UK Banks Bring Swift’s Cross-Border Payments Push to Consumers
Swift is making its first major push into consumer payments, with Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds Bank, and NatWest becoming the first banks to launch the global messaging network’s new cross-border remittance service. The rollout marks a strategic expansion for Swift beyond its traditional role in interbank and commercial payments, bringing parcel-style tracking, faster transfers and upfront […]
Robinhood Goes All-In on Digital Assets with a Slew of Initiatives
Robinhood built its brand by making investing more accessible, a strategy the fintech is now extending to crypto. At a recent event, Robinhood announced a slate of crypto initiatives, including tokenized stock trading, expanded perpetual futures, agentic crypto wallets for U.S. consumers, and plans to expand into new markets. Perhaps most notably, the firm unveiled […]
The Dilemma Facing Financial Institutions: Aggregate or Be Aggregated
Many consumers have a mortgage at one bank, a credit card at another, and retirement accounts elsewhere. Amid this fragmented financial picture, it would seem that external account aggregation—where a customer can see all their products and accounts in a single view—would be in high demand. It isn’t. But this should not be viewed as […]
Visa Destinations: Experience Is Everything
It is hard to imagine traveling anywhere without a Visa in your wallet or purse—or an American Express or Mastercard, for that matter. Quite often, cards from Bank of America, Chase, or Citi also come with rewards programs and travel benefits that can enhance luxury travel or simply make budget travel more affordable. Now, Visa […]
Rhode Island’s Self-Checkout Law Could Become a National Model
As the first state to enact staffing requirements for self-checkout lanes, Rhode Island is becoming a test case for the retail industry. Set to take effect on January 1, 2027, the law requires grocery stores to maintain one staffed cashier lane for every three self-checkout stations. It also mandates that employees assigned to monitor self-checkout […]
The AR/AP Process Is Increasingly Exploited by AI-Driven Fraud
Accounts payable (AP) and accounts receivable (AR) teams are facing a new generation of fraud. Artificial intelligence now enables criminals to create fake vendors, fabricate convincing invoices, and impersonate trusted executives and suppliers through deepfakes—all at a scale and level of sophistication that traditional controls weren’t designed to detect. According to the Association of International […]
Wherever There’s Friction, Contactless Payments Can Help
Tapping a card or smartphone at checkout has become second nature for many consumers. What began as a convenience feature has evolved into an expectation, with contactless payments now accounting for roughly 60% of U.S. transactions. While the pandemic accelerated early adoption by raising concerns about shared touchpoints like point-of-sale terminals, contactless payments have entered […]
Apple Speeds Up Security Patches in Race to Beat AI
AI-driven malicious activity is pushing Apple to speed up how it delivers software updates. Instead of holding security fixes for major iOS releases, the company is increasingly pushing them out sooner through smaller, more frequent updates. The goal is simple: close vulnerabilities faster before attackers have time to take advantage of them. Timing is everything. […]
JPMorgan Expands Kinexys Blockchain FX Network to Asia and Australia
JPMorgan’s Kinexys platform is expanding its blockchain-based deposit network to include five additional currencies: the Australian dollar, Hong Kong dollar, Japanese yen, Chinese renminbi, and Singapore dollar. It already supports euro, pound, and dollar transactions, enabling on-chain foreign exchange across major global currencies. The expansion will give financial institutions and global companies the ability to […]
How Cautionary Spending Is Fueling Gift Card Purchases
Consumers may be spending more cautiously, but they’re not spending less strategically. As inflation, rising debt, and economic uncertainty continue to pressure household budgets, shoppers are becoming intentional about every purchase they make. To stretch their budgets further, many consumers now map out discounts and sales well in advance of major shopping events and holidays. […]