The Calgary, Alberta-based processor Helcim Inc. has grown increasingly active in launching new services in recent years as more intense competition wears on midsize payments players. The company’s latest gambit: an extension that lets merchants access Helcim’s processing platform within the business software they already use, bypassing alternatives integrated within …

Merchant surcharges are proving problematic for card-accepting merchants, as nearly one-third of small businesses say customers walk away from a potential transaction when faced with the extra charge, according to a study released early Tuesday by J.D. Power. Some 35% of merchants are now surcharging when customers use credit cards, …

Payments platforms like Block Inc.’s Square point-of-sale service have long sought to find ways to build customer loyalty for the merchants that use their point-of-sale technology, and now other major POS device makers are also looking to build business by building business for sellers that use their technology. In the …

[Aug. 12] Stablecoin giant Circle Internet Group Inc. early Tuesday unveiled Arc, a new payments platform aimed at major money flows, including foreign exchange. The new service, part of the existing Circle Payments Network, will speed up foreign exchange while offering what the company calls “sub-second instant finality” in settlement, the …

In an effort to appeal to travelers from abroad, China’s dominant UnionPay payments card network announced early Wednesday a new platform designed to simplify everyday transactions for international visitors. Dubbed Nihao China, the new app offers a range of capabilities, including cross-border and person-to-person payments, according to 23-year-old UnionPay, which …

The speed and apparent lower cost of stablecoins—coupled with the digital currency’s rising prominence as a payments method—has captured the imagination of payments companies. Now some are leveraging the coins for both internal and merchant funding. Shift4 Payments Inc. said early Monday it has launched a facility for stablecoin settlement …

Visa Inc. announced early Tuesday it is supporting stablecoins as a settlement option for issuer and acquirer banks in the United States, a major move in payment card finance and one observers see as an inevitable next step for the industry, though one that could come with complications. The use …

Two major players in stablecoins, Circle Internet Financial Inc. and Ripple Labs Inc., received conditional approval Friday from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to establish national trust banks. Both companies coveted the approvals as key to establishing confidence in stablecoins among consumers and businesses as they …

Nayax Ltd. early Thursday said it has acquired Lynkwell, a U.S.-based technology developer for electric-vehicle charging stations. The $25.9-million, all-cash deal comes as Nayax looks to capitalize on the growth of EV charging as a payments market, particularly in the United States. “We are opening the door to a more …