Equifax Launches Credit Abuse Risk Model to Detect First-Party Fraud
As one of the three major credit bureaus in the United States, Equifax has broad visibility into consumer credit behavior. In recent years, one notable trend has been the rise of first-party fraud, in which consumers knowingly exploit organizational policies for financial gain. First-party fraud, sometimes referred to as consumer-engaged fraud or friendly fraud, can […]
How Merchants Should Navigate the Rise of Agentic AI
As is typical with hot new developments in the payments industry, everyone is talking about agentic AI as if it appeared overnight—and everyone feels like they’re already behind the curve. The one group that doesn’t seem excited? Merchants. Much of the discussion has centered on the technology itself, not on how it will actually be […]
As Crypto Money Laundering Soars, Governments Seek Ways to Fight Back
Crypto money laundering has surged at a staggering pace, reaching at least $82 billion last year, up from just $10 billion in 2020. As crypto markets have become more liquid, laundering operations have grown more sophisticated and more brazen, operating openly across messaging platforms and blockchains while governments struggle to keep up. Much of the […]
Linking Payments Infrastructure Is a Key Component of India, EU Deal
After decades of discussions, India and the European Union have agreed to a landmark deal aimed at eliminating tariffs and taxes, integrating supply chains, and strengthening manufacturing capabilities across both regions. Financial services is a key pillar of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA). As part of the deal, the two economies are working toward payments […]
Why the Future of Financial Fraud Prevention Is Passwordless
Fraud is evolving faster than ever, with AI-powered scams, deepfake-enabled identity theft, and a surge in account takeovers putting financial institutions on high alert and accountholders at risk. As the most visible safeguard of the past few decades, the humble password is coming under increasing scrutiny. In a PaymentsJournal podcast, Dr. Adam Lowe, Chief Product […]
After Retail Closures, Amazon Pivots on Just Walk Out Technology
Amazon is closing all 72 of its Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh locations, shifting its focus to Whole Foods locations and grocery delivery from Amazon.com. But the company isn’t ready to walk away from the much-ballyhooed Just Walk Out technology that powered many of its retail experiments. Instead, Amazon plans to double down on marketing […]
Zelle Expands to Include Community Banks and New Use Cases
As the leading U.S. peer-to-peer payments service, Zelle has become a staple offering for most financial institutions. Even so, the network found room to expand last year, onboarding 337 new institutions. Nearly all of these new partners were community banks or credit unions managing less than $10 billion in assets. Collectively, these institutions serve a […]
When Can Payments Trust AI?
Banks are no strangers to artificial intelligence. For years, machine learning and deep learning models have quietly powered fraud detection, transaction monitoring, and risk analysis. But the industry is now approaching a more consequential shift: agentic AI—systems that don’t just analyze data, but can act on it. With that shift comes a fundamental question about […]
How Consumer Insights Are Changing the Fight Against First-Party Fraud
WEBINAR How Consumer Insights Are Changing the Fight Against First-Party Fraud February 18, 2026 1:00 pm EST [contact-form-7] How Can Banks Turn Disconnected Data Into Fraud Prevention? First-party fraud continues to be one of the most complex and costly challenges facing the banking industry. As fraud tactics evolve and customer expectations rise, many institutions struggle […]
Affirm Joins the Parade of Fintechs Seeking Bank Charters
Buy now, pay later pioneer Affirm has become the latest fintech to apply for a U.S. banking charter. Filed in Nevada, the application is the most recent wave of filings prompted by a more favorable regulatory environment at both the state and federal levels. Affirm was the second high-profile fintech to announce a state charter […]