U.K.

With travel spending still largely sidelined by the coronavirus pandemic, Amazon is looking to harness more of the spending that small and medium-sized businesses are focused on for recovery.

Emerging market payments and foreign exchange provider Crown Agents Bank Ltd. is partnering with MTFX Group, a similar company based in Canada, to expand digital payments access across Africa.

Retailers that provide customers with their preferred way to pay — visible or invisible — will be the ones who prosper in today’s competitive marketplace, says PPRO's Matt Jackson.

Credit and debit cards, merchant apps and loyalty programs are being linked through a platform from U.K-based Fidel to provide real-time rewards, business expense management, digital receipts, and charity donations.

American Express Co. began reopening offices in New York and London this week even as it told employees that they can continue working from home through June 2021 if they wish.

When the U.K. went into a coronavirus-induced lockdown on March 23 as Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced school, office and retail closures, it caused a ripple effect on the U.K. e-commerce market.

The first wave of grants was intended to provide payments equating to 80% of average trading profits over the course of three months. However, some far exceeded this amount.

Brisbane, Australia-based EML has partnered with the New Zealand buy now, pay later fintech Laybuy to leverage digital cards for in-store and online retail purchases.

Wirecard, which is trying to sell pieces of its embattled company while rivals pick up its clients, has struck a deal to sell its U.K. division, Wirecard Card Solutions, to Railsbank, an open banking and payments technology firm.

U.K. consumer spending jumped the most since 2016 last month, led by a surge in Internet purchases as bars and restaurants continued to suffer.

The seemingly positive embrace of contactless payments raises important questions about how we can safeguard access to cash, especially for the most vulnerable members of society, says Moorwand's Luc Geuriane.

The coronavirus outbreak initially looked like it might torpedo U.K.-based Paysafe’s plan to expand in the U.S. in 2020. But several months into the pandemic, the payments conglomerate sees ways it can grow by helping bruised small businesses retool operations.

Payment processor Elavon purchased Sage Pay four months ago, completing the acquisition on March 11. Two days later, Elavon's entire workforce was operating remotely as the coronavirus forced it into lockdown.

Lloyds Banking Group is partnering with payments technology fintech Form3 to advance its digital payment offerings for bank customers.

The most recent legislative push to mandate cash is bipartisan at the outset, but there are divisions over how to put this plan into effect.

Fueling its market expansion, U.K. earned wage access startup Wagestream has raised £20 million (about $25 million) in a Series B fundraiser from several VC firms.

Mobile payments provider Judopay is partnering with marketing specialist Thyngs to provide touch-free payments for pubs and restaurants that just reopened in the U.K.

With thousands of job cuts likely to follow what's forecast to be the worst recession in three centuries, the tenants of the glass and steel towers that dominate the City of London and Canary Wharf may face an even bigger retreat.

American Express Global Business Travel has developed a new service enabling small businesses to manage travel, office purchases and cash flow on a single platform.

The U.K.’s six major banking groups are now required to have implemented the new Confirmation of Payee (CoP) scheme for Faster Payments and Chaps as part of a regulatory push to tackle the rampant rise in Authorized Push Payment (APP) fraud.