Global

Pix Did Not ‘Cannibalize’ Cards, Says BC President

Finsiders Brasil

“The most widely used payment method in Brazil, Pix cannot be considered a rival to cards, nor has it “cannibalized” them. Quite the contrary: the banking and financial inclusion enabled by the instant payment system have contributed to a surge in annual growth in transactions with debit, credit, and prepaid cards.”

Tags: Brazil

Companies

Equifax Australia and Mastercard Launch ‘Open Score’ to Improve Financial Inclusion

Open Banking Expo

“Equifax Australia and Mastercard announced a strategic relationship, bringing together data and analytics capabilities from Equifax alongside Mastercard Open Finance solutions to deliver innovative products to the Australian market to create greater financial inclusion. The first milestone is the launch of Equifax Open Score, a new bank transaction score designed to support the more than […]

Tags: Equifax Mastercard

Financial Inclusion Global Payments

Episode 269 - Designing Digital Financial Services for Women is Designing for All, with Sonja Kelly, Women's World Banking Institute

In our third episode in a series to spotlight the latest in global developments in payment systems from a financial inclusion lens, Sonja Kelly, Global Head of Women’s World Banking Institute, joins Joanna Wisniecka to dive into design principles for inclusive digital financial systems and how all end users benefit when design considers the specific needs of women.

Global

IMF Study Suggests Interoperability Boosts Digital Payments Use

Biometric Update

“The International Monetary Fund has published a report on growing retail digital payments, which is a significant aim of many digital public infrastructure and financial inclusion programs worldwide. Specifically, the study looks at the value of interoperability as policymakers globally are looking to boost retail digital-payment use.”

Cross-border Payments Fast Payments Financial Inclusion

Episode 266 - Innovating Inclusive Financial Systems on the African Continent, with Sabine Mensah, AfricaNenda

In this episode, Joanna Wisniecka welcomes Sabine Mensah, Deputy CEO of AfricaNenda, a leader in financial inclusion, to explore Africa's dynamic path towards inclusive instant payment systems and the need for continued innovation and collaboration to enable access to financial services for all Africans on the continent by 2030.

Companies

BIS: Digital Fraud

BIS

“The ongoing digitalisation of finance brings numerous benefits, such as increased efficiency, convenience, financial inclusion, transparency and quicker responses to crises. However, it also introduces significant risks to bank soundness and financial stability. One such risk is digital fraud.”

Tags: Bank for International Settlements

Global

Ethiopia Unveils Faydapass Digital Wallet to Boost Financial Inclusion

Biometric Update

“Ethiopia has launched what it calls the FaydaPass wallet, the latest move in its digital public infrastructure (DPI) program aimed at speeding up financial inclusion as well as verification for access to a number of other government services. Tech5 and payments giant Visa supported the country in the development of the wallet, the former providing its T5-Airsnap and […]

Tags: Ethiopia

Cross-border Payments Fast Payments Financial Inclusion Instant Payments

Episode 263 - Driving Digital Financial Inclusion: The Journey We’re On and the Road Ahead - Michael Wiegand, Gates Foundation

In this episode, Joanna Wisniecka joins Yvette Bohanan to chat with Michael Wiegand, Director of Inclusive Financial Systems at the Gates Foundation, about the work the Foundation is doing globally and the transformative impact of digital financial inclusion on economies and societies. 

Glenbrook

Celebrating the Expansion of Glenbrook's Leadership Team

Glenbrook is celebrating the expansion of its leadership team by announcing the promotions of Simon Skinner and Joanna Wisniecka to Associate Partner. 

Companies

How Agentic AI Will Transform Financial Services With Autonomy, Efficiency and Inclusion

World Economic Forum

“Agentic artificial intelligence (AI) goes beyond generative AI (GenAI) by enabling autonomous decision-making, collaboration, and learning to revolutionize financial services. While offering efficiency and innovation, Agentic AI raises concerns about labour disruption, privacy, market volatility and governance, necessitating robust oversight and ethical frameworks.”

Tags: World Economic Forum

Companies Global

Visa and Misa Partner To Drive Digital Payments in Vietnamese Businesses

IBS Intelligence

“Visa and MISA, a provider of digital transformation solutions for finance, accounting, and enterprise management, have teamed up to empower Vietnamese businesses through comprehensive digital payment solutions. This collaboration aims to accelerate digital transformation within Vietnam’s business community, fostering greater financial inclusion and operational efficiency for enterprises of all sizes.”

Tags: Visa

Global

Safaricom M-Pesa to Assist Healthcare Payments Digitisation in Ethiopia

Developing Telecoms

“The mobile payment group Safaricom M-Pesa, along with another, unnamed financial service provider, has signed a service level agreement (SLA) with the Ministry of Health of Ethiopia to transform healthcare payments through a secure, efficient and scalable digital payment system. This partnership aims to enhance financial inclusion, streamline healthcare payments, and improve service delivery nationwide.”

Tags: Ethiopia

What’s Next for Real-Time Payments: Navigating the Next Wave

Mastercard

In the latest episode of “What’s Next In,” Mastercard’s podcast that informally explores technology, innovation and ideas, host Vicki Hyman chats with Peter Reynolds, Mastercard’s executive vice president  for real-time payments, about the growth of real-time account-to-account payments, what is means beyond speed, and how it can help enable greater financial inclusion and well-being.

Industry

U.S. Faster Payments Council Report Explores How Digital Assets Can Advance Financial Inclusion

Faster Payments Council

“The U.S. Faster Payments Council, a membership organization devoted to advancing safe, easy-to-use faster payments in the United States, announced the publication of a new industry report, Digital Assets and Digital Ledger Technology: A Pathway to Financial Inclusiveness.”

Global

Mastercard And MoMo Uganda Launch Virtual Card

CIO Africa

“MTN Mobile Money Uganda has unveiled its new Virtual Card by MoMo through a partnership with Mastercard, Diamond Trust Bank, and Network International. This strategic move is part of MTN Group’s broader Ambition 2025 initiative aimed at driving financial inclusion and boosting digital accessibility across Africa.”

Tags: Uganda