Payments

The agency said customers of SMART Payment Plan LLC could receive up to $7.5 million for statements that created a false impression about the service used for auto loans, but in a twist the bureau said it may pay most of the restitution.

Consumers will still prefer minimizing physical contact, while relying on digital payments and looking forward to adopting smarter methods that are secure, convenient, and less time-consuming, says Global Market Insights' Vinisha Joshi.

As the presidential voting count waged deep into the night on Tuesday, the fate of fintech, financial services and payments regulation hung in the balance.

It is a frustrating reality during a time of national crisis that emergency payment options for vulnerable populations remain such a complex and inefficient landscape, says Flourish Ventures' Sarah Morgenstern.

São Paulo, Brazil-based payments fintech Conductor Technology has raised $150 million in a private equity round led by Viking Global Investors.

Changing regulations mix and uncertain access to international talent are among the potential challenges, but both sides favor fintech--in their own way, says QED Investors' Nigel Morris.

States have led the way on fintech rules, but a Democratic-led government would take a stronger role, says DailyPay's Matthew Kopko.

In a major break from the Payment Card Industry security standards playbook, merchants and service providers using newer technologies would have the opportunity to rewrite network operation and testing procedures when achieving compliance.

Reflecting the rapid transition to digital payments, PayPal has reported its strongest growth in total payment volume and revenue in its history, coupled with strong growth for Venmo, its P2P app.

Payment rates for auto lenders and credit card issuers have remained strong despite a spike in unemployment. Whether these trends continue into 2021 will depend largely on the actions of Congress and the pace of medical advances.

Refinitiv, a global risk intelligence firm, has agreed to buy Giact, a company founded by a brother-and-sister team in Allen, Texas, in 2004 to enhance payment fraud protection and identity verification for banks and corporations.

The person-to-person network is being used more often for purchasing, with consumer payments to small businesses up sharply.

Businesses are looking for banks to help them shed paper and automate transactions, says FISPAN's Clayton Weir.

As the pandemic and economic downturn take their toll on consumer spending, the card companies are relying on scale, partnerships and subsidiaries to turn consulting, security and fast technology deployment into new and sustainable revenue streams.

Mastercard has rolled out a set of AI-powered tools to thwart fraud and data breaches across banks' ecosystems, particularly to benefit acquirers’ online merchants.

MoneyGram's digital offerings are attracting different types of consumers into the company fold, CEO Alex Holmes said during the third-quarter earnings call.

The concept marries digital ID to the trend toward making the car’s internet connectivity an e-commerce lane.

For those looking to combat credit card testing, there are several tactics that merchants can employ, says T1 Payments' Donald Kasdon.

Though the COVID-19 pandemic continues to stifle economic growth globally, Western Union again pointed to its fast-growing digital services as key to keeping the company on a positive trend.

The challenger bank now offers small businesses checking, lending and payments services on one platform and can link them through Plaid to external bank accounts.