Payments News from American Banker

Fintech and crypto groups said in comment letters to the Federal Reserve that the proposed "skinny" master account is too limited and could keep firms dependent on banks. Banking groups asked for more time to comment.

While the e-commerce giant has deemphasized the technology, banks and payment firms are testing the biometric option.

By pairing its real-time transfer app with China's UnionPay card, Visa is pursuing business in the huge country, where shifting regulations create hurdles for outside companies.

CEO Max Levchin said the lender is testing technology that allows merchants to perform more advanced testing of promotional financing offers.

American Banker's 2026 Predictions report finds that nonbank entities and check fraud are major threats to local banks in the coming months.

Noelle Acheson argues that growing demand for dollar-denominated stablecoins is going to give the Treasury Department increasing influence over the direction of the U.S. economy, perhaps at the cost of the Federal Reserve.

The search giant has added Klarna to its growing list of companies that are supporting standards for agentic commerce. Also, Payoneer has added Indonesia and Mexico to its collections network and more in American Banker's global payments and fintech roundup.

The payment company opened a new office in Dublin to battle rivals like Adyen, Stripe and PayPal.

The "exorbitant privilege" the U.S. has long enjoyed because of the dollar's status as the world's reserve currency would be supercharged if global adoption of stablecoins leads to greatly increased demand.

Prosecutors claim the Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree maintained two sets of books to hide Kalder's actual revenue of just $60,000.

The buy now, pay later lender is carving out a lane for itself with exclusive deals with Intuit's Quickbooks Payments and Expedia's websites. It also will be the default BNPL provider for Bolt's one-click checkout.

HP CEO and current PayPal board chair Enrique Lores will take over March 1, following a deep slump in the payment company's key metric.

President Donald Trump's support of legislation that would cap credit card interest rates at 10% has flagged in recent weeks, but experts say that the debate has highlighted significant gaps in regulators' understanding of the credit card market and how its risks are priced.

While stablecoins aren't widely used for merchant payments, blockchain tech firms such as BVNK and Polygon Labs are seeking opportunities to add speed to slow-moving international transfers.

The neobank was bullish on cryptocurrency and stablecoins, which could provide tailwinds as it looks to launch new products including crypto-based lending, institutional trading, and correspondent payments and settlements via stablecoins.

Like other payment executives, Steve Squeri expressed concern about affordability, but is not in favor of heavy restrictions.

CEO Ryan McInerney reiterated the company's long-held stance that the Credit Card Competition Act was "very harmful" and "just simply not needed."

The credit card issuer said it had little to add to widespread discussions regarding the Trump administration's proposed 10% cap on credit card interest rates.

The president has called for a 10% interest rate cap and endorsed the Credit Card Competition Act. Michael Miebach expressed strong opposition to the CCCA while expressing concern about a cap's potential impact on access to credit.

A world of hundreds if not thousands of stablecoins sounds chaotic – but that's because we're still thinking of stablecoins as money. Consider their potential for strengthening customer loyalty and engagement.