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Curated industry news and original merchant playbooks.
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industry-news
Embattled California bank is latest to fail
The failure of Republic Bank signals continued volatility in the banking sector, urging retailers to diversify their consumer financing partners.
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technology
Block Joins x402 Foundation to Drive Agentic Commerce Standards
Block joins the x402 Foundation to standardize how AI agents handle payments and consumer financial transactions.
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lender-updates
Why BMO has regained confidence in its US strategy
BMO signals a pivot back to U.S. growth and stability after overcoming integration hurdles from its recent West Coast expansion.
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technology
What Revolut hopes to gain by pushing 'selfie payments'
Revolut tests facial recognition 'Pay with Smile' technology to streamline the retail checkout experience and drive POS hardware adoption.
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technology
Fiserv call center reactivated stolen cards, lawsuit alleges
A lawsuit against Fiserv claims call center agents bypassed security protocols to reactivate stolen cards, signaling new fraud risks for merchants.
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regulation
Fed proposes stablecoin rules under GENIUS Act
The Federal Reserve’s new stablecoin proposal could pave the way for faster, cheaper digital payment settlements for retailers.
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industry-news
Unity Bancorp names first new CEO in 22 years
SoFi and Mastercard launch stablecoin settlement partnership while Unity Bancorp undergoes its first CEO transition in over two decades.
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technology
Feedzai tackles banks’ agentic AI integration gap with Farol agent
Feedzai’s new AI agent aims to speed up fraud investigations, potentially reducing friction and false declines in the consumer financing process.
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regulation
Fed Prepares to Lift Thresholds That Trigger Stricter Bank Oversight
The Federal Reserve considers easing oversight on mid-sized banks, potentially sparking more competition in the consumer lending market.
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Why all of AI's issues are ultimately trust issues
As AI reshapes consumer lending, retailers must prioritize transparency and human oversight to maintain customer trust and regulatory compliance.
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regulation
Fed proposes stablecoin rules
The Federal Reserve’s new stablecoin proposal aims to ensure digital payments remain pegged to the dollar, reducing risk for merchants and consumers.
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lender-updates
Amazon Adds Walmart Orders, Opening a Wider View of Sellers
Amazon expands merchant lending criteria to include sales from external marketplaces like Walmart, offering a holistic view of seller creditworthiness.
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Open Standard's stablecoin business begins to take shape
A new bank-backed stablecoin network is forming to challenge traditional payment rails, promising lower fees and shared revenue for partners.
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NatWest unveils AI-powered audio-visual spending insights tool
NatWest's new AI tool brings real-time financial coaching to consumers, potentially impacting how they evaluate big-ticket purchases.
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FIDO wrestles with agentic trust
The FIDO Alliance is developing new standards to help retailers securely verify and accept autonomous payments made by AI agents.
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regulation
House Dems seek extended comment period on Trump CRA rewrite
House Democrats are requesting more time to review a sweeping 400-page overhaul of bank lending rules that could impact consumer credit availability.
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regulation
Bank examiners already have a good template for regulating AI
Federal regulators are using existing oversight tools to police AI in lending, signaling a crackdown on credit bias and opaque approval algorithms.
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technology
51% of eCommerce Merchants Hold the Line on Fraud Staffing
Retailers are pivoting away from manual fraud staffing in favor of automated technology to streamline the checkout experience and cut costs.
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regulation
Fed Proposes Stablecoin Reserve and Capital Rules Under GENIUS Act
New Federal Reserve proposals aim to secure stablecoin payments by requiring issuers to back digital assets with strictly regulated cash reserves.
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lender-updates
Revolut Wins Central Bank Approval to Acquire Argentine Bank
Global fintech Revolut gains Argentine banking license, signaling a major expansion into consumer credit and lending services.
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technology
Swift and Wells Fargo join Linux Foundation Decentralized Trust
Wells Fargo and Swift join a global effort to modernize financial infrastructure using blockchain, promising faster and more secure consumer lending.
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FedNow to enable cross-border payments
The Federal Reserve moves to make international payments as fast as domestic transfers, promising instant global settlement for merchants.
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BNP Paribas forges agentic AI partnership with Google Cloud
BNP Paribas and Google Cloud partner to deploy advanced AI that could speed up loan approvals and improve merchant financing tools.
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UK Banks Execute First Transactions With Tokenized Deposits
UK banking giants complete live trials of tokenized deposits, paving the way for instant settlement and automated retail payments.
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Best Buy Uses AI to Stop Passing Customers Around
Best Buy leverages AI to eliminate repetitive customer support handoffs, protecting high-ticket sales and reducing operational friction.
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FedNow Opens Door to Cross-Border Instant Payments
The Federal Reserve moves to eliminate international payment delays by expanding the FedNow instant payment service to global transactions.
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5 Things to Know as Banks Connect Tokenized Deposits
Major banks successfully pilot tokenized deposits for retail purchases, signaling a shift toward instant, programmable settlement for merchants.
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regulation
SBA faces blowback over plan to redefine small business
A proposed SBA rule change could allow larger firms to compete for small business loans, potentially shifting the landscape for merchant capital.
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industry-news
Revolut customers impacted by new data breach
A secondary data breach involving Revolut partner DriveWealth highlights systemic security risks for merchants using integrated fintech tools.
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lender-updates
Latest leadership shuffle shows Wells Fargo is in new phase
Wells Fargo's leadership shakeup signals a shift toward growth and stability, moving the major consumer lender past its era of regulatory crisis.
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regulation
AGs warn Congress that AI threatens the financial system
State attorneys general are calling for federal action to regulate AI in finance, targeting autonomous systems that could impact consumer lending and fairness.
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technology
Workday Expands Payroll and Verification Ecosystem Through Cash App and Experian Integrations
Workday’s new integrations with Cash App and Experian streamline how workers get paid and how lenders verify income for consumer credit.
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Why AI models favor fintechs over traditional banks
AI models are recommending fintech lenders over traditional banks, potentially shifting how your customers discover financing options.
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Amazon Wants to Run Merchants’ Businesses Beyond Amazon
Amazon expands Buy with Prime and fulfillment tools to help merchants manage sales and payments on their own independent websites.
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Ebanx Expands Pakistan Footprint and Deepens Emerging-Market Payments Push
Ebanx expands its global footprint and rolls out new Apple Pay tools to help merchants capture more sales in emerging markets.
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ECB Explores Linking Europe’s Instant Payment Rail With Brazil’s Pix
The ECB is testing a link between Europe and Brazil’s instant payment systems, potentially lowering costs for international retail transactions.
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regulation
Democrats reintroduce bill to curb private equity
Reintroduced legislation targets private equity practices, potentially impacting the capital structures of retailers and consumer finance providers.
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Cleverbridge completes France's first Passkey-authenticated agentic purchase, on a Revolut card
Cleverbridge pilots biometric passkey payments in France, signaling a move toward password-less, AI-driven checkouts for global retailers.
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Citi and HSBC back IPID Series A
Citi and HSBC invest in IPID to bolster payment security and verify identities in real-time across global digital transactions.
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Narmi open AI marketplace for community banks
Narmi’s new AI Marketplace helps community banks automate lending, potentially speeding up credit approvals for your customers.
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Rethinking Orchestration for the Next Generation of AI-Driven Payments
Next-gen AI orchestration is transforming payment stacks from simple transaction tools into smart engines for fraud prevention and higher approvals.
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Are Banks Ready for The Next Generation of Fraud?
As AI fuels a new wave of sophisticated identity fraud, merchants must prepare for more advanced verification hurdles in the consumer financing journey.
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Moov adds P2P competition
Moov launches a cross-platform P2P payment tool using Visa and Mastercard networks, challenging the 'walled garden' approach of major payment apps.
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The Clearing House taps Quant for tokenised deposit network
The Clearing House is building a tokenized deposit network to enable instant, programmable settlements across the U.S. banking system.
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Solaris goes live on ACI Worldwide platform for Sepa instant payments
Solaris migrates to ACI Worldwide’s cloud platform to power instant payments and more reliable embedded finance for merchants.
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Kredete acquires Gravv to build stablecoin infrastructure
Kredete’s acquisition of Gravv signals a shift toward stablecoin-powered infrastructure to drive faster, real-time consumer lending and global payments.
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Affirm wants its data to tell a more complete customer story
Affirm rolls out new AI-driven underwriting to boost customer approvals by looking beyond traditional credit scores.
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Ripjar ramps up AI in customer screening to disrupt global economy of crime
New AI enhancements in customer screening aim to streamline lending approvals by reducing false fraud alerts and improving risk detection.
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UK banks pilot tokenised deposit transactions
UK banking giants successfully pilot blockchain-based deposits, paving the way for instant merchant settlements and automated 'smart' financing.
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Revolut trials Pay with Smile
Revolut is testing facial recognition technology that allows customers to pay for goods without a card or phone, aiming to further reduce friction at the POS.
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lender-updates
Decta and Sapi partner to bring payment-linked financing to UK SMEs
DECTA Capital launches a payment-linked financing solution for UK merchants, offering flexible repayments tied directly to daily sales volume.
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Why 63 CPG Brands Said Yes to Smart Checkout
New smart checkout tech allows brands to fund instant shopper discounts, turning the point of sale into a high-conversion marketing engine.
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Businesses Move Fraud Checks Ahead of Payments
New industry data shows businesses are moving fraud verification to the start of the transaction to stop bad actors before they hit the checkout.
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regulation
How to Pay Off an MCA With an SBA Under The New Rules Effective Oct 1
New SBA guidelines effective October 1 impose strict waiting periods for businesses looking to refinance high-cost merchant cash advances.
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AI fintech Duqu raises €1.5m to tackle Europe's late payment problem
AI-powered fintech Duqu raises €1.5M to help businesses unlock cash stuck in unpaid invoices, offering a modern alternative to traditional factoring.
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industry-news
Trustly slashes 200 jobs
Open banking leader Trustly cuts 25% of its workforce to pivot toward profitability and core European markets.
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Former Visa crypto lead launches open payments network
A new open payments network backed by former Visa talent aims to lower transaction costs and speed up settlement for digital payments.
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Banks Put Transaction Data to Work in Commerce Media
Banks are leveraging vast transaction data to help retailers target shoppers with personalized rewards and financing offers.
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Are banks falling behind on agentic commerce standards?
Big banks rush to set standards for AI agents that can shop and pay for consumers, but fintech rivals are already moving into the space.
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regulation
Court Shields Federal Credit Unions From Illinois Swipe Fee Law
A federal court ruling exempts federal credit unions from Illinois' swipe fee ban, creating new hurdles for retailers expecting transaction cost relief.
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PayPal partners with Meta's Muse AI assistant
PayPal joins forces with Meta’s Muse AI to turn social media conversations into instant checkout opportunities for merchants.
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lender-updates
NMI Expands Business Capital Lending Program for Small Merchants
NMI scales its embedded lending program, giving merchants faster access to working capital through their existing payment infrastructure.
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lender-updates
Amazon adds Affirm payments option in the UK
Amazon UK partners with Affirm to offer transparent monthly installment plans for purchases over £100.
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Before giving AI agents power, bankers should ask questions
As lenders adopt autonomous AI agents to handle credit tasks, business owners must understand the risks of automated errors at the point of sale.
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lender-updates
Fintech Avant applies for OCC charter
Consumer lender Avant seeks a national bank charter to lower funding costs and expand its credit offerings for mid-prime borrowers.
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Citi launches media platform for advertisers
Citi launches a data-driven media network, allowing retailers to target cardholders based on real-world spending habits.
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industry-news
Amazon Expands UK BNPL Footprint With Affirm Partnership
Amazon teams up with Affirm in the U.K. to offer instant installment loans, signaling a continued global shift toward BNPL at checkout.
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Legal Context Protocol Logs the Terms AI Agents Accept
New protocols for AI agents aim to protect merchants from disputes when automated bots agree to financing terms and purchase contracts.
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regulation
State Bank Regulators Give Examiners a Road Map for AI Oversight
New state-level guidelines for AI oversight will force transparency and stricter compliance on consumer lending partners.
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Bank of America plans to double AI budget next year
Bank of America's massive AI budget increase signals a future of faster approvals and frictionless credit for retail customers.
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Eqidfax launches two new fraud intelligencce products
Equifax introduces new email and device intelligence tools to help retailers identify fraudulent financing applications during checkout.
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merchant-playbooks
At Home gives its customers a voice in its loyalty program evolution
At Home revamps its loyalty strategy to focus on tangible rewards, signaling a shift in how home retailers must attract repeat big-ticket buyers.
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Solidgate and Airwallex to give merchants local acquiring as they expand into new markets globally
Solidgate and Airwallex partner to help merchants lower cross-border fees and improve international conversion rates through local payment acquiring.
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Baselayer raises $35 million; rolls out agentic identtity suite
Baselayer secures $35M to automate identity verification, aiming to reduce friction and false declines in the consumer financing process.
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Paywhere launches AI banking channel
Paywhere’s new AI-ready banking platform allows lenders to integrate financing and payment data directly into consumer AI assistants and apps.
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How digital IDs may battle fraud
Congress is pushing for a digital ID framework that could slash identity fraud and streamline consumer financing approvals for retailers.
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industry-news
Adyen hires Klarna's Niclas Neglen as CFO
Adyen taps Klarna’s CFO to lead its finances, signaling a major push to integrate Buy Now, Pay Later deeper into the global payment landscape.
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lender-updates
Santander refers vulnerable customers to Sibstar
Santander partners with Sibstar to launch a debit card designed to help customers with cognitive impairments manage their spending safely.
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industry-news
Adyen snaps up Klarna CFO
Adyen hires Klarna’s CFO in a strategic move that signals a deeper push into the consumer credit and financing market.
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regulation
Banks should be required to explain the reason for an account closure
New regulatory proposals aim to end 'silent' bank account closures, giving businesses more transparency when financial relationships are terminated.
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Tink founders return with agentic compliance startup
Tink’s founders launch Freda, an AI startup aimed at automating the complex compliance hurdles that often slow down consumer lending.
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Agentic Commerce Needs Its Febreze Moment
AI agents are moving from simple assistants to active shoppers, requiring a total rethink of how retailers present financing offers at checkout.
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merchant-playbooks
Gen Z Hands Merchants a Checkout Ultimatum
Gen Z is ditching digital carts at record rates if they don't see their preferred digital wallets and flexible payment options at checkout.
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Amazon blocks Meta’s AI shopper
Amazon blocks Meta’s AI shopping bot, signaling a fight for control over the digital checkout experience and consumer financing touchpoints.
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industry-news
Adyen snaps up Klarna CFO
Adyen recruits Klarna's CFO, signaling a strategic push to bridge the gap between global payment processing and consumer financing solutions.
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SoFi Bank goes live with stablecoin settlement across Mastercard network
SoFi and Mastercard shift card settlements to blockchain, promising faster processing and lower costs for the consumer finance ecosystem.
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Deutsche Bank estimates 30% uplift in client onboarding by deploying KYC AI
Deutsche Bank’s 30% boost in onboarding efficiency via AI signals a faster, friction-free future for consumer financing approvals.
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Canadian banks join forces on tokenised deposits
Canada’s largest banks pilot tokenized deposits, paving the way for instant settlements and programmable payments for retailers.
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regulation
Nuvei Case Turns Chargebacks Into an FTC Warning Sign
The FTC’s crackdown on Nuvei signals a shift toward stricter merchant monitoring and lower tolerance for high chargeback rates across the industry.
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Crocs Puts One AI Agent in Charge of Sales and Service
Crocs integrates sales and support into one AI agent, signaling a move toward friction-free retail that could transform how shoppers access financing.
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regulation
Judge adds credit unions to Illinois swipe fee injunction
A federal judge has expanded the block on Illinois’ swipe fee ban to include credit unions, stalling the state's attempt to lower merchant processing costs.
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OpenAI Hands Banks a Shortcut Around Billion-Dollar Core Rewrites
AI-powered 'wrappers' allow legacy lenders to modernize their financing tools instantly, bypassing expensive and slow infrastructure upgrades.
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Moov launches small- bank P2P alternative to Zelle
Moov’s new P2P platform gives community banks Zelle-like instant payment power, easing money movement for local lenders and their customers.
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Meta Adds PayPal to Muse AI Assistant for Global Checkout
Meta and PayPal partner to allow AI agents to handle global checkouts, moving the point of sale from the storefront to the assistant.
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Ramp Debuts AR Tool to Keep Finance Teams From Chasing Payments
Ramp launches an automated accounts receivable tool to help businesses streamline invoicing and speed up customer payment cycles.
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Mirai RiskTech raises €5m for global growth
Spanish fintech Mirai RiskTech raises €5M to help banks use AI for better risk management and more stable lending operations.
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ACI Worldwide connects with Swift's ledger
ACI Worldwide’s new integration with Swift's ledger streamlines global payment routing to speed up settlement and improve transaction reliability.
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Stablecoins and the future of payment rails
Next-gen payment rails using stablecoins could soon offer retailers instant settlement and lower processing fees than traditional credit cards.
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Rogers Bank completes agentic commerce transactions with Flybits and Mastercard
Mastercard and Rogers Bank pilot AI-driven 'agentic commerce' to automate secure consumer transactions and payment selection.
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Finzly certified for Request for Payment on the TCH RTP network.
Finzly’s new certification for the RTP network paves the way for instant, bank-to-bank retail payments and faster financing disbursements.