A consortium of academics is betting it has the formula to create a high-performance blockchain network capable of processing payments faster and at greater scale than competing blockchain networks. The network, called Unit-e, is expected to process transactions confirmed by consensus on the blockchain in 15 seconds. If realized, the settlement …

Person-to-person transactions in real time pose unique risks. Here’s how to manage them while ensuring a great experience for users. Splitting the lunch bill. Paying a friend back for picking up those last-minute tickets. Covering the cost for your kid’s college textbooks. Each of these scenarios represents an opportunity for …

In a vast and rapidly growing commercial card market, virtual cards are grabbing dollar-volume share and are poised to dominate business-to-business card payments, according to research from Accenture Payments. Corporate cards, purchasing cards, and virtual cards will account for $523 billion in U.S. commercial card volume, up 10% from 2017, …

NACHA is not taking a position on whether the Federal Reserve should build a proposed real-time settlement system, but in comments this week the automated clearing house governing body said it is concerned the Fed’s current proposal is “too narrowly focused” and favors instant payments at the expense of other …

If understanding a problem is the first step toward a remedy, here are 10 first steps for the executives who must grapple with the complexities of payments every day. Well, here we are with our annual list of the 10 issues causing the most sleepless nights for payments executives these …

When it comes to faster payments, merchants don’t want to be left out, and that’s creating a big opportunity for payments processors and other merchant acquirers.  Indeed, as the payments industry shifts toward real-time and near-real-time money movement, processors can cash in on the value of getting good funds into …

Payment processor ACI Worldwide Inc. reported Thursday that Toronto-based BMO Financial Group, the parent company of Bank of Montreal and Chicago’s Harris Bank, has rolled out ACI’s payments hub, which can connect banks to real-time payment services. The rollout took nine months, which BMO and Naples, Fla.-based ACI characterized as …

After years of planning and deliberation, the payments industry is starting to announce services based on real-time processing. One of the first is Mastercard Inc., which on Wednesday unveiled a system that will allow consumers to view bills and then transfer funds to the billers within seconds. Experts see an …

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday unveiled a proposal to facilitate real-time settlement of faster payments. The Fed said it is not committed to any specific action on its plan, but banks and private-sector payment processors are watching for any infringement on their turf. “Over the past year, we have undertaken …

Payment-industry incumbents, particularly the global credit card networks and their allied banks and processors, can’t rest on their laurels lest fast-growing mobile and non-card payment systems in much of the world leave them in the dust. That was the conclusion of payments researchers Friday who spoke at the Mobile Payments …