Fintech

The simple act of moving money can have a big impact on any political movement, so banks and payment networks are often caught up in issues of national importance. Here are some recent instances where payments and politics came head-to-head.

China's Alipay already has broad global reach—its mobile wallet is accepted at more than 100,000 retail locations in 70 international markets—but in North America it’s just getting started.

A Fed committee studying Libor’s replacement has dwelled heavily on the potential impact to the derivatives market. Loans may become a bigger part of the conversation later this year, but the panel plans to leave a lot of the specifics up to lenders.

Billtrust has long relied on its sales force to approach businesses directly with accounts receivable technology, and it's turning to banks to automate more steps in the process of handling payments.

Cash is still the most popular payment method in the U.K., but contactless cards and mobile payments gained significant momentum over the past year, according to new data.

Baxter CU, Randolph-Brooks FCU and Coastal CU have already signed on with the service, which aims to create analytics strategies to help credit unions grow and improve service.

Credit card issuers have been trying to outdo each other to offer the best rewards program. And it shows, as customer satisfaction rates with many (but not all) of their banks have never been higher in a yearly J.D. Power study. But they may not last forever.

Credit card issuers are still targeting high-spending customers, who tend to be resilient to economic swings, but competition at the top is brutal and marketing costs are high. At the other end of the credit spectrum, it’s a different story.

The prepaid card industry already succeeded in getting one delay for complying with new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rules, and at least one top prepaid card issuer is now requesting additional rule-changes and an extra year to comply.

Two of the biggest providers of cross-border tuition payment services for international education are targeting more than 5 million students preparing for college studies abroad this fall.