Payments


Will PSD2 be the driver for a new era in open banking?

So after the protracted and ongoing rollout of SEPA, along comes further EU regulation in the guise of the second phase of the Payment Services Directive (PSD2) with further challenges to banks impacting the provision of one of the core banking services – namely payments

MasterCard and Samsung prepare Samsung Pay Europe launch

Samsung is set to launch its upcoming payments service Samsung Pay in Europe within months, following a deal with MasterCard which will see Samsung Pay rolled out across the region through MasterCard’s Digital Enablement Service.

Visa Considers Acquisition of Visa Europe (July 27, 2015)

Visa Inc. has confirmed it’s in negotiations to acquire Visa Europe in what could be a $20 billion deal. Visa expects to resolve discussions about the possible acquisition in October and provide an update about its decision during the company’s fourth quarter earnings report.

Square Secretly Files for IPO (July 27, 2015)

After more than a year of rumors, it appears Square finally could be taking the plunge and going public. The m-POS pioneer—which has been expanding steadily into other verticals—has filed confidentially for an IPO with the SEC, according to Bloomberg, which cited sources with knowledge of the plan.

Cometh the Digital Bank

The only banking activity that is digital is taking money out of clients’ accounts, which is performed in real-time with 100% consistency. After that the banking journey is far slower and less consistent.

Blog: What the Blockchain Can Do for Gift Cards

While the role of bitcoin itself is still in question, there is a growing industry consensus that the blockchain—bitcoin’s underlying technology—may become to value, what the Web has been to information. And, the gift card industry may be the first to reap the benefits.

PayPal’s Shares Rise as it Flies Solo (July 20, 2015)

PayPal’s stock rose more than 5 percent on its first day of trading as an independent company, bringing its total market capitalization to about $50 billion, making it an even more potent force in the red-hot payments M&A arena, observers say.

Meta Buys Tax Refund Company for $50 Million (July 20, 2015)

Meta Financial Group Inc. and bank subsidiary MetaBank are getting ready for tax season early with the acquisition of Fort Knox Financial Services Corp. and its subsidiary, Tax Product Services. The deal, valued at approximately $50 million, bolsters Meta’s business in the tax refund prepaid card vertical.

U.K. Payments Study Shows Consumers’ Need for Speed

Faster payments could be the key factor in getting U.K. consumers to switch bank accounts, a new report says. In a study commissioned by ACI Worldwide, 45 percent of 2,000 of consumers polled in the U.K. said the prospect of faster and more convenient electronic payments would encourage them to consider moving their accounts to a different bank.

Ageing reconciliation systems cost firms dear

Two-thirds of top-tier financial institutions have established reconciliation centres of excellence following a recent wave of consolidation of the reconciliation function – but more than half of firms say their reconciliation technology platform was at least five years old, and a quarter of respondents use platforms more than nine years old.

UK consumers look for speed

Nearly half of UK consumers say that faster payments are a factor in their choice of back account provider, with 45% saying that the offer of faster electronic payments would encourage them to switch their bank account provider.

Commerzbank continues card processing contract with Worldline

Commerzbank has extended its existing credit card processing contract with Worldline for a further seven years. Since 1998 Wordline has provided the bank with an end-to-end processing service that includes complete processing of all the bank’s issued Visa and MasterCard cards.

BNP Paribas becomes CHAPS’ 22nd direct participant

BNP Paribas has become a direct participant in CHAPS, the UK’s same day high-value electronic payment system, the 22nd bank to join in this role. More are expected to join by the end of 2016. As a direct participant, the bank can directly send and receive irrevocable, guaranteed sterling payments with same day finality, rather than through a third-party.