Payments

Earned wage access fintechs say the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's advisory opinion provides important clarity on the finance product, but legal experts warn that its practical impact could be minimal.

The bank's Kinexys blockchain unit processes a fraction of the institution's overall payment volume. It's betting that an appetite for the technology's promise of speedy processing and liquidity will make that larger.

The real value of stablecoins lies in their ability to provide instant and secure transfers of value. But, in a world where every company has a bespoke stablecoin, that promise begins to break down quickly.

Visa and Mastercard logged increases in holiday spending, an industry group called for increased BNPL regulation in the U.S., and more in this week's global payments roundup.

The year was marked with six state regulations, new entrants, product and market expansion from existing EWA providers and buy-in from investors.

Consumer appetite for mobile wallets is growing, challenging banks to innovate to stay ahead.

Articles about stablecoins, scams, fintechs, premium credit cards and open banking were just some of the topics that struck a chord with American Banker subscribers in 2025.

Banks are beginning to engage with decentralized financial infrastructure. But until lawmakers create a foundation for allowing legally recognized entities like LLCs and nonprofits to govern these networks, compliance burdens will hinder full adoption.

The card network and bank technology seller partnered to expand AI protocols, while British payment companies face tougher fee disclosures but looser rules for contactless transactions. That and more in the American Banker global payments and fintech roundup.

The bank is betting on demand from resource-challenged companies.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in an advisory opinion said that "covered" earned wage access products should not be considered an extension of credit under the Truth in Lending Act. It also said that expedited delivery fees and tips should not be considered finance charges.

The cryptocurrency company has entered partnerships with big banks and payment giant Klarna in recent days. Coinbase exec Brett Tejpaul says the GENIUS Act is creating an opportunity to sell a broad range of digital asset technology.

The Swedish financial institution has developed an open standard that allows merchants' products to be catalogued and discovered by AI agents. It was designed to complement Stripe and OpenAI's Agentic Commerce Protocol.

The card networks have entered a series of partnerships in Europe and Asia amid signs of growing demand and Apple's waning control over the underlying technology.

The Federal Reserve Board voted 6-1 on Friday to seek public comment on a proposed "skinny" master account.

The payment fintech is marketing technology that lets merchants sell through AI agents; Google adds a credit card for India's national real-time payment rail. That and more in American Banker's global payments and fintech roundup.

Banks are unlikely to get the language of the GENIUS Act amended to better defend deposits. But Noelle Acheson explains how that doesn't mean they won't get what they want.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology's preliminary draft helps banks integrate artificial intelligence into their existing security strategies.

Bank groups, crypto firms and regulators are divided over whether fiduciary digital-asset custody fits naturally within the national trust charter model — or whether, as critics argue, the agency is quietly reinventing the charter.

Early Warning's online checkout tool signed a multi-year partnership with NYCFC to be the official online checkout and digital wallet of the Major League Soccer franchise and a founding partner of its forthcoming stadium, Etihad Park.