South Korea Reignites CBDC Program with Daiso’s Buy-In
Daiso has become South Korea’s leading discount retailer by offering a wide array of goods, many priced at an attractive 1,000 won (approximately $0.69). This approach has made the chain a mainstay for millennial and Gen Z consumers, as well as a popular tourist destination. Now, Daiso is joining the next phase of trials for […]
Escalating Scams Demand a Dedicated Response
Scams have become universal, affecting all types of consumers and every kind of organization. This has placed tremendous pressure on financial services firms, which often bear the brunt of the financial losses, to develop strong fraud prevention strategies to protect their customers. In a recent PaymentsJournal podcast, Raj Dasgupta, Vice President of Product Marketing at […]
FBI Warns ATM Jackpotting Fraud Attempts Are Back on the Rise
As many banks have scaled back branch networks, automated teller machines have become essential pillars of the financial services infrastructure. But that autonomy has also made ATMs attractive targets for hacking, exploitation, and physical breach. ATM “jackpotting” combines these tactics. Criminals gain access to a machine’s cabinet—often using widely available generic keys—then either inject malware […]
Mastercard Advances Agentic AI Commerce in India
Agentic artificial intelligence moved a step closer to real-world commerce last week when Mastercard demonstrated an AI agent in India that located a product and completed the purchase without the user opening an app or manually entering card details. Presenting at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, Mastercard described the transaction as the country’s first […]
Why More Global Consumers Are Aspiring to Unbox Metal Cards
Once the domain of luxury cardholders, metal cards have evolved into a global phenomenon. Ironically, one of the driving forces behind this momentum has been the rise of digital payments—prompting more consumers to seek out a tangible payment device that conveys prestige. A mix of cultural and behavioral factors is also fueling the worldwide demand […]
The Business Case for Payment Hub Modernization
WEBINAR The Business Case for Payment Hub Modernization March 10, 2026 1:00 pm EST [contact-form-7] Are legacy payment systems holding your business back? In today’s digital economy, outdated payment systems can be costly to maintain, pose security risks, operate inefficiently with slow batch processing, and limit your ability to innovate. In this webinar, Scotty Perkins, Head […]
KeyBank Recovers $2 Million in Elder Fraud Scheme
In a rare victory against elder financial fraud, KeyBank has recovered $2 million stolen from some of its oldest customers—a reminder that swift action and oversight can make all the difference. According to the FBI’s Cleveland field office, every victim in the case got their money back. The scheme exploited the most vulnerable: Yue Cao, […]
Seattle Area Transit System Adds Contactless Payments Ahead of World Cup
Public transit systems are critical infrastructure that shuttle commuters and fuel tourism. However, purchasing tickets and reloadable passes is often a complex process that creates long queues and checkout friction. That’s why more cities are moving to contactless payments, as San Francisco did last year with its Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system. Now, the […]
When It Comes to Chatbots, Banks Are Falling Behind Fintechs
Once artificial intelligence achieved conversational capabilities, organizations rushed to deploy AI in customer service use cases like fast-food drive-thrus and online shopping. Financial institutions followed suit, leveraging AI chatbots and virtual assistants to help customers navigate digital and mobile banking experiences. While the effectiveness of these tools varies, one of the glaring issues with many […]
Stablecoins Expand in Payments, Yet Most Activity Remains Internal
While stablecoin usage in payments is expanding quickly, most current activity is still concentrated in internal use cases rather than external payments. Although total stablecoin transaction volume is estimated at roughly $35 trillion annually, the portion tied specifically to payments is closer to $390 billion. That’s according to data from McKinsey, in collaboration with blockchain […]