Payments

India softens stance on payment regs; a Dutch neobank turns to gen AI; and more.

EWA programs are not loans, no matter how loudly critics insist that they are. They provide a vital source of liquidity to hardworking families.

Despite tougher economic conditions, BNPL lenders are driving growth by expanding to new audiences and checkout channels, as well as fine-tuning proprietary risk-management models.

Walmart adds BNPL to self-checkout via Affirm, Uber integrates with payment firms Brex and Ramp, Fulton Financial announces next president and more in the weekly banking news roundup.

Banks, payment companies, mortgage lenders and insurance providers are racing to seize an advantage from generative artificial intelligence. Some have been especially aggressive in deciding which workflows — or entire jobs — can be handed off to AI.

Multifunction wallet apps will support shopping, loyalty, paying at the pump or EV charging station and crypto asset management, challenging the roles of U.S. financial institutions.

Here's what's happening around the world

The first credit unions enrolled in the Federal Reserve's FedNow instant payments platform say it will fundamentally change the way they serve consumers and businesses across multiple categories.

Google's $700 million antitrust settlement is part of a series of legal battles that are eroding Big Tech's control over checkout, cracking a door for other transaction processors and the bank-led Paze wallet from Zelle's developers.

Visa, Mastercard and Global Payments discuss impacts on customer service, web content, security and more.

Alex Holmes talks about money transfers, the tough economy and the role of crypto wallets in the firm's future.

Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., is urging the Government Accountability Office to examine the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's credit card late fee proposal.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signs a law banning medical debt on credit reports; PayPal's former CEO Dan Schulman will exit the board; community banks boost small-business loan approvals; and more in the weekly banking news roundup.

Competition is heating up south of the U.S. border, prompting fintechs like Airwallex to come to market with a more diverse set of offerings — and to pursue acquisitions that help it move faster.

Atlanta-based Global Payments has been working with an adviser to study the feasibility of a deal for Shift4 Payments, according to the people. 

The world's largest credit union reported a 5% increase in total loans in the third quarter while lending at the largest banks was almost stagnant. However, the Vienna, Virginia, institution's charge-offs also jumped significantly.

The Swedish payment company is using generative artificial intelligence to make its human workforce more efficient — but also expects the technology to fill in for roles it loses to attrition.

As innovation in other domains accelerates, the inertia plaguing our international payment systems is a critical bottleneck, stifling U.S. businesses that choose to engage in global commerce.

The fintech is the second in two months to launch a secured credit card. Upgrade's version will offer up to 3% cash back and elevate users to the unsecured version over time.

CaixaBank assembled a team of more than 100 people focused on generative artificial intelligence products, Ripple changed the name of RippleNet to Ripple Payments, and more.