News


Smile and an HSBC account smiles with you

HSBC business customers can now open accounts using “selfie” verification, giving them the option to complete ID security checks on their mobile device. It says ID verification can be completed in a “few clicks” on an Apple or Android device. Once the initial headshot or selfie of a customer is captured, it is then assessed […]

Payments round-up: 2 September 2016

Time flies, so we’ve devised a quick fix. Here’s a round-up of key events in the payments space. In China, Qilong and Shenzhen Qianhai Exce-card Technology (SQEC) have formed a strategic agreement to co-ordinate with banks to issue China Union Pay audio bank cards. The latter make sounds when the buttons on the cards are […]

Yes Siri, payments get pretty

Apple’s developers are previewing new Siri integrations for payments – such as asking it to send a secure payment without ever opening an app. The firm says with the introduction of SiriKit for developers, messaging apps can now tap into the “power” of Siri. Siri can be used to make a quick payment using Square […]

Top fintech stories this week – 2 September 2016

Catch up on Banking Technology’s top five fintech stories of the week – all in one place! Tier 1 US bank live with Temenos core and payments software Part of its American dream. Swift reveals more cyber thefts Private letter goes public. PhonePe and Yes Bank unveil India’s “first” UPI-based payments app Unified Payments Interface […]

Dai-ichi Life Vietnam Fund Management live with SS&C’s Portia

SS&C’s Portia platform now supports middle and back office operations at Dai-ichi Life Vietnam Fund Management. Portia is a long-standing investment management solution. It came SS&C’s way in 2012 via the acquisition of the Portia business from Thomson Reuters. SS&C paid $170 million for it. Dai-ichi Life was looking for “a proven investment management solution […]

BTL teams with Visa Europe Collab for blockchain settlement project

BTL Group is partnering with Visa Europe Collab to investigate potential applications for blockchain settlement in financial services. The project will use BTL’s cross-border settlement platform Interbit to explore the ways in which blockchain-based settlements can “reduce the friction” of domestic and cross border transfers between banks. A small number of European banks have been […]

Finacle core banking system available on Huawei FusionCloud

Infosys has partnered with Huawei to bring the Finacle core banking system to the Huawei FusionCloud. The two companies carried out a benchmarking activity under the observation of consultancy firm EY. The test was simulated on a Finacle database size of almost 1 TB, with 6,000+ branches, 33 million+ customers, 61 million+ accounts and 20,000+ […]

Payments round-up: 1 September 2016

Brevity is the goal of this. Here’s a round-up of events in the payments space to save you time. Let’s start off small… as in Small World FS. The London-based payment service provider reached a milestone with 50 million transactions processed on behalf of its customers. The firm’s been around for ten tears and says […]

Worldpay launches IoT hackathon

Global payments provider Worldpay has teamed up with Consult Hyperion, MongoDB and Visa Europe Collab to host its first internet of things (IoT) hackathon in London in September. The event aims to foster innovation and encourage participants to apply technology to integrating payments. Two themes will flow through the 48-hour hackathon – the “Smart City” […]

Report: SWIFT Discloses More Attempts at Cyber Thefts

SWIFT, a Belgium-based, bank-owned co-op and provider of financial messaging services, said this week that criminals attacked the technology infrastructure of member banks even as the group sought to tighten up security in the wake of an $81 million cyber theft of Bangladesh Bank, according to an Aug. 31 report from Reuters.

CFPB: Prepaid Complaints Continue Decline in July

Prepaid card-related complaints to the CFPB ticked down in July, the bureau announced in its latest monthly consumer complaint report. The month saw 211 complaints about prepaid products, down 5 percent from 223 prepaid complaints in June and slightly below the monthly average of 215 since the CFPB began tracking prepaid complaints in July 2014.

Swift reveals more cyber thefts

Swift has revealed new hacking attacks on its members’ banks as it pressured them to comply with security procedures instituted after the heist at Bangladesh Bank, according to Reuters. In a private letter to clients, Swift says new cyber theft attempts – some of them successful – have appeared since June, when it last updated […]

Backbase and Entersekt partner for digital banking authentication

Digital banking software specialist Backbase has teamed with Entersekt to use its authentication capabilities on the Backbase Open Banking Marketplace. Backbase will offer banks push-based authentication and transaction signing integrated in its omni-channel digital banking platform. Its clients can select the authentication solution that “best meets their needs”. Dewald Nolte, Entersekt’s SVP partners and alliances, […]

People on the Move: Trent Sorbe, CFPB

Veteran financial services professional Trent Sorbe has accepted a two-year appointment to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)’s Community Bank Advisory Council (CBAC).

People on the Move: Ivo Distelbrink, First Data

Payments technology and services provider First Data has named Ivo Distelbrink as the company’s executive vice president and head of its business in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region.

People on the Move: Chuck Carr, Payveris

Payveris, a provider of a cloud-based digital payment and money movement platforms for U.S. financial institutions, has named Chuck Carr senior vice president of product management.

People on the Move: Karim Ahmad, TSYS

Karim Ahmad, a veteran of the financial services and consulting industries, has been named executive vice president of global product and innovation for TSYS, effective Sept. 6.

Early Warning to Promote P2P Service, Changes clearXchange to Zelle

Early Warning, a provider of real-time payments, authentication and risk mitigation services, is preparing to raise the profile of its P2P payments platform clearXchange, upping the competition with Venmo, arguably the king of the hill in P2P payments. Competing with Venmo might seem daunting, considering its parent company is PayPal and its student-popular P2P service is currently free for people on both ends of the transaction.

Apple, Aussie Bank Battle Heats Up Down Under

Apple is pushing back against a bid by a group of Australia’s major banks to be allowed to negotiate collectively with the U.S-based tech giant over contactless payments. In a filing with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) released Aug. 30, Apple called upon the regulator to reject a request by the banks to collectively bargain with Apple in negotiations to offer Apple Pay to their customers.

India’s Prepaid and Mobile Wallet Markets Keep Growing

Consumers in India made 18.29 million prepaid transactions in June, down 11 percent from 20.60 million in May but up nearly 127 percent from 8.06 in June 2015, according to figures from the Reserve Bank of India. The total prepaid transactions in June 2016 topped $342.7 million, up from approximately $252.6 million in June 2015.

Report: Indian Banks Prepare New Payments Apps

India’s fledgling mobile payments system, the Unified Payments Interface, has a head of steam behind it: An Aug. 30 story in Mashable said that some two dozen banks in the country are set to release UPI apps via Google Play in the coming days.

Profile Software’s IMSplus gains first client in Central America

Costa Rica-based BAC San Jose Puesto de Bolsa has chosen Profile Software’s IMSplus platform to manage its investment and client portfolio operations. This is Profile Software’s first client in the Central American region. Following an international vendor evaluation, BAC will use IMSplus for MIS (management information system) and customisable reporting capabilities; and monitoring of portfolio […]

Dassault Systemes launches KYC/AML challenge for start-ups

French software firm Dassault Systemes is inviting start-ups to apply to its “3D Fintech Challenge” to address anti-money laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) issues. As part of its overall 3DExperience Lab initiative, the seven-week programme will identify and help nurture six start-ups that can provide systemic warnings and a 360-degree view of customer/support […]

RushCard Launches App Featuring Security, Pharmacy Discounts

After a tumultuous nearly year-long span in which UniRush LLC was making headlines stemming from a major service disruption to its RushCard GPR product last October, the company announced Aug. 29 positive news in the form of a new app it says has best-in-class security features and a pharmacy program providing discounted prescription medications.

UnionPay Offers Options for Chinese Students Studying Abroad

As China-based payments network UnionPay continues to grow its global acceptance network, Chinese students studying abroad can use UnionPay cards for tuition payments at more than 2,000 educational institutions outside mainland China, the network announced Aug. 29.

New Federation Unites Global Fintech Hubs

A new international network of fintech hubs aims to foster global cooperation for the development of fintech and give the emerging industry a collective voice. Dubbed the Global Fintech Hubs Federation, the new group was formed by Innotribe—the innovation arm of global financial network SWIFT—and Innovate Finance, a fintech industry organization.

VisionFund International opts for BankBI’s business intelligence solution

VisionFund International (VFI), the microfinance arm of World Vision, has selected BankBI’s cloud-based business intelligence and analytics solution. The Microsoft Azure-deployed solution will be used in 32 countries. VFI plans to centralise its data management and reporting efforts across its operational, social performance and financial data, as it wants to “capitalise” on opportunities in rural […]

Top fintech stories this week – 26 August 2016

Catch up on Banking Technology’s top five fintech stories of the week – all in one place! Temenos and BACB go public on core banking software project We knew back in February. Al Hilal Bank’s new CIO looks to collaborate with fintechs Let’s talk. Famous five unsettle Bitcoin with utility settlement coin Arrival of a […]

Retailers’ Prepaid Cards Make Gains in Mercator Report

Prepaid cards have gained popularity among U.S. consumers in recent years, with 63 percent of adults buying the payments device in the year preceding June, according to a new survey report from Mercator Advisory Group. That compares to 61 percent for the last survey report, and 56 percent for the year before that.

U.S. Regulators Outline Steps Taken after SWIFT Heist

In the wake of the cyberattack that struck international financial messaging network SWIFT earlier this year, U.S. banking regulators say that they are assessing cybersecurity threats facing the country’s financial institutions and the controls in place to defend against attacks.

Nordea and DNB to unite banking ops in Baltics

Nordea and DNB will bring together their operations in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to create a new bank. The two banks say their Baltic operations are “a great match”, with Nordea’s strength being in the large corporate segment, while DNB’s is in the SME segment. Both banks also have significant presence in the retail space. […]

Innotribe and Innovate Finance launch global hub federation

Innotribe, Swift’s innovation arm, and membership organisation Innovate Finance have launched a Global FinTech Hubs Federation (GFHF) to help foster innovation. To date, more than 20 countries – including Canada, China, Germany, Mexico, Switzerland, and the UK – are participating in the GFHF, with more countries expected to join in the coming months. Lawrence Wintermeyer, […]

Coalitions Could Lead to a Point-opian Future for Loyalty

Consumers enrolled in multiple, unrelated loyalty programs often experience confusion and friction when it comes to redeeming rewards. Some see coalition loyalty—platforms that enable customers to earn and redeem points across multiple brands and retailers—as the way to win.