Mobile payments

The newest iPhones are drawing a lot of attention for omitting the headphone jack, causing worry among the small merchants that rely on headphone-connected card readers to handle payments.

Facing a growing threat from TransferWise and other specialists working to streamline cross-border payments, Barclays and Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) are trying a new system enabling customers to zap funds between the two banks in real time.

While much of fintech over the last few years has been about improving the front end of banking, the focus is now shifting to streamlining the back office.

Simply offering the best reward or rebate isn't always the best way to sell in a multichannel world, and Wallaby is tweaking its recommendation technology to match the most advantageous card to a particular moment and location in time.

Apple Pay got only a brief mention during the tech giant's introduction of the iPhone 7 on Sept. 7, but the changes have global implications.

Sweden’s iZettle is following a now-familiar playbook to fuel its expansion in Europe with its acquisition of intelligentpos, a company specializing in business-management tools popular with restaurants and other small to midsize businesses.

Android Pay has added scale, winning support from banks including Chase, Santander and TSB, and broadening its Web payment capabilities.

USAA has updated its digital platforms to give customers more control over unexpected declines on large transactions and access to service representatives on its website.

Square Inc. has long hinted it plans to expand to Europe and new clues suggest its base camp will be in the U.K. for an ambitious push into several countries. But its rivals got there first, and have had years to build their defenses.

Mastercard and Visa have now each entered a détente with PayPal, agreeing that a highly competitive stance is not of much use if it makes it too hard for consumers to pay for things.