Alipay comes to Greece via Viva Payments
Paytech firm Viva Payments is bringing Alipay to Greece. A strategic partnership between the two companies will see Alipay users “access the service for the first time” while visiting the country.
Payments
Facebook looks to Messenger for future growth… but not yet
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has cast his sights on monetising his OTT platforms Messenger and WhatsApp, but don’t expect miracles any time soon, reports Telecoms.com (Banking Technology‘s sister publication). The financial performance of the company is exactly what you would expect; another quarter of monstrous growth. Total revenues hit $9.164 billion, a year-on-year increase of […]
SIX Buys girocard Network
Swiss company SIX Payment Services is establishing a larger presence in the German market with its acquisition of the Frankfurt-based girocard network operations.
Visa expands with data centres in Singapore and UK
Visa is expanding its transaction-processing capabilities with two data centres in Singapore and the UK, reports Paybefore, Banking Technology‘s sister publication. The new global processing hubs will “increase the speed, resilience and geo-diversity of Visa’s infrastructure, while strengthening the company’s ability to deliver new and more sophisticated ways to pay in today’s hyper-connected global economy,” […]
Big data and cybersecurity fuel Atos revenue rise
The delightful duo of big data and cybersecurity have fuelled the revenue rise for IT services corporation Atos. In its first half 2017 results, Atos’ “strongest H1 ever”, the firm revealed a revenue in big data and cybersecurity of €357 million – a rise of 13.8% organically. Thierry Breton, chairman and CEO, says: “Either on […]
Fintech funding round-up: 26 July 2017
Bread but with the bluster removed. Following on from yesterday’s concise report, our latest fintech funding round-up keeps it brief. Features Cleo, Skype, ItzCash, Ebix and research from Innovate Finance. The “Siri of personal finance,” Cleo, a virtual money assistant, has received £2 million in funding from Skype’s co-founder Niklas Zennström and venture capital (VC) […]
On the Fintech Frontline: Three Key Areas Driving Payments Forward
For any organization regularly processing card-not-present (CNP) payments, boarding the fintech bandwagon is a must. There are three key fintech developments—APIs, regtech and cybersecurity strategies—you need to embrace (or face disruption).
House Passes CRA Repeal of Arbitration Rule
The U.S. House of Representatives voted on July 25 in favor of HJR 111 to repeal the CFPB’s final rule on arbitration agreements. The vote was 231-190, but the companion resolution in the Senate may be on the back burner for a while as the Senate focuses on budget and health care battles.
Open letter to EU decision makers on PSD2 RTS – figo
This open letter from German fintech figo is not about the usual pros and cons of this debate, but intends to provide the European Council with actual solutions, i.e. smart trade-off ideas that could mean an end to the everlasting screen scraping debate and eventually the RTS process.
Varo Money applies for US banking charter
Varo Money is looking to become a true challenger bank, complete with a national bank charter.
Worldline to buy Baltics payment processor from First Data for €73m
France’s Worldline is buying 100% of the share capital of First Data’s fully owned subsidiaries in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia (aka First Data Baltics or FDB) for around €73 million, financed by available cash. This latest deal follows on from earlier this month, when Worldline announced a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of the share capital […]
Visa Expands with Data Centers in Singapore, U.K.
Visa Inc. is expanding its transaction-processing capabilities with two data centers in Singapore and the U.K. to “increase the speed, resilience and geo-diversity of Visa’s infrastructure, while strengthening the company’s ability to deliver new and more sophisticated ways to pay in today’s hyper-connected global economy.”
Payably and CardConnect want to simplify mobile payments for small businesses
Payably, which offers a platform that integrates mobile payments with QuickBooks Online data in real time, is working with CardConnect to “simplify and speed up” mobile payments for merchants, including initial onboarding and processing and receiving payments, reports Paybefore, Banking Technology‘s sister publication. The strategic partnership also gives Payably the ability to offer “competitive” card […]
Blackhawk network gives PayNearMe a boost, announces Cardpool marketplace
PayNearMe is expanding to Blackhawk Network retail partner locations, starting with Casey’s General Stores.
Ant Financial Forms JV with CIMB Subsidiary for Digital Financial Services
In another step to expand its global footprint and promote financial inclusion, Ant Financial Services Group on July 24 announced it’s entering into an equity joint venture with CIMB Group Holdings Berhad subsidiary Touch ‘n Go Sdn Bhd (TNG). The JV will introduce a “world-class mobile platform for payments and other financial services,” the companies said.
Payably and CardConnect want to simplify mobile payments for small businesses
Payably, which offers a platform that integrates mobile payments with QuickBooks Online data in real time, is working with CardConnect to “simplify and speed up” mobile payments for merchants, including initial onboarding and processing and receiving payments.
Fintech funding round-up: 25 July 2017
Whether you call it dinero or dough, the fintech funding does flow! This latest round-up features Revolut, Constellation Digital Partners, Paytm, Mobiquest Mobile Technologies and Wesleyan Bank. Following on from the $66 million raised in a Series B round, UK-based payments start-up Revolut is looking for an additional £4 million in exchange for shares in […]
Microblink’s Photopay expands to new European markets
Photopay, the payment receipt scanning solution from Microblink, is now available in more countries including France, Norway, Spain and Sweden, reports Finovate (Banking Technology’s sister company). The news is the latest step in Microblink’s European expansion – begun four years ago – and brings the company’s data extraction technology to an even wider range of SME customers. […]
Banking Technology and FemTechGlobal looking for inspiring women in fintech
Do you know any special women in technology who have made a huge contribution to fintech? Then we want to know! Banking Technology and FemTechGlobal, a global diversity and inclusion organisation, are again on the look-out for all amazing women who deserve the Woman In Technology (W.I.T.) Award, part of Banking Technology’s 2017 annual Awards show. […]
U.S. House to Vote on Arbitration Rule Repeal Tomorrow
As promised, Congressional Republicans have introduced joint Congressional Review Act resolutions to repeal the CFPB’s recently finalized rule on arbitration agreements. The House is expected to vote July 25 on its version of the resolution (HJR 111), which Rep. Keith J. Rothfus (R-Penn.) introduced in the House on July 20 with 33 co-sponsors.
Paysafe to Acquire Merchants’ Choice, Considering $3.7 Billion Buyout Bid
It’s hard to say which is more compelling. On July 21, Paysafe Group plc announced plans to acquire Merchants’ Choice Payment Solutions for $470 million while also considering its own buyout bid from Blackstone and CVC Capital Partners, which the Telegraph reports is worth £2.9 billion (US$3.7 billion).
NCR Tackles Omnichannel Issues for Restaurants, Food Delivery
NCR Corp. on July 24 announced partnerships with Grubhub and DoorDash that it says will improve payments, order-ahead and delivery services for restaurants.
Fintech earnings round-up: 24 July 2017
It’s been a busy time for second- and fiscal third-quarter earnings reports. Features Bank of America, Amex, Blackhawk Network and Visa. Banking Technology’s sister publication Paybefore reports. Bank of America (BofA) has beaten analyst expectations with earnings per share of 46 cents on revenue of $22.829 billion for the second quarter ended 30 June 2017. […]
New payments bank launched in India, Fino Payments Bank
India has seen the launch of its fourth payments bank, Fino Payments Bank. For its core banking system, the bank uses Profile from FIS, delivered on a hosted basis.
An Ant Can Teach A Big Lesson To U.S. FIs
Ant Financial created the world’s largest money market fund in four years by enabling mobile wallet users to move money to the fund simply within the mobile app. The program’s meteoric rise shows that consumers are willing to adopt financial services from new players and the mobile device can supercharge that consumer shift of assets if incumbents don’t react quickly enough.
Faster Payments Task Force Sets Ambitious Goal for 2020
The Fed’s Faster Payments Task Force isn’t kidding when it says it wants every U.S. consumer and business to be able to accept faster payments by 2020. It’s an ambitious plan, no doubt. But with the release of its final report on July 21, detailing 16 proposed faster payment solutions and outlining possible approaches, the task force is making a serious call to action.
Earnings Roundup: Amex, BofA, Blackhawk, Visa
It was a busy week for second- and fiscal third-quarter earnings reports, with American Express, Bank of America and Visa all beating Wall Street expectations, and Blackhawk Network, which also beat analyst predictions, talking international growth, double-digit digital gift card sales and new partner Target set to roll out in Q3.
Mastercard triumphs against £14bn collective action lawsuit
Mastercard can breathe a sigh of relief as the £14 billion lawsuit – a collective action over card charges that were passed on to shoppers – has been stopped by the UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal. As reported last year, Mastercard faced the massive lawsuit. The claim was headed by ex-financial services ombudsman Walter Merricks, who […]
Investment firm Permira buys into Klarna’s banking ambitions
Investment firm Permira will acquire a 10% equity stake in Swedish payments and banking firm Klarna. As part of the deal, Permira will buy shares from existing shareholders General Atlantic, DST Global and Niklas Adalberth, upon receipt of approval from the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority (Finansinspektionen). Once the transfer is complete, General Atlantic and DST […]
Mastercard Triumphs against £14 Billion Collective Action Lawsuit
Mastercard can breathe a sigh of relief as the £14 billion (US$18.15 billion) lawsuit—a collective action over card charges that were passed on to shoppers—has been stopped by the U.K.’s Competition Appeals Tribunal.
Top fintech stories this week – 21 July 2017
Catch up on Banking Technology’s top five fintech stories of the week – all in one place!
Ingenico Buys Bambora for €1.5 Billion
In payments, the big guys just keep getting bigger and more diversified. Ingenico Group on July 20 announced its €1.5 billion (US$1.74 billion) purchase of Sweden-based payments company Bambora from Nordic Capital.
Karmic Secures $17.2 Million in Series B Financing, Adds Board Members
Pay Award-winning Karmic, which offers an integrated payment and expense management solution, has raised $17.2 million in a Series B round of financing. Wei Hopeman and Jim Whims have joined its board of directors.
MileagePlus Go Visa Prepaid Card Set to Soar?
Less than two months following the initial announcement from partners Netspend, a TSYS Company, and United Airlines, the prepaid industry’s first air miles rewards card is now available online. Paybefore readers believe more prepaid providers will follow suit with air miles rewards of their own.
Mobile wallet round-up: 20 July 2017
It’s been a busy week for mobile wallet partnerships – and this round-up can help. Features Apple Pay, ANZ, CaixaBank, Starling and Samsung Pay. Banking Technology’s sister publication Paybefore reports. Australia and New Zealand-based banking group, ANZ, is rolling out Samsung Pay to customers in Australia. The bank says it’s the only major Australian bank […]
Meta taps Melissa for KYC and AML initiatives
Melissa Global Intelligence, a provider of global contact data quality and identity-verification solutions, announced that its technology is fueling know your customer (KYC) and anti-money laundering (AML) initiatives for Meta Payment Systems, one of the largest prepaid card issuers in the US. Meta relies on Melissa to provide “a 360-degree view” of the customer, including […]
Mastercard buys in to AI with Brighterion
Mastercard has entered into an agreement to acquire Brighterion, a software company specialising in artificial intelligence (AI), reports Banking Technology‘s sister publication Paybefore. This acquisition follows Mastercard’s March acquisition of NuData Security and will further expand Mastercard’s capabilities to “deliver an enhanced customer experience and security”. Brighterion’s portfolio of AI and machine learning technologies provide real-time […]
Compliance Titans: Jim Schafer, FIS
An early interest in credit cards hooked Jim Schafer on payments. Since then, his work has taken him across the globe in roles as diverse as programming and human resources. But it’s his current role as senior compliance director of FIS Payments that has led him to be named one of Paybefore’s Compliance Titans.
UK bans surcharging, load fees could be at risk
The UK’s HM Treasury is banning surcharges on credit and debit card payments. For prepaid card providers, the new rules put significant fee income related to card-loading at risk, according to Polymath Consulting. Banking Technology‘s sister publication Paybefore reports that the HM Treasury is putting an end to “rip-off” fees related to paying with a […]
Payments firm Episode Six expands to Tokyo
Payments software technology provider, Episode Six, is opening an office in Tokyo to meet “the growing demand” for fintech solutions in Asia. The company also announced that payments and finance industry veteran, Oko Okamoto, will oversee Episode Six’s new Tokyo office as general manager. Episode Six, which launched in 2016, offers payments software platform technology […]
