Feds increase scrutiny of buy now-pay later

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is concerned about consumers taking on too much debt, and about BNPL providers evading laws. As a result, it's demanding information from five of the biggest players in the emerging industry.

By Lynne Marek , Jonathan Berr , Caitlin Mullen • Dec. 16, 2021

Gen Zers relied on buy now-pay later for holiday shopping. It's time to pay up.

Look up #Klarna, #Afterpay or #Affirm on the social media site TikTok. Beneath some of those BNPL provider hashtags are videos of teens dancing and lip syncing to viral sounds, with the balances they owe in the background.

By Maria Monteros • Dec. 15, 2021

Explore the 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

How Elon Musk's mood drives crypto

The world's richest man can send cryptocurrency prices soaring or plummeting depending on his mood. This year, Dogecoin has been the object of his affection, and derision.

By Jonathan Berr • Dec. 14, 2021

Card industry faces $400B in fraud losses over next decade, Nilson says

Fraud-fighting efforts kept card industry losses at bay last year, according to Nilson Report, but the research firm says don’t expect the same when this year wraps up. "The decline in the dollar amount of fraud losses in 2020 will not be repeated in 2021," the report said.

By Caitlin Mullen • Dec. 14, 2021

Crypto execs urge regulation tailored to risks

They told lawmakers at a Wednesday hearing on Capitol Hill that nothing short of U.S. leadership in the field of digital assets is at stake.

By Dan Ennis • Dec. 10, 2021

Fintech firms lock arms for new standard

Digital finance company Plaid is leading a group of fintechs, data security companies and compliance firms in developing a new standard to protect confidential consumer data from hackers.

By Jonathan Berr • Dec. 9, 2021

New York Fed, BIS partner on fintech research center

The innovation hub is meant to support the U.S. central bank's analysis of digital currencies, including CBDCs, and to help make cross-border payments faster and less expensive, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said.

By Robin Bradley • Dec. 7, 2021

Hackers sell stolen US cards at dirt cheap prices

"Even though the biggest number of card details found for sale were from these 3 countries, this doesn’t mean that they are the most vulnerable," a cybersecurity company report on the topic said.

By Jonathan Berr • Dec. 6, 2021

SEC Chair Gensler to crypto platforms: Come to us before we come for you

The SEC head called on digital asset exchanges to register with the agency, citing concerns for "vulnerable" investors. "If we don’t address these issues, I worry a lot of people will be hurt," he said.  

By Caitlin Mullen • Dec. 3, 2021

Senate banking chair queries crypto CEOs

The complexity of stablecoins makes it difficult for investors and consumers to fully understand their potential risks, Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-OH, said in letters to eight issuers and exchanges, including Coinbase and Tether.

By Anna Hrushka • Nov. 29, 2021

Enterprises prepare for ransomware threats during Thanksgiving

Retail, transportation and other sectors are bracing for heightened cyber risks during the holiday, placing renewed pressure on security operations. 

By David Jones • Nov. 24, 2021

Payment Choice Act wins bipartisan backing

New Jersey Democrat Rep. Payne is trying to preserve cash as a form of payment and collecting support across the aisle, even as the possibility of a U.S. digital dollar gains traction.

By Lynne Marek • Nov. 23, 2021

Affirm reports better outlook, sidesteps Peloton question

The BNPL payments company provided a brighter sales and revenue forecast for the fiscal year, but it skirted a question about the impact of a gloomier outlook at its long-time big customer Peloton.

By Lynne Marek • Nov. 11, 2021

Amazon will accept Venmo next year

"Pay with Venmo is one of the key revenue drivers for Venmo going forward," PayPal CEO Dan Schulman said.

By Jonathan Berr • Nov. 9, 2021

CFPB's hard line with payments industry may be a hint of things to come

Six of the biggest tech companies in the US are stepping up to meet the demands of the CFPB's new head, Rohit Chopra, regarding their payments practices.

By Jonathan Berr • Nov. 8, 2021

Toomey cautions against proposal to regulate stablecoin issuers as banks

"I think we have to really think long and hard before we put some onerous regulatory regime on a new technology," the Republican senator from Pennsylvania said.

By Anna Hrushka • Nov. 8, 2021

Valley Bank unveils payments app for cannabis businesses

Valley Bank is partnering with a large processor to offer the service, which is similar to using a reloadable Starbucks wallet gift card, Chief Digital Product Officer Stuart Cook said. A "large processor" that's involved wants to remain anonymous.

By Anna Hrushka • Oct. 27, 2021

Ransomware activity soars, Treasury finds

The number of "suspicious activity reports" filed this year has already jumped 30% over the 2020 total, and the agency has tracked billions of dollars in bitcoin payments potentially linked to ransomware.

By Samantha Schwartz • Oct. 19, 2021

Celsius, Tether and the 'known known'

Lender Celsius' admission that Tether accepts crypto tokens in exchange for stablecoins should be a bombshell. Rather, it confirms a suspicion regulators held so strongly that they've already penalized Tether for it. Twice.

By Dan Ennis • Oct. 19, 2021

Green Dot sued after ditching $165M deal

The prepaid card company was sued by Republic Bank, which alleges Green Dot breached a contract to buy its tax refund processing unit.

By Dan Ennis • Oct. 7, 2021

Treasury sanctions crypto exchange Suex to thwart ransomware

While more legal measures await international cybercrime, the U.S. government is sending interim messages to ransomware gangs.

By Samantha Schwartz • Sept. 22, 2021

Mastercard to buy CipherTrace crypto security company

Mastercard is buying the six-year-old company to better serve its customers' needs in understanding digital asset risks, thwarting fraud and complying with regulations.

By Lynne Marek • Sept. 9, 2021

Anti-fraud niche in payments thrives as e-commerce climbs

Major payments players and fledgling upstarts alike are developing new tools to fight increasing fraud threats to their businesses.

By Mercedes Cardona • Aug. 23, 2021

Clearing House urges caution on CBDCs

A Federal Reserve-backed digital currency could "destabilize both the domestic and foreign banking and financial services sectors," the payments system operator said.

By Lynne Marek • July 30, 2021

Alaska, Colorado residents carry most card debt, study says

In a ranking of states where residents have the biggest credit card balances, those two states' residents carry the largest debt loads while Wisconsin and South Dakota residents carry the lowest average balances, according to a WalletHub analysis.

By Lynne Marek • July 28, 2021