PAYMENTS ON FIRE RESOURCE CENTER
Smart thinking for smart payments professionals
Payments On Fire is the industry’s leading resource center for payments professionals. Here, you’ll find the resources and thought leadership that only Glenbrook’s experienced team can provide. Curated news stories, insightful opinion papers, provocative podcasts, and more – it’s all the thinking you need to stay competitive in a dynamic payments world.
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April 22, 2025
Circle Announces Payments Network to Transform Global Money Movement
Business Wire
“Circle Internet Group, Inc. announced Circle Payments Network (CPN) to connect financial institutions – banks, neo-banks, payment service providers, virtual asset service providers and digital wallets – and enable real-time settlement of cross-border payments using regulated stablecoins. CPN marks the next chapter in Circle’s evolution, extending beyond trusted stablecoins and developer platforms to power a […]
Affirm Expands Credit Reporting with TransUnion to All Pay-Over-Time Products
Business Wire
“Affirm Holdings, Inc. is expanding the credit reporting of its pay-over-time products to TransUnion, the companies jointly announced. All Affirm pay-over-time loans issued from May 1, 2025 onward, including Pay in 4 and longer-term monthly installments, will be reported to TransUnion.”
Curve Pay Launches on Android - The Wallet with Total Bank Coverage, Superior Spending Insights and Zero Foreign Exchange Fees
The Wise Marketer
“Curve Pay brings Android users unmatched spending visibility, comprehensive bank and card coverage, zero foreign transaction fees on all linked cards, and advanced money management tools, setting a new standard for convenience, security, and savings in mobile wallets.”
Capital One and Discover Merger Gains Approval in Jawdropping Deal
EMARKETER
“The Capital One and Discover deal received the final regulatory approval and will close on May 18. Combined, the two companies will have $660 billion in assets…What this means: The megadeal will dramatically shake up the payments and banking industries. Capital One will switch some of its cards from Visa’s and Mastercard’s networks to the […]
Fast Payments in Action: Emerging Lessons From Brazil and India
Atlantic Council
“As the rise of instant payment systems transforms the global financial sector, more governments are considering launching their own central bank-led immediate payment systems. Pix and Unified Payments Interface (UPI), Brazil and India’s respective instant payment systems, provide two key lessons for governments interested in implementing new fast or immediate payment systems.”
Agentic AI: The Evolution of Autonomous Fraud Detection
Global Banking & Finance Review
“Fraudsters have consistently positioned themselves at the cutting edge of technological innovation. With the recent explosion in AI capabilities—spanning large language models (LLMs), Generative AI, and now Agentic AI—criminal actors are leveraging advanced techniques to create deepfake images, video clones, and voice impersonations that deceive victims into transferring funds. Meanwhile, financial institutions face mounting pressure […]
Digital Wallets Poised To Overtake Credit Cards in Hong Kong by 2030: Report
South China Morning Post
“A survey found that 42 per cent of Hongkongers use Alipay and 22 per cent use Apple Pay, but credit cards are likely to remain relevant”
Central Bank of Kenya Lifts 10-Year Ban on New Bank Licences
Techpoint Africa
“Starting July 1, 2025, the regulator will begin accepting applications for fresh banking licences, ending a moratorium that began in 2015 following the collapse of Dubai Bank and Imperial Bank, which shook public confidence in the sector.”
VantageScore Expands New Open-Banking Credit Score for Lending to Underserved Borrowers
VantageScore
“VantageScore announced the expansion of their groundbreaking VantageScore 4plus pilot program for lenders launched in partnership with Credit Builders Alliance. The pilot leverages the industry leading VantageScore 4.0 credit score with open banking data to deliver the new VantageScore 4plus credit score model.”
Mastercard: Start Path’s Emerging Fintech Program Welcomes 8 New Startups
Mastercard
“Eight startups join Start Path, Mastercard’s award-winning startup engagement program: LetMePark, UbiRider, Asistobe, it’s electric, Krowd, Bluespine, ipaymy and Dataiera. As the newest additions to Start Path’s global portfolio — which is comprised of more than 450 startups from over 60 countries — these companies will participate in a dedicated Emerging Fintech program focused on […]
April 21, 2025
Samsung Wallet’s ‘Installment Payments’ and Money Sending Features Surface
9 to 5 Google
“While Samsung Wallet has remained steady in feature releases over the past couple of years, two new features in the pipeline are likely to change how users interact with the app on a daily basis. Those Samsung Wallet features include a new installment payment function and a money-sending tool. Both get an early look in […]
Discover Financial Services Hit With $250 Million Penalty
Investing
“Discover Financial Services, a $40.16 billion financial services giant with a “GREAT” financial health score according to InvestingPro, and its affiliates have been ordered to pay $250 million in civil money penalties, as announced in a recent Securities and Exchange Commission filing. The orders, dated April 16, 2025, for Discover Bank, and April 18, 2025, […]
What Magstripe Card Extinction Means for Banks
American Banker
“By 2029, no new Mastercard credit or debit cards will be issued with a magnetic stripe, according to the card network, and by 2033, Mastercard said magnetic stripes will be gone from circulation, except for prepaid cards in the U.S. and Canada. [Subscription Required]”
Amazon Is Trialling a Major New Feature That Could ‘Revolutionise Shopping’
MSN
“Although you can get your hands on almost everything at Amazon, a new feature could see the retailer broadening its horizons even further. Currently being trialled in the US, the ‘buy for me’ button allows customers to browse and purchase items from across the internet – even those Amazon doesn’t sell. When searching for certain […]
Payarc, AWS Collaborate to Enhance Payment Processing Operations with AI
Amazon
“Payarc is taking AI-powered payments to the next level, using Amazon Web Services (AWS) to drive unprecedented automation, intelligence, and efficiency across its platforms. By integrating AWS’s advanced AI and analytics, Payarc is delivering real-time insights, predictive churn analytics, and automated workflows that strengthen fraud detection, boost customer retention, and uncover new revenue opportunities.”
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