Cards

Americans 50 and older make up a sizable portion of the U.S. population — 115 million individuals in 2018. While these consumers may not be the first to use mobile P2P apps, they represent a big payment opportunity because of their economic purchasing power.

Those of us who have found ourselves in roles as stewards of the public trust in this sector are finding agreement in a variety of protocols that bridge even the stodgiest savings account with the coolest app-based e-wallet, writes Bryan Woods, president of Spend Inc.

The use cases for faster payments are typically considered to be somewhat niche. But if any payment can be made in real time, why should full-time employees wait two weeks for every paycheck?

Square's new card for business owners does something very bold with debit — and very troubling for banks.

Digital banking and payments provider PrePay Solutions is partnering with PayQuicker to help with currency conversions in payroll management programs globally, and to expand PayQuicker's capabilities for its clients' international workers.

British payments technology company Moorwand is offering the first UnionPay prepaid cards in the U.K. on its UPayCard branded prepaid platform, with a larger roll-out planned for consumers and corporations during the first quarter of 2019.

Global Payout is providing software to the makers of point of sale hardware for the cannabis industry, integrating payment card processing with other business services common for dispensaries.

The senator wants Treasury to enhance fraud protection in the Direct Express prepaid program — now a partnership with Comerica Bank — when its contract is rebid in 2020.

Cross River Bank has formed a partnership with Stripe that will handle every debit push payment within its platform in near real time via Mastercard Send and Visa Direct.

China’s expanding number of tourists is creating demand for more payment choices, and Wirecard hopes to tap into the growth with a prepaid card it’s developed with Ctrip, China’s largest travel agency.