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Curated industry news and original merchant playbooks.
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Banks fear SEC rule may limit access to capital markets
A proposed SEC rule change could make bank funding more expensive, potentially leading to tighter credit standards for consumer financing programs.
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ICE highlights AI clout amid rising mortgage competition
ICE's return to profit via AI-driven automation signals faster, friction-free loan processing is becoming the new industry standard.
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How Mastercard plans to compete in agentic commerce
Mastercard maps out its strategy for 'agentic commerce,' where AI bots handle shopping and financing decisions for consumers.
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Digital money can be a fraud-fighting tool
New digital currency features could virtually eliminate permanent theft by allowing stolen funds to be 'burned' and reminted for the rightful owners.
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Capital One provides Discover community investment update
Capital One defends its $265B community investment plan as it fights to clear regulatory hurdles for its massive Discover acquisition.
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Ecommpay brings full stack acquiring to PayControl
Ecommpay and PayControl partner to streamline payment orchestration and global credit options for online merchants.
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Method unveils Portfolio Intelligence for lenders
Method's new real-time debt monitoring tool gives lenders a continuous view of borrower health, potentially stabilizing credit access for retailers.
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MiFinity taps BVNK for global stablecoin payouts
MiFinity and BVNK launch a stablecoin payout service to speed up global merchant settlements and reduce cross-border transaction fees.
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BNPL fintech Cashea raises $100 million
Venezuelan BNPL leader Cashea secures $100M to expand interest-free installments and financial services for over 1,500 partner brands.
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It's time for community banks to break free of 'core' limitations
Community banks are leveraging AI to bypass legacy software hurdles, potentially offering retailers more agile and modern local financing options.
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Lloyds aims for a further £2 billion in cost savings with AI to the fore
Lloyds Banking Group bets on AI to drive £2 billion in savings and modernize consumer lending speed.
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AccountsIQ rolls out Paraglide AI agents to automate collections
AccountsIQ partners with Paraglide to bring AI-driven automated collections to mid-market businesses, streamlining the way merchants get paid.
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Agentic Payments Start With the Right Foundation
AI is evolving from simple tools to autonomous agents that can manage payments and financing workflows for your business.
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Real-Time Payments Move Into More Markets and More Workflows
Real-time payment networks like FedNow are moving to the checkout counter, offering merchants instant settlement and lower processing costs.
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Robinhood Takes an Option Out on Owning Customer Transactions
Robinhood’s shift into credit cards and transaction ownership marks their evolution from a trading platform to a major player in consumer spending.
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Stripe vet buys a bank for his fintech
Fintech infrastructure firm Increase acquires a community bank, promising more streamlined and reliable financial products for merchant platforms.
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SoFi's revenue soars, but increased expenses hinder earnings
SoFi sees massive revenue growth driven by loan demand, though rising expansion costs weigh on the lender's bottom line.
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Agentic commerce has a payment tech opening for banks
AI agents are starting to handle shopping and payments, forcing a shift toward digital wallets and automated financing integration.
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MoonPay opens PayBox for AI agent transactions
MoonPay launches a payment vault for AI agents, enabling automated shopping and transactions without manual human intervention.
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SoFi: We Think We Can Take Significant SMB Lending Marketshare
SoFi enters the SMB market with $3 billion in lending power, offering retailers a new digital-first alternative for working capital.
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How Circle's IBM patent deal shakes up stablecoins
Circle secures IBM patents to solidify USDC as the lead digital dollar for banks, signaling a shift toward faster, blockchain-backed payment options.
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Ex-CFPB official tapped to lead NJ consumer affairs unit
New Jersey and California are hiring former federal officials to lead aggressive new state-level oversight of consumer financing and lending.
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PNC’s wealth unit targets mass-affluent clients with lending option
PNC expands securities-based lending to mass-affluent clients, giving high-end shoppers a new way to tap liquidity for major purchases.
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ACI Worldwide and dLocal bring Latin American payment rails to global merchants
Global retailers can now easily offer local installment plans and regional payment methods to shoppers across Brazil and Mexico.
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PayPal and Amazon launch BNPL payments for customers in Germany and Austria
Amazon integrates PayPal's Buy Now, Pay Later service for German and Austrian shoppers, signaling a shift toward more flexible checkout options.
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‘We use prompts that have been tuned through GEPA, so the LLM isn’t freelancing’: Intuit Credit Karma’s Gurpreet Singh on pairing financial modeling with Gen AI
Credit Karma is pairing generative AI with strict financial modeling to provide customers with more accurate, data-driven debt management tools.
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Oxane Partners secures strategic growth investment from TA Associates
A major growth investment in Oxane Partners signals faster, more automated backend technology for the lenders supporting your consumer financing programs.
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Singapore's central bank convenes AI-Driven Cyber and Technology Risk Taskforce
Singapore's new taskforce signals a global push for stricter AI security standards in the consumer lending and financial sectors.
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Should a bank ever be liable when a customer gets scammed?
A growing push to hold banks liable for consumer scams could lead to tighter credit approvals and more friction for high-ticket retail transactions.
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Specialist Hub selects OMS as CRM provider
Specialist Hub adopts OMS to streamline loan origination, signaling faster processing and better tracking for high-ticket financing intermediaries.
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When the Tech Stack Becomes the Tech Problem
New data reveals how bloated payment technology is causing transaction failures and losing sales for retailers.
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Thredd’s McCarthy Says Payments Will Govern the Agentic Enterprise
AI is moving from chatbots to autonomous payment agents, requiring retailers to rethink transaction governance and security.
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Hospitals Can’t Outsource AI Accountability
Healthcare providers face rising legal risks as AI takes over billing and claims; accountability stays with the clinic, not the vendor.
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NY Bankruptcy Court Rules Funder’s MCAs Were Really Loans
A New York court ruling reclassifying MCAs as loans could trigger a massive regulatory shift for alternative business financing.
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Visa Expands Money Movement as Card Spending Accelerates
Visa reports 10% growth in U.S. spending as it shifts focus toward digital money movement and AI-integrated payments.
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Ebanx and Pagaleve blend Pix and BNPL to expand access to instalment plans in Brazil
Ebanx and Pagaleve launch Pix-based installments, opening Brazil's booming BNPL market to customers without credit cards.
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Banks Bet on Open AI After OpenAI’s Own Hack
AI security breaches at OpenAI raise concerns for retailers relying on automated lending and credit decision tools.
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Visa says AI is helping to enable workforce cuts
Visa cuts 1,400 jobs as the payment giant pivots to AI-driven operations and faster tech development for merchants.
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Ex-CFPB official nominated to lead NJ consumer affairs
New Jersey’s nomination of a former CFPB official signals a new era of aggressive state-level oversight for consumer financing and lending.
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Unpacked: How agentic AI is reshaping the consumer journey
AI agents are starting to manage the end-to-end shopping journey, requiring retailers to make financing and rewards 'agent-ready.'
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Community banks push back on Fed's 'skinny' account proposal
Community banks warn that the Fed’s new payment account proposal could give tech-heavy fintech lenders an unfair advantage over traditional banks.
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Ebanx and Pagaleve Use Pix to Offer BNPL in Brazil
Ebanx and Pagaleve launch 'Pix 4x', allowing Brazilian consumers to pay in installments via instant bank transfers instead of credit cards.
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Tech jobs go as Visa cuts workforce by 7%
Visa cuts 1,400 jobs to pivot toward AI, signaling a major modernization shift for the world's largest payment network.
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Rent payment fintech Flexible Finance applies for bank license
Flex Rent applies for a Utah bank charter, signaling a shift toward fintechs becoming full-scale lenders to better control consumer financing terms.
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Rent fintech Flex applies for ILC charter
Rent-splitting fintech Flex applies for a Utah bank charter to bring its consumer lending operations in-house and expand nationally.
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Apple partners Klarna for new hardware leasing programme
Apple taps Klarna to power its new U.S. hardware leasing program, signaling a major shift toward subscription-style hardware ownership.
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Fenergo launches Fen-AI to bring governed AI to client lifecycle management
New AI platform streamlines identity checks and compliance, promising faster approvals and less friction for consumer financing applications.
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Connexus Credit Union partners Alacriti for real-time payments
Connexus Credit Union integrates FedNow and RTP, signaling a shift toward instant merchant funding and real-time consumer loan disbursements.
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Why Verification Is a Critical Bridge Against Fraud, but Not a Silver Bullet
Learn why identity verification is just one piece of the fraud puzzle and how to balance security with a smooth customer checkout.
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PayPal leans into financial services
PayPal focuses on Buy Now, Pay Later and consumer credit expansion to drive higher shopper engagement and transaction volume.
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PayPal leaves door open for acquisition after Stripe reports
PayPal CEO signals openness to strategic moves and acquisitions as the payments giant overhauls its technology to better compete with Stripe.
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X Money starts US rollout
Elon Musk’s X launches payment services in the US, laying the groundwork for integrated social commerce and merchant processing.
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3 Data points that are resetting expectations for AI, treasury, and payments
AI tools still struggle with complex tasks while total payments strategy moves to the forefront of business growth.
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Real-Time Payments Expose the Cost of Legacy Technology
Real-time payment adoption is accelerating, forcing merchants to upgrade legacy systems to keep cash flowing and stay competitive.
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$349 Billion Could Move Through a Much Smarter Checkout
A new report reveals that retailers are losing billions by failing to present the right financing offers during the checkout process.
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When AI Agents Get It Wrong, Who Takes the Call?
As payments move from assisted AI to autonomous agents, merchants must decide where automation ends and human oversight begins.
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Fraud and Disputes Rank as a Top Cost for 42% of Issuers
Rising fraud and dispute costs are forcing lenders to overhaul verification, potentially impacting merchant approval rates and checkout friction.
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Need Capital for Your Funding or Lending Company? 3Jane Does it On Blockchain
A new blockchain-based credit provider aims to streamline how consumer lenders get funded, potentially expanding financing options for retailers.
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Oportun Deploys AI to Help Consumers Save for Recurring Expenses
Oportun’s new AI feature automates savings for recurring bills, helping consumers avoid defaults and ensuring more reliable payments for providers.
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Circle buys IBM's blockchain patent portfolio
Circle acquires IBM's blockchain patents, signaling a shift toward faster, lower-cost stablecoin payments for retailers.
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Apple Leasing Program to Replace iPhone Upgrade
Apple shifts from traditional device financing to a hardware leasing model, signaling a new era of subscription-based consumer tech access.
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Happen’s Digital Banking Push Helps Deposits Jump 18%
LendingClub’s deposit growth signals a more stable and well-funded source of consumer financing for retail and service-based merchants.
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Upstart Receives Conditional OCC Approval for Bank Charter
AI-lender Upstart nears final bank charter approval, signaling a shift toward more stable and integrated consumer financing options.
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Rent fintech Flex is latest firm to ask for a bank charter
Rent-splitting fintech Flex applies for a bank charter to gain more control over its lending and customer experience.
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One bank's pitch to potential depositors: Do well and do good
Climate First Bank launches a mission-driven high-yield account to secure the funding needed for its growing loan portfolio.
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Outage leaves UK bank customers unable to make payments
Recent UK banking outages highlight the critical need for retailers to maintain redundant payment systems to prevent lost sales during technical failures.
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Mastercard bolsters scam defense
Mastercard and Visa are introducing new rules that require merchants to adopt advanced fraud detection to combat rising payment scams.
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Stressed parents turn to BNPL for back-to-school shopping
New data shows nearly half of parents will use BNPL for school shopping, making flexible payments a must-have for retail conversion.
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HSBC to open Singapore AI centre of excellence
HSBC's new AI center signals a shift toward faster, more automated consumer credit approvals and smarter risk management.
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'Tokenized dollars will obviate the ACH': Caitlin Long
Custodia Bank CEO predicts tokenized deposits will replace traditional ACH, promising instant payment settlement for merchants.
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Survey: Bankers support some Fed reforms, but not all
Community bank executives signal a push for Federal Reserve reforms that could reshape the consumer lending environment for retail partners.
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Upstart wins preliminary approval to establish US bank
AI-lender Upstart moves to become a regulated bank, promising more stable funding and consistent credit access for retail partners.
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This Week in Consumer Financing: The Tech-Tide and the Regulatory Wall
Retailers weigh a future of AI-driven checkout and stablecoin payments against a tightening regulatory environment for fintech providers.
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Keeping pace with the next era of commerce payments
Modernizing your checkout with integrated financing and omnichannel payments is essential to converting high-intent shoppers.
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APIs Now Decide Who Gets Served and How Fast
Modern API technology is transforming consumer financing from a clunky backend process into a seamless checkout experience for retailers.
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FIS Links Digital Money to Smarter Bank Networks
FIS is bridging the gap between digital assets and traditional banking to speed up payments and reduce merchant friction.
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The Best Enterprise AI Knows Its Limits
Retailers should focus on narrow AI agents with strict guardrails to safely automate payment and financing workflows.
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Deputy Director Mark Paoletta’s Remarks to the Financial Literacy and Education Commission
CFPB leadership signals a pivot toward consumer empowerment and education, potentially easing the path for transparent financing programs.
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Flex Seeks Bank Charter to Scale Flexible Rent Payments
Rent-splitting fintech Flex applies for a bank charter, signaling that flexible payment models for housing are here to stay.
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This Week in Stablecoins: Visa, Goldman and Samsung Raise the Stakes
Visa and Goldman Sachs are leading a push to bring stablecoins into mainstream retail payments, promising faster and cheaper settlement.
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Weave’s $8,000 Robot Finally Folds Your Laundry
Weave Robotics launches an $8,000 home robot, leaning on a $449 monthly payment plan to drive consumer adoption.
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Inside Upstart's journey to get a bank charter approval
Upstart's move to secure a bank charter promises more stable funding and consistent credit access for merchants using their AI-driven lending platform.
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Samsung Wallet Plans Stablecoin Integration to Build Mobile Financial Hub
Samsung's move to bring stablecoins to its mobile wallet could offer retailers faster settlements and a new alternative to traditional credit payments.
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Disclosures show CFPB pick's ties to several regulated firms
New CFPB leadership nominee signals a potential shift toward pro-business oversight and reduced regulatory friction for consumer lenders.
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How Wise's OCC rejection creates demand for bank AML experts
Federal regulators signal a crackdown on fintech compliance, forcing lenders to prioritize security over rapid expansion.
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Stripe Doubles Down on AI With OpenRouter Deal
Stripe’s potential $10B acquisition of OpenRouter signals a major shift toward AI-powered payment and financing tools for merchants.
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PrimeLending cuts $10M fixed costs as margins squeeze
PrimeLending slashes $10M in costs as the mortgage market remains stagnant, signaling continued financing hurdles for homeowners.
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GOP fraud plan: More tools for banks, no scam liability
New GOP fraud proposal focuses on giving banks more time to verify transactions without expanding liability for customer scams.
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BNY and Nubank CEOs join OpenAI board, shake-up at Old National
Big bank CEOs join OpenAI’s board as the industry pushes for faster, AI-powered consumer credit and underwriting.
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'We can unlock those assets': Kara Kennedy
J.P. Morgan’s blockchain lead explains how 'replatforming' the financial industry will speed up transactions and automate asset management.
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Amex Turns Gen Z Loyalty Into an AI Advantage
Amex earnings reveal Millennials and Gen Z now drive a third of total network spend as AI-driven personalization takes center stage.
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OCC denies Wise a trust charter
The OCC rejected Wise’s trust charter application over compliance concerns, signaling a tougher U.S. regulatory environment for fintech providers.
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How AI is changing work at Amex
Amex shifts strategy toward AI-driven customer service and tech development, signaling faster but more automated merchant support.
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Democrats grill CFPB nominee over CapOne, staff-cut plan
CFPB nominee Brian Johnson hints at agency reforms that could lead to a more relaxed regulatory environment for consumer lenders and retailers.
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Upstart nabs conditional bank charter
AI lending giant Upstart secures preliminary approval for a national bank charter, signaling more stable funding for consumer credit.
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Marqeta and zerohash make stablecoins spendable on cards
New Marqeta and Zero Hash integration allows customers to spend stablecoins via traditional cards at any merchant checkout.
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OCC rejects Wise’s trust charter application over ‘deficiencies’
U.S. regulators block fintech Wise’s bank charter application, citing concerns over money laundering controls and internal governance.
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Amex ups marketing, tech spend
American Express ramps up marketing and tech investment to attract younger shoppers and streamline digital checkout experiences for merchants.
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Alipay+ Secures Hang Seng as First Hong Kong Banking Partner
Alipay+ adds Hang Seng Bank, allowing Hong Kong consumers to shop at millions of global merchants using their native banking app.
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Swiss private bank invests into Mbanq's new note listed on Düsseldorf Stock Exchange
Capital injection for Mbanq strengthens the technology infrastructure behind retail embedded finance and consumer lending.