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UK consumers claim GBP £3.5bn in friendly fraud refunds
Fintech

UK consumers claim GBP £3.5bn in friendly fraud refunds

Retailers are bearing the cost as millions of valid card payments are challenged, leaving banks to refund GBP £3.5 billion in a year.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • Last week
KYA is the new KYC: The payment identity problem AI commerce cannot afford to ignore
Biometrics

KYA is the new KYC: The payment identity problem AI commerce cannot afford to ignore

High decline rates and chargeback risk are already hitting merchants as AI agents struggle to pass payment checks built for human shoppers.

By Alpesh Patel • 5 min read • Last week
CFIT wins GBP £1 million from Treasury & NatWest deal
Data Analytics

CFIT wins GBP £1 million from Treasury & NatWest deal

Backed through to 2027, the fintech body can expand work on SME finance and digital verification with new government and bank support.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • Last month
CFIT says financial health tools could unlock GBP £5 billion
Fintech

CFIT says financial health tools could unlock GBP £5 billion

Wider use of new financial health tools could help 200,000 more UK SMEs a year secure lending, CFIT said after testing prototypes.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • Last month

Global Stories

Mastercard stories

Ondo, Morgan, Mastercard & Ripple test tokenised Treasury
Fintech

Ondo, Morgan, Mastercard & Ripple test tokenised Treasury

The pilot suggests tokenised Treasury redemptions could settle across borders in seconds, bypassing traditional banking cut-off windows.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • Last week
ICBA names six firms to ThinkTECH accelerator cohort
Data Analytics

ICBA names six firms to ThinkTECH accelerator cohort

Community banks will test tools for fraud, payments and compliance as ICBA brings six firms into its eleventh ThinkTECH accelerator class.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 3 min read • Last week
The 70% problem: Why checkout is still where eCommerce goes to die
Digital Transformation

The 70% problem: Why checkout is still where eCommerce goes to die

Merchants could win back lost sales as tokenised checkout trims friction, reduces card-not-present fraud and keeps payment data in bank rails.

By Suzana Kordumova • 3 min read • Last week
Ant International launches mobile AI payment protocol
Wearables

Ant International launches mobile AI payment protocol

The open-source framework targets wallet-based payments as digital wallet use and agentic commerce expand rapidly worldwide.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • Last month
AI shopping agents reshape retail buying & checkout
Digital Transformation

AI shopping agents reshape retail buying & checkout

Retailers face a new fight for visibility as AI agents increasingly decide which products get bought and checked out for customers.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • Last month
Click to Pay lifts Ecommpay approval rates to 75.18%
Data Analytics

Click to Pay lifts Ecommpay approval rates to 75.18%

The payment option is generating more completed sales, with approval rates for online guest checkouts rising to 75.18% in April 2026.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 3 min read • Last month
Nium partners Coinbase for USDC cross-border payments
Crypto

Nium partners Coinbase for USDC cross-border payments

Businesses can now move USDC through Nium's network and settle in fiat, cutting trapped liquidity across more than 190 countries.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • Last month
Newo appoints Jason Luo as Chief Executive Officer
Unified Communications

Newo appoints Jason Luo as Chief Executive Officer

Missed calls at small firms are becoming a bigger revenue risk as Newo expands its AI receptionist tools beyond the US and into Europe.

By Mark Tarre • 4 min read • Last month
Mastercard & Lobster.cash team up for AI agent payments
Crypto

Mastercard & Lobster.cash team up for AI agent payments

OpenClaw users will be able to let AI agents pay with existing cards as Mastercard's controls add limits, authentication and audit trails.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • Last month
Tether backs USD $134 million Stablecoin Development
Crypto

Tether backs USD $134 million Stablecoin Development

Backing from Tether comes as stablecoins pass USD $300 billion in circulation, underlining investor appetite for their payments infrastructure.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • Last month

Stories from Other Regions

Mastercard stories

Revolut launches Ultra premium plan in New Zealand
Virtual Private Networks

Revolut launches Ultra premium plan in New Zealand

Consumers in New Zealand are being offered a new premium payments package as banks face tougher scrutiny over rewards and overseas spending costs.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 3 min read • Last month
PayNuts broadens offer for SMEs as surcharging reforms loom
Digital Transformation

PayNuts broadens offer for SMEs as surcharging reforms loom

A tougher fee regime is pushing the payments firm to offer SMEs more services, from POS and broadband to bookkeeping, beyond EFTPOS.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • Last month
Paymentology enters Australia via Change Financial deal
Fintech

Paymentology enters Australia via Change Financial deal

The tie-up gives fintechs and digital banks a quicker route into Australia’s fast-growing card and mobile payments market.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 3 min read • Last month