Mastercard

Mastercard is testing two new bill payment services, with an eye on improving speed for consumers and businesses.

The retailer and credit card giant are rolling out two new card offerings. The move could hit especially close to home for CUs with branches inside Walmart locations.

Vocalink beat out four other competing bids to secure a 10-year contract to provide real-time switching and settlements for U.K. ATM operator Link Scheme.

Payroll advance provider Branch has partnered with Mastercard and Evolve Bank & Trust to offer a debit card that allows hourly workers to instantly access a portion of their earned wages ahead of their periodic paycheck.

The payments company’s departure from the association leading Facebook’s Libra cryptocurrency plan is the clearest sign that skeptical policymakers are the plan's biggest obstacle.

Investors expect banks to be honest and transparent about employee wages.

Facebook's Libra cryptocurrency project has lost its first major ally. PayPal — where the head of Facebook's Libra project once served as president — has cut its ties. As a founding member, PayPal was expected to drive the payment-specific part of the cryptocurrency initiative.

Samsung Pay users can use the app to send funds across borders to recipients with a bank account through a new service powered by Travelex.

The card networks are taking blockchain seriously as a means of streamlining cross-border B2B payments. But while they share a vision, they are taking different paths to this goal. Visa has opted for a closed network that it controls, while Mastercard envisages a wider, more open ecosystem.

Facebook is not the only global megabrand tied to the Libra cryptocurrency project, and with a steady drip of rumors about the partners bailing, pressure on Facebook is rising while partners weigh missing out on the initiative’s addressable market.