More Consumers Shift to the Extremes of the Credit Risk Spectrum
There are now more super prime and subprime borrowers, leaving fewer consumers in the middle of the credit market. According to TransUnion, the share of super prime borrowers—low-risk consumers with exceptional credit scores—increased from 37.1% in Q3 2019 to 40.9% in Q3 2025, representing roughly 16 million additional customers. At the other end, the subprime […]
Is Your Organization Ready for Payments as a Service?
As payment innovation accelerates, financial institutions are feeling the pressure. Legacy infrastructure, shifting regulation, and rising customer demand for real-time experiences are forcing banks to rethink how they deliver payments. In response, payments as a service (PaaS) has emerged as the go-to model for cutting through complexity and speeding up transformation. James Wester, Co-Head of […]
Experian Adds Rental Payments to Its UK Credit Scores
Experian is rolling out a new version of its credit scoring model in the UK that, for the first time, takes rental payments into account. Renters who consistently make payments will now see this reflected in their credit assessment, potentially improving their prospects for future mortgages. The updated model also considers other behaviors increasingly valued […]
Fraud Losses and Incidence See Uptick Through Q2 in UK
A study from UK Finance found that criminals stole £629.3 million (roughly $826 million) during the first half of the year, a 3% year-over-year increase. What’s more, there were over 2 million reported fraud cases through Q2 2025, a 17% rise from the previous year, with the average scam costing victims £300 ($394). Most of […]
How FIs Can Prepare for the Surge in Agentic Commerce-Driven Disputes
The next iteration in the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence has arrived, and organizations are racing to harness the potential of AI agents to create a dynamic new shopping experience. However, as powerful as agentic commerce can be, the road to adoption won’t be without hiccups—many of which will lead to a surge in disputes. […]
Inflation Will Put a Dent in Holiday Shopping This Year
Consumers are expected spend more on holiday shopping this year—as usual—but much of that apparent gain will be offset by inflation. Shoppers plan to spend an average of $736 on holiday gifts, according to data from Visa’s 2025 Holiday Spending Outlook. Nominal holiday spending is expected to reach 4.6%, but after adjusting for inflation, real […]
Coinbase and Tink Merge Pay-By-Bank and Crypto
In another sign of open banking’s growing role in crypto, Coinbase and Tink have launched direct bank-to-crypto transfers in Germany. The new capability lets users move funds instantly from their bank accounts into crypto, authenticating the transaction through their bank’s interface. The underlying account-to-account payment rails are powered by Tink’s infrastructure—acquired by Visa three years […]
How Organizations Can Chart the Course to Agentic Commerce
Much like with generative artificial intelligence, the emergence of agentic AI has been accompanied by substantial hoopla. However, as more organizations race to incorporate the next big thing into their operations, many are struggling to plot the road map to agentic commerce. As Christopher Miller, Lead Emerging Payments Analyst at Javelin Strategy & Research, detailed […]
Mastercard Nears Zerohash Acquisition to Expand Stablecoin Reach
In what could be a blockbuster acquisition, Mastercard is reportedly closing in on a deal to acquire Zerohash. Zerohash provides financial institutions with technology to offer crypto and stablecoin trading and tokenization services. As demand for these capabilities has surged in recent years, Zerohash has garnered significant attention and investment from major firms, including Morgan […]
Google Opens App Store to Third-Party Payment Systems
After its appeal was denied by the Supreme Court, Google has finally complied with earlier rulings from the past few years and opened its Google Play app store to third-party payment options. App developers can now process payments outside of Google’s ecosystem and inform users about alternative pricing options. The move marks the latest chapter […]