organising bill payments.*"
March 19, 2026
Top Post
Wero Attacks Margins, Visa and Mastercard Protect Rent
Paperjam
"With reduced costs and rapid deployment, Wero is establishing itself as a credible alternative to cards in Europe. Behind this pressure on everyday payments, the bulk of Visa and Mastercard’s profitability is based on cross-border flows, a high value-added segment that European infrastructures do not yet cover. Stablecoins, particularly at Visa, could strengthen this position."
On the web
TSB Warns Customers Over New ‘Friendship Fraud’ Scam Targeting Older and Vulnerable People [UK]
MSN
"Scammers are pretending to befriend older and vulnerable people in a bid to extract cash from them, according to TSB. The bank is warning the public of an uptick in so-called 'friendship fraud' in which fraudsters prey on older and vulnerable people's loneliness and desire to seek a connection. Criminals are using social media to lure people into online friendships, before extracting sums of money that can reach into the tens of thousands according to TSB."
March 18, 2026
On the web
Nubank Dominates Credit in Brazil, but Mercado Libre Is Poised to Change the Game
Finsiders Brasil
"Nubank and Mercado Libre together accounted for 36% of the growth in credit card stockover the last 12 months, according to a report to a report by Itaú BBA. Nubank leads in volume and is already highly profitable in this product. Mercado Libre is still losing money on, but analysts say the Argentine company's turnaround is yet to come. And the reason is simple: according to the investment bank, Mercado Libre is building something structurally more powerful in credit than any other digital bank in the country."
March 17, 2026
Top Post
Mastercard, Visa Can Appeal UK Ruling That Merchant Fees Breach Antitrust Law
"Visa and Mastercard can challenge a judgment that found their default multilateral interchange fees charged to retailers infringe competition law, London's Court of Appeal ruled on Tuesday, in a long-running legal battle over the charges. The Competition Appeal Tribunal ruled last year, in linked lawsuits brought by hundreds of merchants, that Visa and Mastercard's multilateral interchange fees breached European competition law. The merchants' lawyers previously said that was the first time Visa and Mastercard's commercial card and inter-regional multilateral interchange fees had been found to infringe competition law."
On the web
UPI Payments Can Be Made Simply by Shaking Your Phone, Hassle-Free
MSN
"Now, you can make UPI payments simply by shaking your phone. To do this, open your payment app and shake it. Shaking the phone will open the QR code scanner, allowing you to make payments in no time. With so many payment apps available these days, finding a QR code scanner can sometimes be difficult. This can be time-consuming and can delay your payment. To avoid this hassle, PhonePe offers the 'Shake and Pay' option."
March 13, 2026
On the web
Next-Gen Payment Cards: Virtual Solutions With No Limits [UK]
Wales 247
"The massive trend of 2026 is no-limit virtual cards. They are totally shattering the traditional banking mold, offering unprecedented flexibility, global reach, and zero of the usual restrictions. These virtual solutions are tailor-made for the era of digital nomads, crypto investors, and global biz. They literally erase borders, letting you top up your balance with crypto, make worldwide payments without limits, and keep fees down to an absolute minimum. In this piece, a detailed breakdown and ranking of the top platforms issuing these next-gen cards in reviewed."
Europe’s Agentic Commerce Shift: Why AI Agents Are Set to Become Economic Actors
Retail Banker International
"Europe has crossed a new threshold by allowing an AI agent to perform a regulated financial transaction. With Santander and Mastercard completing the region’s first live end-to-end AI-executed payment, the significance goes beyond the technology itself. This was not a simple API trigger but an autonomous system acting with delegated authority, marking a defining moment: AI agents are becoming economic actors."
March 12, 2026
Top Post
PixRevolution Malware Hijacks Brazil's PIX Transfers in Real Time
Infosecurity Magazine
"A newly identified Android banking trojan capable of hijacking Brazil's instant payment transfers, targeting one of the country's most widely used financial systems, has been uncovered by security researchers. The malware, known as PixRevolution, silently monitors victims' smartphones and redirects funds during PIX transactions, according to a new analysis from mobile security firm Zimperium. The researchers said PixRevolution exploits the speed and irreversibility of those transfers. Once a PIX payment is completed it cannot be reversed, making it an attractive target for financial cybercrime."
On the web
European Central Bank Unveils Tokenized Finance Plan to Bolster EU’s Financial Autonomy
CoinDesk
"The European Central Bank set out a timeline for building a tokenized wholesale financial ecosystem centered on the euro to safeguard its role as a leading international currency. The strategy hinges on Pontes, a distributed-ledger-based transaction layer, and Appia, a long-term project to design the architecture, governance and standards of a tokenized financial system. The initiative aims to bolster the EU's financial sovereignty, strategic autonomy and resilience while adapting market infrastructure to blockchain-based assets."
March 11, 2026
Top Post
Agentic Payments: A New Challenge for Europe’s Payments Ecosystem
Osborne Clarke
"The rapid development of AI-agent-initiated payment models signals a pivotal shift for the European payments ecosystem. While current implementations are pilot-based within the EU, market signals suggest production deployments are targeted as early as 2026. As AI-agent technology moves from the 'back office' to the 'front office' for payment institutions, the relevance of regulatory requirements increases significantly. In this context, questions arise around the regulatory classification of the service, the allocation of liability, and the satisfaction of authorisation requirements and Strong Customer Authentication (SCA)."
On the web
Ripple to Acquire Australian Financial Services License as APAC Payments Volume Doubles
CoinDesk
"Ripple plans to acquire BC Payments Australia to secure an Australian Financial Services License, enabling it to offer its full payments stack in the country through a single integration. The company says payments volume in the Asia-Pacific region nearly doubled year-over-year in 2025, contributing to a reported $100 billion in total processed volume across 60 markets."
How Close Is the EU to Break Free From Visa and Mastercard’s Grip?
Euronews
"In 2023, Visa and Mastercard processed about 4.7 trillion USD in payment volume across the bloc. Transactions in 13 out of 21 eurozone member states still run exclusively on international card schemes. US card brands monopolize almost the entire international segment, handling 61% of the euro-area card transactions. Increasing EU-US tensions have heightened fears of 450 million European citizens being potentially cut off from international financial infrastructures."
On the wires
Global Virtual Travel Card Program Launched by Visa and Trip.com to Make Travel Payments Simpler and More Seamless in Asia Pacific
PR Newswire
"As international travel rebounds across Asia Pacific, Visa and Trip.com Group have entered into a new global agreement designed to make booking and paying for travel more seamless for consumers and partners worldwide. Through this collaboration, Trip.com Group will introduce a virtual travel card program issued in partnership with Visa via Trip.com Group's fintech arm, TripLink."
March 10, 2026
On the web
Goodbye Visa & Mastercard - Europe Is Building Its Own Payment System [Video]
MSN
"Europe is preparing one of the biggest changes to its financial system in decades: the digital euro. Today, most digital payments in Europe rely on American companies like Visa and Mastercard. Every card payment passes through private networks that charge fees and process large amounts of transaction data. The digital euro could change that. Instead of relying on private payment networks, Europeans would be able to pay directly through a public digital wallet issued by the European Central Bank."
Mastercard and Garanti BBVA Introduce Agentic Commerce to Transform Digital Shopping in Türkiye
TechAfrica News
"Garanti BBVA, Türkiye’s leading bank in digital innovation, is introducing an AI-powered shopping assistant in collaboration with Mastercard. Leveraging Mastercard’s global technology, this next-generation solution will soon be available through Garanti BBVA Mobil and Bonus Flaş, enabling consumers to search, compare, and securely purchase products—all within a single platform. This solution also marks the first end-to-end agentic commerce transaction in Türkiye’s banking vertical."
Banks Hit Major Milestones as Scam-Fighting Technology Stops Thousands of Risky Transfers
Australian Payments Plus
"Australians have now used Confirmation of Payee over 100 million times since the service was launched in July 2025, marking a major milestone in the banking industry’s efforts to protect consumers and businesses from scams and mistaken payments. Part of the banking sector’s Scam-Safe Accord, Confirmation of Payee adds another layer of protection by allowing customers to confirm if the account name, BSB and account number match the details held by the recipient bank, all before hitting send."
March 9, 2026
On the web
Irish Banks to Launch Revolut Competitor Zippay This Week
Business Plus
"Zippay, the person-to-person mobile payment service created by AIB, Bank of Ireland and PTSB to rival Revolut, will launch this week. The service will be offered through the banks' existing mobile banking apps and will begin rolling out from Tuesday. The three retail banks' Zippay has the potential to reach more than 5m eligible customers, who will be able to send, request and split payments by using the mobile number of their contacts who are also using the service. Zippay is being delivered on their behalf by fintech company Nexi."
Brazil’s Pix Instant Payment System Expands to Argentina
TradingView
"Banco Central do Brasil said it expanded its Pix digital payments system to allow Brazilians living in Argentina to access the service to pay for goods, services and send payments in both countries. The central bank’s instant payments platform is accepted by major crypto platforms and service providers operating in Brazil for fiat onramping, including the Lemon crypto app, Binance Pay, Crypto.com, the Mercado Bitcoin exchange and the Kraken crypto exchange."
March 5, 2026
On the web
Euro Safe Asset Status up for Grabs in Emerging ‘Multi-Moneyverse’
OMFIF
"A key plank of the developments is the European Central Bank’s provision later this year of a facility for Eurosystem banks to settle tokenised finance in public money. The Federal Reserve is avoiding even pseudonymous efforts in this area for now, wary of the political risk in appearing to work on a central bank digital currency, which in retail form is explicitly banned. Even parts of the Eurosystem have studiously avoided calling their Pontes initiative ‘wholesale CBDC’."
March 4, 2026
On the web
Why Europe Needs a Payment System Independent of Mastercard and Visa [Video]
Euro News
"Most card or online purchases in Europe go through Visa or Mastercard, two American companies that lead global payments. EU leaders now see this as a risk Europe can't ignore, and they're acting. Wero is a digital wallet created by European banks and payment companies to avoid using card networks."
Lipaworld Launches Stablecoin-Backed Payment Card for the Unbanked [South Africa]
Hypertext
"While South Africa has one of the most sophisticated banking environments in the world, a large number of citizens still remain unbanked. Lipaworld has launched a new stablecoin-powered payment card that allows Africans without traditional bank accounts to transact anywhere VISA cards are accepted, whether it be virtually or in-store. No bank account is required to make use of the card, which means users can transact, receive payments, and participate in the digital economy without being dependent on legacy systems."
March 3, 2026
On the web
U.K. ‘Buy Now Pay Later’ Regulation Signals End of ‘Wild West’ Fintech Loans System
Compliance Week
"Firms offering “buy now, pay later” (BNPL) financing will become part of the regulated financial services sector in the U.K. from July 15. Compliance teams must act now to ensure they are ready to introduce rules, including Consumer Duty, and establish creditworthiness assessment processes, adapt systems, and change data processes before the deadline."
March 2, 2026
On the web
UK Among First Countries to Recognise Cryptocurrency as Personal Property
Gov UK
"The new law confirms digital assets like crypto tokens can be recognised as personal property. Victims of digital theft and fraud gain stronger protections as legislation passes through the final stages of Parliament. Part of the Government’s Plan for Change for growth to boost the UK’s reputation as a global leader in legal innovation"
India Expands UPI Footprint to Israel
GlobeData
"India has further widened the international reach of its Unified Payments Interface (UPI) by formally extending the system to Israel. In a joint statement, India and Israel said: “Both sides agreed to explore linking UPI with Israel’s fast payment system to enhance interoperability and strengthen economic ties.”"
February 27, 2026
On the web
Lloyds ‘Set to Stop Opening Some Accounts in Branch’ in Bid to Force Customers to Go Digital
LBC
"Staff at Lloyds Bank will no longer open joint, premium or student accounts in branches or switch customers from another lender, The Telegraph says. The move would be a major blow against in-person branches amid worries that lender's pushes to go digital is set to leave elderly and disabled customers without vital help."
February 25, 2026
On the web
Revolut to Test Stablecoin in UK Trial
Yahoo Finance
"Britain's Revolut will start testing a crypto token pegged to the British pound, in a trial with three small companies but no big high-street lenders, the Financial Conduct Authority said. The trial will take place as part of the financial regulator's "sandbox" programme, which allows firms to trial stablecoin products in controlled conditions, it said. Britain's larger financial firms have been more cautious in their approach to stablecoins than European and U.S. counterparts, partly because of scepticism from the Bank of England."
Canada’s Real-Time Rail Quarterly Update with Jude Pinto: 2026 Q1 [Video]
Payments Canada
"Canada's Real-Time Rail (RTR) program made significant progress in 2025 and in 2026 we will continue to push forward on delivering real-time payments to businesses and consumers. While 2025 was a year of successes, there is still much work to do in delivering real-time payments to Canadian businesses and consumers. In Q1 of 2026, we are focused on testing, onboarding and operational readiness."
February 24, 2026
On the web
European Central Bank and ONCE Foundation Launch Collaboration to Ensure Digital Euro Is Accessible for Everyone
European Central Bank
"The European Central Bank (ECB) and the ONCE Foundation for Cooperation and Social Inclusion of People with Disabilities have signed a collaboration agreement to promote, develop and ensure the digital euro app is easily accessible for everyone, including people with disabilities or limited digital skills and older adults."