Past Articles
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Payments Policy Developments: From Stablecoins to Swipe Fees
May 19, 2026As the midterm elections loom overhead, 2026 is proving to be quite busy in Congress, the courts, and in state legislatures. Many state legislatures are considering swipe fee bills to remove interchange from sales tax and tips, while federal payments policy priorities are under consideration in Congress or by regulators. In addition, the courts have been busy on a number of payments-related cases. Here are some Spring highlights.
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Chargebacks Modernization Working Group Launch
May 12, 2026Thirty-plus years ago, I started my payments journey as a chargeback clerk for an acquirer. With only fifteen minutes of training, I'll never forget the epiphany of realizing I was moving money every time I hit enter on that crusty old CRT. That job awakened my curiosity about the payments industry, and while my career quickly moved past the function of researching and dispositioning chargebacks, I've maintained a passion for what I knew even then: the chargeback process, while necessary, is fundamentally broken.
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Latest Regulatory Issues Facing APAC Merchants
May 11, 2026The Asia-Pacific (APAC) region continues to set the pace for payments innovation. But with that innovation comes complexity, and APAC merchants must navigate a fast-changing and highly fragmented landscape.
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MAG’s Q2 Payments Content Roadmap
Apr 21, 2026If Q1 was about setting direction, Q2 is where the MAG’s Payment Content Roadmap starts to deepen.
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The Power Behind the MAG: Celebrating Volunteer Leadership
Apr 7, 2026April is Volunteer Appreciation Month, a moment to recognize the individuals who give their time, expertise, and energy to strengthen the communities and industries they care about. At the Merchant Advisory Group (MAG), that spirit of volunteerism is the foundation of everything we do.
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MAG Payments Summit - London 26: Where the Future of Payments Gets Real
Mar 31, 2026On June 9-10, 2026, the Merchant Advisory Group (MAG) brings its flagship European event to London, hosted at 155 Bishopsgate in the heart of the city.
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Mobile Driver's Licenses: An Objective Look at Capabilities for Merchants
Mar 30, 2026The retail landscape is constantly evolving, driven by consumer demand for convenience, speed, and privacy. For merchants, the challenge is balancing operational efficiency with compliance and security. A crucial new technology at the intersection of these needs is the Mobile Driver's License (mDL).
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How Purchase Data Enhances Retail Business Decisions
Mar 11, 2026The face of the retail industry continues to evolve. This revolution is being fueled by customer demand for seamless shopping experiences across channels and increased personalization at every touchpoint. A recent report found that Millennials and Gen Z, which are projected to comprise 67% of the U.S. population by 2030, are accelerating digital-first purchasing behaviors, presenting merchants with new opportunities to meet the shopping preferences of this growing cohort.
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A Look at the Legal Landscape
Mar 2, 2026In recent years, there has been no shortage of payments policy news. From the Federal Reserve reexamining the regulated rate and clarifying routing requirements in eCommerce, to activity around open banking at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, to the Administration’s elimination of the penny, payments advocates have been busy – not to mention the legislative activity in Congress and various states. Things have moved much more slowly through the courts, but finally, there is some noteworthy activity, with key decisions, brief deadlines, and court dates scheduled in early 2026.
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A First Look at MAG’s International Education Library
Feb 25, 2026Payments teams don’t need another abstract discussion of global payments complexity. You’re already living it: new rails, new rules, new fraud patterns, and a growing number of markets.
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The Road to London: Where to Engage with MAG This Spring
Feb 25, 2026The payments landscape is moving fast, shaped by AI, identity, regulation, orchestration, and global market expansion. Between now and the MAG Payments Summit – London26 (June 9–10), the Merchant Advisory Group (MAG) is bringing the industry together across webinars, International Meet-Ups, Innovation Spotlights, and global speaking engagements.
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Merchants in Agentic Commerce
Feb 2, 2026Agentic payments are redefining eCommerce by enabling AI-powered agents to discover products, negotiate terms, and complete purchases on behalf of consumers. This shift moves commerce beyond traditional storefronts toward an agentic ecosystem where trusted digital agents interact directly with merchant systems.
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Dive into Payments MAGnified 26, Where the Future of Commerce Comes to Life!
Jan 22, 2026Payments MAGnified 26 is February 17–20, 2026, in San Diego, and the MAG has curated a lineup of sessions built for depth, relevance, and forward-looking insights for payments professionals across business and technology teams. This event is a forum to unpack the technologies and trends shaping the next era of payments, from AI and agentic commerce to stablecoins and alternative payment methods. Here are some key sessions you won’t want to miss.
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The Payments Content Roadmap: What’s Next, Why It Matters, and What’s Landing Q1 2026
Jan 15, 2026If payments feels harder to keep up with lately, you’re not imagining it. The pace has accelerated. New capabilities arrive before old ones are fully operational. Fraud tactics evolve faster than fraud mitigations can respond. Global expansion introduces new layers of authentication, routing, and reporting. And the most consistent question we hear from members is simple: What’s coming next, and how do we plan for it?
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Advancing Payments Evolving Our SIGs: A New Format Designed for How Merchants Operate Today
Jan 14, 2026Our Special Interest Groups (SIGs) have long been one of the most valued parts of MAG conferences, earning consistently high satisfaction for their open, merchant-only discussions. Since their introduction at MAG’s inaugural conference in 2008, SIGs have evolved alongside commerce itself, expanding in format, frequency, and focus.
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From Advocacy to Impact: How MAG Delivered for Merchants in 2025
Dec 17, 2025As this year ends, the Merchant Advisory Group (MAG) has stayed firmly focused on one thing: serving as the voice of merchants in a rapidly changing payments landscape. Through collaboration, education, and advocacy, the MAG worked alongside you to shape a payments ecosystem that better reflects merchants’ priorities and ultimately serves our shared customers. Thank you for your continued engagement and support. Your participation on committees, at conferences, in surveys, and in direct conversations with networks and regulators is what gives the MAG its strength and credibility as the merchants’ voice.
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Unlocking Cross-Border Real-Time Payments in Asia: From Fragmentation to Harmonisation
Dec 1, 2025Industry leaders call for interoperable standards, merchant inclusion, and coordinated regulation to drive the next phase of real-time payments (RTP) growth across Asia.
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Deepen Your Payments Knowledge at Payments MAGnified 26
Dec 1, 2025Payments MAGnified 26 returns February 17–20, 2026, at the Gaylord Pacific in San Diego, and registration is officially open. This high-impact event is designed for payments professionals looking to go beyond general updates and immerse themselves in specialized, merchant-driven learning.
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Government Shutdown Ends: Regulatory and Legal Developments
Nov 21, 2025As 2025 comes to a close and the federal government re-opens, there are many payments policy issues to watch carefully, including credit card interchange and network rules, debit reform, challenges to state laws regulating interchange, and penny circulation complexities.
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Advancing Payments: The Evolution of Payments Continues to Gain
Nov 10, 2025The payments landscape has entered a phase of rapid, overlapping change. Historically, payments evolved through infrequent, compliance-driven upgrades. Today, new capabilities and program changes are emerging from card networks, processors, and fintechs continuously, and they have direct commercial impact on authorization rates, fraud exposure, dispute workload, and customer experience. Added state and federal legislation, coupled with new regulatory frameworks, can further complicate strategic planning. Payments is no longer simply an operational necessity — it is now a lever for revenue performance and customer experience.
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