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The top 10 US merchant acquirers collectively processed $10.6 trillion in card volume during 2024, according to newly released data from The Strawhecker Group (TSG). The findings, sourced from TSG’s authoritative 2025 Directory of US Merchant Acquirers, shed light on a market that remains highly concentrated and increasingly defined by scale, strategic bank relationships, and […]

The UK’s Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) has published a long-anticipated consultation paper proposing a suite of remedies aimed at improving transparency and accountability in the card fees –  scheme and processing – market. PSR proposed remedies for card fees fall short But industry stakeholders, particularly UK retailers, have criticised the measures as inadequate, arguing that

Across the five countries covered in a global study carried out for Google — Brazil, France, Germany, the UK and the US — most consumers say they are familiar with the digital wallets in their pockets or purses. What are digital wallets? In the US, for example, 85% say they know about digital wallets. However

Ripple has taken a major step in expanding the real-world utility of its enterprise-grade stablecoin, Ripple USD (RLUSD), by integrating it into Ripple Payments – its flagship cross-border payments platform. Ripple expands RLUSD The move is part of a broader strategy to position RLUSD as the go-to stablecoin for institutional-grade use cases, ranging from international

Mastercard has unveiled a transformative programme designed to supercharge the adoption of virtual cards in commercial payments, signalling a major evolution in how corporates, banks, and platforms interact. At the heart of this initiative is Mastercard’s enhanced virtual card number (VCN) technology — a tool long championed by the payments giant, but now reimagined to

As reported by Payments Cards & Mobile late last year, a global shift is under way in the world of cross-border payments, with traditional banks and fintechs increasingly drawn into what industry insiders are calling a “stablecoin gold rush”. Scramble for position in the stablecoin race As regulatory sentiment softens and adoption rises, legacy financial

In a high-stakes move that underscores the strategic value of embedded finance, Visa has reportedly tabled a $100 million offer to displace Mastercard as the network provider behind the Apple Card — a bold gambit in one of the most competitive corners of consumer finance. Visa bids $100m on Apple Card The offer, first revealed

Card payments in the UK surpassed £1 trillion in 2024, according to new figures from UK Finance, underscoring a continued shift towards cashless transactions and the ubiquity of contactless technology. While total card spending remained steady compared to 2023, the data reveals a notable rise in transaction volumes, a growing preference for credit cards, and

In a historic shift for one of Europe’s most cash-affectionate economies, debit cards have overtaken cash as Switzerland’s most used in-store payment method, marking a symbolic turning point in the country’s monetary habits. According to the Swiss National Bank’s (SNB) latest consumer payments survey, 35% of in-store transactions in 2023 were conducted via debit cards,

A new global fraud report from  Revolut has cast a stark spotlight on the persistent role of social media platforms – particularly those owned by Meta – as enablers of online scams. The Consumer Security and Financial Crime Report, now in its third edition, underscores the scale and sophistication of financial crime in the digital