U.K.

VCs have been devoting more attention — and funding — to U.K.-based digital remittance providers such as TransferWise, Revolut, WorldRemit and their smaller rival Paysend.

In recent years, the in-aisle payments and checkout-free stores have become increasingly common across the U.K. retail market, especially in the supermarket and grocery sector. Now High Street fashion outlets are coming under pressure to introduce faster and more convenient payment options to keep up with consumer demands.

The U.K.’s Equals Group’s FairFX currency unit has purchased Hermex FX, another U.K. firm serving corporate customers with currency exchange and payment services.

It’s not yet time to retire the notion that businesses favor checks for supply chains, but deployments in multiple markets signals a turning point in modernizing B2B payments.

Long overshadowed by food delivery startups such as Uber Eats and on-demand delivery service players such as Postmates, delivering fuel to a consumer’s vehicle is a convenience service that is growing in the U.S. and other markets.

Brexit seems more likely than ever, as the U.K.'s new prime minister, Boris Johnson, has committed to meeting the October 31 deadline for a deal to leave the EU. But despite the lingering uncertainty over how that will happen, Mastercard is not abandoning its bullish stance on Europe.

Glint has launched a U.S. version of its European gold-based debit Mastercard and app that creates an alternative currency for long-term savings as well as for use in spending on everyday transactions.

Just four months after receiving an e-money license from Central Bank of Ireland, fintech startup Soldo has raised €54 million ($60.5 million U.S.) to help fund its relocation from the U.K. into Ireland ahead of the possible Brexit split.

In the U.K., next-level fraud types — involving technologies such as push payments and P2P — are gaining traction now that EMV has been in place for more than a decade.

Transit has pushed contactless payments in the U.K., and it will happen in the U.S. too, according to Daniel Kornitzer, chief business development officer for Paysafe Group.

The U.K.’s Nationwide Building Society has invested in Ordo, a fintech that protects consumers from invoice and payments fraud by allowing billers to send payment requests directly to it.

While advanced push payment fraud has dominated the headlines in recent years, another type of scam has been costing U.K. businesses millions — even though many companies are completely unaware of it.

When it comes to naming the U.K.’s biggest cashless hubs, Bristol may not immediately spring to mind — but the city has topped Manchester, Birmingham and even London to lead the way as the country’s contactless capital.

Payment solutions that lower the cost of electronic payments through exchange rate transparency ultimately improve the buyer’s relationships with their suppliers, writes Nvoicepay's Alyssa Callahan.

If cryptocurrency is on its way to becoming a mainstream payment method in the U.K., it will be due to an increased appetite from major card networks for forming alliances with leading cryptocurrency providers.

Metro Bank had worked to win shareholder support by raising fresh capital and cutting ties with Hill's wife's design firm.

Fears are growing that the rapid rise in fee-charging ATMs could have catastrophic consequences for the U.K.’s fragile SME market, with major supermarkets and card networks predicted to be the biggest beneficiaries.

While the European Union positions itself as one common, homogeneous market, the reality is that the European e-commerce market is very diverse with both leaders and laggards.

Vernon Hill's U.K. bank sold $479 million of new stock and issued fresh details about its turnaround efforts. Those included plans to cease its controversial practice of purchasing design and branding services from a business owned by Hill's wife.

Amazon led a Series G funding round worth £475 million (about US$575 million) with three other investors for London-based food delivery company Deliveroo.