As Guest Checkout Gains Popularity, Merchants Seek to Keep It Secure
Guest checkout at retail websites remains hugely popular—so much so that even shoppers who already have accounts are still more likely to choose the guest option. The next challenge for merchants will be striking the right balance between security and a seamless checkout experience. Customers, especially younger ones, increasingly resist creating accounts on retail sites. […]
Circle to Launch Privacy-Focused Stablecoin Iteration
Although financial institutions are more engaged with digital assets than ever, many remain cautious due to compliance and privacy obligations. In response to the growing need for privacy-focused options, Circle is introducing a new iteration of its signature stablecoin. USDCx will be issued on the Aleo network, a blockchain designed with privacy in mind. The […]
Leveraging Metal Cards to Attract High-Value Customers
Recent research from CompoSecure and Capuchin Behavioural Science shows that issuing metal cards is an incredibly efficient way for banks and fintechs to acquire high-value customers, to encourage them to spend using the card (making it top of wallet) and to retain them. Today, the metal card is more popular and more in demand than […]
Mastercard Links with Tencent for Cross-Border Remittances in China
As consumers move abroad, many still need reliable ways to send money back home. To this end, an integration between Mastercard Move and Tencent’s cross-border payments solution marks a significant step for those sending remittances to China. The partnership will enable digital remittances to Weixin Pay, the mobile payment platform within China’s Weixin ecosystem. This […]
Ransomware Payments Dwindle as Governments Fight Back
While ransomware remains a billion-dollar problem, total payments actually declined between 2023 and 2024, according to a data from the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). The Financial Trend Analysis shows that ransomware incidents dipped slightly in 2024 to 1,476 individual reports, with total payments amounting to $734 million. That’s down from the 1,512 reported attacks […]
Keeping Up with the Most Dangerous Fraud Trends of 2026
As technology becomes increasingly sophisticated, so do the scams criminals use to prey on unwitting victims. The new 2026 Fraud Management Trends report from Javelin Strategy & Research focuses on three schemes to watch for in the coming year and beyond. The schemes involve money mules, agentic bots, and phantom hackers. Suzanne Sando, Javelin’s Lead […]
Are Stablecoins Weakening Emerging-Market Currencies?
The lion’s share of cross-border stablecoin transactions now flow from advanced economies into emerging nations—a shift that may be undermining those nations’ local currencies. New data from the IMF warns that the growing embrace of stablecoins comes with under-acknowledged risks. According to the IMF, stablecoins have revolutionized cross-border payments by reducing friction and making transactions […]
UK to Launch Fast-Track Licensing for Fintechs
Fintechs play a pivotal role in the financial services landscape, yet many existing regulatory frameworks were not designed with them in mind. For this reason, the UK is set to launch a licensing program aimed at reducing the red tape that has hindered many fintechs. Under this program, financial services companies will be able to […]
Open Banking Has Begun to Intrude on Banks’ Customer Relationships
The humble demand deposit account has been the cornerstone of the financial services system for decades. However, banking customers who manage all their finances through checking and savings accounts at a single financial institution are in short supply. At the same time, more fintech companies have transformed from niche, one-off services to full-service financial ecosystems. […]
Visa to Build a Payments Ecosystem in Syria
After more than a decade of war and sanctions that left the nation’s financial system largely frozen, Visa will begin operations in Syria, working with the Syrian Central Bank to help establish a modernized payments ecosystem. Visa stated that its initial efforts will involve collaborating with licensed financial institutions to develop a secure payments foundation. […]