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 services under direct federal oversight. This move follows a broader fintech trend of seeking bank charters to bypass fragmented state licensing and gain direct access to the Federal Reserve’s payment infrastructure. However, industry groups such as the Bank Policy Institute have voiced concerns that the new charter model could heighten systemic risk.
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,...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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....
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...
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...
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 %...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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....
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...
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....
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...
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...
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...
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...
EU Banking Chief Calls for Visa and Mastercard Alternatives
European Payments Initiative chief Martina Weimert warned that the Eurozone relies heavily on Visa and Mastercard, which handle roughly two‑thirds of card transactions. Thirteen EU members lack any domestic alternative, prompting calls for a cross‑border European network. EPI has launched...
TrueCar’s $227 Million Reckoning — and the Founder Betting He Can Fix What He Broke
TrueCar was taken private for $227 million, with founder Scott Painter returning as CEO to revive the marketplace. Painter admits the original transparency model alienated dealers by broadcasting list prices, turning pricing into a “third rail.” The revamped TrueCar 2.0 replaces...
Visa Says Cybersecurity Decides Who Wins Digital Commerce
Visa’s cyber‑solutions leader Jeremiah Dewey argues that cybersecurity is no longer a defensive checkbox but a core business function that fuels growth in digital commerce. He cites a 126% surge in ransomware attacks and $5 million average breach costs to illustrate...
Buy Now, Pay Later Moves to Groceries, Utilities and Travel as Millennials Lead the Shift
Buy now, pay later (BNPL) and credit‑card installment plans are moving beyond discretionary purchases into everyday essentials like groceries, utilities and subscriptions. The PYMNTS Intelligence February 2026 report shows 45% of millennials and 42% of bridge‑millennials used credit‑card installments in...
Banks Lobby for Faster Turnarounds on European IPOs
European banks are cutting the marketing window for IPOs, with the average book‑building period dropping to a record low of five days this year, down from ten in 2022. The shift reflects heightened risk aversion amid market volatility, as exemplified...
Bilt Users Get Surprise Wells Fargo Cards as Partnership Ends
After nearly four years, Wells Fargo’s partnership with rent‑rewards platform Bilt is ending, prompting the bank to mail Autograph credit cards to customers who had already closed their accounts. Bilt gave cardholders a February 1 deadline to select a new partner card,...
The Friction Economy: Why Gen Z Is Trading Smartphones for Dumb Devices
Gen Z is swapping smartphones for "dumb" devices such as landlines, dumbphones, and vintage cameras, sparking a retro‑tech movement. Universities and museums are creating hands‑on labs that let students interact with floppy disks, early PCs, and mechanical keyboards to teach...
Credit Data Shows Spending Discipline as Card Balances Rise
The Federal Reserve’s December G.19 report shows consumer credit expanding at a 5.7% annualized pace, driven by a 12.6% jump in revolving balances after a November dip. Outstanding consumer credit now totals roughly $5.11 trillion, with credit‑card APRs hovering near 21%....
Crypto.com CEO Launches Platform to Mainstream Personal AI Agents
Crypto.com co‑founder Kris Marszalek is launching ai.com, a consumer‑focused platform that lets users create personal AI agents without coding. The service, debuting on Feb. 8 alongside a Super Bowl commercial, offers free access and paid tiers for higher token limits. Agents...
Consumer Sentiment Improves but Workers See Little Income Growth Ahead
U.S. consumer sentiment edged up 1.6% in February, buoyed by cooling inflation and modest gains in personal finances. Year‑ahead inflation expectations slipped to 3.5%, the lowest level since early 2025, while current‑condition assessments rose 5.4%. Despite the lift, sentiment gains...
SoftBank Earnings Results Could Clarify $30 Billion OpenAI Funding Rumors
SoftBank’s third‑quarter earnings on Feb. 12 could confirm whether the group will boost its OpenAI investment by an additional $30 billion, raising its stake beyond the 11% it holds after a $22.5 billion infusion. The firm has already committed roughly $40 billion to the...
Citi Argues Tokenized Deposits Belong at the Core of Finance
Citi’s global head of partnerships, Biswarup Chatterjee, argues that tokenized bank deposits—digital representations of regulated deposits on distributed ledgers—are poised to become the primary on‑chain dollar for institutional and wholesale use. He emphasizes that banks should start with client needs,...
Nearly Two-Thirds of Credit Unions Turn to FinTechs to Upgrade Core Products
Credit unions are increasingly partnering with FinTech firms to modernize existing offerings rather than launch brand‑new products. A PYMNTS Intelligence study of 500 credit‑union executives and 100 FinTechs found that about two‑thirds of credit unions rely on these collaborations to...
Small Businesses Dump Manual Workflows for BILL AI Tools
Bill.com reported strong growth in its SMB customer base during Q2 FY2026, now serving 498,000 businesses and 9,500 accounting firms, up from 481,000 a year earlier. Invoice financing adoption jumped nearly 50% year‑over‑year with origination volume rising over 30%, while...
Consumer Group Attacks CFPB Plan to Limit Complaints
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau filed a Federal Register notice proposing tighter controls on its complaint portal, including limits on the number of submissions per phone number, mandatory sensitive‑information fields, and IP‑address restrictions. The National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) blasted...
Mastercard and UAE Team to Counter Cyberthreats
Mastercard has entered a strategic cybersecurity partnership with the United Arab Emirates Cyber Security Council to develop forward‑looking policies and publish a joint report on the nation’s threat landscape. The report warns that malicious actors are increasingly targeting critical sectors...
WEX Sees Virtual Card and Accounts Payable Solutions Offset Flat Mobility
WEX Inc. reported fourth‑quarter revenue of $672.9 million, up 5.7% year over year, driven primarily by strong performance in its corporate payments division. Virtual‑card issuance and accounts‑payable solutions delivered a 17.9% revenue jump, while travel‑related payments surged over 30%. The mobility...
Bolt Picks Socure to Secure ID Verification Platform
Bolt, the checkout and payments platform, announced a partnership with identity‑verification specialist Socure. By embedding Socure’s RiskOS and its global Identity Graph into Bolt ID, the service gains predictive risk signals and compliance decisioning. The integration is designed to boost...
Industrial Loan Charters Emerge as Go-To Path for De Novo Banking
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent highlighted the shortage of de novo banks, urging regulatory tailoring to revive community banking. Industrial loan companies (ILCs) are emerging as a favored route for fintechs, manufacturers, and payments firms to create FDIC‑insured banks without traditional holding...
Smarsh CFO Says Finance Now Shapes Product Decisions
Smarsh CFO Ian Goodkind says finance has moved from a back‑office function to a strategic engine that shapes product decisions. He notes that modern CFOs must monitor macro trends, assess strategic and operational risks, and sit alongside product and strategy...
Two-Thirds of Cardholders View Issuers More Positively After Credit Limit Increases
A PYMNTS Intelligence study of 2,199 cardholders reveals that 67% of limit‑increase requests are denied, while 56% of granted increases occur automatically. Subprime borrowers experience a 94% denial rate, and after a denial, 31% cut usage, 20% seek a new...
ECommerce Growth Makes Tokenized Checkout the Baseline
Digital wallets have moved from niche to mainstream, propelled by Apple Pay’s rapid adoption and the pandemic‑driven eCommerce surge, making tokenized checkout the new standard. Over the past five years issuers expanded Apple Pay across markets, while consumers shifted to...
Senate Bill Would Require Online Platforms to Prevent Fraudulent Ads
Senators Ruben Gallego and Bernie Moreno introduced the Safeguarding Consumers from Advertising Misconduct Act (SCAM Act) on Feb. 4, requiring online platforms to take reasonable steps to block fraudulent and deceptive ads. The bill expands the Federal Trade Commission’s and...
AT&T Turns to Autonomous AI Agents to Slash Fraud and Customer Wait Times
AT&T is rolling out autonomous AI agents to combat spam and fraud calls while streamlining internal processes. The network‑integrated digital receptionist, ActiveArmor, engages unknown callers in real time, disconnecting suspicious interactions or taking messages. Internally, the company’s partnership with Microsoft...
Equifax Says AI Tools Help Drive New Product Innovation to Record High
Equifax reported that AI tools and its cloud platform powered a record‑high Vitality Index in 2025, with 90% of employees using AI and 1,900 developers leveraging AI coding assistants. The firm added 40 AI patents, bringing its total to over...
Embedded Payments Give SaaS a Lifeline as AI Reshapes Workflows
AI-driven agentic systems are unsettling traditional SaaS subscription models, prompting a sharp sell‑off that saw software indexes tumble over 14% and marquee names like Thomson Reuters and Salesforce plunge double‑digit percentages. Investors fear that conversational AI could bypass entire application...
Mastercard Debuts Fleet Management Tools in Asia Pacific
Mastercard introduced a new portfolio called Mastercard Fleet: Next Gen across the Asia‑Pacific region, bundling payments, data capture and control tools for fuel, electric‑vehicle charging, maintenance, tolls and other fleet expenses. The solution offers globally accepted digital fleet cards, point‑of‑sale data...
Same-Day Pay Becomes a Hiring Edge as Paycheck Gaps Bite
Instant, same‑day pay is emerging as a competitive advantage in talent acquisition as workers grow intolerant of traditional payroll delays. The lag between work completion and wage access forces many to rely on high‑APR credit, effectively eroding 20‑30 % of earnings....