Payments

More banks, fintechs and organizations are launching projects or implementing plans to speed transaction processing.

Klarna Bank is in talks to raise new equity at a valuation as low as $6 billion, a fraction of the $45.6 billion it commanded last summer as it became Europe’s most valuable startup, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

With alternative payment methods one app or click away, a short service disruption can lead to a permanent loss of trust.

The retail industry, which wants the Federal Reserve to lower a decade-old price cap, has been complaining that higher prices for consumers mean heftier interchange fees. But banks are pointing out that the $10 billion-asset threshold below which financial institutions are exempt from the cap hasn’t been adjusted for inflation.

The buy now/pay later startup Zilch has raised a further $50 million, upping the total raise for its Series C fundraising to $160 million as it plans bolster U.S. expansion plans. 

The card network has found common ground with retailers, revising its policies to help them better combat a type of fraud where consumers attempt to dispute legitimate purchases.

After being hard-hit financially by the pandemic and the surging inflation that followed, the generation entering adulthood is meshing their love of late-‘90s nostalgia — think cargo pants, bucket hats and disposable cameras — with a dose of old-fashioned frugality.

In global news this week, the EU wants to update open-banking rules, India plans a crackdown on domestic banks' outsourcing, LianLian in China launches a cross-border wallet for U.S. merchants, and more.

The U.K.'s Payment Systems Regulator is reviewing the card brands' fees, and promises to support competition for the U.S.-based companies.

Inflation isn't only driving up travel costs — a key category for credit card spending — it's making shoppers more selective about how they earn and redeem loyalty points for products hit hardest by price increases.