Cross border payments

Interac is adding Mastercard Send to support a $24.5 billion market for cross-border payments that originate in Canada.

Visa’s recent green light from U.K. regulators to complete its Earthport acquisition was more than just the clearing of a regulatory hurdle — it was a revealing look at how important it has become for the card networks to diversify.

While the European Union positions itself as one common, homogeneous market, the reality is that the European e-commerce market is very diverse with both leaders and laggards.

The Italian family that founded a bank in the 14^th century and pioneered branches and letters of credit is now setting up a tech-forward, crypto-friendly disruptor in the United States.

Most do not have an independent treasury function, making cross-border finance difficult, contends Chen Amit, CEO and Co-founder of Tipalti.

For Western Union and MoneyGram, the threat of digital payments must be transformed into an opportunity if either company is to survive.

The bank is hoping the venture will encourage more companies to use Quorum, the Ethereum-based blockchain it built five years ago.

Digital payments can make payroll for workers in industries like cruise ships less costly, and less dangerous than traditional cash-based methods, writes Hal Ramakers, vice president of global solutions for Brightwell.

Because the cost of cross-border payments can substantially bite into profit margins for travel agencies, payments technology provider Ixaris and financial service infrastructure developers Banking Circle are partnering to eliminate that expense with virtual bank account numbers.

Visa Inc. braved a stronger U.S. dollar and a decline in consumer confidence even as its customers’ spending overseas continued to slow during the first three months of the year.