PAYMENTS ON FIRE RESOURCE CENTER
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August 21, 2026
Walmart to Finally Start Accepting Apple Pay and Google Pay
TechCrunch
“Walmart said it will finally accept payments via both Apple Pay and Google Pay at its stores, including Walmart and Sam’s Club. The retail giant says that beginning August 24, it will begin adding Tap to Pay to its payment options at select Walmart stores and Sam’s Club locations. It expects the feature to reach all stores and […]
The Agent Wallet That Tencent Is Currently Testing Has Been Preempted by Amazon.
European Central Station
“On June 17, 2026, WeChat Pay publicly introduced the under-test “AI Exclusive Card”. But news broke out today that Amazon has launched this product first. On August 19, Amazon AWS announced that Amazon Bedrock AgentCore Payments has officially reached general availability (GA). Previously, it only had preview features for some simple paid scenarios, but now […]
Citi, HSBC, Standard Chartered Adopt Ant International’s Forex AI Tool
Euronext
“Ant International launched an upgraded version of its artificial intelligence model, signing up major global banks as financial institutions accelerate the adoption of specialised AI to manage liquidity risks. The Singapore-based fintech giant rolled out its Falcon Time-Series Transformer Model 2.0 and has partnered with six large banks according to Kelvin Li, the firm’s general […]
Klarna Launches In-Store with Garage and Dynamite Across North America and the UK
Klarna
“Klarna is now available in-store at GARAGE and DYNAMITE locations across Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. The expanded partnership brings the payment flexibility customers already enjoy online into more than 300 stores. Customers can now choose to pay in full or divide eligible purchases into interest-free installments directly at checkout using the […]
Beyond the PAN: What Merchants Need to Know About Network Tokens
Very Good Security
“Network tokens are becoming a dominant payment credential. Network tokens are designed to make transactions less disruptive, which is why there is an uptick in transactions using network tokenization. Instead of relying on the primary account number, or PAN, printed on a customer’s card, a merchant can use a payment credential issued through the card […]
The Voice Fraud Threat to Banking
ABA Banking Journal
“Voice fraud in banking increased by roughly 30 percent in 2025, with AI-powered synthetic voices capable of fooling even experienced professionals. Synthetic voice attacks against financial institutions rose sharply in 2024, increasing by a factor of approximately 20 compared to the prior year, as data from the same period indicated that roughly one in 750 banking […]
Australian Businesses Embrace Always-On, Real-Time Payments
Australian Payments Plus
“Corporate Australia embraces real-time payments as finance leaders look beyond speed, according to the latest research from Crisil Coalition Greenwich. Nearly three-quarters (73%) of Australia’s largest corporates are now aware of the transition to real-time payments, up from 51%. 43% of large Australian companies have started planning their transition, up by 48% Banks and technology […]
India Built the World’s Biggest Digital Payments Miracle. Now Comes the Bill
BBC
“For most Indians, paying by Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has become almost absurdly routine. Scan a QR code, tap a few buttons and the money moves instantly. There is no card machine, no cash, and – most importantly – for the user, no visible fee. That may be about to change. India has paved the […]
Education: A Beginner's Guide to Reg E
FINBOA
“If you’re new to the banking operations team, you’re probably hearing a lot about something called “Regulation E” or “Reg E.” It might sound daunting, but don’t worry—we’re here to break it down for you in plain English. By the end of this guide, you’ll understand what Reg E is, why it’s important, and how […]
August 20, 2026
Solana Stablecoin Active Addresses Hit Record 1.7 Million
CryptoRank
“Active addresses holding Solana-based stablecoins hit a record 1.7 million and total stablecoin supply on Solana reached $16.3 billion, including $6.8B in USDC, $2.9B in USDT and $1.2B in USDGO. This surge signals increasing crypto and DeFi adoption on Solana driven by low fees and high throughput, improving liquidity for trading, remittances and payments while […]
Stablecoins Won’t Replace the Dollar: Mastercard CEO [Video]
Yahoo Finance
“Mastercard CEO Michael Miebach explains to Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi how stablecoins could help suppliers in high-inflation countries and make difficult cross-border payments faster and more predictable, while also explaining why crypto still won’t replace the dollar.”
New “Zombie Card” Flaw Lets Expired Visa Cards Make Contactless Payments
Cyber Security News
“Security researchers have demonstrated that an expired credit card is not as dead as most cardholders believe. A study from the University of Massachusetts Amherst reveals a practical NFC relay attack dubbed “Zombie Card” that revives expired Visa contactless cards, allowing them to complete real purchases at point-of-sale terminals across multiple US banks. The discovery […]
Stripe to Buy OpenRouter as Fintech Expands Deeper Into AI
CNBC
“Stripe said it’s acquiring OpenRouter, as the payments company expands into the artificial intelligence model market. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the New York Times said the price tag is about $7.5 billion, with $1.5 billion allocated to OpenRouter’s founders. The deal will “maximize profitability by routing their requests intelligently and spending their tokens […]
Elon Musk’s X Explores Stablecoins for Creator Payouts
Crypton News
“Elon Musk-owned social platform X is discussing the use of stablecoins like $USDC to pay influencers and other content providers, CoinDesk reported Thursday, citing a person familiar with the discussion. Talks are ongoing, and X isn’t alone. Its peers are also testing stablecoins as a way to pay influencers and content creators, according to the source. Mark […]
Stripe Launches Treasury In Australia To Unify Payments And Multi-Currency Money Management
SMBtech
“Stripe has launched its Treasury product in Australia, giving businesses a single platform to accept payments, hold and convert funds across multiple currencies and pay recipients in nearly 100 countries without leaving the Stripe dashboard. Businesses gain instant access to their revenue and can use it to pay suppliers, contractors and third parties using just […]
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