PayThink

While fintech's advancement creates a pathway for innovation, it also expands exposure to unintended risk, says Flywire's Mike Massaro.

Smaller financial institutions and fintechs need to work together to continue closing the unbanked gap through expanded digital banking capabilities.

Self-service payments require investment by the biller, but the payoffs can be huge, says PayNearMe's John Minor.

Several financial tech companies that applied to become national banks are seeking exemptions from many provisions of the Community Reinvestment Act. A consumer advocacy group and the American Bankers Association say the OCC mustn't allow this.

By focusing on "available near me" functions, retailers can combine digital with the need to boost small businesses, says Qualpay's Penny Townsend.

U.S. financial institutions should prepare for potential new regulations around data privacy and protection, digital identity verification and the use of biometrics, says OneSpan's Michael Magrath.

Congress acted first when it freed financial firms from having to disclose the beneficial owners of commercial clients. Now it's time for regulators to further ease anti-money-laundering reporting requirements by freeing them from filing duplicative or unnecessary suspicious activity reports.

Some categories of businesses, such as restaurants, have different needs the program doesn't adequately address, says LendingFront's Jorge Sun.

The fees banks charge to merchants have skyrocketed because people are making more purchases using their credit cards during the pandemic. Lawmakers can cap these fees before they further eat into retailers' profits.

Careful due diligence is required when picking technology to expedite accounts payable automation, says Kofax's Michelle Trapani.