Regulations & Policy

  • CFPB earned wage access income employees regulations Russell Vought
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    Win McNamee via Getty Images
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    CFPB must request funds from Fed, court rules

    A federal judge rejected an argument that the bureau would run out of money in early 2026 because the central bank hadn’t turned a profit since 2022.

    By Dan Ennis • Jan. 7, 2026
  • A hand holds a phone on a kitchen table. The screen reads, "It's nice to see you, Diego! PayPal balance: $151.68, Crypto: $263.63. Send again."
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    Courtesy of PayPal
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    Deep Dive

    How payments will evolve: 6 industry trends to watch in 2026

    Stablecoins and agentic commerce are two trends that will shape payments this year, but there are several others highlighted in this list.

    By , , • Jan. 6, 2026
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    Trendline

    Payments industry seeks to keep pace with fraudsters

    As losses from fraud in payments have climbed, companies are seeking new tools to combat illicit schemes.

    By Payments Dive staff
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    Bo Shen via Getty Images
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    DOJ presses Visa antitrust case

    The Justice Department is pressing ahead with the debit card market case brought against the network during the Biden administration.

    By • Jan. 6, 2026
  • Klarna BNPL IPO NYSE buy now pay later Walmart
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    Courtesy of Klarna Group
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    Klarna faces investor lawsuit

    The buy now, pay later company understated the risks of its consumer loans, the legal action alleges.

    By • Jan. 5, 2026
  • FedNow Federal Reserve instant payments banks
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    Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
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    Fed report stirs debit fee debate

    The Federal Reserve issued a biennial report last week detailing interchange fees related to debit card transactions, reviving a battle over the central bank’s plans to reset a cap on the fees.

    By • Dec. 23, 2025
  • CFPB earned wage access income employees regulations Russell Vought
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    Win McNamee via Getty Images
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    CFPB shifts on EWA policy, again

    Certain employer-partnered earned wage access products aren’t subject to U.S. lending laws, the bureau said, formally discarding a 2024 Biden-era rule.

    By • Dec. 23, 2025
  • A Klarna sign at a Charlotte Premium Outlets mall in Charlotte, N.C. on March 26, 2022.
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    Caitlin Mullen/Payments Dive, data courtesy of Industry Dive employee Caitlin Mullen
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    Klarna, Shift4 embrace stablecoins

    Both companies announced stablecoin ventures in the past week.

    By • Dec. 23, 2025
  • The Federal Reserve building is seen January 22, 2008 in Washington, DC. People walk by.
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    Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
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    Fed seeks ‘skinny’ account comment

    The Federal Reserve Board voted 6-1 Friday to gather public comment on creating a new special payments account for use by financial institutions.

    By • Dec. 22, 2025
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    Visa’s new program rejects fake data

    “The industry has pulled together to try and meet the new requirements,” writes one industry CEO. “Unfortunately, some processors and gateways are already trying to game it.”

    By Jeremy Layton • Dec. 19, 2025
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    Mobile phone IDs may help fight fraud

    Biometric features in Apple iPhones and Google’s Android-based devices can pair with digital identifications to combat fraud, two U.S. House members said.

    By • Dec. 18, 2025
  • A hand holds a smartphone displaying the Affirm app.
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    Courtesy of Affirm
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    BNPL connected to poor mental health: study

    Johns Hopkins University researchers have spotted a link between people with mental health conditions and those that have used buy now, pay later loans.

    By • Dec. 18, 2025
  • Exterior view of a PNC Bank branch with a revolving glass door. The building facade has large vertical columns. The PNC Bank sign features a blue and orange color scheme above the entrance.
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    Alamy
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    Why PNC joined FedNow

    The bank finally joined the Federal Reserve’s instant payments system this year after a significant Treasury Department announcement.

    By • Dec. 17, 2025
  • open banking CFPB regulations fintechs apps banks
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    Open banking fees fuel debate

     Bank, fintech and consumer advocacy panelists disagreed this week during a panel discussion about the basis for imposing fees for data use.

    By • Dec. 17, 2025
  • A close up picture of an American Express credit card.
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    Getty Images
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    Amex CEO slams surcharges

    Steve Squeri said higher surcharges would be a negative experience for the card network’s customers.

    By • Dec. 16, 2025
  • A Klarna promotional sign is seen in a mall
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    Caitlin Mullen/Payments Dive
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    BNPL loan values rise, CFPB says

    The average size of buy now, pay later loans grew and use of the payment method inched up, a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau study said.

    By • Dec. 15, 2025
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    Q&A

    Tyler Technologies aids payments modernization

    The software and payments firm is supporting the federal call to modernize payments as it caters to state and local government clients.

    By • Dec. 12, 2025
  • A JPMorgan Chase logo stands in front of a building on a city street.
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    JPMorgan backs B2B firm Mondu

    The largest U.S. bank’s payments arm plans to provide debt financing and collaborate with the Dutch business-to-business services firm.

    By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Dec. 12, 2025
  • Patrick and John Collison, Stripe co-founders
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    Permission granted by Stripe
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    Stripe digs deeper into crypto

    The digital payments player bought a crypto-focused digital wallet, and its Privy unit has joined with Klarna to develop a crypto wallet.

    By • Dec. 11, 2025
  • A man in a coat sits in a pew praying while light streams through a window in the background of a stone church.
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    Christopher Furlong via Getty Images
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    Vanco, ACS Technologies merge to court churches

    The two companies aim to provide payment processing and church management software through a single digital hub. 

    By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Dec. 10, 2025
  • CFPB Russell Vought Federal Reserve lawsuits payments regulation
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    Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
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    CFPB budget becomes court fight

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which has sought to police payments plays, has made its funding a key issue in battling two lawsuits that aim to keep the agency open.

    By • Dec. 10, 2025
  • The Federal Reserve building at sunset.
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    Getty Images
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    Fed proposes reduced check services

    The Federal Reserve voted Thursday to consider reducing the availability of check processing services for banks and credit unions.

    By • Dec. 8, 2025
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    Permission granted by Fiserv
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    Fiserv faces security issue lawsuit

    A civil complaint alleges the payment processor misled its customers about the use of two-factor authentication to access systems containing sensitive information.

    By • Dec. 8, 2025
  • Exterior sign of a money transfer agency featuring logos for Ria, Western Union, and MoneyGram, mounted on a stone building in France.
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    Alamy
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    FinCen targets illegal remittances

    The federal government’s financial security enforcement arm urged money transfer businesses to be on the lookout for illegal cross-border transfers.

    By • Dec. 5, 2025
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    Sam Silverstein/Payments Dive
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    BNPL spending storms on

    The buy now, pay later industry has posted record spending levels so far during the holiday shopping season, even as it faces heightened regulatory scrutiny.

    By • Dec. 3, 2025
  • Cash App Block consumer lending loans
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    Sean Zanni via Getty Images
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    Cash App spam settlement approved

    A federal judge issued final approval Tuesday of a $12.5 million class action agreement resolving consumer complaints over Cash App marketing messages in Washington state.

    By Justin Bachman • Dec. 3, 2025