John Adams

Visa has seen tepid returns of payments volume as economies reopen, but the renewed virus cases and government responses have created an extra layer of uncertainty — particularly for cross-border transactions and travel.

Even as consumers shift more spending away from cash and the market for personal travel picks up, the coronavirus pandemic is still exerting a heavy toll on Mastercard's consumer and corporate spending.

Amy Coney Barrett will assume a lifetime appointment on the Supreme Court, just as it prepares to hear a case on the Affordable Care Act that could toss years of advancement in health care payments into disarray.

The 2020 election could draw the most voters in history, along with a record haul for campaign contributions, with fundraising thus far favoring Democratic candidates both generally and in the finance and technology industries, which cover most financial institutions and payment firms.

Several large mobile point of sale projects are hitting the market at once to reach financially troubled retailers, with JPMorgan Chase making use of a three-year-old acquisition to push back against the technology firms that have been gobbling up small-business clients.

As merchants and consumers increasingly favor contactless payments over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, Visa is removing obstacles to contactless acceptance.

Visa on Monday made an investment in Global Processing Services, which powers the payment rails for several challenger banks and fintechs. It's similar to a January investment Mastercard made in Marqeta, an open API card issuing and processing platform.

With the U.K. careening toward a no-deal Brexit in the midst of a health crisis and economic downturn, the government is suggesting a breakup with the EU could defray the costs of cash usage and access.

Even before the pandemic, retailers were pushing terminal makers to adjust to new trends on the fly. Technology cycles have become even shorter now — if there even are development cycles anymore.

Drive-thru is almost synonymous with fast food, but for some quick-serve chains — like Subway — a past emphasis on in-store dining meant a much sharper pivot when the coronavirus pandemic struck.