PAYMENTS NEWS
European Payments Firms Form Council for Agentic Commerce
Oct 27, 2026
Fintechs including the UK’s PPRO, Poland’s BLIK, and Belgium’s Bancontact have created the Local Payments Council for Agentic Commerce, aiming to establish standards for how AI agents are authorised by users and verified by banks.
USDA proposes adding chip and tap-to-pay tech to EBT cards
Oct 27, 2026
The USDA proposed a rule requiring all states to issue SNAP EBT cards with chip and tap-to-pay capabilities to reduce fraud.
Visa and Mastercard threatened with potential £5bn UK lawsuit over fees
Oct 27, 2026
Application made for group claim centre on multilateral interchange fees.
Appeals court upholds swipe fee decision
Oct 27, 2026
The Federal Reserve might have to go back to the drawing board for its rule setting a cap on the fees banks can charge for processing debit card transactions.
Visa-Mastercard payouts top $631M
Oct 13, 2026
The tally of merchants receiving funds from a $5.5 billion settlement with the networks is nearing 700,000.
Credit card industry group warns Congress against new swipe-fee proposal
Oct 8, 2026
The Electronic Payments Coalition (EPC) is launching its “Fool Me Once” campaign, urging Congress not to repeat what it calls a failed government mandate on debit cards.
Fiserv’s stablecoin system starts
Oct 7, 2026
The processor’s system for hosting digital currencies is up and running, with North Dakota’s stablecoin the first digital asset to go live.
Payment Giants Launch Open USD Stablecoin to Kill Conversion Fees
Oct 7, 2026
Businesses can get started with the Open USD (OUSD) stablecoin through four integration paths, including Stripe, Coinbase, Mastercard, and Visa.
Will Europe unseat Visa, Mastercard?
Oct 7, 2026
The Hero project launched by European banks is making progress in challenging the card networks’ dominance.
Payments conferences for 2027
Oct 6, 2026
Real-time payments, stablecoins and AI use cases are expected to be among the hot topics at next year’s industry events.
Fed's Waller sees transformative potential in AI payments
Sep 30, 2026
The central bank is embracing the integration of artificial intelligence into payments systems and contemplating rules to address newfound uncertainties and vulnerabilities.
Senate passes Common Cents bill
Sep 29, 2026
The bipartisan bill, which also formally ends U.S. Mint production of the penny, represents a victory for merchants that had sought federal guidance on how to more efficiently handle cash transactions as pennies gradually fade from circulation. The measure doesn’t apply to electronic transactions.
Merchants call card-fee pact unconstitutional
Sep 22, 2026
In objecting to the proposed settlement with the two largest card networks, large merchants argue that forcing their inclusion in the settlement class violates their due process rights under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments.
Crypto market structure bill fails in Senate vote, 49-50
Sep 17, 2026
The Senate did not advance the CLARITY Act. The procedural event has likely stalled the bill until the next Congress.
Visa, Mastercard settle Grubhub case
Sep 17, 2026
Visa and Mastercard have settled the last merchant lawsuits in an antitrust case over credit card swipe fees. A trial in the case was set to begin on Monday.
House passes Common Cents bill
Sep 17, 2026
The bill eliminates U.S. production of the penny and gives merchants leeway to round to the nearest nickel on transactions when they don’t have exact change.
Mastercard Sued by 300 Hotel Companies in UK Over Swipe Fees
Sep 10, 2026
The hotel companies are challenging Mastercard over multilateral interchange fees associated with payments made using its cards.
Trump pledges card fee cuts, again
Sep 10, 2026
The president reiterated his support for policies to cut fees associated with credit cards, noting the charges are a burden for consumers.
Illinois seeks to support cash use
Aug 31, 2026
A new state law will require retailers to accept cash for most transactions below $500, and fine repeat violators up to $5,000.
Is the nickel nearing a revamp?
Aug 31, 2026
It costs 13 cents to produce the five-cent coin. Congress wants the U.S. to explore more cost-effective methods.