Top fintech stories this week – 6 October 2017
Catch up on Banking Technology’s top five fintech stories of the week – all in one place!
Mobile
Google bids for AI leadership with new Pixel 2 smartphone
Internet giant Google’s big gadget unveil is all about positioning itself for the artificial intelligence (AI) era, not becoming an iPhone killer, reports Telecoms.com (Banking Technology’s sister publication). The flagship product is the Pixel 2 – a product so important for Google that it blew a billion bucks on beefing up its R&D team. As […]
Poland’s Bank Millennium unveils Visa tokenisation
Warsaw-based Bank Millennium has launched “Europe’s first issuer wallet” using Visa tokenisation – so its customers can use the mobile app to create a virtual equivalent of their card. The bank says virtualising the card and using the service is free of charge, and cardholders can pay with their phone via HCE (host card emulation). […]
RGCA Expands Membership, Preps for Next-Gen Gift Cards
The Retail Gift Card Association kicked off its inaugural RGCA Forum in Kansas City, Mo., this week, tackling myriad subjects from gift card fraud to keeping consumers engaged with the No. 1 preferred holiday gift.
Uber takes SoftBank investment and drives changes
Uber is to accept an investment of up to $1.25 billion from Japan’s SoftBank and usher in new governance rules aimed at reining in former CEO and co-founder Travis Kalanick.
Barclays US Tests Personal Finance Tool
Barclays US is dipping its toe into the financial health business, testing a personal financial management tool that aggregates all of a customer’s Barclays credit cards, personal loans and savings products—as well as accounts with other banks—in one place.
Starling Bank Expands with Business Accounts
The competition to serve the financial needs of small businesses is heating up in the U.K., where consumer banking challenger Starling Bank is expanding into the business market,
Turn gaming into investing with Invstr’s newest app
Invstr, the social and investment game app, has launched a new product which will give UK members the ability to trade fractional shares.
Truphone raises $339m to fuel global expansion
What would you do with $339 million? London-based mobile operator Truphone gets to answer that question today as it closes its $339 million (£255 million) private equity round.
Snapsheet, KeyBank Launch Virtual Insurance Payouts
Snapsheet, a provider of virtual claims technology for the insurance marketplace, is partnering with KeyBank, a top 30 U.S. bank by assets, to launch an electronic payment solution for insurance claims.
Mashreq launches Neo digital bank for millennials
Dubai-based Mashreq has confirmed its future as a branchless bank, with the launch of its digital entity Mashreq Neo. As reported in May, Mashreq was mulling the branchless route in a speech by CEO Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair at its 50th anniversary ceremony. At that time, Banking Technology expected this to be a digital bank […]
What does the new iPhone X mean for mobile banking?
Mobile banking is nothing without mobiles, and as Apple leads the way in innovation it provides opportunities for banks to do things differently too. So, with the launch of the iPhone X, what is next for mobile banking in a world that can’t get enough of phone upgrades?
Evry in five-year, $18.7m card deal with Aktia Bank
Norway-based banking tech vendor Evry will provide Finland’s Aktia Bank with the “entire value chain for card payments”, including virtual debit and credit cards for the bank’s digital proposition, Aktia Wallet.
A blockchain smartphone – the future of devices or a buzzword parasite?
Sirin Labs is a recognisable name if you know where to look. Last year, it brought you a £11,400 smartphone with “military grade” security, and now it wants to bring you a blockchain smartphone called Finney.
Wirecard Gives boon a Boost with Virtual Prepaid, P2P and Overdrafts
Pay Award-winning payments technology company Wirecard is expanding its mobile payment app boon with new features to make it an “all-embracing app in everyday life.”
Curve integrates with Xero to automate expense reports
London-based startup Curve, a mobile app that enables users to spend from all their accounts with one card, is dangling a juicy carrot in front of small business owners and freelancers—it will handle their expense reports.
Bank of the West in major tech modernisation
EXCLUSIVE: Bank of the West, a large regional bank in the US and a subsidiary of BNP Paribas, is embarking on a major tech overhaul with Infosys, it is believed.
Banking Technology October 2017 issue out now
Oh brave new world! Where transparency reigns. The latest edition of our flagship magazine – Banking Technology – is out now, packed with news, analysis and insights, case studies, research and expert commentary.
Chime Pulls in $18 Million, Surpasses 500,000 Bank Accounts
Chime, a mobile banking challenger co-founded by Green Dot and Visa veteran Chris Britt, has raised $18 million in Series B financing, led by global venture fund Cathay Innovation.
Pindrop Releases ‘Next-Gen’ Phoneprinting with Machine-Learning Might
Pindrop, an Atlanta-based voice security and authentication firm, says its latest technology release is improving clarity and accuracy and increasing fraud detection by 20 percent.
Wirecard Continues Alipay Push with Merchant Deals
Wirecard has announced two partnerships this week to expand Alipay acceptance in Europe, one with Schustermann & Borenstein and another with Swarovski Crystal Worlds.
Hawk Incentives Launches Mastercard Prepaid Incentive Card for Mobile Wallets
Hawk Incentives, a Blackhawk Network business that provides rewards and incentive solutions, has unveiled a new open-loop Mastercard prepaid card that can be added to major mobile wallets.
Swych seals Series A funding
Digital gifting platform Swych has closed its Series A round with a “major strategic capital investment” from UAE Exchange Group. The amount of the investment was undisclosed, reports David Penn at Finovate (Banking Technology‘s sister company). “Swych’s global gifting technology and vision fits well with our strategy to foster purpose-based money transfers,” UAE Exchange Group […]
First Tech Credit Union Goes Live with Zelle
First Tech Federal Credit Union announced that the Zelle P2P service is live in its mobile banking app, enabling payments for more than 110,000 First Tech mobile banking members.
Banks going Kodak
When was the last time you visited a bank branch? While the rise of the internet, banking shifted the customer interaction from the branch to the web, the business was still owned and run end-to-end by the bank and at lower cost. For a few years now, the landscape has altered significantly bringing Kodak to […]
American private equity firm makes $5.3bn offer for Nets
In response to media speculation, Nordic payments processor Nets has confirmed that it has received a DKK 33.1 billion ($5.3 billion) takeover offer. Evergood 5, a newly formed firm controlled by funds managed and advised by American private equity firm Hellman & Friedman, has made a recommended voluntary takeover offer to acquire Nets – offering […]
AutoGravity teams up with Hyundai Capital America
Thanks to a new partnership between AutoGravity and Hyundai Capital America, California car buyers using AutoGravity have new financing options when looking to buy a Hyundai, Kia or Genesis vehicle.
How millennials are shaping the future of payments
For the millennial generation, paying for a latte using a contactless card, transferring money to a family member or friend online or buying a pair of trainers with “one click” has become the norm. This generation has not only shaped and driven the payments revolution, but is also playing an active role in developing a lot of the payment technologies emerging today.
FinovateFall 2017: a look back at the four-day flow
Adding a pair of discussion days to Finovate’s traditional demo days format, has made it that much easier for FinovateFall attendees to answer the question perennial post-conference question: “So. What did you think?”
Digiliti Money plans to delist from Nasdaq
Digiliti Money (DGLT), which is in merger negotiations with Urban FT, is planning to delist from the Nasdaq, according to its most recent SEC filing.
Top fintech stories this week – 22 September 2017
Catch up on Banking Technology’s top five fintech stories of the week – all in one place!
Innovators’ Spotlight: SPENT Money
Rather than being top of wallet, SPENT Money wants to help consumers manage and earn rewards from what’s already there—at least for now.
South Africa Bettr get ready for new mobile banking service
South African start-up Bettr Finance is preparing to launch its mobile banking service – with the offer of no monthly account fees and no bricks and mortar branches. It’s early days at the moment, so timelines and specific details are not available. But on its website its alpha phase is limited to 10,000 users. The […]
Kenya leads Africa in financial inclusion innovation
Kenya is leading the way when it comes to digital innovation for financial inclusion in Africa, according to research by the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP). Earlier this year, CGAP says it invited firms and organisations to submit proposals for digital innovations they believe have the most potential to advance financial inclusion in […]
Interview: Aleksey Chubar, VTB – leading a fintech revolution in Russia
If you’ve got preconceptions about what fintech looks like and where it’s happening, then Aleksey Chubar, head of digital transformation at VTB, has news for you. Russia is becoming a hotbed of fintech innovation – not just domestically, but internationally too. More than that, the rapid pace of technological change in the country means you’ll soon wonder how you got left behind.
UnionPay Taps Allied Wallet for Prepaid Launch in Europe
Allied Wallet, a Los Angeles-based provider of online payment processing, is partnering with UnionPay International to issue a UnionPay-branded prepaid card, the “first ever’ partnership of its kind in Europe.
Raise Pulls in $60 Million in Funding, PayPal Joins Party
Raise, which bills itself as the world’s largest gift card marketplace, has raised $60 million in a Series C funding round led by Accel, with participation from PayPal and existing investors New Enterprise Associates and Bessemer Venture Partners.
Atom Bank teams with Reevoo for content customer crusade
UK challenger bank Atom has partnered with user-generated content platform Reevoo to improve customer engagement and offer better purchase decisions. Using Reevoo’s platform, Atom says it collects reviews for its fixed saver account and mortgage products. These reviews are then displayed on Atom’s website, and have been included in various customer communications including newsletters and […]
Juniper: Apple Users Likely to Reject Facial Recognition
A new survey conducted by Juniper Research has found that more than 40 percent of iOS users in the U.S. consider themselves unlikely to use facial recognition as a payment security technology. This suggests that a core use case for the iPhone X’s main security feature may struggle to gain traction among consumers, the consultancy says.
Santander International in digital banking revamp
EXCLUSIVE: Santander International is embarking on a tech project to modernise its online and mobile delivery channels.
