Payments

The card network's shares fell 10% on Thursday from news that it's conducting an independent investigation of its student loan operation, signaling potentially costly regulatory actions ahead.

Kristy Kim, co-founder and CEO of TomoCredit, started out trying to help immigrants like herself access credit. With the latest funding round, she hopes to expand beyond credit cards.

The recent drop in stock prices and valuations is prompting fintechs to focus more on their core competencies. This doesn't mean an end to innovation, but companies will be more selective about how they allocate resources.

The senators called for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to consider more instant transactions to be categorized as “errors” or “unauthorized,” making them the responsibility of institutions rather than customers. 

American Express, Capital One and JPMorgan Chase hope to entice affluent travelers by enhancing access to airport lounges, many of which have reached capacity after travel rebounded.

The payments giant Visa is in talks to join an extension of the fintech startup Airwallex’s latest funding round, according to people familiar with the matter.

This week in global news, Coinbase gets licensed in Italy, but Binance and Starling Bank face setbacks elsewhere in Europe.

A partnership with the business payment technology firm Melio supports card payments even when one party is stuck in the world of paper checks and cash.

Investors have grown concerned that 40-year highs in inflation may take a bite out of consumers and lead to credit troubles, but Synchrony executives say consumers are continuing to manage “incredibly well.”

Apple was accused by Affinity Credit Union of using its market power in the mobile device industry to fend off competition from other payment card issuers and charging them fees to boost its bottom line.

The comments from the agency's under secretary for domestic finance came as it issued a request for feedback on the risks and opportunities of digital assets.

By accumulating a network of specialized fintechs, the card brand can connect those vendors to banks and merchants that want to build new payment services.

The bank’s Business Essentials platform offers digital accounting management to smaller commercial clients. It comes at a time when banks are hunting for sources of fee income.

The operators of a Texas payments firm with ties to the U.K. pleaded guilty in the U.S. to money laundering failures after their business facilitated the shipping of $160 million to Nigeria over about three years.

Public transit is recovering slowly from the pandemic, but ridership could increase if cities cater to a strong demand for contactless ticketing and digitized fare discounts, according to Visa.

Issuers that offer cash rewards can benefit from consumer anxiety over rising prices for gas and groceries, but have to find ways to make sure their own costs don't rise in tandem.

The boss of the U.K. digital bank Monzo Bank said he’s targeting growth rather than immediate profit during a turbulent time for the fintech industry, after nearly doubling annual revenue while widening losses.

Consumers are feeling less confident about their economic prospects, and investors worry their loan repayments will slow. Those fears have led to large drops in stock prices for consumer finance companies, particularly for those who lend to borrowers with lower credit scores.

In global news this week, buy now/pay later companies Zip and Sezzle call off their merger, BBVA sets a higher target for women in management, ABN Amro debuts a digital wallet for gig workers, and more.

The mobile-focused challenger bank is adding payments hardware, expanding its services for consumers and businesses.