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SEC Calls for Greater Rigor in Valuing Private Credit Assets
The SEC is cracking down on private credit valuations, potentially impacting how non-bank lenders fund consumer financing programs.
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Valley will gain low-cost deposits from deal for Bluevine
Valley National Bank acquires Bluevine’s banking unit to secure low-cost deposits and expand its small-business lending tech.
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Valley Bank Courts Small Businesses With Bluevine Acquisition
Valley Bank acquires Bluevine for $340M, signaling a push for faster, AI-driven digital lending and banking tools for small business owners.
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Fed watchdog flags gaps in security incident oversight
A new Fed audit reveals security oversight gaps, signaling a likely increase in compliance pressure for lenders and their merchant partners.
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BNY Aims to Bring Cross-Border Bank Payments to Digital Wallets
BNY launches Pay-to-Wallet technology to streamline cross-border payments directly into consumer digital wallets.
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Lending, coding, manual work: Citi Ventures places AI bets
Citi Ventures is investing heavily in AI to streamline lending processes and automate credit decisions, promising faster results for retail finance.
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Swift Wants to Make X-Border Payments as Easy as Domestic Ones
Swift’s new global payment initiative aims to bring the speed and simplicity of domestic mobile apps to international consumer transactions.
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OCC's Gould limiting examiner time at banks
The OCC is capping the time examiners spend inside banks, potentially streamlining operations for national consumer lenders.
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Grok Puts the AI Assistant Between Consumers and Their Banks
Elon Musk’s xAI integrates bank linking into Grok, turning the chatbot into a personalized financial advisor for consumer spending and debt management.
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Citi and Coinbase Unlock Merchant Stablecoin Payments With Fiat Settlement
Citi and Coinbase partner to allow merchants to accept stablecoin payments with instant, risk-free conversion to cash.
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California’s Nano Banc fails
California's Nano Banc becomes the sixth bank failure of 2026, signaling potential shifts in credit availability for retail financing programs.
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Another judge rejects Trump's attempt to halt CFPB funding
Federal courts uphold CFPB funding, ensuring the consumer credit watchdog maintains its enforcement and oversight authority over the financing industry.
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FDIC clamps down on ‘significantly undercapitalized’ Old Glory Bank
Federal regulators have restricted Old Glory Bank from lending due to dangerously low capital levels, signaling potential instability for its merchant partners.
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Valley National Bank to acquire fintech Bluevine for $340M
Valley National Bank’s acquisition of Bluevine signals a major shift toward merging traditional bank stability with fast, tech-driven small business lending.
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Swift provdes cross-border gateway to Bizum, PayID and Pix users
Swift’s new initiative allows international shoppers to pay via mobile aliases, simplifying cross-border transactions for retailers.
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How to get companies to adopt faster and more automated payments
Faster payment rails and blockchain automation are poised to accelerate merchant funding cycles and simplify back-office reconciliation.
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Real-time payments: why companies are slow to adopt them
Real-time payments promise instant cash flow for retailers, but legacy accounting systems are currently standing in the way of adoption.
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BNY unveils Pay-to-Wallet technology option for banks
BNY's new Pay-to-Wallet tech streamlines international payments by linking traditional bank accounts directly to digital retail wallets.
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US banks invited to join Apple Pay class lawsuit
A class-action lawsuit targeting Apple’s mobile wallet monopoly moves forward, potentially opening iPhones to competing payment and financing apps.
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FIS integrates with data and AI platform Spade's real-time transaction enrichment technology
FIS integrates AI technology to turn messy transaction codes into clear merchant data, helping retailers reduce chargebacks and improve payment accuracy.
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Mission Lane gets green light for OCC charter
Mission Lane receives conditional approval for the first new OCC credit card bank charter in 20 years, signaling shifts for subprime consumer lending.
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Chime is turning a seven-year-plus bank partnership into vertical integration
Chime’s move toward vertical integration could lead to more stable and integrated credit products for the millions of consumers using neobanks.
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New forms of intelligent money set to hit traditional bank B2B revenue streams
New digital payment technologies like stablecoins are projected to capture 4% of global payments by 2030, challenging traditional bank dominance.
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Capital One’s agentic AI strategy hinges on data, platform-first mindset
Capital One’s push into autonomous AI agents aims to streamline customer credit interactions through better data integration and automated reasoning.
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XConnect introduc3es KYC 'Fuzzy Matching'
New fuzzy matching tech aims to reduce financing application rejections caused by simple typos and minor identity mismatches.
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Sainsbury's begins roll out of loans and saving products via NatWest Boxed
Sainsbury’s partners with NatWest to launch embedded personal loans and savings, signaling a shift toward retailer-branded financial ecosystems.
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This Week in Consumer Financing: The Rise of the AI Agent and Stablecoin Standards
Retailers face a new frontier as AI agents begin handling transactions and the Fed moves to stabilize digital payment rails.
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Black Friday 2026 ready: The infrastructure and compliance checklist retailers can’t afford to skip
New technical barriers against high consumer complaint rates threaten to block retailers' peak-season financing and promotional emails.
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Banking’s AI red flag: From 0 rollbacks to deploying agents you can trust
Learn how the shift to AI agents in banking impacts merchant compliance and the critical need for transparent automated customer service.
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Why a full-stack AI infrastructure is the new trust currency in banking
Lenders are upgrading to full-stack AI to improve credit decision speed and data security, directly impacting how retailers offer point-of-sale financing.
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How embedded finance is redefining the role of SaaS platforms
Software platforms are evolving into one-stop shops for business operations and integrated consumer financing.
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Turning audience data into an intent channel
Leverage consumer financial data and intent signals to offer personalized financing at the exact moment of purchase.
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Nubank in talks to take over Monzo
A potential $10 billion merger between Nubank and Monzo could create a global powerhouse in consumer credit and digital lending.
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AI Turns Scattered Payment Data Into Smarter Routing Decisions
AI is evolving from a customer-facing tool to a backend engine that optimizes payment routing and boosts transaction success rates for retailers.
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CPG Brands Rank Checkout as Top Promotions Priority, but Budgets Lag
CPG brands prioritize 'smart' checkout tools to drive promotions, but a significant gap remains between strategic goals and technology investment.
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AI Access Becomes New Commodity for Cybercriminals
Cybercriminals are weaponizing AI to automate fraud, posing new risks for merchant financing portals and consumer credit security.
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Singapore to train 80,000 FS sector employees in AI skills
Singapore's plan to train 80,000 finance workers in AI signals a major shift toward automated, data-driven consumer lending worldwide.
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Revolut gets green light to buy Argentinian bank
Revolut gains a banking foothold in Argentina, signaling a major expansion of digital consumer credit and lending across Latin America.
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Wells Fargo names COO Scott Powell as next risk chief
Wells Fargo taps COO Scott Powell as new risk chief, a move that could influence the bank's future lending appetite and credit approval standards.
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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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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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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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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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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.