PAYMENTS NEWS
‘Credit card chaos’? Financial institutions bet big on repeal of first-of-its-kind Illinois law
Apr 16, 2026
Financial institutions are adamant that the global payment system as it exists today can’t discern the difference between tax, tips, and total, and would need to be retooled at a heavy cost.
Visa, Mastercard settle merchant claims
Apr 16, 2026
Visa and Mastercard have settled the final interchange fee claims from a group of about five dozen merchants in recent weeks in an antitrust case that had been set for trial this month.
Trump administration ends lease for consumer protection bureau's headquarters, records show
Apr 16, 2026
The U.S. Treasury’s bank regulation agency has terminated the lease for the CFPB’s Washington headquarters after 14 years, agreeing to pass the premises to the federal government’s real estate management agency.
OCC plans to preempt Illinois interchange law
Apr 16, 2026
The Trump administration is considering an executive order to preempt the Illinois Interchange Fee Prohibition Act.
FCA sets out vision for open finance to empower consumers and businesses
Apr 15, 2026
Consumers and businesses could be given greater control over their financial data to help secure better deals, under a vision for open finance published by the FCA.
Singapore payment fees push retailers towards QR adoption
Apr 15, 2026
Retailers in Singapore are reviewing how they accept digital payments as concerns grow over card processing fees linked to Visa and Mastercard.
Stabelcoins roll on as rules evolve
Apr 3, 2026
Payments companies and fintechs are vying to offer new ways of using stablecoins for international transactions.
Visa Streamlines Credit Card Disputes with New Tools
Apr 3, 2026
Visa is rolling out new AI tools to tackle the growing and often misunderstood problem of disputes.
Treasury outlines sate v. Federal stablecoin oversight balance
Apr 3, 2026
The U.S. Treasury proposed criteria designed to evaluate when state-level stablecoin regulatory frameworks are “substantially similar” to the federal framework. The proposal grants states considerable flexibility to diverge from the federal framework but includes some guardrails to prevent states from creating avenues for companies to bypass the rules and guidance according to the law.
Fed inquiry into checks has bankers fearing 'disaster'
Apr 1, 2026
Community bankers are sounding the alarm about the Fed’s RFI on the future of check servicing, saying the agency might substantially and quickly wind down its existing system for processing checks without considering the disruption the shift would cause, particularly for older Americans, small businesses and rural areas.
Durbin targets airline points with bill
Mar 27, 2026
A proposed Senate bill would regulate airline loyalty programs, with increased disclosure requirements for the carriers.
Walmart Shuts Down Agentic Commerce With OpenAI
Mar 24, 2026
Walmart is pulling back from OpenAI’s Instant Checkout feature inside ChatGPT after internal data showed conversion rates were roughly three times lower than transactions completed on its own website, as reported by Wired.
Stripe-Backed Protocol Lets AI Agents Transact Autonomously
Mar 19, 2026
Tempo, a payment-focused blockchain incubated by Stripe and cryptocurrency venture firm Paradigm, launched its mainnet and introduced an open standard for machine payments Wednesday (March 18).
New card rule from today, March 19, 2026 as Nationwide, NatWest, Lloyds update customers
Mar 19, 2026
From Thursday, March 19, 2026, new regulations mean that banks and payment providers with robust fraud controls can now establish their own higher limits for contactless card payments in the future. While the UK's leading banks have confirmed they will maintain the £100 card limit for the time being, many also permit customers to set their own lower limits, providing them with the flexibility to make adjustments in the future if desired.
Why OpenAI's checkout 'pivot' isn't a retreat from AI payments
Mar 17, 2026
OpenAI is migrating from embedding transactions in ChatGPT to funneling purchases through third parties. Banks and payment companies are considering how to compete in the emerging agentic and generative commerce markets. OpenAI can demonstrate its payment model to potential third parties before the Amazon Prime and holiday shopping periods.
Clarity Act stokes debate on crypto
Mar 10, 2026
As policymakers define how digital assets are regulated in the U.S., the outcome could shape how cryptocurrencies and stablecoins are used in commerce, potentially influencing merchant acceptance of new payment methods and the compliance obligations tied to them.
Stripe advances security for agentic commerce
Mar 9, 2026
Stripe has expanded its Shared Payment Token, a foundational security tool for agentic commerce, to support Visa and Mastercard tokens. It also added Affirm and Klarna. For agentic payments to graduate to the mainstream, payment credentials must be protected and customer intent captured. The use of network-driven tokens for AI-driven payments represents one of the fastest paths to agentic commercialization, according to KeyBanc analysts.
Banks Target June for New Swift Cross-Border Retail Payment Launch
Mar 6, 2026
A new Swift payments framework for retail transactions will begin its rollout by the end of June.
Agentic Commerce Pushes ‘Know Your Human’ Into Verification Processes
Mar 6, 2026
Artificial intelligence (AI) in the service of agentic commerce searches for products, compares prices, negotiates terms and, in some cases with agents, executes transactions on behalf of individuals and businesses. Payment approvals, merchant onboarding and recurring bill pay are increasingly embedded in automated decision loops.