Keeping Up with the Most Dangerous Fraud Trends of 2026
As technology becomes increasingly sophisticated, so do the scams criminals use to prey on unwitting victims. The new 2026 Fraud Management Trends report from Javelin Strategy & Research focuses on three schemes to watch for in the coming year and beyond. The schemes involve money mules, agentic bots, and phantom hackers. Suzanne Sando, Javelin’s Lead […]
Are Stablecoins Weakening Emerging-Market Currencies?
The lion’s share of cross-border stablecoin transactions now flow from advanced economies into emerging nations—a shift that may be undermining those nations’ local currencies. New data from the IMF warns that the growing embrace of stablecoins comes with under-acknowledged risks. According to the IMF, stablecoins have revolutionized cross-border payments by reducing friction and making transactions […]
UK to Launch Fast-Track Licensing for Fintechs
Fintechs play a pivotal role in the financial services landscape, yet many existing regulatory frameworks were not designed with them in mind. For this reason, the UK is set to launch a licensing program aimed at reducing the red tape that has hindered many fintechs. Under this program, financial services companies will be able to […]
Open Banking Has Begun to Intrude on Banks’ Customer Relationships
The humble demand deposit account has been the cornerstone of the financial services system for decades. However, banking customers who manage all their finances through checking and savings accounts at a single financial institution are in short supply. At the same time, more fintech companies have transformed from niche, one-off services to full-service financial ecosystems. […]
Visa to Build a Payments Ecosystem in Syria
After more than a decade of war and sanctions that left the nation’s financial system largely frozen, Visa will begin operations in Syria, working with the Syrian Central Bank to help establish a modernized payments ecosystem. Visa stated that its initial efforts will involve collaborating with licensed financial institutions to develop a secure payments foundation. […]
European Authorities Uncover Crypto Investment Scam Syndicate
An investigation into a single fraudulent website has escalated into a multi-jurisdictional initiative to take down a crypto fraud network that has allegedly laundered more than €700 million (roughly $816 million). According to Europol, the criminal organization operated a series of phony cryptocurrency investment platforms, luring thousands of victims with false advertising that promised unusually […]
Conversational Payments: The Next Big Shift in Financial Services
As payments have evolved from cash and checks to cards and digital payments, something essential has been lost: the human touch. Yet consumers are not data points—they crave payments experiences that’s fast, secure, and effortless, and when they do need support, they want it to shift seamlessly into something personalized and attentive to their needs. In a recent PaymentsJournal podcast, Robyn Burkinshaw, CEO and Founder at BlytzPay, and Christopher Miller, Lead […]
Element’s Car IQ Acquisition Could Broaden the Scope of Vehicle-Initiated Payments
The traditional fleet management model has relied heavily on physical payment cards, which can be lost, stolen, or misused. An emerging alternative is vehicle-initiated payments, a technology in which one of the leading providers, Car IQ, is set to be acquired by Element Fleet Management. In Car IQ’s model, vehicles can autonomously initiate and complete […]
In Cross-Border Push, China Eases Payments with Vietnam, Indonesia
Continuing China’s push to become a leader in cross-border payments, the Chinese government has introduced new programs with Vietnam and Indonesia to enable seamless QR code transfers between the countries. UnionPay International (UPI), China’s state-owned financial services corporation, detailed the collaborations with the National Payment Corporation of Vietnam (NAPAS) and Indonesia’s national payment institutions. The […]
Inside the Embedded Finance Shift Transforming SMB Software
Running a small business is hard enough—juggling operations, customers, and cash flow. Now imagine software that not only streamlines day-to-day work but also provides the financial tools needed to grow. That’s the promise of embedded finance. In a recent PaymentsJournal podcast, Ian Hillis, SVP of Growth at Worldpay, and Don Apgar, Director of Merchant Payments […]