Tuesday , May 19, 2026

Competitive Strategies

Eye on Fraud: Mastercard Merchant Trust Services Debuts; Darwinium Takes on Remote Access Scams

Just as legitimate transactions are a certainty in payments, so too, are fraud and scams. That doesn’t mean payments companies and their vendors need to just accept that. Now, Mastercard Inc. says it is countering fraud and scams with a new service, Mastercard Merchant Trust Services, to help clients identify …

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NMI’s Latest Deal Snags A2A Platform Dwolla

Network Merchants Inc. said Tuesday it has acquired Dwolla Inc., a payments-acceptance technology provider with experience in real-time payments, open banking, and account-to-account technology and serving more than 400 clients. The combination creates a company processing nearly $700 billion in transaction volume annually, the parties say, a move that is …

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1 Million Plus One: Klarna Adds EZContacts

Eyewear retailer EZContacts is the latest merchant to add Klarna AB’s buy now, pay later payment option. Klarna hopes to displace some credit card transactions, saying vision care is a plannable expense where credit cards remain the default payment option. Klarna says EZContacts customers will be able to use its …

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BTCS Revenue up 27% and other Digital Transactions News briefs from 5/18/26

Blockchain-technology developer BTCS Inc. reported first-quarter revenue of $2.1 million, up 27% year-over-year but down from $7 million in 2025’s fourth quarter. The company’s net loss for the quarter widened to $69.1 million from $17.3 million in the year-ago period, though gross profit soared to $1 million from $100,000. Payments-technology provider PSQ Holdings …

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Eye on Acquiring: Finix Adds an Unattended POS Terminal; Deluxe Checks in at Dollar Bank

Finix Payments Inc. is leaning into the unattended payments arena with the launch of its Android-based point-of-sale terminal designed for self-service payments. In related news, Deluxe Corp. formed a merchant services partnership with Dollar Bank. San Francisco-based Finix says its new POS terminal is meant to meet demand for contactless, …

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How Stablecoins Are Crashing the Agentic Commerce Party

It was probably only a matter of time before agentic commerce embraced cryptocurrency. Technology platform Worldwide Stablecoin Payment Network early Friday announced W Agent, which the Singapore-based company calls a “new AI Agent skill.” That means the agents can find merchants, enter orders, and transact in stablecoins “end-to-end,” as the …

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Datacap Launches Virtual Gift and other Digital Transactions News briefs from 5/15/26

Datacap Systems Inc. launched Virtual Gift, a platform that enables users to create branded, consumer-facing digital gift card storefronts. Gift card purchases can be shared via a link, QR code, or embedded directly into merchant Web sites. InComm Payments’ health-care unit is working with the University of Kentucky’s HealthCare’s Food as Health …

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RTP Hits Another Banner Real-Time Payment Mark

RTP, the real-time payments network operated by The Clearing House Payments Co. LLC, set another record volume day with 2.27 million transactions processed valued at $8.62 billion on May 1. Its most recent prior record day was Feb. 13 when it processed 2.05 million real-time transactions. The Clearing House attributes …

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A Crucial Stablecoin Bill Faces a Senate Committee Vote

With the Senate Banking Committee scheduled to take a vote Thursday on whether crucial stablecoin legislation should advance to the full Senate floor, the time for debating the bill’s pros and cons is drawing to a close. The 309-page Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, which would set rules for digital …

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Eye on POS: Global Infuses Genius Handheld with AI; Pax To Debut Self-Service Smart Kiosk

Global Payments Inc. intends for artificial-intelligence capabilities to make its Genius handheld point-of-sale device easier for users while it also launches self-service kiosks. But it’s not the only payment-device provider eyeing that market. PAX Technology Inc. will showcase its self-service Smart Kiosk this week, too, at the National Restaurant Show …

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Digital Transactions