With a target of doubling its customer base to six million by 2021, Saudia Arabian digital wallet STCPay will operate through banking software company Temenos to expand its payments and mobile banking reach throughout the Middle East.

The trends were already pushing new payment experiences, which now seem less futuristic, says VeriTran's Omar Arab.

The threat has been exacerbated during the pandemic, as shelter in place orders forced consumers inside and businesses to close their physical doors, while simultaneously opening online ones, says Sift's Kevin Lee.

Parking payments have long been a pain point for many motorists, but it's a category that has also resisted a shift to mobile or digital payments in many regions.

Nexi SpA is already hunting for its next target after agreeing a milestone payments merger with Italian rival SIA SpA, as consolidation in the sector shows little sign of easing.

Coronavirus galvanized the use of NFC payments and QR codes, and PayPal wants to harness both trends for Venmo’s first credit card.

Facebook's size and aggressive moves into mobile wallets and stablecoins pose a formidable threat to other big technology companies and traditional payment networks, says Intrepid Ventures' Eric Grover.

For suppliers, getting paid by card is the fastest way to get their money in the bank. On the buyer’s side, virtual cards are the most secure payment method, and they can also generate rebates, says Nvoicepay's Kristin Cardinali.

The ongoing pandemic and economic crisis should accelerate the adoption of payments as a service, APIs and open banking, says AFEX Americas' Christian Spaltenstein.

For many U.S. cities and counties, the high number of walk-in payments and checks typically received for services, permits and fees has been aggravating but acceptable — until coronavirus struck.

Payments technology provider Ingenico is launching a platform for vending operators to enable faster payments and management of their unattended machines.

The COVID-19 pandemic was a clear incentive for advancing contactless and digital payment technology — but the systems merchants put in place today could create new problems down the road.

Walmart is expanding the contactless payment options in its stores as part of a new design that aims to blur the online and in-store shopping experience.

Many companies seek ways to maintain their payments and collections functions centrally when expanding overseas, whether regionally or globally wherever possible, to avoid fragmented processes and technology, says Standard Chartered's Tarek Elyafi.

Various trade organizations sent letters to a House Financial Services Committee task force saying lawmakers should "actively discharge their oversight prerogatives" as the national bank regulator considers giving licenses to companies that do not accept deposits.

Argentina’s Ualá, the mobile payments startup backed by heavyweight billionaire investors George Soros and Steve Cohen, is launching its prepaid card operations in Mexico.

Embedded finance isn't new, but the influence of online payments and banking creates vast new scale, says Kunai's Sandeep Sood.

Looking to expand beyond its current role in providing compliant digital payment options for legal cannabis businesses, AeroPay has caught the attention of fintech investors.

Various trade organizations sent letters to a House Financial Services Committee task force saying lawmakers should "actively discharge their oversight prerogatives" as the national bank regulator considers giving licenses to companies that do not accept deposits.