Monday , December 29, 2025

Issuing/Originating

China’s UnionPay Looks to Serve—and Attract—International Visitors

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 …

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COMMENTARY: BNPL’s Real Bottleneck Isn’t Scoring. It’s Architecture

FICO’s latest scoring models now factor in buy now, pay later repayment data, a milestone many hoped would bring these plans into the mainstream credit system, giving lenders more visibility into consumers’ total debt and payment behavior.  However, despite billions flowing through installment-payment platforms, lenders still can’t see the full credit picture. …

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Visa Moves to Support Stablecoins for U.S. 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 …

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Merchant Groups Voice Their Objections to the Latest Visa-Mastercard Swipe Fee Settlement Offer

Merchant groups late Friday filed written complaints regarding the latest settlement offer in their two-decades old lawsuit against Visa Inc. and Mastercard Inc. challenging card swipe fees. The settlement offer, which follows a rejected offer in 2024, was made in November. Merchant groups filing complaints were The National Association of …

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Crypto Kingpins Circle And Ripple Are Approved for National Trust Banks

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 …

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Swipe Fees Are a Drain on Consumers’ Wallets, a Merchant Group Says

Fees paid by merchants to accept credit card and debit cards will dampen consumer spending power this holiday shopping season as sellers look for ways to offset the cost, says the Merchants Payment Coalition. Swipe fees are projected to cost merchants at least $19.9 billion this holiday shopping season, up …

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NMI’s Business Capital Debuts and other Digital Transactions News briefs from 12/9/25

Network Merchants Inc., also known as NMI, has launched NMI Business Capital, aimed at allowing ISOs, payment facilitators, and merchant-service providers to offer financing through their existing merchant portals. NMI announced early Tuesday that Parafin, a fintech, is the latest client for the service. Buy now, pay later specialist Afterpay Ltd. added more than …

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The FIDO Alliance Launches a Digital Credentials Initiative

The FIDO Alliance has launched an initiative to accelerate the adoption of verifiable digital credentials and identity wallets. The initiative will be led by the Alliance’s Digital Credentials Working Group (DCWG), EMVCo, the International Standardization Organization, The OpenID Foundation, and the Worldwide Web Consortium are also partnering on the initiative …

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Digital Transactions