Issuing/Originating

Stablecoins have been on payments companies’ radar screens for years, but only recently has the digital currency gained the credibility needed to move processors, merchants, and users toward using stablecoins for everyday payments. The latest example of this emerged early Tuesday with an announcement from Mesh, a San Francisco-based crypto …

Samsung Electronics America launched its Samsung Galaxy Card, a Visa card embedded directly in the Samsung Wallet and the electronics company’s first credit card product in the U.S. market. The card carries no annual fee and offers 5% cash back on Samsung purchases online or in-store. Fiserv Inc. announced it will be …

Visa Inc. has been involved in various stages of stablecoin processing for the last three years, but this week the card network stepped up its involvement with the cryptocurrency, launching Visa Stablecoin Platform. The new service is starting out in beta testing with “select clients,” Visa says, as companies determine …

Companies looking for a faster way to accept payments in fiat currencies but settle in stablecoins may have a new option in an integration announced Wednesday between XDC Tech and Bridge, the stablecoin unit of the payments-technology firm Stripe. Under the arrangement, merchants can accept dollars or other fiat currencies …

A newly released standard for QR code payments could make it easier for consumers and merchants to use instant payments, says the Accredited Standards Committee X9 Inc. X9 is a nonprofit organization that develops and maintains national and international standards for the financial-services industry. The new standard, officially called X9.150, …

Circle Internet Group Inc. said its plan to establish First National Digital Currency Bank, N.A., has been approved by the Comptroller of the Currency. The bank’s operating name will be Circle National Trust. Circle submitted its banking application June 30 last year and received conditional approval in December. The move …

A blockchain ledger developed by the financial-messaging platform Swift debuted with an announcement early Thursday by the Brussels-based network. Declaring the system “ready for initial use,” Swift said the technology will enable cross-border payments at all times of day or night using tokenized deposits, or digital equivalents of fiat currency. …

The economics of proprietary debit networks appears to be asserting itself as a consortium of big banks is reportedly looking to acquire a debit card system from Fiserv Inc. The banking group, which includes JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and PNC Financial Services Group, has had “tentative discussions” …

The buy now, pay later specialist Klarna AB said early Monday it has submitted applications with U.S. regulators to start an industrial bank called Klarna Bank USA. The company’s applications, filed with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. as well as the Utah Department of Financial Institutions, follow its move toward banking in …

Only a fraction of U.S. drivers redeemed rewards on millions of eligible gasoline-purchase transactions in June, payment-technology provider Verifone Inc. says following a study of its gas-station merchant base. Meanwhile, American Express Co. reported Wednesday that it has enhanced its Membership Rewards program by allowing cardholders to redeem points directly …