Аsia
Tokenized Payments: PhonePe introduces secure card tokenization for users and merchants
The Economic Times, Posted February 18, 2025
PhonePe has launched a device tokenization solution for Credit and Debit cards, allowing users to securely store and use card tokens for transactions across various services on the PhonePe App, including Bill Payments, recharges, booking travel tickets, insurance purchases, payments on Pincode, and online merchants.
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Google Pay to introduce AI-powered voice payments in India
IBS Intelligence, Posted February 18, 2025
Google Pay has announced plans to roll out an AI-powered voice payment feature in India, allowing users to make UPI (Unified Payments Interface) transactions through voice commands. This development is part of a broader effort to improve digital payment accessibility, particularly for users who may find traditional digital interfaces challenging.
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MAS, Posted February 12, 2025
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS) today jointly announced that a new entity will be set up to consolidate the administration and governance of Singapore’s national payment schemes to position these schemes for the next stage of growth. The entity will also collaborate with MAS on the development of Singapore’s national payments strategy, ensuring a safe, efficient and innovative payments infrastructure.
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Card-issuing banks in Singapore to require additional verification for mobile wallet users
The Business Times, Posted February 17, 2025
THE Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS) said on Monday (Feb 17) that major card-issuing banks have adjusted their fraud surveillance measures in response to scams involving mobile wallets.
In its statement, ABS said that it has observed a rise in phishing scams involving the fraudulent provisioning of debit and credit cards into mobile wallets. Mobile wallet providers include Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay, which are used on iOS and Android-based smartphones.
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Mastercard Launches Tool to Help Firms Trace Money Laundering
PYMNTS, Posted February 13, 2025
Mastercard is bringing its TRACE financial crime-fighting and anti-money-laundering tool to the Asia-Pacific region.
TRACE uses “timely and large-scale payments data from multiple financial institutions” to provide intelligence beyond a “financial institution’s siloed view,” allowing financial crime tracing across payment networks, according to a Thursday (Feb. 13) news release.
Consumers and businesses in APAC are increasingly using real-time payments to settle accounts within seconds rather than days, per the release.
“However, this speed has also made it a target for money launderers and ‘mules,’ who try to evade detection by moving funds rapidly between multiple accounts,” the release said. “Oftentimes, criminals also involve the accounts of unwitting civilians through methods such as romance and investment scams.”
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Europe
FCA and PSR highlight consumer shift towards digital wallets in recent study.
Fintech Global, Posted February 20, 2025
The FCA and PSR have released insights into the burgeoning use of digital wallets in the UK, revealing a dramatic increase in adoption.
According to their findings, the proportion of card transactions using digital wallets has surged from 8% in 2019 to 29% in 2023. This sharp rise underscores the shifting consumer preference towards digital payment solutions, which offer enhanced convenience, security, and potential for financial inclusion.
The regulators engaged with various businesses and groups to gauge the broader impacts of digital wallet usage. They uncovered that, alongside the benefits, there are significant areas needing attention to foster a competitive market.
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Buy Now Pay Later B2B and E-commerce in Europe
Fintech Finance News, Posted February 18, 2025
Opyn, the European platform for enabling B2B Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL), presents, at the E-commerce Berlin Expo 2025, the results of a research conducted with Ipsos, one of the world’s largest market research companies, on the future of digital payments between businesses with a specific focus on BNPL. This payment solution, already well established in the consumer sector, is rapidly emerging as a catalyst for the growth of B2B e-commerce.
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Fintech Finance News, Posted February 17, 2025
Market Pay Group today announced the signing of an agreement to acquire Altapay, a payment service provider (PSP) headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Altapay, which serves over 400 merchants, has developed strong expertise in managing online transactions. With a portfolio of around thirty local and international payment methods, as well as alternative payment options such as BNPL, its platform is highly effective in addressing a wide range of online commerce use cases.
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Spain’s Ibercaja teams up with Mambu to launch consumer finance entity.
Retail Banker International, Posted February 20, 2025
Spanish bank Ibercaja Banco has joined forces with software as a service (SaaS) cloud-based banking platform Mambu to introduce a new consumer finance entity.
The launch of the new entity, anticipated to begin earlier this year, will be executed in a phased manner.
This collaboration is part of the bank’s efforts to modernise its consumer finance operations, improving scalability, responsiveness, and speed to market.
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Paynet partners with Salt Edge to meet Moldova’s PSD2 requirements
Salt Edge, Posted February 18, 2025
Paynet, Moldova’s first digital wallet and a leading electronic money institution (EMI), joins forces with Salt Edge, a global leader in open banking services, to comply with the country’s PSD2 regulations.
Paynet is a major player in the Moldovan financial landscape, offering a seamless financial management tool for both businesses and individuals. Committed to transforming everyday payments into hassle-free and efficient processes, the company launched the Paynet wallet, followed by the Paynet Mastercard. The Paynet wallet, an all-in-one app solution, enables users to easily manage their finances, from paying utility bills to making money transfers.
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UK regulators publish digital wallet market statement as Apple and Google face market scrutiny
Tech Monitor, Posted February 20, 2025
The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) have published joint feedback statement on the state of the country’s digital wallet market. Its findings highlight both the increasing reliance on digital wallets in the UK and concerns over competition, consumer protection, and innovation.
The report follows ongoing scrutiny of Apple and Google’s influence on mobile payments. Last month, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched an investigation into whether the two companies hold strategic market status in their mobile ecosystems. This inquiry covers operating systems, app stores, browsers, and digital wallets, assessing the impact on market competition and consumer choice.
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IBS Intelligence, Posted February 21, 2025
Retail Banker International, Posted February 20, 2025
Online loan provider Salad Money has rolled out NatWest’s open banking payments solution, Payit™, to enable its customers to make loan repayments online through its portal.
Powered by open banking technology through payment initiation, Payit™ by NatWest provides customers with an additional digital payment method for managing their loan payments safely.
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USA
Mastercard Unveils One Credential for Enhanced Checkout Choices
Fintech Finance News, Posted February 19, 2025
Mastercard is launching Mastercard One Credential, a single digitally connected credential with multiple ways to pay.
Today’s consumers are at the forefront of embracing technologies that offer convenient and personalized experiences. Gen Z, the generation spanning teenagers to those in their mid-twenties, is leading the charge. Instead of juggling between different cards and payment methods, they are looking for an innovative digital solution to manage their payments today and plan for tomorrow. They want their financial life at their fingertips and a simple way of accessing multiple funding options.
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Loquat and Plaid partner to bring open banking to credit union and community bank customers
Loquat, Posted February 13, 2025
Loquat, an innovative financial technology company advancing digital banking for financial institutions (FIs), consumers, and businesses is pleased to announce its partnership with Plaid, the data network powering the digital financial ecosystem. This collaboration allows consumers and small businesses to effortlessly connect their financial accounts across platforms, unlocking unprecedented ease of use and streamlined digital experiences.
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Fintech Investment Slumps to Seven-Year Low of $95.6 Billion as Rate Hikes Bite
Fintech Magnates, Posted February 20, 2025
Global fintech investment plummeted to $95.6 billion across 4,639 deals in 2024, marking its lowest level since 2017, as investors grappled with persistent macroeconomic challenges and geopolitical tensions, according to KPMG’s latest Pulse of Fintech report.
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61 US startups became unicorns in 2024: Here’s the full list
Tech Crunch, Posted February 20, 2025
Despite the tight venture capital market, unicorns are still being created every month.
Using data from Crunchbase, CB Insights, and PitchBook, TechCrunch tracked down the newly minted unicorns so far this year. The list includes Elon Musk’s xAI, which is already valued at a staggering $24 billion, as well as a good number of other AI startups. But cybersecurity, health tech, and fintech have also done well. This list will be updated throughout the year, so check back and see the powerhouses raising this year!
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LatAm
Brazil’s Ebanx receives in-principle approval for MPI licence in Singapore
Fintech Futures, Posted February 18, 2025
Brazilian payments platform Ebanx is set to expand its operations in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region having received in-principle approval for a Major Payment Institution (MPI) licence from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).
Once granted, the licence will enable the platform to provide cross-border money transfer and merchant acquisition services to customers in Singapore through its regional subsidiary, Ebanx Pte Ltd.
To help drive its growth in the region, Fernanda De Fino, global director of risk and compliance at Ebanx, has relocated from Brazil to Singapore, where she will now also serve as executive director.
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Santander, Posted February 18, 2025
The bank is now up and running across all of Mexico with a comprehensive suite of everyday banking products that includes interest-bearing accounts, debit and credit cards, and cash withdrawals at 10,000 Santander ATMs.
Customers can sign up in just five minutes and enjoy a fully digital proposition with no fees and the backing of Santander.
They also get 3% cash back on online credit card purchases and can defer payment for three months interest-free (from MXN 1,500).
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