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Curated industry news and original merchant playbooks.
Curated
medical
lender-updates
U.S. Bank Picks Eric Levine for New Healthcare Payments Role
U.S. Bank signals a major push into the medical sector by appointing a new head of healthcare payments and merchant sales.
Curated
general
technology
Judge Denies Fiserv Motion to Dismiss Credit Union Lawsuit
A major lawsuit against Fiserv moves forward, highlighting risks for businesses tied to large payment processors and restrictive service contracts.
Curated
general
industry-news
Loans and phones: Block's post-layoff battle with banks, fintechs
Block deepens Afterpay integration within Cash App, aiming to replace traditional bank cards at the merchant checkout.
Curated
general
technology
Backbase buys agentic banking platform Kasisto
Backbase’s acquisition of Kasisto brings sophisticated conversational AI to the point of sale, aiming to reduce friction in the consumer financing journey.
Curated
general
technology
Prime Day Is AI Commerce’s Biggest Stress Test Yet
Amazon's AI-driven Prime Day signals a shift toward automated checkouts that require frictionless, pre-integrated financing solutions.
Curated
general
regulation
Vermont Follows Texas on Merchant Cash Advance Regulations
Vermont joins Texas in cracking down on automatic bank debits by MCA providers, giving merchants more control over their cash flow.
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general
industry-news
Fintech partner to rebrand to Quill Bank
A key 'behind-the-scenes' bank for consumer financing platforms rebrands to Quill Bank, signaling a push for stability in fintech lending.
Curated
general
technology
KeyBank bets on relationships over tech budgets
KeyBank pivots to AI-enhanced relationship banking, focusing on proactive financial insights for business operators rather than just digital automation.
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general
technology
Bluecode brings NFC payments to Android and iOS devices
Bluecode launches NFC payments for iOS and Android, signaling a new era of open access for mobile wallets at the point of sale.
Curated
general
regulation
BNPL groups ‘neutral’ on Illinois bill
Illinois proposed BNPL regulations gain momentum as industry groups signal they won't fight the new licensing requirements.
Curated
general
technology
AI-native loan origination platform Lama AI lands $20m Series A
Lama AI raises $20M to help community banks automate lending, promising faster credit approvals for local merchants and their customers.
Curated
general
technology
What Navy Federal found in its synthetic data pilot
Navy Federal’s pilot shows AI data can speed up tech testing, but still struggles to replicate real human emotions in financial decision-making.
Curated
general
industry-news
Meta leads $900m funding round for Indian fintech Cred
Meta invests $900M in fintech giant Cred and hires its CEO to lead WhatsApp, signaling a push for integrated credit and payments.
Curated
general
regulation
Senate Democrats press Vought on CFPB website deletions
Senate Democrats are challenging website changes at the CFPB, signaling a major shift in federal oversight for consumer lending and retail financing.
Curated
general
technology
10x Banking reaches Ebitda positive
Cloud-native banking leader 10x hits profitability, signaling increased stability and innovation for the back-end technology powering consumer loans.
Curated
general
industry-news
Quint hires former Tide CEO and Revolut COO Laurence Krieger to advise on M&A
Fintech heavyweight Laurence Krieger joins Quint Group to lead a strategic push into credit and payments M&A.
Curated
general
technology
Bank chatbot platform Kasisto acquired by Backbase
Backbase’s acquisition of Kasisto will bring smarter, conversational AI to the banks that power your consumer financing programs.
Curated
general
regulation
Are you a fintech seeking a bank charter? Consider these implications
As fintech lenders pursue bank charters, merchants should prepare for stricter compliance standards and more stable financing partnerships.
Curated
general
technology
NAB rolls out conversational AI; creates AI cybercrime hub
NAB's new AI tools signal a future of easier data access for retailers, paired with a significant ramp-up in anti-fraud security measures.
Curated
general
regulation
Talk less, smile more: Behind Warsh's communications gambit
A shift toward less Fed transparency could mean more volatility for consumer lending rates and merchant financing costs.
Curated
home-improvement
regulation
Housing bill sails through Senate, cruising toward passage
New bipartisan housing legislation could ease regulatory burdens for community lenders, potentially freeing up credit for home improvement projects.
Curated
general
technology
Austrian banks embrace Wero
Austrian banks join the Wero digital wallet initiative, pushing Europe toward a unified, card-free payment and financing ecosystem.
Curated
general
lender-updates
Kafene bags $18m to serve the underbanked - FinTech Global
Lease-to-own provider Kafene secures $18M in funding to expand flexible payment options for credit-challenged shoppers.
Original
How to Pitch Financing Without Losing the Sale
Stop treating monthly payments like a sales tactic and start treating them like a customer service tool to protect your margins and your reputation.
Curated
general
regulation
OCC Applying Bank Secrecy Act to Stablecoin Issuers
New OCC rules aim to bring stablecoin payments under strict banking compliance standards to reduce fraud and increase legitimacy.
Curated
general
lender-updates
Happen Sheds LendingClub Name and Launches Digital Bank
LendingClub rebrands as Happen Bank, signaling a shift toward full-service digital banking and diversified consumer financing options.
Curated
general
regulation
Some want Basel changes for certain non-QM and HLTV loans
New banking capital rules could tighten the market for non-traditional mortgages and investment property loans.
Curated
general
industry-news
As LendingClub Finally Rebrands to Happen Bank, Prosper Holds On to Legacy Peer-to-Peer Lending Model
LendingClub rebrands to Happen Bank, signaling a major shift toward digital banking and away from its peer-to-peer origins.
Curated
general
technology
NatWest launches bank-wide AI ethics accreditation
NatWest’s new AI ethics program highlights the growing push for transparency and fairness in automated consumer lending.
Curated
medical
technology
Prosper AI Raises $30 Million to Automate the Patient Journey
Prosper AI’s $30M funding round aims to eliminate billing friction and streamline the patient financial journey through automation.
Curated
general
regulation
Court denies 45-day deadline to rule on CFPB staff-cut case
A federal judge’s refusal to rush a ruling on CFPB job cuts means current consumer financing oversight stays in place while the legal battle drags on.
Curated
general
technology
Flagstar CIO: Proprietary tech creates ‘optionality’
Flagstar Bank’s new proprietary AI platform aims to streamline lending operations and improve responsiveness for retail financing partners.
Curated
general
regulation
Visa, Mastercard fend off fee foes
Retailers face continued high swipe fees as legal challenges against Visa and Mastercard stall in federal and state courts.
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general
regulation
Nacha’s fraud rules land
New Nacha rules mandate stricter fraud monitoring for ACH transfers, potentially impacting how merchants receive disbursements and financing payouts.
Curated
general
technology
Volume secures FCA authorisation
Volume’s FCA approval paves the way for retailers to slash transaction fees using secure, instant Open Banking payments.
Curated
general
technology
Dun & Bradstreet introduces agentic AI
New AI-driven compliance tools promise to slash application processing times by up to 90%, speeding up approvals for consumer financing.
Curated
general
regulation
Defenders of federal preemption place big banks ahead of consumers
A legal battle over federal banking power could force national lenders to overhaul their state-by-state financing terms and interest rates.
Curated
general
technology
AI lessons learned from 3 SMB banks
Community banks are using AI to automate underwriting, promising faster financing approvals and less paperwork for retail merchants.
Curated
general
technology
Why ISO Compliance May Not Be as Ubiquitous as It Seems
New data standards for payment processing hit a critical deadline this November, potentially impacting lender settlement speed and transaction accuracy.
Curated
general
technology
Nuvion gets onboard with Visa Direct
Nuvion integrates Visa Direct to enable near real-time global payouts and faster cross-border settlements for businesses.
Curated
general
regulation
Bank of England bows to pressure on stablecoin holdings
The Bank of England relaxes stablecoin holding limits, signaling a shift toward mainstream digital currency adoption for retail payments.
Curated
general
technology
Lloyds Bank on the hunt for 300 agentic AI specialists
Lloyds Banking Group's massive AI hiring spree signals a move toward autonomous, hyper-personalized consumer lending tools.
Curated
general
technology
TransUnion to help lenders assess proportional affordability
TransUnion’s new income assessment tool helps lenders approve more customers by providing a clearer picture of real-world affordability.
Original
industry-news
This Week in Consumer Financing: The Waterfall Era and the AI Underwriting Edge
Retailers move toward 'waterfall' financing models and AI-driven approvals to capture every possible sale in a tightening market.
Curated
general
technology
How payment orchestration helps merchants drive business growth
Streamline your checkout by using orchestration to manage multiple financing lenders and payment methods through a single integration.
Curated
general
technology
Atom Bank cuts loan administration times with AI-ready lending platform
Atom Bank implements AI technology to automate loan processing, signaling a move toward faster, more scalable financing across the industry.
Curated
general
technology
Santander extends AI access to all employees as business value starts to kick in
Santander rolls out AI to its entire workforce, signaling faster approvals and smarter risk management for consumer financing partners.
Curated
general
regulation
Appeals court sides with CFPB's union, blocks job cuts
Appeals court blocks major staffing cuts at the CFPB, ensuring steady regulatory oversight for consumer lenders and retail partners.
Original
The True Cost of "Low-Interest" Financing Plans
Behind every promotional finance offer is a maze of merchant fees and hidden operational costs that can erode your margins if you aren't watching the math.
Curated
medical
industry-news
Growing interest in cosmetic injectables spurs new payment options for costly services - glossy.co
Medical spas and aesthetic practices are turning to BNPL and flexible financing to maintain volume as patient budgets tighten.
Original
furniture
The Waterfall Effect: How to Approve 90% of Your Furniture Shoppers
Stop losing sales to credit rejections by linking primary, secondary, and tertiary lenders into a single, seamless financing flow.
Curated
general
industry-news
Wells Fargo Retail Banking Executive Lisa Stevens to Depart - WSJ
The departure of Wells Fargo’s retail lead could signal a strategic shift for one of the nation’s largest providers of merchant financing programs.
Curated
automotive
merchant-playbooks
Customer Financing Options for Tire Dealers - Tire Review Magazine
Learn how tire dealers are using multi-lender financing waterfalls to increase average repair orders and build customer loyalty.
Curated
general
lender-updates
Katapult Appoints Nancy Walsh as CFO - citybiz
Katapult taps retail veteran Nancy Walsh as CFO, signaling a strategic focus on merchant-aligned growth for the lease-to-own provider.
Curated
general
technology
LendingClub’s AI-driven underwriting model yields 40% fewer delinquencies - FinAi News
LendingClub's AI underwriting sees a 40% drop in late payments, paving the way for more accurate and stable consumer loan approvals.
Curated
medical
lender-updates
PatientFi Expands Partnership With LaserAway - American Spa
LaserAway expands its use of PatientFi to make premium aesthetic treatments more affordable through integrated patient financing.
Curated
home-improvement
lender-updates
PowerPay secures $60m in corporate bond funding to accelerate FinTech growth - FinTech Global
PowerPay injects $60 million into its platform, reinforcing its ability to fund large-scale home improvement projects and medical procedures.
Curated
general
industry-news
Snap Finance: Matt Hawkins' founder story - Utah Business
A look at the origins of Snap Finance highlights the massive retail opportunity in serving credit-challenged consumers through lease-to-own models.
Curated
automotive
industry-news
Expanded auto repair financing options gain traction - Automotive News
New auto repair financing tools are helping service centers close more deals as vehicle owners struggle with rising maintenance costs.
Curated
furniture
industry-news
Rent-A-Center agrees to acquire Acima Holdings for $1.27 billion cash - Furniture Today
Rent-A-Center’s $1.27B deal to buy Acima signals a new era of dominance in virtual lease-to-own options for furniture retailers.
Curated
automotive
lender-updates
DigniFi and Dealer Pay, LLC Join Forces to Transform Dealership Consumer Financing and Modern Payment Solutions - Business Wire
DigniFi and Dealer Pay integrate financing into dealership point-of-sale systems to speed up approvals and boost service department sales.
Curated
automotive
lender-updates
FinTech Leader DigniFi Bolsters Its C-Suite, Appointing Mariana Coontz as Chief Financial Officer and Kristy Nordmann as Chief People Officer - Business Wire
DigniFi strengthens its leadership team with new CFO and CPO appointments, signaling growth and stability for automotive repair financing.
Curated
home-improvement
lender-updates
Fortiva gives consumers a ‘second look’ - Floor Covering Weekly
Fortiva Retail Credit offers second-look financing solutions to help home improvement retailers approve more customers and increase transaction volume.
Curated
general
lender-updates
Kafene said to raise $14m to offer flexible payments and protect customers from debt - FinTech Global
Lease-to-own provider Kafene secures $14M to expand flexible payment options for credit-challenged consumers at the point of sale.
Curated
home-improvement
lender-updates
LendingClub Tests Home Improvement Loans As New Earnings Growth Lever - Yahoo Finance
Digital banking giant LendingClub enters the home improvement market, targeting high-ticket residential projects with new financing products.
Curated
general
lender-updates
Here's Why Katapult Holdings Stock Is Skyrocketing Today - The Motley Fool
Katapult’s strong earnings signal a comeback for lease-to-own, offering retailers a reliable way to capture non-prime consumer spending.
Curated
general
industry-news
LendingClub becomes first fintech to buy a US regulated bank - FinTech Futures
LendingClub’s acquisition of Radius Bank creates a more stable, lower-cost financing partner for merchants and their customers.
Curated
general
technology
Finastra Sells Core Banking Business to Focus on Payments and Lending
Finastra pivots its strategy to focus on lending and payments, signaling more innovative financing tools for merchants on the horizon.
Curated
general
regulation
Leaked EU Proposal Plans Regulatory Relief for Banks
A leaked EU proposal aims to cut red tape for cross-border banking, potentially simplifying financing for multi-national retailers.
Curated
general
technology
NatWest CEO Says AI Will Take Over Some Existing Banking Roles
NatWest's move toward AI-driven banking signals a future of faster, automated consumer credit decisions and streamlined financing workflows.
Curated
general
technology
Instacart Reports Agentic AI Assistant Drives Bigger Grocery Orders
Instacart’s new AI assistant is boosting basket sizes, signaling a growing need for integrated point-of-sale financing as digital carts get heavier.
Curated
general
technology
Finastra sells UB core banking software unit to Pollen Street Capital
A major provider of core banking software changes hands, signaling a potential wave of tech upgrades for consumer lenders.
Curated
general
technology
Eltropy expands agentic AI certification
Community banks and credit unions are speeding up AI adoption, potentially leading to faster loan approvals and automated customer support for your buyers.
Curated
general
technology
NatWest CEO Thwaite says AI will take some banking jobs
NatWest CEO predicts AI-driven role shifts, signaling a move toward faster, more automated consumer lending processes.
Curated
general
technology
The risk for banks as embedded payments take off
As payments become invisible parts of business software, merchants must choose tech-forward partners to avoid losing customers to friction.
Curated
general
technology
First Commerce Bank picks FIS core banking platform
First Commerce Bank upgrades to FIS technology to compete with national banks on digital lending and speed.
Curated
general
technology
Elavon expands all-in-one payments platform across North America
Elavon unifies in-store and online payments under one platform to help retailers simplify checkouts and streamline operations.
Curated
general
technology
Franklin raises funds to bring agentic finance to e-commerce firms
Franklin secures €1.6M to automate financial management and capital access for online retailers using AI agents.
Curated
general
technology
Repay completes stablecoin payments proof of concept
REPAY's successful stablecoin test signals a shift toward faster, blockchain-based settlement for merchants and lenders.
Curated
general
technology
Deutsche Bank exec lauds AI impact on project times
Deutsche Bank reports AI is slashing project timelines, signaling faster tech rollouts and improved digital tools for merchant financing partners.
Curated
general
technology
'Stop prompting, start delegating': Anthropic exec to banks
Anthropic executives signal a shift toward autonomous AI agents that could automate complex business tasks and speed up consumer lending workflows.
Curated
medical
technology
Healthcare AI Has Left the Lab. Now Comes the Hard Part.
AI is transforming healthcare from clinical diagnostics to administrative workflows, requiring operators to focus on data security and integration.
Curated
general
technology
Consumers Want AI to Shop With Them, Not for Them
New research shows consumers want AI to help them find and finance products, but they still want total control over the final buy button.
Curated
general
technology
53% of Businesses Plan RTP Adoption as Payment Habits Shift
Real-time payments are reaching a tipping point, promising merchants instant access to funds from financed sales.
Curated
general
regulation
House Bill Would Give Banks Time to Investigate Suspicious Checks
New federal bill seeks to curb payment fraud by allowing banks to place longer holds on suspicious checks and wire transfers.
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general
technology
Deutsche Bank Points to Proven Returns on AI Investments
Deutsche Bank's AI breakthroughs signal a future of faster credit approvals and more efficient financing tools for retail operators.
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general
regulation
Reform leader Farage urges BofE to drop Britcoin plans
Increased political pushback against the 'Britcoin' digital pound could stall the future of state-backed UK digital payment systems.
Curated
general
industry-news
Deluxe agrees $625m acquisition of payment processor Celero
Checkbook giant Deluxe acquires Celero Commerce for $625 million to bolster merchant payment and financing capabilities for small businesses.
Curated
general
regulation
Banking Groups Push to Reduce Basel Proposal Capital Charges
Banking groups warn that new capital rules could restrict consumer credit, potentially making it harder for your customers to finance large purchases.
Curated
general
technology
AI and Digital Money’s Next Test is Proving Their Business Case
Tech providers are struggling to price AI and digital payment tools, leaving retailers to weigh innovation against unpredictable costs.
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general
regulation
FDIC floats counting discount window borrowing toward liquidity
New FDIC proposals could stabilize the credit market by allowing lenders to use Fed borrowing to meet regulatory cash requirements.
Curated
general
industry-news
Nordic Capital acquires Liberis to merge with Qred to create SMB finance platform
Nordic Capital merges Liberis and Qred to scale embedded finance solutions for small business operators.
Curated
general
technology
What BILL Holdings gets from the JPMorgan Wallet
BILL partners with JPMorgan to upgrade its payment infrastructure, promising faster and more accurate financial tracking for business card users.
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general
technology
Alchemy Teams With Visa on AI Agent Payment Stack
Visa and Alchemy launch 'AgentCard,' enabling AI assistants to independently handle payments and online shopping for consumers.
Curated
medical
technology
Zelis Picks AWS to Automate Healthcare Pricing and Payments
Zelis taps AWS AI tools to modernize healthcare payments and pricing, promising a smoother financial experience for medical providers and patients.
Curated
general
technology
How the World Cup showcases payment tech
Global events are fast-tracking biometric payments and frictionless financing, setting new standards for everyday retail checkouts.
Curated
general
regulation
Treasury, agencies propose KYC rule for stablecoin issuers
New federal proposal clarifies identity rules for stablecoin issuers, lowering compliance hurdles for future digital payment adoption.
Curated
automotive
industry-news
Big Deals, Big Consequences: How some deals went very wrong
A cautionary tale of how a single dealership's collapse triggered a $40 million lender bankruptcy and industry-wide fallout.
Curated
general
technology
FedNow Cross-Border Plan Tests Real-Time Payments Infrastructure
The Federal Reserve's new proposal for cross-border FedNow access aims to bring instant settlement to international transactions and global supply chains.
Curated
general
regulation
Banks have 'commitment' issues with the new Basel proposal
New banking regulations may hike costs for merchant credit lines by changing how banks calculate risk on undrawn loans.