Europe

In the U.S., Visa Direct has emerged as one of the few go-to tools for fast payments in a market that is overdue for such options. The product's true test begins now, as Visa launches it in Europe, where faster payments options are far more plentiful.

Relevance to the consumer is the challenge for banks in the post-PSD2 era and partnerships hold the key, writes Maikki Frisk, Executive Director of the Mobey Forum

London is battling other cities, which are trying to use the political uncertainty of the U.K.'s exit from the European Union to lure payment startups and other financial technology companies.

Fleetcor is diversifying its core fleet card business, adding digital gifting and expanding business payments technology and analytics.

As Visa continues its long reintegration of Visa Europe, the card brand is tackling the continent's changing regulatory environment — and is sending its top executive overseas to address its needs.

British regulators are touting the success of their so-called regulatory sandbox. Their American counterparts have been unable to agree on a comprehensive scheme to foster innovation.

Bottomline Technologies is introducing a set of APIs for its corporate customers in accordance with the U.K.’s new Open Banking policy and Europe’s Payment Services Directive (PSD2).

In service now for a decade in Africa, India and parts of Europe, M-Pesa is expanding its telco-driven mobile money service to include tap-and-go payments through wristbands, stickers or cards.

European Central Bank Vice President Vitor Constancio laughed off any concern that bitcoin might challenge his institution’s control of euro-area money.

The open tech that powers added data sharing has already resulted in security events, writes Stephen Singham, managing director of security research at Distil Networks.