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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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February 18, 2026
Top Post
43 Million Users in 12 Months: How Wero Is Building Europe’s Answer to Visa and Mastercard
European Business & Finance Magazine
"Europe’s push to break its dependence on Visa and Mastercard is accelerating on three fronts. Wero, the pan-European digital wallet backed by 16 banks, has reached 43.5 million registered users and processed over €7.5 billion in transfers in its first year. E-commerce payments go live in 2026. In parallel, the European Parliament voted on 10 February to back the digital euro for a 2029 launch, and a consortium of 11 European banks is building a euro-backed stablecoin."
On the web
ECB’s Cipollone Says Digital Euro Will Protect European Banks, Card Schemes
Reuters
"The digital euro will be designed to ensure it protects European card schemes and keep banks at the core of the euro zone payments system, a senior European Central Bank policymaker said on Wednesday...Fraying transatlantic ties have prompted the ECB to brand as a strategic risk the fact that more than three quarters of transactions in Europe take place through international payments schemes such as Visa or Mastercard."
February 17, 2026
Top Post
Mastercard Completes Fully Authenticated Agentic Commerce Transaction in India
VARINDIA
"Mastercard announced the completion of a fully authenticated agentic commerce transaction on its payment network expanding the company’s global payment capabilities into the Asia Pacific region. Cards issued by Axis Bank and RBL Bank were used to complete the transaction. The purchase was processed through payment aggregators including Cashfree Payments, Juspay, PayU and Razorpay. Merchant participants included Swiggy, Instamart, Vodafone Idea (Vi), Tira and Zepto."
On the web
UnionPay Partners With NCR Atleos for Cashzone ATMs
ATM Marketplace
"UnionPay has partnered with NCR Atleos to enable cardholders to use surcharge free Cashzone ATMs in the U.K. Based in Shanghai, UnionPay issues cards in 84 countries and regions. With the partnership, cardholders can access cash at up to 13,000 Cashzone ATMs."
NPCI Announces FiMI, a Domain-Specific AI Language Model Built for India’s Payments Ecosystem
NPCI
"National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) released FiMI (Finance Model for India), a domain-specific language model built for India’s payments ecosystem. Developed in-house by NPCI, FiMI has been built to natively understand the complexity of Indian payment systems, including UPI, covering transaction dispute handling, mandate lifecycle management, and regulatory and ecosystem queries."
February 13, 2026
On the web
PayPay and Visa Enter into a Strategic Partnership Agreement to Advance Global and Domestic Payment Innovation
PayPay
"PayPay Corporation and Visa Inc. announced that they have entered into a strategic partnership agreement centered on payment services. Through this partnership, the two companies have begun discussions toward jointly pursuing PayPay’s expansion into the United States as the first step in its global strategy, while also strengthening collaboration across their businesses in Japan."
February 12, 2026
On the web
Bank of England Launches Pilot for Tokenized Asset Settlement
Banking Exchange
"The Bank of England has launched a pilot program to test how tokenized assets could be settled in sterling, as it looks to modernize the UK’s core payments infrastructure. The initiative, known as the ‘Synchronisation Lab’, will bring together 18 firms to test how payments in central bank money could be synchronized with transactions on distributed-ledger platforms."
Alipay AI Pay Solution Hits 120M Transactions as Chinese Shoppers Tap Agentic Commerce
Retail Technology Innovation Hub
"Alipay reports that AI Pay, a solution that enables payment through AI agents, exceeded 120 million transactions in the past week. Launched in 2025, this has expanded into various use cases, including AI agents in apps and mini programmes for bricks and mortar retailers like Luckin Coffee, as well as in AI smart glasses like Rokid. In December, Alipay collaborated with Rokid to enable developers to integrate AI payment into the AI agents they build on Rokid’s Lingzhu platform."
February 11, 2026
On the web
China’s First Group of Migrant Workers Gets Paid in Digital Yuan
Yicai Global
"Migrant workers at a construction site in Chengdu have become the first in China to receive their wages in e-yuan, the official digital currency issued by the country’s central bank. Bank of Communications paid more than CNY1 million (USD140,000) in wages to 104 migrant workers. BOC used the e-yuan smart contract ecosystem service platform. The bank opened an e-yuan corporate wallet for the project's general contractor and embedded a smart payroll contract, achieving closed-loop management and direct full payment of wages, thereby preventing potential misappropriation or diversion of funds at the source."
FCA Brings BNPL Under Full Consumer Credit Regulation
IBS Intelligence
"The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has introduced a new set of consumer protection measures for the Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) market. Under the updated framework, BNPL providers will be subject to the FCA’s Consumer Duty, which requires firms to demonstrate they are delivering good outcomes for retail customers. The regulator will also mandate proportionate affordability checks, alongside enhanced requirements around customer support and communications."
February 10, 2026
On the web
Why UK Payment Infrastructure Reform Could Reshape Digital Commerce
TechHQ
"The UK’s payment infrastructure is getting its biggest upgrade in nearly two decades, and the implications extend beyond faster checkout times. In a speech at the City & Financial Payments Regulation and Innovation Summit, Bank of England deputy governor Sarah Breeden outlined how a new institutional model, one that combines public oversight with private sector delivery, aims to reshape the economics and functionality of digital commerce."
February 9, 2026
On the web
Japan’s Stablecoin Boom Reveals a Two Track Market
Cryptopolitan
"Japan’s stablecoin market is heating up, with a number of new partnerships forming around the country’s first yen-backed stablecoin. Banks and major businesses are now piloting both yen- and dollar-backed stablecoins for real world payments. But a clear split is taking shape. While USD stablecoins dominate global transactions, yen-backed coins are being positioned as a low-cost, homegrown option for domestic commerce and business settlements."
On the wires
ByteFederal Australia Launches ByteConnect
PR Newswire
"ByteFederal Australia, in strategic partnership with ByteFederal Inc. (USA) announced the national launch of ByteConnect, a fully integrated, Bitcoin-enabled Payment Terminal and Online Payment Gateway leveraging blockchain technology to enable Australian merchants to accept cryptocurrency payments within a robust compliance and operational framework."
February 6, 2026
On the web
The Global Payments Reset Has Begun - And It’s Not Coming From Banks
Exchange Rates
"China’s central bank has signalled a major shift in digital-currency policy. Under a new action plan published by the People’s Bank of China, the digital yuan moves from “digital cash” to a form of deposit money: commercial banks will pay interest on e-CNY balances from 1 January 2026 and deposits will be covered by deposit insurance. The plan integrates digital-currency liabilities into banks’ asset-liability management and reserve-requirement frameworks."
UPI New Rules From February: Key Changes for Google Pay, PhonePe & Paytm Users
ABP Live
"New rules for the UPI are set to take effect from February 2026, bringing significant changes to transaction speed, verification standards and user protections. Regulators have focused on improving real-time processing, tightening security controls and enhancing transparency for users who rely on UPI for everyday digital payments. The updated framework aims to make digital transactions faster and safer while giving users greater control over their payment activity across popular UPI apps."
PhonePe Takes Its Diversification to Dalal Street
The Economic Times
"For most users, PhonePe remains a payments app. As the Walmart-backed fintech prepares for a public listing, its UDRHP filed last month outlines a company that is expanding beyond payments, using UPI primarily as a distribution layer rather than a revenue engine. More notably, growth is increasingly being driven by businesses that sit on top of payments: merchant services, lending, insurance distribution, and newer platform bets, rather than UPI itself."
Mastercard Collaborates With Cyber Security Council to Safeguard Uae’s Digital Ecosystem
Mastercard
"Mastercard has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the UAE Cyber Security Council (CSC) to strengthen trust in the nation’s digital ecosystem. Through this collaboration, both entities will work together to advance cybersecurity resilience by sharing global best practices and supporting the development of forward‑looking cybersecurity policies. The two entities are also launching a joint report on the current state of the country’s cybersecurity landscape."
India Weighing up to 25,000 Rupee Compensation for Digital‑Payment Frauds, RBI Governor Says
Yahoo Finance
"The Reserve Bank of India will propose a framework to compensate customers up to 25,000 rupees ($276) for losses incurred in small-value fraudulent transactions, Reserve Bank of India Governor Sanjay Malhotra said on Friday. This was among a series of steps announced by the RBI to enhance customer protection and increase digital payments safety. The draft guidelines will be issued shortly, the governor said in his monetary policy address."
February 5, 2026
On the web
South Africa Launches Its First Rand-Pegged Stablecoin, Zaru
Biz Community
"South Africa has entered the digital-currency era with the launch of Zaru, the country’s first institutional-grade stablecoin pegged to the rand. The launch marks a major step in modernising the country’s financial ecosystem and linking the rand to global digital finance networks."
February 4, 2026
On the web
Bank of England Steps up External Engagement on Retail Payments Innovation
Global Government Finance
"The Bank of England is convening three new external engagement forums as part of efforts to build a ‘more resilient, innovative and inclusive payments landscape’ in the UK. The ‘Payments End User Forum’, ‘Payments Innovation Design Group’ and ‘Payments Academic Advisory Group’ are being established to help the central bank to ‘capture a broad range of experiences, expertise and knowledge in the development of next-generation retail payments infrastructure’."
February 3, 2026
On the web
China’s Digital Yuan Enters ‘2.0 Era;’ Set to Focus On Application Scenario Deepening, Ecosystem Building, Analysts Say
Global Times
"On January 1, with the launch of an action plan by the People's Bank of China (PBC), the country's central bank, which lays out a new framework for the digital yuan, the digital yuan officially entered into the 2.0 era. An important feature unlocked by the 2.0 version is interest accrual based on demand deposit rates. The upgrade makes the digital yuan the world's first interest-bearing central bank digital currency and signals that e-CNY is moving from "digital cash" to "digital deposits."
February 2, 2026
On the web
National Bank of Ethiopia Eyes Digital Birr
Capital Newspaper
"The National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) has begun formally studying Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) as part of a broader push to prepare the country’s financial system for an increasingly digital future, even as it insists that cash will remain part of the monetary landscape for decades to come. Governor Eyob Tekalign said the central bank is now examining possible models for a “central bank retail currency” and the implications of issuing a digital birr, in line with global trends where more than 100 countries are exploring or piloting CBDCs."
How Kenya’s Digital Payments Evolution and Mobile-Led Transformation Are Showing the Way
Stanchion
"This edition of the Stanchion Payment Solutions “Voices from the Market” series brings you a local perspective from a key stakeholder shaping the next chapter of Kenya’s payments journey. In this edition, Stanchion speaks to John Njoroge, Visa’s Country Manager for Kenya, Somalia, and South Sudan, on what the shifting payments landscape means for card networks."
European Central Bank: Payments Statistics: First Half of 2025
European Central Bank
The European Central Bank (ECB) published statistics on non-cash payments for the first half of 2025. The statistics comprise indicators on access to and use of payment services, payment cards and payment terminals by the public, as well as volumes and values of transactions processed through retail and large-value payment systems. This press release focuses on developments in the euro area as a whole, while statistics are also published at country level for all euro area and most non-euro area EU member states. EU and euro area aggregates are also published.
On the wires
India in Talks About Allowing Alipay+ Link to Its Instant Payment Systems
Reuters
"India is in talks with China-related Ant International to allow digital payments platform Alipay+ to be linked to India's leading instant payments system for cross-border transactions, two government sources told Reuters. The move would help make payments easier for Indian tourists as they would be able to use India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) with merchants in countries that have signed up with Alipay+."
January 29, 2026
On the web
The Financial Conduct Authority Launches Long-Term AI Review
Banking Exchange
"The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has launched a review into the implications of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) for consumers, retail financial markets, and regulators. The review will seek views across the development of more autonomous and agentic systems, and how these advances could reshape markets and firms, influence competition and market structure, and affect the UK’s competitiveness."
UAE Approves First USD-Backed Stablecoin for Payments
Asia Business Outlook
"The first stablecoin in the UAE backed by US dollars, USDU, is now approved. It was created by Universal Digital, an Abu Dhabi-based registered crypto company, using the Central Bank of the UAE's Central Bank Payment Systems (CBPS). Every USDU is equivalent or one full US dollar (1:1) and is backed by reserves held in 'onshore' banking establishments in the UAE including Emirates NBD, Mashreq and Mbank."
January 28, 2026
Top Post
UPI To Debut In Japan As India’s Digital Payments Network Expands Global Footprint [Video]
YouTube
"India’s Unified Payments Interface, or UPI, is set to debut in Japan, marking a significant step in the global expansion of India’s flagship digital payments platform. Japanese IT services firm NTT Data has partnered with the National Payments Corporation of India to enable UPI acceptance in Japan on a trial basis during fiscal 2026, initially targeting Indian tourists visiting the country."
January 27, 2026
On the web
Loomis Pay Brings Next-Generation POS and Payment Innovation to Merchants
Loomis Pay
"Loomis Pay is continuing to expand its POS and payment offering across Europe through a collaboration with Castles Technology, a global provider of Android-based payment devices. Merchants can manage cash, card, and digital payments in one unified setup, while benefiting from flexible, secure, and scalable technology. Following a successful pilot in Norway, Loomis Pay is now preparing for a broader rollout across Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Spain."
January 23, 2026
Top Post
LG CNS Demonstrates Korea’s First Digital Currency AI Auto-Payment with Bank of Korea
Business Korea
"LG CNS and the Bank of Korea announced they have conducted Korea’s first demonstration of an agentic AI-based digital currency auto-payment system where artificial intelligence (AI) performs everything from product search to purchase decisions and payments. This demonstration is part of "Project Hangang" that the Bank of Korea has been conducting since last year. LG CNS emphasized that it is significant in that it implemented next-generation payment infrastructure where AI autonomously performs the entire commercial transaction process, utilizing a digital currency platform where deposit tokens—digitized bank deposits—circulate."