Аsia
Google deepens consumer credit push in India with UPI-linked card
Tech Crunch, Posted December 17, 2025
Google is expanding its push into consumer finance in India with the launch of a UPI-linked credit card, betting on a country of more than 1.4 billion people where fewer than 50 million currently hold a credit card.
On Wednesday, Google entered India’s growing co-branded credit card market with the launch of Flex by Google Pay, partnering with private lender Axis Bank to expand access to credit in the country’s UPI-driven payments ecosystem.
RBI Grants Unlimit Cross-Border Licence, Removing Barriers for India to Global Markets
Unlimit, Posted December 17, 2025
As a fully authorised payment partner in India, this licence allows Unlimit to facilitate cross-border transactions, enabling Indian merchants to receive international payments and global merchants to accept payments from Indian customers via UPI, cards, and local payment methods.
This landmark authorisation comes only a year after Unlimit received its Payment Aggregator licence in India for domestic transactions, further strengthening the company’s position as the world’s largest global payments infrastructure and underscoring its strategic commitment to the Indian market.
Federal Bank expands presence with New Delhi branch
IBS Intelligence, Posted December 15, 2025
Federal Bank has inaugurated its 1,600th banking outlet with the opening of a new branch in Mansarovar Garden, New Delhi, marking a further expansion of its physical footprint in North India. The branch is the bank’s 141st outlet in its New Delhi Zone, underlining the region’s growing importance to its retail and SME strategy.
The expansion comes amid rising demand in the Delhi-NCR region for SME credit, digital-first banking services, relationship-led retail offerings, and non-resident Indian (NRI) services. According to the bank, the region has emerged as a meaningful contributor to its retail and small business franchise, supported by increasing adoption of its digital platforms alongside branch-based engagement.
NPST launches Bank-in-a-Box digital banking platform
IBS Intelligence, Posted December 19, 2025
Network People Services Technologies Limited (NPST) has launched a new digital banking platform aimed at addressing long-standing technology and service delivery gaps faced by small, mid-sized, and co-operative banks in India.
The solution, branded Bank-in-a-Box, is positioned as a unified, ready-to-deploy digital banking and payments suite that enables banks to roll out end-to-end digital services within eight to twelve weeks. The launch comes as many regulated financial institutions continue to struggle with legacy core systems, fragmented technology stacks, and rising customer expectations for real-time, digital-first services.
Europe
Orange Poland teams up with bolttech to expand digital insurance access
Insurtech Analyst, Posted December 16, 2025
Orange Poland, one of the leading telecommunications providers in the Polish market, and bolttech, a global InsurTech, have launched a new digital insurance comparison service designed specifically for telecom customers.
The partnership was formed to address growing consumer demand for simpler, faster and more transparent ways to access insurance products online.
By combining Orange Poland’s extensive customer base and digital distribution capabilities with bolttech’s InsurTech platform expertise, the companies aim to make insurance purchasing more accessible and convenient for everyday consumers in Poland.
Monzo: How Did it Secure a European Banking Licence?
FS Tech, Posted December 17, 2025
Monzo becomes the first digital bank to secure full European Central Bank and Central Bank of Ireland licence, marking a major step in growth and expansion.
Monzo has secured a full banking licence from the European Central Bank and the Central Bank of Ireland (CBI), positioning the UK digital bank as the first fully regulated digital lender by the CBI.
The approval enables the London-based bank to expand operations across European markets starting with Ireland, where it plans to establish its official EU headquarters in Dublin.
Revolut announces launch of mobile network
FS Tech, Posted December 17, 2025
Revolut has launched a new mobile network to waitlist customers, with general access available from January next year.
The new service, powered by mobile services operating system Gigs, is managed within the existing Revolut app, with customers able to activate a plan in seconds, keeping their existing number or selecting a new one.
Revolut Mobile offers unlimited 5G data, calls, and texts with 20GB of roaming data in the EU and US for a special early-bird rate of £12.50.
Banks to move beyond AI pilots by 2026, research reveals
IBS Intelligence, Posted December 16, 2025
Top banking executives and industry analysts forecast how AI, payments innovation, and platform transformation will reshape the industry in 2026.
Backbase, the AI-powered banking technology, released the 2026 Banking Predictions Report, a comprehensive analysis featuring insights from more than 20 industry leaders on the forces set to define banking’s next chapter. The report reveals how artificial intelligence, unified platforms, and invisible payments will shift from pilot projects to production-scale transformation across retail, commercial, wealth, and private banking.
USA
Global Payments Releases its 2026 Commerce and Payment Trends Report
Global Payments, Posted December 11, 2025
Global Payments Inc. (NYSE: GPN), a leading worldwide provider of payment technology and software solutions, today released its sixth-annual Commerce and Payment Trends Report. The 2026 report, based on in-depth discussions with industry experts and a survey of hundreds of global technology and payment professionals, reveals how steady investments in payment technology are creating cascading opportunities to streamline and advance commerce across the global landscape.
“The evolution of commerce and payments is often not dramatic, but rather is characterized by steady innovation building upon itself. Each advancement in payment technology opens new possibilities,” said Cameron Bready, chief executive officer of Global Payments. “Our 2026 report examines how interconnected developments — from AI-powered shopping agents to the evolution of point-of-sale systems — are reshaping the payment landscape and creating opportunities for businesses of all sizes.”
Exodus wallet and MoonPay will release USD stablecoin
Trading View, Posted December 17, 2025
The developer of the non-custodial wallet Exodus Movement in partnership with the payment service MoonPay and the infrastructure company M0 will release a “stable coin” tied to the US dollar.
The asset will expand the capabilities of the future Exodus Pay service. With its help, users will be able to make payments, control finances and receive rewards.
Mastercard and LoanPro announce partnership to modernize lending
Mastercard, Posted December 16, 2025
Mastercard and LoanPro today announced a new strategic partnership to launch Loan on Card, a solution designed to enable lenders to deliver loans to approved consumer and small business borrowers through virtual and physical card-based experiences. Set to launch in 2026, Loan on Card will provide borrowers with instant access to funds that can be used anywhere Mastercard is accepted.
Powered by Mastercard’s global payments network and Mastercard Installments Program, Loan on Card will be structured to allow lenders across all asset classes to combine the structure of a fixed-term installment loan with the convenience of a Mastercard card. This approach will give lenders greater control over loan enablement while providing borrowers with speedy access to funds. LoanPro will work with issuing banks and lenders participating in Mastercard Installments in order to enable the launch of Loan on Card.
LatAm
dLocal accelerates global payments across emerging markets with Convera
dLocal, Posted December 16, 2025
dLocal, the leading payment platform connecting global merchants to emerging markets, has announced a new strategic partnership with Convera, a global leader in commercial payments. With this partnership, dLocal and Convera will streamline and scale its local payout capabilities in key emerging markets starting with Colombia and expanding across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Across emerging markets, businesses face major hurdles when sending funds internationally, such as slow settlement times, high costs, and dependence on outdated systems that continue to limit efficiency and growth. These inefficiencies hurt cash flow and competitiveness, despite cross-border B2B payments being a $60 trillion market growing at 8.6% annually, led by Latin America, Africa, and Asia-Pacific.
Juspay Integrates Visa Click to Pay in Brazil, Offering Consumers a Fast, Secure, and Hassle-Free Shopping Experience
Fintech Finance News, December 17, 2025
In a move to redefine digital commerce in Brazil, Juspay, a global leader in payment infrastructure, has announced a strategic partnership with Visa for the large-scale implementation of Click to Pay. This collaboration focuses on solving two of the biggest challenges in e-commerce in the country: high cart abandonment rates due to checkout complexity, and the need for robust transaction security.
Click to Pay, based on the global EMV® Secure Remote Commerce (SRC) standard, transforms the online shopping experience. It eliminates the need for consumers to manually enter 16-digit card numbers, expiration dates, and security codes with every purchase. Instead, customers using their Visa cards can complete a transaction with a single click, using tokenized and protected credentials, regardless of the device or merchant where they’re shopping.
