Mobile payments

The Apple Card had the most successful credit card launch ever, according to Apple CEO Tim Cook — but achieving profitability depends on several variables that are still shrouded in mystery.

Ant Financial's success is instructive in the way it developed products that reach many different areas of their finances. And it's hardly the only success story to come out of the Asia Pacific Region, says Rapyd's Eric Rosenthal.

Ant Financial’s Alipay now allows international visitors to China to pay using its popular mobile app, following up from its aggressive campaign to expand Alipay’s acceptance around the world for Chinese visitors.

By using host card emulation, issuers can gain more control over their own mobile payment apps, says FIME's Christian Damour.

The Salvation Army is rolling out contactless payments technology at its 25,000 red kettles nationwide to combat the declining amounts of cash in donors’ pockets.

Large tech companies have been driving home the message that they can help the many Americans who struggle financially. But there are good reasons to be skeptical of their intentions.

Google's $2.1 billion deal to buy Fitbit is primarily a hardware play. But it also brings Fitbit Pay under Google's umbrella — potentially repairing part of Google's fragmented mobile and wearable payments ecosystem.

AI can be utilized for back-office efficiencies like conducting compliance tasks and automating manual, paper-based processes. This redirects resources and human capital in a way that is likely to increase productivity, says Episode Six's John Mitchell.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has called Apple Card the "most successful launch of a credit card in the United States ever." If that's true, the company is banking on it to jolt lagging iPhone sales by adding an installment payment option.

Consumers needed payment platforms that could handle internet payments, and startups quickly filled the void, says Chief Outsiders' Mark Coronna.