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Deals•Feb 26, 2026
Brink's to Acquire NCR Atleos in $6.6 Billion Deal
The Brink's Company announced a cash-and-stock acquisition of NCR Atleos for $6.6 billion, creating a leading financial‑technology infrastructure firm. The definitive agreement was signed on Feb. 26, 2026, with closing expected in the first quarter of 2027. The combined entity will generate about $10 billion in revenue and target $200 million in annual synergies.
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News•Feb 23, 2026
Open-Loop Systems Help Modernize Transit Payments
Transit agencies worldwide are replacing cash and paper tickets with contactless payments that use bank‑issued cards and mobile wallets, delivering a tap‑and‑pay experience identical to everyday purchases. Open‑loop systems route each tap through global payment networks, meeting sub‑300 ms response times...
By PYMNTS
News•Feb 23, 2026
Planned Purchases Rise as Financial Stress Eases, Study Finds
The PYMNTS Intelligence report finds that as financial stress eases, U.S. consumers are increasingly planning purchases rather than using credit spontaneously. Yet 42 % still doubt they will be approved for a new card, and 15 % experience denial while 43 % never...
By PYMNTS
News•Feb 23, 2026
Wellspring Debuts Treasury Management Tool for Small Businesses
Wellspring has launched Wellspring Institutional, a treasury management platform tailored for small and midsize businesses. The solution merges traditional banking APIs with regulated stablecoin settlement rails, delivering centralized cash visibility, domestic and cross‑border payments, and yield generation on idle balances....
By PYMNTS
News•Feb 20, 2026
First Citizens Seeks New Mergers to Cross Growth Threshold
First Citizens BancShares, sitting at $230 billion in assets, is actively scouting acquisitions to push past the $250 billion regulatory threshold that imposes stricter capital and reporting rules. The bank recently secured 138 BMO Bank branches across 11 states, adding a solid...
By PYMNTS
News•Feb 20, 2026
Earnings Season Made It Clear: Digitize Supply Chains or Fall Behind
Earnings season revealed that digitizing supply chains has shifted from a cost‑saving exercise to a strategic imperative. Executives at FedEx, Caterpillar, Dollar General and others highlighted upstream capex on supplier integration, AI‑enabled orchestration and real‑time visibility as growth enablers. The...
By PYMNTS
News•Feb 20, 2026
Worldline Scales One Commerce Across Europe to Support Cross-Border Sales
Worldline is rolling out its One Commerce omnichannel retail platform beyond the United Kingdom, showcasing it at the EuroShop trade fair in Germany from Feb. 22‑26. The solution lets merchants manage in‑store and online payments, integrate new payment methods, and...
By PYMNTS
News•Feb 20, 2026
Discover Network Shows How Sharing Data Can Turn the Tide on Fraud
Fraud is evolving into a fast‑moving, AI‑driven threat across e‑commerce, payments and identity, outpacing traditional, institution‑by‑institution defenses. Discover Network argues that sharing data through a consortium enables real‑time signal aggregation, tokenization and enhanced decisioning to spot patterns no single bank...
By PYMNTS
News•Feb 20, 2026
Middle-Market Confidence Splits in 2026 as Tariffs and Supply Chains Weigh on High-Uncertainty Firms
The 2026 Certainty Project surveyed CFOs of U.S. middle‑market firms (revenues $100 M‑$1 B) and found overall uncertainty stable, but a sharp split between goods and services sectors. Tariff policy shifts and supply‑chain exposure pushed high‑uncertainty among goods producers up 27% year‑over‑year,...
By PYMNTS
News•Feb 20, 2026
Everyone Has a Side Hustle Now. Not Everyone Has the Same Reason.
The Wage to Wallet Index reveals that roughly 60 million hourly workers earning $50,000 or less are turning to side work, with one in five performing regular gigs. While overall job‑security sentiment is rising, financial confidence is splitting: higher‑income salaried professionals...
By PYMNTS
News•Feb 18, 2026
Businesses Move to Rein In AI in the Shift to Autonomous Finance
Enterprises are granting AI agents authority to initiate payments, approve refunds, and orchestrate cross‑functional workflows, shifting from assistance to autonomous action. Security researchers warn that more than 1.5 million deployed agents could be exposed to misuse, expanding the attack surface faster...
By PYMNTS
News•Feb 18, 2026
Experience Economy Pushes Payments to $20B Super Bowl Test
The 2026 Super Bowl generated roughly $20.2 billion in experience‑economy spending, spanning tickets, merchandise, streaming and legal wagering. Paysafe’s CEO Bruce Lowthers highlighted the need for payment platforms that can process massive, real‑time transactions across multiple methods without friction. AI‑driven fraud...
By PYMNTS
News•Feb 18, 2026
As Tax Refunds Tackle Debt, Installment Payments Become a Budget Tool
Tax refunds rose 10.9% to an average $2,290, but tariffs on consumer goods have erased 70‑95% of their purchasing power for most households. The 2024 One Big Beautiful Bill Act expanded tax cuts, yet higher tariffs and price inflation offset...
By PYMNTS
News•Feb 18, 2026
Nearly Half of Digital Bank Customers Prefer Digital Wallets
A PYMNTS Intelligence survey of 2,071 U.S. bank customers finds that 44.6% of digital‑bank users prefer paying with digital wallets, outpacing other groups. When paired with discounts and clear buyer protection, 35.4% say they would shift account‑to‑account spending to pay‑by‑bank....
By PYMNTS
News•Feb 18, 2026
Stripe-Owned Bridge Clears OCC Hurdle for Federal Bank Charter
Stripe‑owned Bridge announced it has secured conditional approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to organize a federally chartered national trust bank. The charter, once fully granted, will let Bridge offer digital‑asset custody, stablecoin issuance, and reserve‑management...
By PYMNTS
News•Feb 17, 2026
Velera’s Chuck Fagan: ‘Speed to Member Impact’ Is the Only KPI That Matters for Credit Unions
Chuck Fagan, CEO of Velera, told PYMNTS that credit unions must make "speed to member impact" their primary KPI, measuring how quickly they deliver solutions from concept to market. He warned that the term "credit" alienates millennials and Gen Z,...
By PYMNTS
News•Feb 17, 2026
What CFOs Need From Banks and FinTechs in Cross-Border Payments
Cross‑border payments are undergoing a structural shift as CFOs demand more predictable, liquid, and compliant solutions. FinTech firms have accelerated speed and API‑driven usability, opening new corridors and transparent pricing. At the same time, banks are investing in modern settlement,...
By PYMNTS
News•Feb 16, 2026
Firms Report Improved Financial Performance Linked to Use of Embedded Finance
A new PYMNTS Intelligence study of 515 senior leaders shows embedded finance is now a strategic imperative for mid‑size and large firms. Nearly 90% of respondents prioritize strengthening customer and employee relationships, while 75% plan technology upgrades within the next...
By PYMNTS
News•Feb 16, 2026
Stablecoin Payments Show Up at Checkout Despite Crypto Markets Slump
Despite a broad crypto market downturn, stablecoin‑linked cards are gaining traction at U.S. checkout counters. Monthly payment flows through these cards have surpassed $1.5 billion, and annualized spend now tops $18 billion. The growth is driven by card networks embedding stablecoins as...
By PYMNTS
Deals•Feb 11, 2026
Bedrock Robotics Raises $270M to Scale Autonomous Construction Systems
Bedrock Robotics announced a $270 million fundraising round to expand its AI-driven autonomous construction equipment, aiming to address labor shortages and improve safety. The capital will be used to retrofit traditional machinery with AI systems for earthwork tasks. The raise...
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News•Feb 10, 2026
Fund Manager FINQ Lets AI Run US ETFs
FINQ has introduced two U.S. large‑cap equity ETFs—AIUP and AINT—where an artificial‑intelligence model exclusively selects, weights and rebalances holdings. The AI engine ranks every S&P 500 component daily using market, financial and textual data, guiding long‑only and long‑short exposures respectively. The...
By PYMNTS
News•Feb 10, 2026
Curql Funds Stablecore to Secure Credit Union Deposits
Curql, a coalition of over 160 credit unions, announced a strategic investment in Stablecore, a digital‑asset core platform. The move follows the July passage of the GENIUS Act and other regulatory shifts that are easing the path for stablecoins in...
By PYMNTS
News•Feb 10, 2026
Mastercard and Bosta Target Egypt’s eCommerce Market With Logistics Incentives
Mastercard and Egyptian logistics platform Bosta have launched a joint initiative that offers Mastercard Business cardholders discounted access to Bosta’s e‑commerce logistics services. The program is aimed at small‑ and medium‑sized businesses seeking streamlined fulfillment, inventory management and real‑time analytics....
By PYMNTS
News•Feb 10, 2026
Kalshi Scores Record $1 Billion in Super Bowl Trade Volume
Kalshi, a regulated prediction‑market platform, logged over $1 billion in trading volume on Super Bowl Sunday, a daily record and a 2,700% increase year‑over‑year. The surge included more than $100 million on halftime entertainment contracts, notably Bad Bunny’s opening song. Despite the traffic...
By PYMNTS
News•Feb 10, 2026
Ebanx Predicts Pix Captures Half of Brazil Online Sales by 2028
Brazil’s instant‑payment system Pix is set to dominate e‑commerce, accounting for 45% of online sales by the end of 2026 and reaching a 50% share by 2028, according to payments firm Ebanx. The platform already eclipsed credit cards in 2025...
By PYMNTS
News•Feb 10, 2026
Equal Parts Raises $23 Million to Build Growth Network for Independent Insurance Agencies
Equal Parts, founded in March 2026, announced a $23 million Series A led by Inspired Capital to build a technology‑enabled growth network for independent insurance agencies. Since its launch, the company’s acquired agencies have delivered roughly 40 % revenue growth and nearly 50 %...
By PYMNTS
News•Feb 10, 2026
Agibank Cuts IPO Price Following PicPay Plunge
Brazilian fintech Agibank announced a dramatic reduction in its U.S. IPO, cutting the offering from 43.6 million shares at $15‑$18 to 20 million shares at $12‑$13. The change came hours before the sale and follows a 20% drop in rival PicPay’s shares...
By PYMNTS
News•Feb 10, 2026
Square Offers Its AI Assistant to UK Merchants
Square has launched its conversational AI assistant, Square AI, for merchants in the United Kingdom, embedding the tool directly into its payments and commerce platform. The assistant blends in‑house transaction data with external signals such as weather, events and news...
By PYMNTS
News•Feb 10, 2026
2026’s Digital Blueprint: Building Payment Stability in Construction
Late payments remain a chronic issue in construction, with 70% of contractors and subcontractors reporting regular delays that inflate costs and jeopardize projects. The financial strain forces firms to increase bids by roughly 8% and pushes material prices up by...
By PYMNTS
News•Feb 10, 2026
Payments Orchestration Becomes a Profit Center
Payments orchestration, once a back‑office utility, is now being positioned as a profit center for merchants. By inserting a control layer between merchants and multiple acquirers, processors and wallets, the technology enables real‑time routing decisions that optimize cost, authorization rates...
By PYMNTS
News•Feb 10, 2026
Why Game-Day Revenue Doesn’t Mean Same-Day Cash
Professional sports teams generate massive game‑day revenue, but cash arrives days or weeks later, creating a structural mismatch between inflows and outflows. Immediate expenses—player payroll, travel, security—must be paid upfront while ticket, merchandise, and media earnings settle on staggered schedules....
By PYMNTS
News•Feb 10, 2026
Nearly 3 in 4 Premium Cardholders Used a Card-Linked Offer in the Past Year
A PYMNTS Intelligence survey of 3,066 U.S. consumers reveals that premium credit‑card holders—those paying annual fees above $100—are the most engaged segment, with 74% redeeming at least one card‑linked offer in the past year. By contrast, only 32% of free‑card...
By PYMNTS
News•Feb 10, 2026
Mastercard Tightens Rules for BIN Sponsors That Support FinTech Card Issuers
Mastercard has introduced BIN Sponsor Plus, an accreditation program for UK Bank Identification Number sponsors that enable fintechs to issue cards. The initiative formalizes higher standards for training, due diligence and operational rigor, while offering accredited sponsors dedicated Mastercard support....
By PYMNTS
Deals•Feb 10, 2026
Equal Parts Secures $23M Series A Funding Led by Inspired Capital
Equal Parts, a platform that acquires independent insurance agencies, announced a $23 million Series A round led by Inspired Capital. The funding will fuel its growth network, supporting plans to acquire 25 agencies this year and target $1 billion in premiums within two...
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Deals•Feb 10, 2026
Agibank Slashes IPO Share Count and Price Range to $12-$13 Amid PicPay Share Drop
Brazilian fintech Agibank announced on Feb. 10 that it is reducing its U.S. IPO size from 43.6 million to 20 million shares and lowering the price range to $12‑$13, down from $15‑$18. The adjustment follows a 20% decline in competitor PicPay’s shares after...
PYMNTS
News•Feb 9, 2026
Deutsche Bank Warns Software Debt Faces AI Threat
Deutsche Bank analysts warn that the speculative‑grade debt tied to software and technology firms—$597 billion and $681 billion respectively, about 14% and 16% of the high‑yield universe—poses a concentration risk comparable to the 2016 energy crisis. They argue that rapid AI adoption...
By PYMNTS
News•Feb 9, 2026
35% of Consumers Plan to Use Tax Refunds to Boost Savings
Tax season is underway and refunds are already hitting consumer accounts, with 56% of filers receiving a lump‑sum payment. New PYMNTS Intelligence data shows that 35% of those consumers intend to boost their savings, while the majority plan to use...
By PYMNTS
News•Feb 9, 2026
Google and Entrust Team to Combat Identity Fraud
Identity verification firm Entrust has announced a strategic partnership with Google Cloud to launch an AI‑powered solution that tackles rising identity fraud. The joint offering combines Entrust’s verification platform and fraud intelligence with Google’s Gemini AI models, threat intelligence, and...
By PYMNTS
News•Feb 9, 2026
FinTechs Reshape Middle East Money Movement as Capital Returns
The Middle East is emerging as a fintech hotbed, driven by high smartphone usage, youthful demographics, and state‑backed payment infrastructure. After a global funding slowdown, capital surged back in 2025, with MENA fintech investment climbing 77% to $7.5 billion, 58% of...
By PYMNTS
Deals•Feb 9, 2026
Beast Industries Acquires FinTech Step to Expand Financial Wellness
Creator-driven platform Beast Industries announced the acquisition of financial‑literacy app Step on Feb. 9, 2026. The deal combines Step’s technology and 7 million‑user base with Beast Industries’ audience reach to deliver financial wellness solutions. Financial terms were not disclosed.
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Deals•Feb 9, 2026
NatWest Pays $3.6 Billion for Wealth Manager Evelyn Partners
U.K. banking group NatWest announced it will acquire wealth manager Evelyn Partners for about $3.6 billion (£2.7 billion). The acquisition, disclosed on Feb. 9, 2026, aims to expand NatWest's savings and investment services. Evelyn Partners is being bought from private-equity...
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Deals•Feb 7, 2026
Databricks Secures $7B in New Funding to Power AI Agent Database
Databricks announced a $7 billion financing round on Feb 7, 2026, comprising $5 billion in equity and $2 billion in debt, lifting its valuation to $134 billion. The capital will be used to expand its Lakebase serverless Postgres database for AI agents and its Genie conversational...
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Deals•Feb 4, 2026
EnFi Raises $15M to Expand AI Agents for Bank Credit Decisions
Boston-based fintech EnFi announced a $15 million fundraising round led by Fintop, with participation from Patriot Financial Partners, Commerce Ventures, Unusual Ventures and Boston Seed Capital. The capital will be used to deploy AI agents that automate credit analysis and...
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Deals•Feb 4, 2026
Resolve AI Raises $125 Million for AI Agents That Maintain Software
Resolve AI announced a $125 million Series A round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, taking its total funding above $150 million and valuing the startup at $1 billion. The capital will accelerate development of its AI agents that act as site‑reliability engineers, helping enterprises...
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Deals•Feb 3, 2026
Experian to Acquire AI-Powered Mortgage Shopping Platform Own Up
Experian announced it will acquire Own Up, an AI-powered mortgage shopping platform, to expand its mortgage offerings within the Experian Marketplace. The acquisition was announced in a Feb. 3 press release and is expected to close within 90 days pending...
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Deals•Feb 2, 2026
Varo Bank Secures $123.9M Series G Funding Led by Warburg Pincus and Coliseum Capital
Varo Bank, the all‑digital nationally chartered bank, announced a $123.9 million Series G round led by existing investor Warburg Pincus and new investor Coliseum Capital Management. The funding will support Varo’s next growth phase, including expansion of its AI‑driven lending products. The round...
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Deals•Feb 2, 2026
TransUnion to Acquire Mobile Division of RealNetworks
TransUnion announced a definitive agreement to acquire the mobile division of RealNetworks, aiming to boost its communications solutions and fraud‑prevention portfolio. The deal, disclosed in a Feb. 2 press release, will bring AI, machine‑learning and real‑time analytics capabilities to TransUnion, with...
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Deals•Feb 2, 2026
Waymo Raises $16B in Funding Round, Valuation Climbs to $110B
Google-owned autonomous vehicle startup Waymo is close to finalizing a $16 billion funding round that would value the company at $110 billion. Google will contribute more than 75% of the capital, and the round is reported to be three times oversubscribed, underscoring...
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Deals•Feb 2, 2026
Loop AI Secures $14M Series A Funding to Expand AI Platform for Restaurant Back Offices
Loop AI announced a $14 million Series A round led by Nyca Partners to expand its AI-driven platform for restaurant and retail back offices. The funding will be used to broaden its product suite and increase headcount, as detailed in...
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Deals•Feb 2, 2026
Fifth Third Bancorp Completes Merger with Comerica, Forming $294B Regional Bank
Fifth Third Bancorp and Comerica Incorporated closed their merger on Feb. 2, creating a $294 billion institution that becomes the ninth‑largest U.S. bank. The deal combines Fifth Third’s consumer digital platform with Comerica’s commercial franchise, expanding digital banking and embedded‑finance capabilities across...
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Deals•Jan 27, 2026
Anthropic Nears $20B Fundraising at $350B Valuation
Anthropic, the AI startup, is close to finalizing a new fundraising round that would raise $20B and value the company at $350B, according to the Financial Times on Jan. 27, 2026. The round follows a $13B Series F raise in...
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Deals•Jan 27, 2026
Mesh Raises $75M in New Funding Round, Hitting $1B Valuation
Crypto payments network Mesh announced a $75 million funding round that values the company at $1 billion. The round was led by Dragonfly Capital and will fund Mesh’s expansion into Asian, European and Latin American FinTech markets. The company previously raised...
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Deals•Jan 22, 2026
TikTok and ByteDance Form Joint Venture with Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX
TikTok and its parent ByteDance have signed agreements with Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX to create a new TikTok U.S. joint venture, slated to close on Jan. 22, 2026. The partnership will secure TikTok’s continued operations in the United States and...
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Deals•Jan 20, 2026
Walmart’s PhonePe Gets Regulatory OK for Indian IPO
India’s largest digital payments firm PhonePe, backed by Walmart, has received SEBI approval for its upcoming Indian IPO. The offering could raise up to $1.5 billion, valuing the company at roughly $15 billion, with existing shareholders Walmart, Microsoft and Tiger Global expected...
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Deals•Jan 15, 2026
BlackRock and Microsoft Raise $12.5B for AI Partnership
BlackRock announced that its AI partnership with Microsoft has raised $12.5 billion, bringing the collaboration closer to its $30 billion target. The partnership, which also includes Nvidia, xAi and UAE‑based MGX, aims to fund data‑center infrastructure for AI workloads. The capital raise...
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Deals•Jan 7, 2026
Anthropic Targets $10B Funding Round at $350B Valuation
Anthropic announced plans to raise $10 billion in a new funding round that would value the AI startup at $350 billion, nearly double its September 2025 valuation. The round is separate from its partnership with Microsoft and Nvidia, who have pledged a combined...
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Deals•Jan 7, 2026
Zilch to Acquire Fjord Bank to Accelerate European Expansion
Consumer payments platform Zilch announced plans to acquire Lithuanian challenger bank Fjord Bank, securing a European banking licence and establishing a new headquarters in Lithuania. The acquisition is expected to close in the second half of 2026, subject to regulatory...
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Deals•Jan 6, 2026
GTreasury Acquires Solvexia to Expand Financial Automation Capabilities
Ripple’s GTreasury announced the acquisition of Solvexia, a no‑code financial automation platform, to broaden its treasury management suite with end‑to‑end reconciliation and regulatory reporting. The deal, disclosed on Jan. 6 2026, adds analytics and compliance tools for both fiat and digital‑asset transactions....
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