The Fraud Epidemic Is Testing the Limits of Cybersecurity
Many of the fraud threats facing organizations today are not new. However, the convergence of these threats—combined with ever-evolving technologies—has created a formidable challenge for cybersecurity teams. This environment is calling some of the most fundamental security tools into question and threatens to permanently reshape the cybersecurity paradigm. As Tracy Goldberg, Director of Cybersecurity at […]
Bank of America Overhauls Credit Card Program to Boost Customer Base
Despite recent contention over interest rates and transaction fees, credit cards remain firmly entrenched in the U.S. payments landscape. To capitalize on this ubiquity, Bank of America is undertaking a credit card revamp aimed at driving profits to new heights. A central force behind this overhaul is artificial intelligence. The bank plans to leverage AI […]
Rand vs. Dollar: South Africa’s Bet on a New Stablecoin
South Africa has entered the digital currency arena with the launch of a new stablecoin, ZAR Universal (ZARU), pegged to the rand rather than the U.S. dollar, which dominates the global stablecoin market. The initiative aims to make the rand “internet-native,” but history suggests its appeal beyond South Africa may be limited. ZARU is a […]
Stablecoins and the Future of B2B Payments: Faster, Cheaper, Better
Paying a supplier is a fundamental function for businesses, yet it’s often encumbered by a complex billing cycle. When the supplier is in a different jurisdiction, this complexity skyrockets, forcing organizations to navigate foreign exchange rates, bank intermediaries, local regulations, and opaque fees—all with limited visibility into where a payment is and when it will […]
AI Drives Sharp Rise in Phishing Volume
The rate of phishing attacks is accelerating, with spam filters flagging one email every 19 seconds last year, up from 42 seconds the previous year. A major driver of this uptick is artificial intelligence, which has rapidly become a core component of fraud operations. In addition to speeding the deployment of phishing campaigns, AI is […]
Japan Retreats from Chinese Payment Apps Amid Money Laundering Concerns
Retailers across Japan have begun alerting customers that they will stop accepting WeChat Pay and Alipay, China’s two largest digital payment systems. While political friction is contributing to the growing economic separation between the two countries, the shift also reflects heightened concern over money laundering. Chinese media outlet Vision Times also reports that several Japanese […]
The Payment Facilitator Model as a Growth Strategy for ISVs
The rise of Software as a Service (SaaS), AI technologies, financial services APIs, and embedded finance has reshaped the payments ecosystem, creating value beyond simple transactions. These shifts mean traditional payment models now compete directly with independent software vendors (ISVs) and payment facilitators (PayFacs). In fact, 87% of U.S. merchants choose their payment provider at […]
Bed, Bath, & Beyond Turns to Tokenization in Digital Assets Push
The store most known for home décor could soon offer tokenized home equity loans, after Bed, Bath & Beyond unveiled plans to acquire Tokens.com. The big-box retailer has leaned heavily into the “beyond” portion of its name since emerging from bankruptcy two years ago. Its subsequent restructuring has included significant investments in blockchain and digital […]
When a Prepaid Issuer Goes Belly-Up, Who’s on the Hook?
After Synergy abruptly shuttered its restaurant gift card program over the weekend, consumers were left holding stacks of apparently worthless prepaid cards. The company’s pending bankruptcy—after nearly 30 years of selling gift cards for locally owned restaurants—highlighted just how little recourse most consumers have when prepaid cards suddenly lose their value. For many consumers, the […]
Multi-Acquiring Is the New Standard—Are Merchants Ready?
Amid the rapid transformation of the payments industry, merchants have leveraged multiple acquirers to navigate new payment types, regulations, and consumer expectations. For example, operating across regions like the European Union often requires merchants to work with multiple acquirers to navigate the unique regulatory, payment, and consumer nuances of all 27 countries. Increasingly, however, multi-acquiring […]