Issuing/Originating

The hits merchants are taking from the Covid-19 pandemic were apparent in the second-quarter financial results the big retail and cobranded card issuer Synchrony Financial reported Tuesday, results which include a 19% year-over-year drop in purchase volume. Stamford, Conn.-based Synchrony posted purchase volume of $31.2 billion versus $38.3 billion in …

Cryptocurrency platform Wirex has become the first such entity to obtain a principal membership in the Mastercard network. The move comes as Mastercard Inc. announced an expansion of its cryptocurrency program, which aims to make it easier for crypto card companies to market their products. Wirex also announced recently it has hired long-time …

The global retail-payment networks Mastercard and Visa are on a tear, acquiring and investing in adjacent payment-opportunity space in networks that can leverage and reinforce their existing franchises.  Their traditional payment schemes are dominant worldwide and near indestructible. While for the foreseeable future they could grow on autopilot, to their …

With the massive increase in e-commerce this year, and new merchants moving to an online model out of necessity, combating card-not-present fraud is incredibly important. EMV 3-D Secure 1.0 (or 3DS1) has been continually upgraded as technology and consumer habits changed; however, from its first iteration it has always had …

Visa Inc. announced it is working on U.S. pilots for a new installment-payment service. TSYS, part of Global Payments Inc., will be the first issuer technology partner, with Commerce Bank as the first U.S. bank partner. 42nd Street Photos, Tire Agent, and The Room Place are among the first merchants to offer …

Discover Financial Services announced an agreement with the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority’s Saudi Payments unit that calls for acceptance of Discover, Diners Club International, and Pulse cards on Saudi Payments’ mada network. The deal includes acceptance on point-of-sale terminals, e-commerce platforms, and at ATMs.Fareportal, the technology platform for travel brands CheapOair …

With real-time payments comes real-time risk, and now banks and their technology vendors are attacking the problem of how to make sure funds moving in the blink of an eye are flowing to the proper accounts. The latest move comes from banking power BNY Mellon, which on Thursday said it …

A group of 16 European banks said they plan to launch a “truly European” unified payments system by 2022 that would be an alternative to Visa and Mastercard, Reuters reported.The slowdown in in-store shopping due to the Covid-19 pandemic has caused some stores to run out of coins; most recently big-box grocery chain …

A new rule requiring all financial institutions in the automated clearing house network to participate in ACH governing body Nacha’s contact registry took effect Wednesday. The registry’s purpose is to enable financial institutions to quickly find the appropriate person to resolve issues when a transaction looks fraudulent or presents other …

A new European Commission report shows how interchange regulation has lowered merchants’ payment card acceptance costs and taken more than $3 billion a year from card issuers’ top lines. The EC, the executive arm of the Brussels-based European Union, implemented its so-called Interchange Fee Regulation in 2015 and 2016. The …