Payments

Consumer credit card balances are down, a sign consumers are pulling back on spending amid rising gas prices and the Iran war.

The Cincinnati bank's Newline business is now its fastest growing commercial payments segment.

Visa has deployed advanced artificial intelligence to help solve payment disputes and expedite corporate bill pay; while Mastercard adds Hong Kong to its global agentic commerce network.

As bitcoin plays an ever-larger role in cross-border transactions, what remains to be seen is how prepared the various bodies overseeing global finance are to engage with an asset that operates largely beyond their ability to meaningfully control it.

Australia's national Payments Systems Board has decided to remove surcharges on prepaid, debit and credit cards for electronic funds transfers, while lowering the cap on interchange fees. Also, Wells Fargo is seeking banks for its international payment network, and more in American Banker's global payments and fintech roundup.

Recurring payments for stuff like streaming content can get lost in the shuffle, creating an opportunity for the big card brands.

Will Artingstall, global head of banking as a service within Citi's Services business, sat down with American Banker to discuss the firm's BaaS business and how it fits into its larger corporate payments strategy.

American Banker data finds that a majority of executives investing in technology expect payments enhancements in the immediate future as well as further out.

The Minneapolis-based bank will issue the cards, and Mastercard will act as the network provider. American Express formerly ran the e-commerce giant's business credit card programs.

The Minneapolis-based regional bank is extending home-improvement loan durations by as much as two years in a bid to continue capitalizing on a long-running remodeling boom.

Banks must plan to support decentralized finance without disturbing their existing businesses. That's easier said than done.

Can banks win at agentic commerce? What's next for real-time payments? And where are mobile wallets headed? The industry's top experts will dive into these issues at American Banker's Payments Forum from May 4-6 in San Francisco.

American Banker data finds that regulatory clarity is the top ask from executives holding back on adoption planning.

Square, Block's merchant-focused business line, is trying to make more loans to seasonal businesses and first-time clients.

The bank-led companion to the Zelle P2P app faces a market where tech giants such as Apple have huge market share and a headstart of more than a decade. Paze exec Eric Hoffman told American Banker there is still a large addressable market for digital wallet users.

From transaction to transaction, it is impossible for merchants accepting major credit cards to know with certainty what interchange fees they are being charged. Until that's fixed, the interchange wars will continue.

The legislation would grant the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, among other agencies, more oversight of airline-branded credit cards and rewards schemes.

PayPal, Stripe, Visa and Mastercard must be vigilant against offboarding clients for political or religious reasons, the Federal Trade Commission warned Thursday.