Open banking stories
Small merchants can now take tips, donations and ad hoc sales digitally without card machines or coding, as cash use continues to decline.
A static QR code lets merchants and charities take cashless tips, donations and other variable payments without card hardware or coding.
The new system aims to spare education finance teams month-end corrections by aligning spending with budgets from the outset.
Digital businesses can now manage accounts, transfers and reporting inside existing software, as xpate shifts further into embedded finance.
On-time bill settlements rose 17% in three months after the platform added bank-to-bank payments, cutting costs and lifting usage.
Cross-border transfer costs may fall as nearly half of banks and fintechs are already using or piloting stablecoins, ACI Worldwide says.
Fintechs and payment platforms can now offer branded accounts and cross-border transfers without juggling multiple banking and compliance providers.
Local banks approved in-country gaming payments 8.4 percentage points more often than cross-border routes, Appcharge said.
Shoppers in Hong Kong are using digital wallets more than cards, as account-to-account payments gain ground and cashless habits spread across Asia.
Japan's banks face broader cyber risk as regulators begin treating data-sharing partners and AI agents as part of the attack surface.
Institutional crypto clients could soon settle US dollars around the clock as SoFi ties its banking network to Kraken and lists SoFiUSD on the exchange.
Renters' on-time payments could now count towards mortgage applications, as a new pilot aims to help thin-file borrowers prove creditworthiness.
Low-income Colombians may still shun digital payments because fees, risks and confusing terms undermine confidence in the systems they use.
The plan could speed testing for new financial products and shape rules on data sharing, payments and digital assets across the sector.
Aiming to lure overseas capital, the country's six-year plan also targets 5,000 trained specialists and fresh cross-border payment links.
For SMEs, faster lending is no longer enough as supply-chain shocks and volatile costs can make a quick answer the wrong one.
Businesses can now tap customer-approved bank and energy data in hours, as Biza.io's new feed cuts integration costs and compliance hurdles.
Customers will be able to link bank accounts securely as the app replaces manual uploads with consented data under Australia's Consumer Data Right.
The bigger invite-only gathering signals LoanPro's push to become a key meeting place for lenders as it adds sessions on AI, fraud and regulation.
For smaller lenders, the rankings offer evidence that digital banking spend can translate into faster customer and deposit growth against larger rivals.