A shift to online payments and digital technology across the globe occurred at warp speed during the coronavirus pandemic, but that trend doesn't magically solve payments challenges in various markets, nor does it render the fundamentals of customer service less meaningful.

PayPal has launched a new buy now, pay later (BNPL) product in the U.K. called “Pay in 3” to take on rivals Afterpay, Klarna and others ahead of the winter holiday shopping season.

Riding a technology wave that helps attract more customers and generate more revenue sounds appealing enough — but with contactless payments, there isn't always a clear upgrade path for stores that have relied on older terminals.

The control of crypto exchanges will resemble that of regular financial companies in Europe and the U.S., says Extante's Anatoliy Knyazev.

EMV specifications body EMVCo has started a pilot program to evaluate consumer mobile devices for contactless payment acceptance, enabling vendors to have smartphones and tablets evaluated for possible use by merchants to accept payments without attached card readers.

With accelerated demand for digital payments since the outbreak of COVID-19, merchants must adapt fast, says Stone's Augusto Lins.

Many consumers around the world rely on cash-based payments, even when shopping online, says PPRO's Steve Villegas.

Opportunistic criminals are taking advantage of an environment where our need to live more of our lives online has outpaced our ability to do so securely. Taking all necessary precautions to protect sensitive information should be at the forefront of the discussion, says Horizon8's Patrick Horgan.

Germany has presented plans to strengthen financial regulator BaFin’s powers and tighten accounting rules, one day before the start of a parliamentary probe into one of the country’s biggest corporate failures.

The service signals the start of a broader shift in retailers directly challenging Amazon and threatening the platform as a shopper's default choice, says Bolt's Greg Greiner.

Paytm’s decision to open its own app store after Google forced developers to use its billing system was a predictable move, as is the potential for fintechs to steal payment volume from the technology giants.

While validating the card itself can protect merchants from accepting fraudulent cards at the point of sale, it does not protect the actual data on the card itself from being intercepted in the POS device, says Bluefin's Rustin Miles.

Bank bill-payment sites have become less relevant over the last decade as more people go to billers’ websites to pay directly or use billers' mobile apps — often at the last minute. But the COVID-19 pandemic could flip the script on the $4.6 trillion bill-payment sector.

Bank bill-payment sites have become less relevant over the last decade as more people go to billers’ websites to pay directly or use billers' mobile apps — often at the last minute. But the COVID-19 pandemic could flip the script on the $4.6 trillion bill-payment sector.

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.