John Adams is executive editor of payments for American Banker. John interviews top executives in the payments, cryptocurrency and fintech industries, hosts podcasts, moderates conference panels and curates the new Payments Intelligence portal.
His work includes profiles of
John has been with American Banker and related products for 30 years, covering bank technology, advertising, mortgages and capital markets.
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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.
By John AdamsOctober 22 -
As merchants and consumers increasingly favor contactless payments over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, Visa is removing obstacles to contactless acceptance.
By John AdamsOctober 21 -
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.
By John AdamsOctober 19 -
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.
By John AdamsOctober 16 -
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.
By John AdamsOctober 16 -
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.
By John AdamsOctober 15 -
Swedish point of sale credit company Klarna put itself in the awkward position of apologizing and trying to explain marketing emails to surprised and angry consumers, a misstep for a firm whose credit card alternative has found major traction during 2020’s crises.
By John AdamsOctober 14 - PSO content
As the House of Representatives enters the 2020 election season, the outcome stands to encourage or rein in a group of technology companies that are encroaching deeper into financial services.
By John AdamsOctober 11 -
Connected devices have become a popular way for retailers to mitigate human contact, turning forward-looking projects into near-term necessities. To keep this transition on track, NCR is using Microsoft's cloud.
By John AdamsOctober 9 -
The pandemic has caused a massive shift in corporate expenses, turning the company dime upside down as plane tickets give way to home office equipment. It’s a complication for those who track, approve and pay for these expenses, requiring a new approach in the back office.
By John AdamsOctober 8 -
Paytm’s decision to open its own app store after Google forced developers to use its billing system was a predictable move, as is the potential for fintechs to steal payment volume from the technology giants.
By John AdamsOctober 7 -
Control of the U.S. Senate hangs in the balance in the upcoming election, with the outcome determining the direction of laws and regulations that can have a profound impact on financial services, technology, fintech and payments innovation.
By John AdamsOctober 2 -
The optometrist Benjamin Thayil offers an alternative form of financing for consumers who may be wary of large credit card bills or shocked at the idea of paying for an entire eye treatment all at once.
By John AdamsOctober 1 -
There’s no PSD2-style law requiring banks in the U.S. to share data with third-party payment apps, but the market is progressing as if there will be one, leaving some smaller banks at a disadvantage.
By John AdamsSeptember 30 -
Amazon's palm-reading payment system is the sort of product that could probably succeed only at this point in time.
By John AdamsSeptember 29 -
If the Senate confirms Trump's nominee for the Supreme Court, it will cement a conservative majority that will likely decide a variety of fintech issues, including the rules digital payment companies have to follow when providing broader financial services.
By John AdamsSeptember 26 -
New research reveals Republicans and Democrats overwhelmingly believe a sweep on November 3 — by their own party — is the best outcome for the industry and the nation.
By John AdamsSeptember 25 -
Burger King envisions a future in which the only thing its patrons will touch is their actual food, a redesign acknowledging 2020’s emergency workarounds have permanently shifted how people engage businesses and gained habits that go beyond their fear of spreading germs.
By John AdamsSeptember 23 -
The months-long saga of Bytedance’s forced sale of TikTok in the U.S. is finally close to the finish line, and Walmart stands to gain new social tools and youthful consumers in its battle with Amazon and other brick and mortar chains.
By John AdamsSeptember 21 -
The pandemic and subsequent economic crisis have raised the stakes, since the government’s role in recovery and how stimulus is delivered — and policies impacting the goals of card and technology companies — will be largely determined by the philosophy of leadership.
By John AdamsSeptember 21




















