Payment cards

Banks may need to be more selective about how they issue plastic, so that cards remain available to those customers who need them most.

I2c and Unifimoney change incentives to fit market conditions, rather than focusing primarily on boosting consumer spending.

In a potentially good sign for credit unions, last week credit card spending reached its highest point since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, according to data from PSCU.

Finland’s OP Financial has announced that it will be launching a biometric payment card pilot in the Nordic countries in the second half of 2021.

The Federal Reserve is facing pressure to allow retailers to route PIN-less debit-card purchases over their choice of networks. It’s a new stage in an old battle, fueled by the shift toward online shopping during the pandemic.

Cross-border payments provider dLocal has expanded its network services in Africa and developed new partnerships in Nigeria and Egypt.

The payments company reported a substantial increase in both credit and debit card usage for the annual shopping event as the pandemic has made consumers even more comfortable with online purchases.

FIS has added Walgreens as a rewards partner in Premium Payback, its payment card loyalty program for financial institutions using its banking services platform.

Michael Moeser, senior analyst at PaymentsSource, talks to Christian Fredrikson, CEO of Fingerprint Cards, about the ways biometric authentication has been adopted during the coronavirus pandemic.

The $3.1 billion-asset institution's product will not carry any fees and offers a variable APR.

Financial Software and Systems is upgrading the card management technology for Everlink Payment Services in Canada, converting the legacy card issuing and transaction processing systems to a single digital platform.

For Marqeta, the advancement of 3D Secure 2.0 in Europe presented an opportunity to design its own version of the online security protocol in order to claim ownership of the standard and provide more flexibility for its use with customers.

The decentralizing of accounts payable and supply chains is a chance to turn to virtual cards, says Nvoicepay's Kristin Cardinali.

Consumers are reluctant to take on additional debt in the wake of the coronavirus, cutting into credit unions' revenue streams. That could spur more institutions to roll out rewards programs to promote debit card usage.

As part of its effort to teach young adults about economic, social and environmental issues, Flowe is partnering with payments provider SIA Group to expand digital payments and other financial services through its app.

Mastercard is stepping up its involvement with cryptocurrencies by inviting digital payment operators to launch crypto cards through its platform, beginning with U.K.-based Wirex.

More than a dozen large European banks plan to launch a payment system that would rival U.S. payment companies and technology firms, an idea that hasn’t worked in the past but may have a better chance given the current global health, economic and political crises.

Landesbank Berlin, a major issuer of co-branded cards in Germany, has launched a contactless card with German Automobile Club ADAC as its first project with European payments services provider SIA.

The bill, which now goes to the Senate, would give small businesses greater flexibility in how they use the funds; not everyone's on board with Otting's signature achievement.

Credit card and debit card spending have improved for several weeks in a row, according to a report from PSCU.