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Over the years, Square has evolved from a supplier of simple card readers to a provider of diverse omnichannel services. But the consumer market has always eluded it.

Barros has no answer for Senate committee on encryption; a bitcoin network split won’t happen … for now.

Square Inc. reported earnings that exceeded analysts’ expectations and raised its full-year forecast, bolstered by larger merchants that are increasingly using its platform for payment transactions and buying business software services.

Square has integrated several pieces of hardware and software to sell a point of sale system that goes beyond its single-screen design, incorporating many of the company's moves to attract a wider range of merchants.

Square has been adding myriad services as it seeks to become a full-service merchant gateway.

The Independent Community Bankers of America is formally opposing a bank charter application by payments processor Square, accusing it of trying to “avoid” certain “legal prohibitions and restrictions.”

With Apple’s WWDC, Zelle, PayPal’s Venmo and Square Cash, competition in the consumer payments space is about to kick into high gear, writes Josh Hawkins, vice president of marketing for the Boston-based digital payments company Circle.

Meetings between bank regulators and technology giants like Amazon and PayPal underscore Silicon Valley's growing involvement in the financial services arena, and may presage pursuit of a bank charter.

Arthur Levitt says seemingly daily scandals highlight the lack of oversight and corporate governance shortcomings of financial technology firms, but two marketplace lending executives responded that more mature companies have just as many problems.

Square Inc. struck an agreement to process payments for ticketing service Eventbrite and made a strategic investment in the startup, part of the digital-payments company’s push into online commerce, an area dominated by larger players like PayPal Holdings Inc.

Readers chime in on debates about ILCs, the CFPB’s arbitration rule, the financial services ambitions of tech firms and more.

The payments processor Square has big plans in banking — but even after filing an application to charter an industrial loan company, it still doesn’t see itself as a competitor to most financial institutions.

The Independent Community Bankers of America had initially called for a moratorium in response to SoFi's application, and says now that Square's bid "has significantly increased our concerns."

Few lawmakers have stated positions on fintech applications for industrial loan company charters. It may not stay that way.

Square became the third fintech firm in recent months to seek out a bank charter. Others are likely to follow.

Many of the arguments in this debate have less to do with the applicants’ qualifications than with traditional banks’ fear of new, innovative competitors.

Petal is using machine learning in its new card program to make the most of the scant financial data available from young consumers.

Company is third fintech firm in the past few months to seek its own bank charter; vice chair’s departure gives Trump four vacancies to fill on the Federal Reserve Board.

The company's application, which is expected to be announced as early as Thursday, comes after the online lender SoFi applied in June for an industrial loan charter. The bank is expected to be led by a former Green Dot executive.

The $2.6 trillion-asset bank's recent commitment to digital lending augurs the development of a two-tier market for borrowers who want fast access to cash.