Mobile money could make Africa the new boss
Samsung Pay has officially launched in the UK, continuing the evolution of the digital economy, but does this technology have the potential to disrupt the global pecking order?
Mobile
Crosstown Civic Credit Union in digital banking tech revamp
Crosstown Civic Credit Union, a 31,000-member institution in Winnipeg, Canada, is modernising its digital banking delivery channels with Central 1 Credit Union. Crosstown Civic CU is implementing Central 1’s MemberDirect platform, provided on a hosted basis.
Apple Pay launches in Italy
Apple Pay has landed in Italy with users able to add Mastercard, Maestro, Visa and V Pay credit and debit cards to the app. On the Italian Apple Pay website it says that the cards can be used with the banking services of Boon, Carrefour and UniCredit. It also states that more will be coming […]
Samsung Pay makes its UK debut
Samsung Pay has arrived in the UK with Visa keen to reveal that its account holders can use their compatible Samsung smartphones for purchases worldwide. In terms of Visa, the service is available to its cardholders who bank with MBNA, Nationwide and Santander. Samsung adds that its app can be used with HSBC (Mastercard and […]
Amex Study: ‘Gen Z’ Open to Brands, But Demands Seamless, Fast Experience
Consumers age 16 through 22 are open to communication from brands but have high expectations of those brands, demanding high levels of customer service and the latest in omnichannel functionality, according to a new study from American Express.
UBank’s Chatbot Helps Customers with Home Loan Applications
Bank has found another way to use the artificial intelligence-powered virtual assistants. The online-only Australian bank launched RoboChat May 15 to help home buyers—and homeowners who want to refinance—complete UBank’s online home loan application more easily.
French Retailer, Bank Tag Team on Mobile Wallet
France-based retail giant Carrefour and French bank BNP Paribas have joined forces to launch Lyf Pay, a new mobile wallet that supports in-store and P2P transactions as well as loyalty cards, coupons and offers.
Vodafone Sells M-PESA Interest to South African Affiliate
Vodafone has transferred most of its ownership stake in Safaricom—the provider of Kenya’s mega-popular M-PESA mobile money transfer service—to Vodacom, Vodafone’s South African affiliate.
WorldRemit targets migrant market with US mobile money move
Digital money transfer service WorldRemit is now available in the US and it is targeting the nation’s migrant market with its mobile money services. The firm wants to tap into the $135 billion US remittance market (the global market is $600 billion) – and says mobile money lets people in emerging market economies send and […]
Fintech outside London – part 2
We look at UK fintech firms working outside of the London “bubble”, examining where they are based and why; their history; target markets; clients; tech specialisations, concerns and future plans.
UniRush Starts Paying Off for Green Dot in Q1
Green Dot’s acquisition of UniRush, a deal that closed in February, is already paying off for the company. As part of its first-quarter earnings release, Green Dot said that UniRush not only added $12 million in revenue during its first month of new ownership, but contributed to 6 percent growth in the company’s overall active card base, to 5.05 million.
Startup Enters Teen Market Touting Budgeting Tools, Parental Controls, Charitable Giving
Current, a startup comprised of a small team of New York-based fintech entrepreneurs, has launched a prepaid card program and mobile app for kids and parents that goes beyond dispensing allowances
South Africa’s Mercantile Bank goes omnichannel with TCS Bancs Digital
South Africa-based Mercantile Bank has implemented a new digital channels platform, TCS Bancs Digital, supplied by TCS Financial Solutions.
Alipay Expands in North America with First Data Deal
The Alipay online payment platform operated by Ant Financial Services Group is moving further into North America through an agreement with payments technology provider First Data. Alipay is considered the world’s largest online and mobile payment platform, with more than 450 million global active users.
Going Digital: E-Gift Cards Post Triple-Digit Growth
Consumers in India are increasingly turning to physical and digital gift cards. A new study showed that providers issued some 50 million gift cards over the past year, up from 20 million from the previous 12 months, an increase of 150 percent.
Alipay attacks Apple in North America expansion
Alipay is teaming up with First Data in North America as it looks to take a bite out of Apple’s market share. As Banking Technology previously reported, Alipay has been gaining plenty of traction around the globe – with HelloPay Group in Asia merging with Ant Financial (which runs Alipay); and inking deals with European […]
Centralway Numbrs unveils B2B banking platform
Centralway Numbrs is launching a B2B portal, enabling banks to integrate their financial products into its Numbrs Store in Germany digitally and free of charge. The firm says its store is Germany’s first financial products distribution platform, run independently of a bank. The store is part of its Numbrs app, which has got 1.5 million […]
WorldFirst launches international payments platform for SMEs
WorldFirst has unveiled World Account, an international payments platform for SMEs and online sellers. The company states the account offers international banking functionality on one platform. It says “many businesses waste time and money” trying to open up bank accounts in new currencies. These accounts are also often held in the UK resulting in “additional […]
Exclusive interview: Luis Uguina, Macquarie
Everyone loves a dreamer, except in the world of banking – where digital aspirations are swiftly cut down to size by the reality of legacy systems. That is until Luis Uguina, chief digital officer for Macquarie’s Banking and Financial Services Group, comes along and challenges everything you thought you knew about banks’ digital offerings.
Amid Brexit, London Keeps its Fintech Glow—but Berlin Might Change That
Score one for London. Even as the U.K. prepares to leave the European Union through Brexit, the British capital and banking and investment center stands as the global hub of fintech, according to Paybefore readers.
Starling Bank unveils real-time mobile payments
UK challenger bank Starling is staying busy with the launch of its real-time mobile offering, Starling Payment Services. The service, which it calls a new division of the bank, will offer sponsorship access to the UK’s major payment schemes, allowing other banks, payment service providers, and fintech companies to use real-time payments from the summer. […]
Starling Bank Unveils Real-Time Mobile Payments
U.K. challenger bank Starling is staying busy with the launch of its real-time mobile offering, Starling Payment Services. The new division of the bank will offer sponsorship access to the U.K.’s major payment schemes, enabling other banks, payment service providers and fintech companies to use real-time payments from the summer.
The Monday mindset: 8 May 2017
Fintech zeitgeist! Every Monday, we might look back at last week; look ahead to this week; share a few thoughts (our own or others); or discuss anything that catches our eye. This week, Soumik Roy asks – will Paytm become India’s WeChat? Ever since demonetisation, electronic payments in India have been all the rage. In […]
Acorns Australia goes live with Moneythor for personal finance
Micro-investing service Acorns Australia has chosen Moneythor’s machine-learning solution to help it analyse customers’ spending patterns and offer insights into savings. The new “My Finances” features of the Acorns app were developed with Moneythor’s engine. The solution’s predictive analytics and data classification techniques are also used to provide customers with an estimate of their future […]
Travelex preps new challenger bank Ditto for launch
New banks are appearing at the double – and Ditto, a France-based mobile-driven multi-currency bank, is the latest one getting ready to launch. Ditto, which is backed by foreign exchange company Travelex, has been built from scratch over the last two years and is “managed as a separate entity” from Travelex. Ditto is based on […]
Conference overview: “literally everything” from FinovateSpring 2017
Wished you were at FinovateSpring in San Jose but missed it? No worries – we’ve got it covered. A comprehensive overview of the two-day conference – session by session.
Idea’s express bank branch hits the tracks
Poland’s Idea Bank has launched the first bank branch on rail tracks and the first co-working space for travellers. Called the Idea Hub Express carriage, the bank selected Poland’s PKP intercity trains, and the hub will be for passengers traveling on the Warsaw-Poznan-Warsaw, Warsaw-Krakow-Warsaw and Warsaw-Wrocław-Warsaw routes. Selected trains linking the cities will have a […]
Banks Banking on APIs for Payments and Beyond
Facing increased competition from financial services upstarts and tech firms, banks are doubling down on application programming interfaces (APIs) as a competitive tool, a new report shows.
Singapore Test Tackles Paper with Digital Bank Account Opening
Singapore is testing an initiative enabling consumers to apply for a bank account without needing to submit supporting documentation.
Apple Pay ready to go for HSBC Australia
With the battle of the four banks won, Apple Pay’s fight to retain its Australian smartphone market continues as HSBC Australia is now offering support for its customers for the first time. Back in March, Apple Pay emerged victorious in its long-running feud with four domestic banks over their permission to collectively bargain with Apple […]
Payroll Cards Earn Top Grades from CFSI—Except in One Area
The payroll card industry received high marks for its standards and its ability to “stretch beyond the basics,” according to a new report from the Center for Financial Services Innovation. But CFSI’s first-ever “Payroll Industry Scorecard” gave the industry an average mark for its ability to provide additional services that “improve customers’ lives.”
Australia’s Mosaic to unveil “bank account on steroids”
An Australian start-up is set to launch a “bank account on steroids” by offering investment, transaction and savings accounts in one product. Called Mosaic, the bank will allow a user to invest in any asset class if they’re an active investor or be risk profiled to determine a passive fund “best suited to their situation”. […]
BIM, Peru’s first mobile money wallet: lessons learnt
Peruvian mobile wallet BIM, described as “the world’s first fully-interoperable national mobile money platform”, will launch new services in H2 2017. It will enable customers to pay electricity, water and telephone bills, as well as have access to micro savings and loans, and micro-insurance.
Payments start-ups PayKey and Blue Code win Temenos innovation final
Israeli payments start-up PayKey was voted as Temenos’ Innovation Jam winner by the attendees of the 2017 Temenos Community Forum in Lisbon. Another payments start-up, Austria-based Blue Code, was crowned the winner of the Judges Awards (the judges panel consisted of three Temenos’ senior execs, two representatives from banks and a consultancy). The prize is […]
Samsung Pay lands in four more nations
Samsung Pay is expanding to four more countries – with official launches in Sweden and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and it enters early access in Hong Kong and Switzerland. The launches in the UAE and Sweden are Samsung Pay’s first markets in the Middle East and the Nordics. Last month, Nordea launched the beta […]
Money Transfer Goes Social: What the Facebook Land Grab Means
With MoneyGram and Western Union betting that Facebook-loving consumers will use “sendbots,” the old guard of remittance providers may have an edge on startups.
One hand clapping for TSB’s new mobile app
TSB has begun to roll out its new mobile banking app – the first service built by its new Proteo IT platform. It says the app has been built from scratch – with a new user interface. Features include access through fingerprint and one-hand navigation for the most-used transactions. It is available for both AndroidTM […]
How Fintech Startups Are Transforming Retail Banking and Finance
Sure, convenience remains vital. But to reach digitally savvy consumers—including millennials—new entrants in the payments arena will need to think socially, and be ready to chat.
Interview: Oliver Hughes, Tinkoff Bank
In an exclusive interview, Oliver Hughes, CEO of Russia’s Tinkoff Bank, talks about its online financial supermarket, maintaining momentum, and how US and UK banks can be occasionally underwhelming.
Paybefore Reveals 2017 Pay Awards Winners
Paybefore announced the winners for the 2017 Pay Awards—the most prestigious recognition of excellence in the global prepaid and payments technology industry. Our expert judging panels have made their decisions. Now you can weigh in and help your favorites win the coveted Best-in-Category designation and a spot in the Pay Magazine – Awards Issue.
