Payments

Payrailz, a payments startup launched that leverages AI to streamline bill payments and money transfers, will integrate its platform with Mastercard Bill Pay Exchange to explore ways to enhance the consumer bill payment experience.

Gift cards will be the most-requested item this holiday season again, and for the first time, one in three U.S. consumers buying gift cards will opt for digital versions, opening new possibilities for merchants that are anxious to counter Amazon's influence and improve user experience for stored value.

Fresh off a public offering and shopping boost, Alibaba Group has entered into an agreement with Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) to build digital finance services in areas such as cross-border finance and electronic payment settlement.

Digital technology is increasingly connecting compensation and payment capabilities for contractors and creating an ability to share apps. It's a trend that’s brought Citi and PayPal together to offer flexibility and a network effect to counter fintechs.

Payment companies looking for relief from international political chaos got a moment of clarity in the form of a decisive U.K. election and nominal progress in the trade war.

The plan would increase lending and transparency, the regulators say; the company says the rule unfairly lumps together digital wallets and prepaid cards.

In updating its point-to-point encryption standard, the PCI Security Standards Council says the resulting simplified validation process for component and software providers will result in more products available for cardholder data protection.

In order to overcome this digital payment inertia we need to design solutions that allow buyers and suppliers to focus on a more critical aspect of the transaction experience—the sale itself, says Billtrust's Nick Babinsky.

Payments and banking software provider ACI Worldwide says it has added improved communications and security tools to its ACI Speedpay bill payment service that businesses can offer to customers.

Banks are increasingly sharing data and must brace for new regulations protecting that data.