Mastercard

AI agents have the power to automate a number of once-manual tasks: They can conduct background research, generate content, write code and analyze data. In their latest evolution, driven by Visa, Mastercard and other fintechs, payments are now on the menu of services.

As Trump's trade war causes politically influenced shifts, the card brand contends it is set to pick up volume in non-American corridors.

Global purchase volume — the aggregate dollar amount of purchases made with Mastercard-branded cards — rose to $1.99 trillion, while falling short of analysts' estimates of $2.04 trillion.

The card network took a 3% stake in Corpay to improve international payment processing for corporate clients, while also pushing technology that aims to drastically reduce the need for human supervision of artificial intelligence.

Supply-chain woes, inflation and skittish travelers are just a few of the tariff-driven factors pressuring PayPal, Visa and Mastercard during upcoming earnings calls.

With swipe payments heading toward the exit in a few years, issuers have an opportunity now to prepare.

The Sweden-based payment firm, which recently delayed its IPO due to the trade war, will use Fiserv's Clover point of sale system as it looks to build a market in the U.S. Plus: Payoneer makes a deal in China and other news in this week's global payments roundup.

Visa and American Express are both reportedly trying to lure Apple's lucrative credit businesses away from Mastercard. But the battle over processing rights is just as much about accessing the technology company's digital wallet as it is about boosting transactions.

The industry was already spending billions to automate before 2020. What it needed was a cultural shift to try new things.

Visa and Mastercard have long been in legal battles over payment fees, with out-of-court agreements proving elusive.

By enabling consumers to link multiple payment options together, the card network can counter similar moves by rival Visa and fintechs such as Curve.

Regulators are investigating the technology giants over concerns their financial apps are violating competition rules. That and expanding tech in emerging markets highlight this week's American Banker global payments roundup.

CEO Michael Miebach says the card network's business in areas such as debit cards will enable it to compete if the mega merger results in the loss of Capital One's debit business.

The Capital One-Discover merger, the war against Visa and Mastercards' swipe fees and budding payment technologies were most popular with American Banker readers in 2024.

The bank and payment company are using the technology that underpins digital assets to improve interoperability for international transactions, a major point of friction in trade finance.

By adding Affirm, major now/pay later partner, to its Flexible Credential, the payment network is deepening its embrace of a popular product that's not going away.

The card brand uses a new form of generative AI that improves data sourcing, making human involvement less necessary.

Transaction volume and nonpayment services boosted earnings, and the card network expects these trends to continue into 2025.

Card networks, fintechs and Walmart have started major account-to-account payment initiatives in the past few weeks.

The card lender took full control of Swisscard from UBS; the Financial Conduct Authority is bringing installment lending regulations in line with other consumer financial products; and more payments news from around the world.