Risk

Big tech pushes passwordless for payments

Google, Microsoft and Apple this month began a big, new push in their campaign for a passwordless standard that's aimed at improving digital identity verification, including for payments.

By Lynne Marek • May 23, 2022

BNPL player Zilch expands to US

Instead of collecting fees from retailers to move merchandise from their shelves, Zilch is linking with brands like Sephora and Nike to lure consumers looking to finance their purchases through installment payments. 

By Jonathan Berr • May 20, 2022

SEC enforcement attorney predicts 'a lot more fraud' in crypto markets

The SEC will turn to litigation if needed to achieve “clarity” as it fights abuses in cryptocurrency markets, according to an attorney in the agency’s Enforcement Division.

By Jim Tyson • May 17, 2022

Contractors turn to payment apps to speed billing

Cloud-based and mobile-friendly, fintech solutions are poised to revolutionize how contractors pay and get paid.

By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • May 3, 2022

BNPL players' losses grow as costs soar

Buy now-pay later providers are having to pay a hefty price to keep up with surging consumer demand for their financing services, spending large sums to add new technology and more employees. As a result, their expenses are rising at a much faster rate than their revenue, meaning most of the major players are posting losses despite the BNPL mania.

By Jonathan Berr • May 3, 2022

Senate Democrats berate Zelle over alleged fraud

In a letter to Zelle's CEO, two U.S. senators said the company's platform leaves consumers exposed to fraud, with little ability to recover lost funds. “Your company and the big banks who both own and partner with the platform have abdicated responsibility," they said.

By Robin Bradley • April 27, 2022

Mastercard, Interos partner on risk management tools

Mastercard's new partnership with the software provider is the latest in a string of added ties to fintechs aimed at expanding its payments and risk assessment tool offering.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • April 14, 2022

Inflation hands cards a mixed bag

Higher spending due to inflation is poised to drive up credit card volumes, according to an S&P Global Market Intelligence report. Card issuers have been eager to see stronger loan growth, but if delinquencies rise, that could be concerning for the industry.

By Caitlin Mullen • April 13, 2022

SEC issues guidance on crypto-asset accounting, disclosure

As theft of crypto-assets rises, the Securities and Exchange Commission is pushing companies to publicly report on the potential costs of such crimes and efforts to curb hacking risks.

By Jim Tyson • April 12, 2022

Visa urges cautious approach to BNPL regulations

"The CFPB should tailor its approaches to preserve consumers’ and merchants' ability to access a wide variety of installment options and maintain competition among BNPL solutions," Visa said in commenting to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

By Jonathan Berr • March 30, 2022

BNPL critics urge CFPB to protect consumers from payment app

Proponents and opponents of buy now-pay later services are weighing in on how the new installment financing should be regulated after the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau asked for input. The federal agency is absorbing the views as it conducts an inquiry into the industry's business practices.

By Jonathan Berr • March 28, 2022

Stripe snags a new crypto customer

Payments software juggernaut Stripe said it has landed crypto company Blockchain.com as a new customer and that it's aiming to aid the digital currency client in international expansion.

By Lynne Marek • March 21, 2022

CFPB's Chopra blasts potential card hikes

In a rare TV appearance, the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said that the payments industry isn't competitive enough and that fee hikes by the big card companies would add "insult to injury" at a time of inflation. He noted new fintech tools could ultimately be a benefit if they add competition.

By Jonathan Berr • March 14, 2022

New BNPL study raises concern about 'debt spiral'

Some consumers are charging buy now-pay later installment payments to their credit cards, and that should serve as a "warning flag" to regulators, said three economists who authored the research paper.

By Jonathan Berr • March 10, 2022

White House lays out digital asset priorities

The White House said Pres. Biden will deliver an executive order today explaining how the U.S. government will approach digital assets, laying out priorities for protecting U.S. consumers and businesses; ensuring a stable global financial system; and promoting American leadership in the use of the emerging technology. 

By Lynne Marek • March 9, 2022

Visa races to rescue employees from Ukraine

When Visa CEO Al Kelly got a message at church that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was trying to reach him, "that was the initial sign to me about the pressure we would feel," he said. Aside from implementing sanctions, the card giant has been in a race to move employees out of Ukraine.

By Lynne Marek • March 9, 2022

4 steps to avoid QR code fraud at your business

Criminals are now exploiting the popularity of QR codes. Here's how to protect your business.

March 8, 2022

Visa, Mastercard and PayPal suspend operations in Russia

The payments giants all separately cut off use of their services in Russia, citing that country's invasion of Ukraine. "This war and the ongoing threat to peace and stability demand we respond in line with our values," Visa CEO Al Kelly said in a Saturday statement.

By Lynne Marek • March 7, 2022

EU to restrict 7 Russian banks from Swift

The sanctions reportedly won't include Sberbank, which said Wednesday it would pull out of the European market. The Single Resolution Board is liquidating the lender's Austria-based unit while units in other European countries have been sold.

By Dan Ennis • March 2, 2022

Visa follows Mastercard in disclosing potential impact from Russia-Ukraine conflict

Visa disclosed Wednesday that Russia and Ukraine made up 5% of its 2021 revenue. Mastercard earlier in the week called Russia and Ukraine "important contributors" to its business and said sanctions triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine could impact 6% of its revenue.

By Lynne Marek • March 2, 2022

Visa, Mastercard block Russian banks from network

The card giants said they've disconnected Russian banks from their international payment networks to comply with the slew of sanctions being imposed on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine.

By Jonathan Berr • March 1, 2022

FTC report shows consumer fraud losses jumped last year

Consumers lost a whopping $5.9 billion to fraud in 2021, with bank payments and cryptocurrency transactions generating the highest losses, the government report said.

By Caitlin Mullen • March 1, 2022

G-7 nations impose limited Swift sanctions

Japan on Sunday joined a coalition of six nations and the European Union in imposing Swift money transfer system sanctions on a limited number of Russian banks.    

By Jonathan Berr , Dan Ennis • Updated Feb. 27, 2022

US banks brace for stricter sanctions against Russia

The Russian banks the U.S. targeted Tuesday account for only 5% of the country's total bank assets. But penalties aimed at larger banks of greater systemic importance may be in the offing.

By Robin Bradley • Feb. 25, 2022

Payment companies mainly skirt Russia-Ukraine impact

Payments industry executives likely aren't worrying too much about Russia's invasion of Ukraine, based on the amount of revenue coming from the region, at least not yet.

By Jonathan Berr • Feb. 25, 2022