India consolidates bill payment system
Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the country’s central bank and regulator, has given National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) the go-ahead to consolidate payment of local utility and services bills.
Payments
Billers Beware: CFPB Warns Companies against ‘Tricking’ Consumers into Expensive Pay-by-Phone Fees
The CFPB issued a bulletin July 31 warning companies about tricking consumers into expensive pay-by-phone fees. The bureau says it’s concerned about companies potentially misleading consumers about the purpose and amount of certain pay-by-phone fees or “keeping them in the dark” about much cheaper payment options.
paysafecard Enters UAE to Enable Online Payments with Cash
Prepaid pioneer paysafecard, part of Paysafe Group plc, announced its entrance into the United Arab Emirates. With its flagship prepaid solution, paysafecard will enable consumers to pay cash at vending machines and in retail stores for a prepaid PIN they can use to shop online.
Mexico-based MIT taps Featurespace for payments fraud prevention
Machine learning continues to take center stage in fraud prevention for the payments industry. Mexico-based payments processor MIT will use U.K.-based Featurespaces’ real-time, machine-learning platform to detect anomalies in individual behavior for fraud and risk management for its 17,000 merchant partners.
Fujitsu in blockchain-powered payments breakthrough
Fujitsu Laboratories says it has accelerated transaction processing for Hyperledger Fabric, one of the Hyperledger blockchain frameworks hosted by the Linux Foundation. In its latest development, Fujitsu says the processing of communications between applications and the blockchain platform, which had been the source of bottlenecks, is now “more efficient”. In a trial where this technology […]
The Monday mindset: 31 July 2017
Fintech zeitgeist! Every Monday, we might look back at last week; look ahead to this week; share a few thoughts (our own or others); or discuss anything that catches our eye. This week, Soumik Roy, a digital marketing and technology specialist, brings us his perspective from within India – and all about the UI and […]
Payments Strategy Forum drafts in public for future of UK payments
The Payments Strategy Forum, created by the UK’s Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) in 2015, has launched a consultation on its blueprint for a new payments system for the UK. Calling it “the most radical change to the payments industry since the 1960s”, the Forum says the New Payments Architecture (NPA) is designed to “provide simpler […]
Fintech earnings round-up: 31 July 2017
Several major payments companies have released Q2 earnings, including The Bancorp, Discover, Mastercard and PayPal. Overall, payments volume is on the rise and partnerships are proving particularly important for PayPal, which has been on tear with recent strategic announcements.
Three more Chinese banks join Swift’s global payments innovation
Three local Chinese commercial banks have joined Swift’s global payments innovation initiative (gpi), bringing the number of Chinese banks involved to 16, the most in the world, according to Xinhua. The new trio are Yinzhou Bank and Bank of Ningbo in eastern China’s Zhejiang province; and the Bank of Jiangsu, in the eastern Jiangsu province […]
Earnings: Q2 Results for The Bancorp, Discover, Mastercard, PayPal
Several major payments companies released second-quarter earnings this week, including The Bancorp, Discover, Mastercard and PayPal. Overall, payments volume is on the rise and partnerships are proving particularly important for PayPal, which has been on tear with recent strategic announcements.
Connecting Brands and Consumers through Alternative and Mobile Payments
Recent research from Blackhawk Network reveals that mobile and contactless payment options can help brands to engage with consumers by driving traffic and incremental sales, reducing shopping cart abandonment and supporting customer acquisition.
Vipera acquires SoftTelecom for $1.5m
Mobile financial services company Vipera is acquiring SoftTelecom. The deal is expected to close for $1.5 million (€1.3 million).
The Bancorp Strengthens Operations, Risk Management with New Leadership Team
The Bancorp Inc. has created a new senior-level team, it says, will strengthen its operations and risk management functions by developing a more productive and efficient operating environment.
SIX buys girocard network
SIX Payment Services is buying the Frankfurt-based girocard network operations business from VÖB-ZVD Processing, a subsidiary of Deutsche Postbank, reports Paybefore, Banking Technology‘s sister publication. The agreement provides for the customer relationships, employees and assets of the network operations business being transferred in full to SIX Payment Services as part of the acquisition. The terms of […]
Visa invests in payment card issuing platform Marqeta
Visa and Marqeta, the open API payment card issuing platform, have formed a multiyear, global partnership to “drive further innovations in commercial and consumer payments”. What’s more, Visa has made a strategic investment in Marqeta to support the company’s domestic and international growth. Initially, the partnership will involve expanding opportunities for virtual, physical and tokenised […]
Alipay comes to Greece via Viva Payments
Paytech firm Viva Payments is bringing Alipay to Greece. A strategic partnership between the two companies will see Alipay users “access the service for the first time” while visiting the country.
Facebook looks to Messenger for future growth… but not yet
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has cast his sights on monetising his OTT platforms Messenger and WhatsApp, but don’t expect miracles any time soon, reports Telecoms.com (Banking Technology‘s sister publication). The financial performance of the company is exactly what you would expect; another quarter of monstrous growth. Total revenues hit $9.164 billion, a year-on-year increase of […]
SIX Buys girocard Network
Swiss company SIX Payment Services is establishing a larger presence in the German market with its acquisition of the Frankfurt-based girocard network operations.
Visa expands with data centres in Singapore and UK
Visa is expanding its transaction-processing capabilities with two data centres in Singapore and the UK, reports Paybefore, Banking Technology‘s sister publication. The new global processing hubs will “increase the speed, resilience and geo-diversity of Visa’s infrastructure, while strengthening the company’s ability to deliver new and more sophisticated ways to pay in today’s hyper-connected global economy,” […]
Big data and cybersecurity fuel Atos revenue rise
The delightful duo of big data and cybersecurity have fuelled the revenue rise for IT services corporation Atos. In its first half 2017 results, Atos’ “strongest H1 ever”, the firm revealed a revenue in big data and cybersecurity of €357 million – a rise of 13.8% organically. Thierry Breton, chairman and CEO, says: “Either on […]
Fintech funding round-up: 26 July 2017
Bread but with the bluster removed. Following on from yesterday’s concise report, our latest fintech funding round-up keeps it brief. Features Cleo, Skype, ItzCash, Ebix and research from Innovate Finance. The “Siri of personal finance,” Cleo, a virtual money assistant, has received £2 million in funding from Skype’s co-founder Niklas Zennström and venture capital (VC) […]
On the Fintech Frontline: Three Key Areas Driving Payments Forward
For any organization regularly processing card-not-present (CNP) payments, boarding the fintech bandwagon is a must. There are three key fintech developments—APIs, regtech and cybersecurity strategies—you need to embrace (or face disruption).
House Passes CRA Repeal of Arbitration Rule
The U.S. House of Representatives voted on July 25 in favor of HJR 111 to repeal the CFPB’s final rule on arbitration agreements. The vote was 231-190, but the companion resolution in the Senate may be on the back burner for a while as the Senate focuses on budget and health care battles.
Open letter to EU decision makers on PSD2 RTS – figo
This open letter from German fintech figo is not about the usual pros and cons of this debate, but intends to provide the European Council with actual solutions, i.e. smart trade-off ideas that could mean an end to the everlasting screen scraping debate and eventually the RTS process.
Varo Money applies for US banking charter
Varo Money is looking to become a true challenger bank, complete with a national bank charter.
Worldline to buy Baltics payment processor from First Data for €73m
France’s Worldline is buying 100% of the share capital of First Data’s fully owned subsidiaries in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia (aka First Data Baltics or FDB) for around €73 million, financed by available cash. This latest deal follows on from earlier this month, when Worldline announced a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of the share capital […]
Visa Expands with Data Centers in Singapore, U.K.
Visa Inc. is expanding its transaction-processing capabilities with two data centers in Singapore and the U.K. to “increase the speed, resilience and geo-diversity of Visa’s infrastructure, while strengthening the company’s ability to deliver new and more sophisticated ways to pay in today’s hyper-connected global economy.”
Payably and CardConnect want to simplify mobile payments for small businesses
Payably, which offers a platform that integrates mobile payments with QuickBooks Online data in real time, is working with CardConnect to “simplify and speed up” mobile payments for merchants, including initial onboarding and processing and receiving payments, reports Paybefore, Banking Technology‘s sister publication. The strategic partnership also gives Payably the ability to offer “competitive” card […]
Blackhawk network gives PayNearMe a boost, announces Cardpool marketplace
PayNearMe is expanding to Blackhawk Network retail partner locations, starting with Casey’s General Stores.
Ant Financial Forms JV with CIMB Subsidiary for Digital Financial Services
In another step to expand its global footprint and promote financial inclusion, Ant Financial Services Group on July 24 announced it’s entering into an equity joint venture with CIMB Group Holdings Berhad subsidiary Touch ‘n Go Sdn Bhd (TNG). The JV will introduce a “world-class mobile platform for payments and other financial services,” the companies said.
Payably and CardConnect want to simplify mobile payments for small businesses
Payably, which offers a platform that integrates mobile payments with QuickBooks Online data in real time, is working with CardConnect to “simplify and speed up” mobile payments for merchants, including initial onboarding and processing and receiving payments.
Fintech funding round-up: 25 July 2017
Whether you call it dinero or dough, the fintech funding does flow! This latest round-up features Revolut, Constellation Digital Partners, Paytm, Mobiquest Mobile Technologies and Wesleyan Bank. Following on from the $66 million raised in a Series B round, UK-based payments start-up Revolut is looking for an additional £4 million in exchange for shares in […]
Microblink’s Photopay expands to new European markets
Photopay, the payment receipt scanning solution from Microblink, is now available in more countries including France, Norway, Spain and Sweden, reports Finovate (Banking Technology’s sister company). The news is the latest step in Microblink’s European expansion – begun four years ago – and brings the company’s data extraction technology to an even wider range of SME customers. […]
Banking Technology and FemTechGlobal looking for inspiring women in fintech
Do you know any special women in technology who have made a huge contribution to fintech? Then we want to know! Banking Technology and FemTechGlobal, a global diversity and inclusion organisation, are again on the look-out for all amazing women who deserve the Woman In Technology (W.I.T.) Award, part of Banking Technology’s 2017 annual Awards show. […]
U.S. House to Vote on Arbitration Rule Repeal Tomorrow
As promised, Congressional Republicans have introduced joint Congressional Review Act resolutions to repeal the CFPB’s recently finalized rule on arbitration agreements. The House is expected to vote July 25 on its version of the resolution (HJR 111), which Rep. Keith J. Rothfus (R-Penn.) introduced in the House on July 20 with 33 co-sponsors.
Paysafe to Acquire Merchants’ Choice, Considering $3.7 Billion Buyout Bid
It’s hard to say which is more compelling. On July 21, Paysafe Group plc announced plans to acquire Merchants’ Choice Payment Solutions for $470 million while also considering its own buyout bid from Blackstone and CVC Capital Partners, which the Telegraph reports is worth £2.9 billion (US$3.7 billion).
NCR Tackles Omnichannel Issues for Restaurants, Food Delivery
NCR Corp. on July 24 announced partnerships with Grubhub and DoorDash that it says will improve payments, order-ahead and delivery services for restaurants.
Fintech earnings round-up: 24 July 2017
It’s been a busy time for second- and fiscal third-quarter earnings reports. Features Bank of America, Amex, Blackhawk Network and Visa. Banking Technology’s sister publication Paybefore reports. Bank of America (BofA) has beaten analyst expectations with earnings per share of 46 cents on revenue of $22.829 billion for the second quarter ended 30 June 2017. […]
New payments bank launched in India, Fino Payments Bank
India has seen the launch of its fourth payments bank, Fino Payments Bank. For its core banking system, the bank uses Profile from FIS, delivered on a hosted basis.
An Ant Can Teach A Big Lesson To U.S. FIs
Ant Financial created the world’s largest money market fund in four years by enabling mobile wallet users to move money to the fund simply within the mobile app. The program’s meteoric rise shows that consumers are willing to adopt financial services from new players and the mobile device can supercharge that consumer shift of assets if incumbents don’t react quickly enough.
