Barclays Targets Future Customers Through GoHenry UK Acquisition
The race to capture the next generation of banking customers is no longer confined to fintechs. Barclays is making a play for young consumers by acquiring the UK business of GoHenry, a popular financial app that helps children learn how to manage money. Along with Greenlight, GoHenry has been one of the pioneers in the […]
AML Crackdown Continues with Closing of UK Payment Processor
Government regulators around the world continue to intensify efforts against money laundering. In a first-of-its-kind case, Britain’s Financial Conduct Authority has shut down payment processor Euro Exchange Securities (EES) over concerns about potential financial crime activity. The FCA ordered Euro Exchange Securities UK Limited to halt all regulated electronic money and payment services after identifying […]
Open Banking Has Made Payment APIs a Burgeoning Revenue Stream
Banks and fintechs rely on each other in many ways, but this hasn’t stopped both sides from jockeying for top-of-wallet status. At the heart of this complex relationship is data. As the open banking model has proliferated, banks have shared customer-permissioned data with third-party providers in exchange for a range of digital services that were […]
ChatGPT Adds Visa Integration for AI-Assisted Purchases
ChatGPT is shifting from a tool that helps compare products to something closer to a personal shopper, following a new integration with payments giant Visa. The idea behind the collaboration is straightforward: instead of users browsing, filtering, and checking out themselves, artificial intelligence agents could increasingly handle the heavy lifting—whether that’s buying sneakers, event tickets, […]
Zelle Plans Expansion Into India, with a Stablecoin in Tow
Peer-to-peer payment service Zelle is reportedly preparing to make its first move beyond the United States, with plans to launch in India later this year. Although India’s widely used Unified Payments Interface (UPI) system dominates domestic payments, there may still be a sizable opportunity for Zelle. India is the world’s largest recipient of remittances, and […]
Serving a Segment of One: The Race to Stay Top of Wallet
Artificial intelligence has raised consumer expectations. Today, people can create a personalized event invitation, social media post, or digital experience in seconds, so why does the payment card they use every day still feel generic? That question is driving renewed interest in payment card innovation, including personalization, premium materials, digital integration, and stronger security features […]
Game Over: Amid Fraud Woes, Steam Cancels Its Physical Gift Cards
Gift card fraud has claimed another victim. Valve is pulling physical gift cards for its popular Steam gaming platform, saying scammers have made the cards too risky to keep on store shelves. Once retailers sell through their remaining inventory—expected by the end of the year—the cards will disappear for good. Valve said the decision was […]
The Visa and Mastercard Merchant Settlement Is Back on the Table
After decades of litigation and negotiations, a judge has approved the latest version of the settlement between Visa, Mastercard, and merchants over interchange fees. A previous attempt at a settlement stalled two years ago after a judge ruled that the proposed $30 billion agreement didn’t go far enough to compensate merchants, who have long complained […]
The Healthcare Payments Industry Has a Perception Problem
For years, merchant service providers (MSPs) and ISOs have approached healthcare as just another vertical. There’s a bit more compliance, a few integrations, and maybe a longer sales cycle. But beneath the surface, something more fundamental is shifting market demand. Healthcare payments are no longer about transactions. It’s about controlling the revenue cycle. And increasingly, […]
Coinbase’s Stablecoin-Backed Credit Card Seeks a Niche Market
Stablecoins have made their way into the credit card market with the launch of Coinbase’s new card, which allows users to pledge USDC stablecoins as collateral. Developed in collaboration with Cardless, the product targets crypto-native consumers who may not qualify for unsecured credit cards under standard credit checks. Users can allocate a portion of the […]