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 […]
How Fostering Technical Inclusion Pays Significant Dividends
Although there have been monumental advances in building financial inclusion worldwide in recent years, substantial gaps remain. For instance, across the Americas, the financial infrastructures in the United States and Latin America have pronounced differences. Some of the most important distinctions between these economies stem from technical barriers within business operations and products—barriers that often […]
Chipotle Learns the Cost of California’s Gift Card Law
Chipotle is the latest retailer to learn that circumventing California’s gift card cash-out laws can cost far more than the value of the cards. The fast-casual restaurant giant was hit with a $246,000 fine over allegations that it failed to allow customers to redeem the unused portion of their gift cards in cash, as required […]
Klarna Launches Premium Memberships, No Credit Card Needed
As credit card companies expand their premium offerings, Klarna is introducing membership tiers that provide perks for a price. The company’s two tiers—Premium and Max—are launching first in Europe, with a U.S. rollout planned in the coming weeks. Subscribers will be able to redeem cash back rewards directly with Klarna’s travel and airline partners and […]
The Big-Picture Approach to Fighting Bank Fraud
Fraud has long been a constant in the financial services industry—for the same reason the notorious bank robber Willie Sutton targeted it: “That’s where the money is.” Yet many financial institutions remain reluctant to invest in the kinds of solutions that can truly counter these threats. As technology continues to evolve—both for banks and for […]
PayPal, OpenAI Team Up for Agentic Shopping
In a step forward for agentic commerce, PayPal has signed a deal with OpenAI to embed its digital wallet into ChatGPT, enabling users to pay for items they discover through the AI tool. Set to launch next year, the offering will encompass the entire shopping experience—from product discovery to checkout. Merchants will be able to […]