7.22.19 Your morning briefing

The information you need to start your day, from PaymentsSource and around the Web:

Go big

Amazon is reportedly planning to open a larger Amazon Go location in Seattle. The more than 10,000 square foot store that would be its largest to date.

The store would be large enough for a supermarket and a fulfillment center, reports Grocery Dive. That would be larger than most of the early cashierless stores, which are usually the size of a convenience store, and would be a key step for Amazon to build out its planned network of Amazon Go stores.

It also comes as Giant Eagle, a chain that includes full-sized supermarkets, plans to deploy computer sensor technology to power self-checkout.

amazon go store
Employees stand outside the new Amazon Go grocery store in Seattle, Washington, U.S., on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016. Amazon.com Inc. unveiled technology that will let shoppers grab groceries without having to scan and pay for them -- in one stroke eliminating the checkout line. Photographer: David Ryder/Bloomberg
David Ryder/Bloomberg

Cross-border delivery

Western Union has teamed with the U.K.'s Post Office Ltd, a retail services network spun off the Royal Mail, to support cross-border payments through Post Office's digital channel.

This will help Western Union expand its addressable market in the U.K., as Post Office is the U.K.'s largest retail network, surpassing banks and building societies, or mortgage companies.

Western Union has been adding more digital services to counter fintechs that use blockchain and other innovations to streamline cross-border transfers.

South Korean move

Western Union's chief rival MoneyGram has signed a contract with Sentbe, one of South Korea's largest money transfer firms — making Sentbe MoneyGram's first virtual agent in South Korea.

MoneyGram hopes to build its South Korean P2P business through the local partnership with Sentbe, which is licensed as a financial institution.

Immigration from local Asian nations is also on the rise, and the collaboration can also serve as a financial inclusion tool, MoneyGram said in a release.

Bots give PSD2 a try

PSD2 compliance has lagged, causing some firms to lobby for an extension, and has generated an attractive market for fintech developers.

Advice Robo, a bot and AI company, has developed an API that provides cross-border access to software that categorizes data and predicts default through a mix of machine learning and behavioral analysis.

Data and international access are at the center of PSD2, which requires financial institutions to share data with fintechs and provide consumers with more access to and control over their data.

From the Web

Digital payments company Fawry to offer 36% stake in Egyptian IPO
Reuters | Sun July 21, 2019 - Egyptian digital payments company Fawry plans to list 36% of its shares on its domestic stock market, investment bank EFG Hermes said. The offering will include a private placement for institutional investors and an initial public offering (IPO) for retail investors in Egypt at the same price.

Apple Card: Are the Limited Rewards Worth It for the Privacy?
Fortune | Sun July 21, 2019 - While Apple can't compete in terms of money to card holders, it does have a big focus on customer privacy. Apple Card has no numbers on it or a CVV, making it harder for identity thieves to steal credit card information. Apple also promises that it won't track customer spending, and that Goldman Sachs and MasterCard — Apple's partners in the venture — won't sell any customer data to other companies.

Using credit cards even when they are not accepted
The Straits Times | Sun July 21, 2019 - Launched in late 2016, CardUp is a platform that enables the payment or collection of big expenses using credit card, in places where cards are not accepted today. Examples of payments include rent, tax, invoices, payroll and more, which are still paid by cash, cheque or bank transfers currently.

More from PaymentsSource

Remittance stalwarts expand to meet the crypto threat
Blockchain and cryptocurrency innovations threaten to upend mainstream remittance providers, but there are still market gaps that may be best served by a large bank footprint.

Despite outcry, Congress unlikely to block Facebook's crypto plan
WASHINGTON — Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle raised serious questions about Facebook's cryptocurrency project at hearings this week, but many at the same time have voiced objection to congressional action aimed at stopping the launch of Libra.

Amex adjusts tech and perks to keep card fees flowing
Even with an economy that has slowed to a "moderate" pace, American Express says U.S. consumers' spending trends remained solid and, in the case of Amex cardholders, they are willing to pay fees for cards that come with the right features.

ZestFinance brings AI-powered underwriting to Brazil's Via Varejo
ZestFinance is bringing its machine learning software ZAML to Brazilian retailer Via Varejo and its digital banking subsidiary Banqi to power the credit underwriting for Varejo’s “carnês” point-of-sale microfinance lending product.

For reprint and licensing requests for this article, click here.
MORE FROM AMERICAN BANKER