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Index: The Divided Recovery: Labor Economy Workers Face an Uncertain 2026The post Frontline Workers Shift From Getting Ahead to Getting By appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "Historically, payments have been an activity-based business. Revenues are tied to transaction volume, interchange fees and, to some extent, the float generated by holding funds in transit.\r\n\t\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\r\n\r\n\r\n\t\nBut according to the January 2026 \u201cWage to Wallet Index: The Divided Recovery: Labor Economy Workers Face an Uncertain 2026,\u201d a collaboration between\u00a0PYMNTS Intelligence,\u00a0WorkWhile\u00a0and\u00a0Ingo Payments, the financial lives of consumers, particularly lower- and middle-income workers, are increasingly shaped by volatility, including flat income expectations, rising expenses and limited confidence in future earnings.\nAnd if consumers are focused on avoiding financial slippage rather than maximizing spending, the payment and FinTech industry\u2019s value proposition changes.\nIn such an environment, success is measured less by how often a card is used and more by whether the user avoids late fees, maintains a positive balance or manages to build modest savings.\nThis opens the door to what might be termed \u201coutcome-based payments,\u201d meaning products that are evaluated, and potentially priced, according to their ability to improve financial health metrics.\nPayments as Infrastructure for Labor Markets\nIn a world where users are trying to\u00a0avoid falling behind, winning products will be judged not by activity, but by\u00a0financial outcomes. Early examples of this type of innovation include alerts that help users avoid overdrafts, automated savings features that skim small amounts after each pay cycle and dashboards that track progress in reducing debt.\nStill, for providers, this represents both an opportunity and a challenge. The opportunity lies in deeper engagement and differentiation. The challenge is that these outcomes are harder to measure, and in some cases require integration with credit, savings and employment data.\nThe \u201cLabor Economy\u201d described in the PYMNTS report encompasses workers in logistics, retail, hospitality and care. These are all roles that are essential to economic functioning but often characterized by variable hours and modest wages. These workers account for a substantial share of consumer spending and, by extension, economic growth.\nFor this segment, the way income is delivered and managed is not a peripheral issue. It is central to financial resilience. The same PYMNTS data shows that a significant share of workers do not expect their financial situation to improve in the coming year, with many prioritizing stability over advancement.\nAgainst this backdrop, credit-led growth models may encounter resistance if consumers are wary of taking on additional obligations. At the same time, rewards and incentives tied to higher spending may resonate less with users focused on controlling outflows.\nRead the report: Wage to Wallet Index: The Divided Recovery: Labor Economy Workers Face an Uncertain 2026\nIf the primary user need is stability, then payment begins to resemble a utility: a foundational service that underpins day-to-day economic activity, rather than a feature layered on top of it. Like utilities in other sectors, its value is judged by reliability and consistency as much as by performance.\nEmployers and labor platforms are beginning to recognize this. Features such as earned wage access, instant payouts and integrated financial tools are positioned not as perks, but as components of the employment offer. In a tight labor market, the ability to provide predictable and flexible access to earnings can influence retention and participation.\nThis blurs the boundaries between payments, human resources and financial services. Payroll systems are evolving into financial interfaces; gig platforms are embedding banking-like functionality; and payments providers are finding themselves closer to the core of employment relationships than at any point in the past.\nFor payments companies, this suggests a reorientation. The competitive edge may lie not in enabling incremental consumption, but in reducing the likelihood of financial disruption.\n\r\n\r\nThe post Frontline Workers Shift From Getting Ahead to Getting By appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2026-05-01T04:00:38-04:00", "date_modified": "2026-04-30T20:37:31-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/679fcf5c2ed5358e99e8e23b22e3b5d761e37bdb76fa7b0e13d8ecd9ff01bf88?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/679fcf5c2ed5358e99e8e23b22e3b5d761e37bdb76fa7b0e13d8ecd9ff01bf88?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Frontline-workers-SB5-xxx.png", "tags": [ "consumer finance", "credit cards", "Featured News", "Ingo Payments", "News", "PYMNTS Intelligence", "PYMNTS News", "WorkWhile", "Payments Innovation" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=3684726", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/news/payments-innovation/2026/galileo-says-modern-fraud-has-outgrown-static-rules/", "title": "Galileo Says Modern Fraud Has Outgrown Static Rules", "content_html": "Watch more: What\u2019s Next in Payments With Galileo\u2019s Maxim Spivakovsky
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\r\n\r\n\r\nThe post Galileo Says Modern Fraud Has Outgrown Static Rules appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "Watch more: What\u2019s Next in Payments With Galileo\u2019s Maxim Spivakovsky\r\n\t\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\r\n\r\n\r\n\t\nData has become a decisive force in payments, but most firms still struggle to use it with precision.\nThat distinction, according to Max Spivakovsky, senior director of global payments risk management at Galileo, is separating firms that merely collect information from those that convert it into sustained advantage.\n\u201cData is one of the biggest plays right now in the market,\u201d he said. \u201cThe lagging organizations treat the data as a storage problem while the leading organizations actually treat it as a decisioning system.\u201d\nSpivakovsky pointed to decision quality as the central metric governing success, arguing that leading organizations are not simply reacting faster but are measuring whether those reactions produce better results.\nFirms that integrate customer, operational and financial data into a single view are better positioned to act with speed and context. Spivakovsky said breaking down silos allows companies to \u201cbe much more proactive,\u201d particularly when responding to customer needs or emerging risks.\nAnecdotal evidence illustrates the point. In one case, analysis of negative balances enabled a program to extend minimal overdraft flexibility, which in turn strengthened engagement among established users. The improvement was modest in dollar terms but meaningful in behavior, suggesting that precise data application can influence both retention and revenue.\nAI Reshapes Payments and Fraud Decisioning\nThe role of artificial intelligence (AI) has intensified that evolution. In a \u201cWhat\u2019s Next in Payments\u201d series discussion focused on the \u201cdata game,\u201d Spivakovsky described how AI is altering both the speed and quality of decision-making across payments and fraud management.\nWithin payments, AI is already optimizing routing, reconciliation and exception handling, which reduces unnecessary declines and shortens onboarding timelines. \u201cIt helps to optimize routing, reconciliation and exception handling,\u201d he told PYMNTS, resulting in \u201cfewer necessary declines from the customer perspective and quicker onboarding.\u201d\nIn fraud, the shift is more structural. Traditional rule-based systems are proving insufficient against increasingly complex attack patterns. AI-driven models, by contrast, can adapt continuously. The traditional fraud system relied on fixed rules, Spivakovsky said, noting that \u201cmodern fraud is moving too quickly for purely static approaches.\u201d\nThe result is a transition toward real-time, adaptive decisioning that integrates new data as it emerges, rather than relying on preset thresholds.\nUnified Views and the Feedback Loop\nBeyond speed, the quality of customer engagement is also changing. Spivakovsky emphasized the importance of unified data environments that consolidate disparate information into a single perspective. These environments enable firms to respond more precisely to customer behavior while maintaining consistency.\nEqually important is the feedback loop that such systems create. Organizations that learn from each interaction, rather than treating transactions as isolated events, develop insights that competitors find difficult to replicate.\nThis iterative process supports more tailored engagement strategies, particularly in segments with varying risk profiles. Firms serving gig workers, for example, cannot apply identical controls to higher-income customers without introducing friction or misjudging risk.\nEnd-User Experience Improves With Precision\nFor end users, the practical effect of these changes is reduced friction and more consistent approvals. Data-driven personalization allows institutions to distinguish between low-risk and high-risk behaviors with greater accuracy.\nSpivakovsky framed the objective in operational terms. \u201cThe best companies use data \u2026 to make good customers move faster, while at the same time reserving the scrutiny only for the high risk situations,\u201d he said.\nThat balance, he suggested, improves both customer satisfaction and approval rates by minimizing unnecessary intervention while maintaining vigilance where it matters.\nFine-Tuning Fraud Responses\nThe refinement of fraud controls is another area where data is having meaningful impact. Rather than applying uniform rules, firms are beginning to tailor responses based on broader context, including customer history and transaction patterns.\nSpivakovsky cited internal scoring approaches that allow institutions to calibrate fraud responses in line with both risk tolerance and brand posture. The objective is not to increase the volume of data, but to ensure that relevant data is delivered at the right moment to inform decisions.\n\u201cIt\u2019s not about flooding the teams \u2026 it\u2019s actually about giving them the right data,\u201d he said.\nWho Wins the Data Game\nLooking ahead 12 to 24 months, Spivakovsky expects the advantage to accrue to firms that combine broad data visibility with disciplined execution. The ability to make rapid decisions is necessary but insufficient without governance and transparency.\nFirms that treat data as an evolving system rather than a static asset are building capabilities that extend beyond immediate gains. As Spivakovsky put it, \u201cthe companies that win will treat trust, identity and security as core part of their data strategy overall.\u201d\n\r\n\r\nThe post Galileo Says Modern Fraud Has Outgrown Static Rules appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2026-04-28T04:00:32-04:00", "date_modified": "2026-04-27T22:20:22-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/679fcf5c2ed5358e99e8e23b22e3b5d761e37bdb76fa7b0e13d8ecd9ff01bf88?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/679fcf5c2ed5358e99e8e23b22e3b5d761e37bdb76fa7b0e13d8ecd9ff01bf88?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Galileo-image-with-overlay.png", "tags": [ "digital transformation", "Featured News", "News", "payments", "payments data", "PYMNTS News", "pymnts tv", "video", "WhatsNextInPaymentsSeries", "What\u2019s Next in Payments: The Data Game 2026", "Payments Innovation" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=3680946", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/news/payments-innovation/2026/agentic-commerce-forces-a-rethink-of-card-infrastructure/", "title": "Agentic Commerce Forces a Rethink of Card Infrastructure", "content_html": "![\"Download](\"https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Paymentology-Payments-Innovation-Tracker-April-2026-Download-Button.png\"){kind=tracking}
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\r\n\r\n\r\nThe post Agentic Commerce Forces a Rethink of Card Infrastructure appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "AI is no longer just guiding purchases; it\u2019s beginning to execute them. As agentic commerce, where AI systems initiate transactions on behalf of consumers,\u00a0takes hold, the payments ecosystem is entering a new phase defined by machine-driven speed, scale and complexity.\nPYMNTS Intelligence research shows that consumer appetite for this shift is already significant. Nearly half of consumers express interest in AI agents handling tasks such as grocery shopping or meal planning, signaling that trust in autonomous purchasing is quickly moving from concept to reality. As demand accelerates, payment infrastructure is becoming the critical layer that determines whether agentic commerce can function securely and seamlessly.\nYet most existing systems weren\u2019t designed for this environment. Legacy payment infrastructure, built for human-initiated, linear transactions, struggles to support the high-velocity, cross-platform activity generated by autonomous agents. These systems often lack the flexibility to process parallel transactions, enforce granular controls or adapt in real time, creating friction\u00a0when speed and precision matter most.\nAs AI-driven transactions scale, fraud threats are evolving just as quickly. Traditional detection models rooted in human behavior patterns are increasingly ineffective against machine-speed attacks. This creates a gap between how transactions are initiated and secured, raising concerns around authorization, identity verification and compliance.\nTo close that gap, a new generation of intelligent card platforms is emerging. These systems combine real-time decisioning and programmable controls, while tokenization protects sensitive credentials and enables agents to transact without exposing card details. Using cloud-based, API-driven architectures, issuers can manage transaction context more effectively. They can also scale as volumes rise and maintain consistent performance across increasingly complex ecosystems.\nAs agentic commerce moves toward mainstream adoption, infrastructure choices are becoming strategic differentiators. Payment providers that modernize now can enable seamless, trusted machine-driven transactions. Those that don\u2019t risk becoming bottlenecks in an increasingly automated economy.\nAbout \u201cThe Intelligent Spend Shift: How Card Platforms Can Prepare for Agentic Commerce\u201d\nThe April 2026 edition of the \u201cPayments Innovation Tracker\u00ae,\u201d a collaboration with Paymentology, examines how agentic commerce is redefining payments infrastructure requirements and how intelligent, API-enabled platforms are enabling secure, scalable autonomous transactions.\n\r\n\r\nThe post Agentic Commerce Forces a Rethink of Card Infrastructure appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2026-04-27T04:03:21-04:00", "date_modified": "2026-04-24T18:23:28-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/679fcf5c2ed5358e99e8e23b22e3b5d761e37bdb76fa7b0e13d8ecd9ff01bf88?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/679fcf5c2ed5358e99e8e23b22e3b5d761e37bdb76fa7b0e13d8ecd9ff01bf88?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/The-Intelligent-Spend-Shift-How-Card-Platforms-Can-Prepare-for-Agentic-Commerce-hero.jpg", "tags": [ "agentic commerce", "AI Agents", "APIs", "artificial intelligence", "Featured News", "News", "Paymentology", "Payments Intelligence", "PYMNTS Intelligence", "PYMNTS News", "Tracker Series", "Payments Innovation" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?post_type=tracker_posts&p=3652567", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/tracker_posts/the-intelligent-spend-shift-how-card-platforms-can-prepare-for-agentic-commerce/", "title": "The Intelligent Spend Shift: How Card Platforms Can Prepare for Agentic Commerce", "content_html": "Artificial intelligence (AI) assistants can already recommend products, compare prices and automate routine purchasing tasks. The next step is agentic commerce, where AI systems do not just suggest purchases but initiate them on behalf of users. This shift introduces new requirements for payments infrastructure. When autonomous systems begin initiating transactions, the card networks, issuing platforms […]
\nThe post The Intelligent Spend Shift: How Card Platforms Can Prepare for Agentic Commerce appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "Artificial intelligence (AI) assistants can already recommend products, compare prices and automate routine purchasing tasks. The next step is agentic commerce, where AI systems do not just suggest purchases but initiate them on behalf of users. This shift introduces new requirements for payments infrastructure. When autonomous systems begin initiating transactions, the card networks, issuing platforms […]\nThe post The Intelligent Spend Shift: How Card Platforms Can Prepare for Agentic Commerce appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2026-04-27T04:03:00-04:00", "date_modified": "2026-04-27T04:06:48-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Ashley McLeod", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/amcleod/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/0fedd2839008e3cc5e26e50a9f4f7224418de88f0793ec3ea89238c880fb86de?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Ashley McLeod", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/amcleod/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/0fedd2839008e3cc5e26e50a9f4f7224418de88f0793ec3ea89238c880fb86de?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/The-Intelligent-Spend-Shift-How-Card-Platforms-Can-Prepare-for-Agentic-Commerce-hero.jpg", "tags": [ "agentic commerce", "AI Agents", "APIs", "artificial intelligence", "News", "Paymentology", "Payments Intelligence", "PYMNTS Intelligence", "PYMNTS News", "Tracker Series", "Payments Innovation" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=3668168", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/news/payments-innovation/2026/the-concierge-model-comes-to-bill-pay/", "title": "The Concierge Model Comes to Bill Pay", "content_html": "Watch more: Need to Know With Christine Weber of Paymentus
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\r\n\r\n\r\nThe post The Concierge Model Comes to Bill Pay appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "Watch more: Need to Know With Christine Weber of Paymentus\r\n\t\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\r\n\r\n\r\n\t\nBill payments occupy a central place in the financial lives of consumers, where obligation meets emotional uncertainty.\nFor providers, that reality complicates what might otherwise be treated as a straightforward digital interaction. Consumers approach the payment moment with competing priorities, financial constraints, and often, anxiety about what comes next.\nThe result is a payment experience that demands more than speed or convenience, as Paymentus Vice President Christine Weber told PYMNTS in a recent interview.\nFragmented Landscape of Preferences\nThe bill payment ecosystem reflects a wide range of preferences that resist standardization. Some consumers favor mobile interfaces and digital wallets, while others continue to rely on interactive voice response systems or traditional channels that feel familiar and dependable.\nThis fragmentation places pressure on service providers to maintain multiple pathways without introducing friction. Weber said innovation must complement, not replace, continuity.\n\u201cThere\u2019s always going to be a very broad range demographic who have preferences,\u201d Weber said. \u201cThere\u2019s always going to be a shiny object that\u2019s coming down the road \u2026 but you can\u2019t sway from getting the basics right.\u201d\nThe implication is clear: Modernization cannot come at the expense of accessibility. Providers must accommodate both early adopters and those who remain anchored to established payment behaviors.\nEmotional Weight of Paying Bills\nWeber emphasized that bill payments cannot be reduced to a mechanical exchange of funds. The moment carries psychological consequences that shape how consumers engage with providers.\nThat stress intensifies at the point of action.\n\u201cWhen you get to that \u2018pay now\u2019 button, it\u2019s a shot of cortisol,\u201d Weber said. \u201cIt\u2019s not just a digital transaction.\u201d\nThis framing shifts the responsibility of providers. Payment experiences must reflect an understanding of the individual behind the transaction, not simply the completion of the transaction itself.\n\u201cThere\u2019s an empathetic aspect that needs to be really focused on in order to get that long-term relationship to really stick,\u201d she noted.\nSystems That Must Always Work\nWhile empathy shapes the design philosophy, execution still depends on reliability. Weber described system availability as foundational.\n\u201cYou want the system to be available 100% of the time whenever somebody goes in to use it,\u201d Weber said. \u201cThat\u2019s kind of table stakes at this point.\u201d\nYet reliability extends beyond uptime. It also includes anticipating the user\u2019s state of mind and reducing friction at critical moments.\n\u201cWe need to think about what is going through that person\u2019s mind when they sit down to pay,\u201d Weber said. \u201cWe\u2019re at this inflection point of psychology and finances.\u201d\nIn practical terms, that means designing systems that guide users through uncertainty rather than leaving them to navigate it alone.\nToward a Concierge-Like Experience\nWeber described an emerging model in which bill payment platforms adopt a more interactive and supportive role.\nThat touch point can be used to provide options that reduce pressure on the user. Partial payments, installment plans and flexible timing can transform the experience from one of constraint to one of managed choice.\nThis approach resembles a concierge model, where the platform anticipates needs and offers assistance without requiring the user to seek help directly. The goal is to provide what Weber described as \u201cinvisible support,\u201d embedded within the payment journey.\nDefining the Ideal Experience\nWeber drew a distinction between reactive service and proactive relationships, arguing that bill payments offer an opportunity to build trust rather than merely resolve transactions.\nThe ideal experience allows users to maintain dignity while meeting obligations. Features such as installment options or payment deferrals can support that goal without forcing difficult conversations.\n\u201cYou\u2019ve got to allow them to preserve their dignity,\u201d Weber said. \u201cIf we give them a snooze button \u2026 or an installment option, we\u2019re relating everything back to the feelings that go along with paying a bill.\u201d\nBuilding for the Long Term\nUltimately, Weber framed bill payments as a recurring interaction that can either erode or strengthen relationships over time.\n\u201cIf you want to turn a stressful monthly activity \u2026 into a trust deposit, then you\u2019ve got to move beyond just being a utility and be a partner,\u201d she told PYMNTS.\n\r\n\r\nThe post The Concierge Model Comes to Bill Pay appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2026-04-21T04:02:25-04:00", "date_modified": "2026-04-20T19:49:50-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/679fcf5c2ed5358e99e8e23b22e3b5d761e37bdb76fa7b0e13d8ecd9ff01bf88?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/679fcf5c2ed5358e99e8e23b22e3b5d761e37bdb76fa7b0e13d8ecd9ff01bf88?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Concierge-Paymentus-with-overlay.jpg", "tags": [ "bill pay", "Featured News", "News", "paymentus", "PYMNTS News", "pymnts tv", "video", "Payments Innovation" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=3660297", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/news/payments-innovation/2026/what-if-clearing-had-its-stripe-moment/", "title": "What If Clearing Had Its Stripe Moment?", "content_html": "Watch more: Need to Know With Lorum\u2019s George Davis
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\r\n\r\n\r\nThe post What If Clearing Had Its Stripe Moment? appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "Watch more: Need to Know With Lorum\u2019s George Davis\r\n\t\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\r\n\r\n\r\n\t\nThe financial system has a clearing problem, and it\u2019s not about broken technology. It\u2019s about who the technology was built to serve, and more importantly, who it wasn\u2019t.\nLorum Co-Founder and CEO George Davis made that point in a conversation with PYMNTS CEO Karen Webster, explaining how the current clearing and settlement ecosystem was designed around a set of participants and incentives that no longer reflect the full range of institutions that depend on it. Payment service providers, FinTechs and mid-market financial institutions are operating in that system today, but they\u2019re accessing it indirectly, through chains of intermediaries shaped by lending priorities rather than by the actual needs of money movement.\nThe result is a structure that works well for the largest banks and poorly for nearly everyone beneath them. Institutions that need predictable, real-time treasury and trade capabilities find themselves reliant on correspondent relationships that weren\u2019t built with that goal in mind. And because the incentives at the top of that chain are tied to deposits and lending rather than the efficient movement of funds, the gap doesn\u2019t close on its own.\nThe Incentive Problem at the Heart of Clearing\nDavis described the core distortion plainly. Large correspondent banks have historically offered payments at minimal cost because their business model depends on capturing the underlying deposit and lending against it. They\u2019re not in the business of moving money efficiently. They\u2019re in the business of holding it.\nThe customer needs it to arrive quickly and on a known schedule. Those two interests aren\u2019t aligned, and that misalignment has been baked into the infrastructure that PSPs and FinTechs are now being asked to build on top of.\n\u201cThey\u2019re offering payments for free or as close to free as they can possibly go because they need to monetize the underlying deposit. So they want more of your volume, more of your money going through their platform so they can lend it and make their money based off of that,\u201d Davis emphasized. That model made sense when the ecosystem was smaller. It doesn\u2019t scale to meet what the market needs today.\nWhere PSPs and FinTechs Get Left Behind\nFor PSPs and FinTechs building cross-border payment services, that misalignment creates friction that\u2019s hard to engineer around. Prefunding requirements scatter liquidity across multiple accounts and counterparties. Settlement visibility is limited. The infrastructure that\u2019s available to them is whatever the larger institutions were willing to share, priced and configured to support someone else\u2019s business model.\nMid-sized banks, platforms and payment providers don\u2019t have direct access to central clearing systems, so they rely on intermediary chains. Each link in that chain adds complexity, reduces visibility into how funds are positioned, and introduces uncertainty about when settlement will actually occur. For treasury teams trying to manage liquidity in real time, that uncertainty is a real operational cost.\nDavis noted that access to dollar clearing remains uneven even outside the U.S. system, and that established institutions can still struggle to secure reliable correspondent services. The problem isn\u2019t confined to smaller players or emerging markets. It\u2019s structural.\nWhat a Trust Bank Charter Actually Changes\nLorum\u2019s application for a U.S. national trust bank charter is designed to change where it sits in that chain. Direct access to central clearing systems would allow the firm to operate closer to where settlement actually occurs, cutting out the intermediary layers that add cost and reduce transparency. The economic model shifts along with it.\nRather than treating payments as a loss leader to fund lending revenue, Lorum\u2019s model is built around charging for clearing, custody and treasury services as standalone capabilities. Davis described Lorum\u2019s intent as functioning as a \u201cspecialized correspondent,\u201d one whose incentives are aligned with how its customers actually use the system rather than with how much of their deposits it can hold.\nIn practice, that means PSPs and FinTechs that work with Lorum could reduce their prefunding requirements, improve visibility into liquidity positions and redeploy funds more quickly after settlement. Those aren\u2019t incremental improvements. For institutions operating cross-border payment services at scale, they\u2019re foundational to what a modern treasury function needs to look like.\nBuilding for the Institutions That Got Left Out\nDavis described the target market as institutions that sit below the largest global banks but require comparable capabilities. That\u2019s a significant portion of the market. It includes PSPs, FinTechs, regional banks and nonbank financial institutions that need to move money across borders reliably and build their own payment products on infrastructure they can actually depend on.\nWebster made the comparison to Stripe, new payments infrastructure built for a new way of transacting using mobile devices and apps. The Stripe comparison that Webster raised in the conversation is useful here. The analogy isn\u2019t about payment processing. It\u2019s about what happens when you abstract access to infrastructure that was previously only available through relationships with large incumbents. Stripe didn\u2019t fix payments by replacing the card networks. It made them more accessible to developers and businesses that couldn\u2019t previously reach them. Lorum is making the same argument about clearing.\nThe expansion of financial platforms, marketplaces and nonbank institutions has increased demand for clearing and treasury services significantly over the past decade. The infrastructure hasn\u2019t expanded at the same pace, and what\u2019s available has been distributed unevenly. That\u2019s the gap Lorum is positioning itself to fill, initially for institutions that need global clearing capabilities but haven\u2019t been able to access them directly.\nClearing Stays Central No Matter How Payments Evolve\nOn the question of new payment rails and digital assets, Davis was clear about what changes and what doesn\u2019t. Whether a transaction enters the system via a stablecoin, a tokenized deposit or a Swift message, clearing and settlement remain the foundation. The path to real-time, global treasury capability runs through better access to central bank systems, not around them.\nLorum\u2019s model, as Davis described it, is agnostic to how a transaction enters the system. \u201cWhether they enter that ecosystem via a stablecoin or a tokenized deposit or whether they enter it via a Swift payment, we\u2019re agnostic to that because our job is to give you the best access to clear over those direct central bank systems everywhere in the world that we operate and give you accounts that are interoperable.\u201d\nThat\u2019s a meaningful position to stake out as the payments landscape continues to fragment. New instruments and new rails are multiplying, but they all eventually need to settle somewhere. The institutions that control access to that settlement layer hold a structural advantage, and right now that advantage is concentrated at the top of the correspondent banking hierarchy.\nThe Opportunity Is in Getting the Incentives Right\nThe opportunity Lorum is pursuing isn\u2019t built on the premise that the current system is broken. Davis acknowledged it functions. The premise is that it hasn\u2019t scaled to serve the full range of institutions that need it, and that the incentives governing how it operates have kept that gap in place.\n\u201cThe system works really, really well,\u201d Davis told Webster. \u201cIt\u2019s just that the incentives and the participants are wrong. And so the idea for us really is, can we build the correctly incentivized participant everywhere in the world.\u201d\n\r\n\r\nThe post What If Clearing Had Its Stripe Moment? appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2026-04-17T04:02:23-04:00", "date_modified": "2026-04-16T22:39:41-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/679fcf5c2ed5358e99e8e23b22e3b5d761e37bdb76fa7b0e13d8ecd9ff01bf88?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/679fcf5c2ed5358e99e8e23b22e3b5d761e37bdb76fa7b0e13d8ecd9ff01bf88?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Need-to-Know-Davis-Lorum.png", "tags": [ "cross-border payments", "cross-border settlements", "Featured News", "Lorum", "News", "payments infrastructure", "PYMNTS News", "pymnts tv", "settlements", "video", "Payments Innovation" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=3637853", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/news/payments-innovation/2026/paypal-embeds-payment-links-into-canva-designs/", "title": "PayPal Embeds Payment Links Into\u00a0Canva Designs", "content_html": "PayPal now\u00a0enables users of the global visual communication platform Canva\u00a0to accept payments directly from their digital or printed designs.
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\r\n\r\n\r\nThe post PayPal Embeds Payment Links Into\u00a0Canva Designs appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "PayPal now\u00a0enables users of the global visual communication platform Canva\u00a0to accept payments directly from their digital or printed designs.\r\n\t\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\r\n\r\n\r\n\t\nThis capability is provided by the integration of PayPal Payment Links\u00a0into Canva, PayPal said in a Thursday (April 9) press release emailed to PYMNTS.\nCreators, entrepreneurs\u00a0and small businesses use Canva to create content. Now, with this integration, they can accept payments directly from their designs instead of sending customers to external websites or separate storefronts, according to the release.\nThis solution enables Canva users to tap into social commerce sales, regardless of format or channel, the release said.\nWith PayPal Payment Links, Canva users can create a payment link or QR code to add PayPal to their designs; generate a PayPal-hosted payment page that they can customize with their own product images, details and pricing; and accept payments across social platforms, email, messaging apps and in person, per the release.\nThey can also accept payments in multiple currencies, reach customers across about 200 markets, and receive trackable receipts and transaction reporting.\n\u201cToday\u2019s entrepreneurs are no longer only building traditional storefronts \u2014 they are creating profitable businesses in real time through social content, online communities\u00a0and direct conversations,\u201d Taira Hall, senior vice president and head of SMB Commercial at PayPal, said in the release. \u201cBy pairing PayPal\u2019s trusted global payment infrastructure with Canva\u2019s creative workflow, we\u2019re reducing the friction between inspiration and income and meeting them at point of need.\u201d\nCanva users can find the PayPal Payment Links app in the Canva Marketplace.\n\u201cWhether someone\u2019s launching their first product, booking their next clients, or selling at a weekend market, having PayPal Payment Links right inside Canva means you can go from a bold idea to getting paid in just a few clicks, without ever leaving their design,\u201d Emily MacDonald, head of revenue platform at Canva, said in the release.\nPYMNTS reported in November 2024 that the integration of social media and eCommerce has led to the rise of social commerce\u00a0that allows consumers to make direct purchases within social platforms.\nThe PYMNTS Intelligence report \u201cGenerational Pulse: Just How Influential Are Influencers?\u201d found that influencer marketing has become a routine part of shopping and that more than half of U.S. consumers buy something recommended by an influencer at least once a year.\n\r\n\r\nThe post PayPal Embeds Payment Links Into\u00a0Canva Designs appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2026-04-09T08:00:27-04:00", "date_modified": "2026-04-08T22:22:12-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/679fcf5c2ed5358e99e8e23b22e3b5d761e37bdb76fa7b0e13d8ecd9ff01bf88?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/679fcf5c2ed5358e99e8e23b22e3b5d761e37bdb76fa7b0e13d8ecd9ff01bf88?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/PayPal-Canva-1.jpg", "tags": [ "Canva", "Digital Payments", "Embedded Payments", "News", "PayPal", "PYMNTS News", "What's Hot", "Payments Innovation" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=3632588", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/news/payments-innovation/2026/payments-are-becoming-the-new-pressure-point-in-auto-retail/", "title": "Payments Are Becoming the New Pressure Point in Auto Retail", "content_html": "Watch more: Need to Know With Priority\u2019s Amberly Allen
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\r\n\r\n\r\nThe post Payments Are Becoming the New Pressure Point in Auto Retail appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "Watch more: Need to Know With Priority\u2019s Amberly Allen\r\n\t\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\r\n\r\n\r\n\t\nPayments increasingly determine how consumers perceive large purchases, and few transactions carry more weight than buying or maintaining a vehicle.\nIn automotive commerce, where transactions often rank among the largest in a household budget, the mechanics of how money moves now influence both margins and customer relationships, and the operations of dealers, too.\nAmberly Allen, founder and managing partner of Priority Commerce Automotive, said the industry\u2019s reach underscores the stakes. \u201cOne in every four people in the United States is either affected directly or indirectly by the automotive industry,\u201d she said, noting its central role in local economies and household spending priorities.\nThat reach is matched by its place in consumer budgets. \u201cWhen people are spending their money, it first goes to their home, second to their healthcare, and then third to automotive,\u201d Allen told PYMNTS.\nA Multi-Party Ecosystem Under Strain\nAutomotive commerce operates across a network of OEMs, lenders, service providers and dealerships. Dealers sit at the center, managing both the customer relationship and the flow of funds.\nThat position has become more difficult as payment costs rise and systems age. Fragmented infrastructure limits visibility, while disruptions can halt operations entirely. Allen referenced past system outages that left dealerships unable to process transactions or complete sales, illustrating how dependent the industry has become on reliable payment infrastructure.\nMargin Pressure and the Cost of Acceptance\nAutomotive commerce faces a set of pressures that extend beyond vehicle sales. Margins have tightened over time, while customers have gained more visibility into pricing and are holding onto vehicles longer, increasing reliance on parts and service revenue.\n\u201cMargins are shrinking in automotive,\u201d Allen said. \u201cWhat [dealers] saw 15 years ago is so vastly different than what they see today.\u201d\nAgainst that backdrop, payments costs have moved from a secondary concern to a core operating issue. \u201cThis is one of dealer\u2019s top 10 expenses as it pertains to credit card processing,\u201d she said.\nDealers are responding by examining the \u201ccost of acceptance\u201d alongside cash flow timing. Faster access to funds and tighter control over payment expenses are no longer optional but are central to maintaining profitability.\nCustomer Experience and Payment Complexity\nThe pressure to manage costs collides with another priority: preserving the customer experience. In automotive retail, that experience is formally measured. Allen pointed to the Customer Service Index, or CSI, which influences manufacturer incentives, employee compensation and even dealership expansion. \u201cDealers take this relationship with their customers very, very seriously,\u201d she said.\nThat creates tension when introducing practices such as surcharging. Dealers must balance recovering costs with maintaining trust. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to trip over dollars to pick up pennies as it pertains to our customers, but we can\u2019t ignore this massive cost of acceptance,\u201d Allen said.\nPayments themselves add complexity. Automotive transactions involve multiple systems and stakeholders, and legacy platforms were not designed for modern expectations. Many dealership systems \u201cwere built just to accept payments,\u201d leaving gaps in visibility and control, Allen said. The result is a fragmented environment where speed, cost and predictability of cash flow are not always aligned.\nDealers are moving toward more unified payment environments that provide a consolidated view of transactions and cash flow. The goal is not simply to process payments, but to understand them in real time.\n\u201cIt\u2019s really about how fast you get paid, what it costs, and the predictability of the cash flow,\u201d Allen told PYMNTS.\nSurcharging, Compliance and Integration\nSurcharging has emerged as one response to rising costs, though it introduces its own risks. According to Allen, 35% of dealers currently apply surcharges, leaving a significant portion still weighing the trade-offs.\nThe practice requires careful execution. Transparency is essential, particularly at the point of estimate rather than at checkout. \u201cThat transparency is really important to happen at the time of estimate, as opposed to a surprise at the end,\u201d she said.\nCompliance adds another layer of complexity. Dealers must distinguish between compliant surcharges and prohibited practices, while ensuring customers have alternative payment options. Missteps can damage customer relationships and expose dealers to regulatory risk.\nAllen described the process as \u201ca bit of a landmine,\u201d requiring guidance across legal, network and operational requirements.\nThis has increased demand for integrated solutions that combine payment processing, compliance management and staff training. A single point of integration can help reduce fragmentation while aligning cost control with customer experience.\nPayments are becoming a strategic function within automotive commerce, shaping both economics and customer perception. Dealers that gain visibility into payment flows and align them with operational goals are better positioned to manage margins and improve service. Those that rely on legacy systems risk falling behind.\nAllen said the shift requires a broader view of payments as part of a unified commerce platform rather than a standalone function. \u201cIt\u2019s not just about accepting payments anymore,\u201d she said.\nAs automotive commerce continues to evolve, payments will remain central to how value is created and preserved. The challenge for dealers is to manage cost pressures without undermining the relationships that sustain their business.\nAllen emphasized that balance, telling PYMNTS that with right approach, \u201cit can be done very, very successfully.\u201d\n\r\n\r\nThe post Payments Are Becoming the New Pressure Point in Auto Retail appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2026-04-08T04:01:12-04:00", "date_modified": "2026-04-09T23:35:24-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/679fcf5c2ed5358e99e8e23b22e3b5d761e37bdb76fa7b0e13d8ecd9ff01bf88?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/679fcf5c2ed5358e99e8e23b22e3b5d761e37bdb76fa7b0e13d8ecd9ff01bf88?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Need-to-Know-Priority-Allen.png", "tags": [ "automative", "B2B", "B2B Payments", "Featured News", "News", "PYMNTS News", "pymnts tv", "transportation", "video", "Payments Innovation" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=3629690", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/news/payments-innovation/2026/chips-high-value-payment-system-gained-9-in-average-daily-value-in-2025/", "title": "CHIPS Payment System Gained 9% in Average Daily Value in 2025", "content_html": "The Clearing House\u2019s high-value payment system, the CHIPS network, played a growing role in supporting large-value domestic and cross-border U.S. dollar payments in 2025.
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\r\n\r\n\r\nThe post CHIPS Payment System Gained 9% in Average Daily Value in 2025 appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "The Clearing House\u2019s high-value payment system, the CHIPS network, played a growing role in supporting large-value domestic and cross-border U.S. dollar payments in 2025.\r\n\t\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\r\n\r\n\r\n\t\nThe CHIPS network recorded year-over-year gains of 9% in average daily value, which reached $2.014 trillion, and 12% in average daily volume, The Clearing House said in a Tuesday (April 7) press release emailed to PYMNTS.\nThe network delivered daily average economic savings of $15.4 million, up from $14.3 million in 2024, and annualized savings of $5.5 billion, according to the release.\nIt did so by continuously matching and offsetting payments so that participants could recycle liquidity earlier and more effectively, the release said.\nFor banks, these savings represent capital that they can use for lending, investment and client activity, rather than having it trapped in payment prefunding requirements, per the release.\n\u201cThe CHIPS network provides participating banks the ability to adapt their intraday liquidity posture to real-world conditions while still achieving best-in-class liquidity and economic savings,\u201d Michael Knorr, senior vice president, CHIPS product management at The Clearing House, said in the release. \u201cFor banks and their clients, this allows for more flexibility to redeploy capital and have consistent access to funding.\u201d\nThe speedier payment cycle times enabled by the CHIPS network mean that banks (and by extension their clients) get money in hand more quickly to be deployed into lending and other activities and that better information is available on the status of the payments, Knorr told PYMNTS in an interview posted in February 2025.\n\u201cBanks are interested beyond the liquidity savings mechanism and will consider participating in CHIPS so that they can route transactions by Fedwire or CHIPS and can dynamically switch between them to make sure they have a more resilient payment infrastructure in place,\u201d Knorr added.\nThe Clearing House said in December 2025 that all three of its payment networks, including CHIPS, EPN and RTP, have seen strong growth.\n\u201cSetting new milestones for value and volume across real time, ACH and wire payments validates the investments we\u2019ve made to support efficiency, resiliency and innovation across the U.S. payments ecosystem,\u201d Pat Antonacci, chief product officer at The Clearing House, said in a Dec. 4 press release.\n\r\n\r\nThe post CHIPS Payment System Gained 9% in Average Daily Value in 2025 appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2026-04-07T09:00:49-04:00", "date_modified": "2026-04-07T22:26:58-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/679fcf5c2ed5358e99e8e23b22e3b5d761e37bdb76fa7b0e13d8ecd9ff01bf88?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/679fcf5c2ed5358e99e8e23b22e3b5d761e37bdb76fa7b0e13d8ecd9ff01bf88?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/The-Clearing-House.jpg", "tags": [ "B2B", "B2B Payments", "chips", "cross-border payments", "faster payments", "News", "PYMNTS News", "The Clearing House", "What's Hot", "What's Hot In B2B", "Payments Innovation" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=3625548", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/news/payments-innovation/2026/six-in-ten-banks-turn-to-payments-hubs-to-speed-money-movement/", "title": "6 in 10 Banks Turn to Payments Hubs to Speed Money Movement", "content_html": "Banks may find that the next phase of payments competition is less about adding new rails and more about making all rails feel like one smooth system.
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\r\n\r\n\r\nThe post 6 in 10 Banks Turn to Payments Hubs to Speed Money Movement appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "Banks may find that the next phase of payments competition is less about adding new rails and more about making all rails feel like one smooth system.\r\n\t\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\r\n\r\n\r\n\t\nDrawing on the Global Payments Tracker Series\u00a0report, \u201cMoving Money Forward: The Power of Payment Hubs,\u201d the story is not just that customers want faster payments. It is that fragmented payment infrastructure is now directly shaping who keeps those customers and who risks losing them.\nThe report argues that payment hubs are becoming a practical answer to that pressure. A payment hub brings multiple payment types into one unified platform, helping banks route transactions more intelligently and give customers a more consistent experience across ACH, wires, debit and real-time rails. That matters because payment experience is now closely tied to customer loyalty.\nPressure From Digital First Competition\nBanks are under growing pressure from digital-first competitors that have trained consumers and businesses to expect speed, transparency and simplicity. Payment hubs, in that context, are presented not just as an IT upgrade but as a way for banks to modernize service, reduce internal friction and compete more effectively.\n\n57%\u00a0of organizations experience friction in payment processing at least once a week, a sign that payment pain points remain common and frequent.\n60%\u00a0of banks have implemented payment hubs or are in the process of doing so, suggesting this is moving from early adoption to a more mainstream modernization track.\n$98.5 million\u00a0is the average annual loss businesses face due to disruptions and inefficiencies in money movement, underscoring how payment modernization affects costs as much as customer experience.\n\nWhat stands out beyond those headline figures is how broadly the report defines the value of a payment hub. The customer-facing case is straightforward. Faster transactions, instant confirmations and clearer information on timing and fees can make a bank feel easier to use.\nBut the back-office case may be just as important.\nHubs can automate workflows, reduce manual intervention, lower maintenance burdens and simplify compliance and fraud controls. That gives banks a path to do more than fix isolated pain points. It gives them a way to shrink technical complexity that has built up over years of operating separate systems for separate rails.\nThere is also a strategic upside here. Banks have often been cast as slower-moving institutions trying to catch up with FinTechs. There is a more encouraging read. A well-designed payment hub can help traditional banks use their scale, trust and customer base more effectively by pairing those strengths with more modern infrastructure.\nModular, API-based hubs can help institutions add services such as cross-border payments and request-to-pay more easily, without the same level of upfront overhaul.\nThat leaves the broader takeaway. Payment hubs are not simply about making payments faster. They are about making banks easier to do business with, while also giving operations teams better visibility and control.\nIn a market where customers increasingly judge financial institutions by the quality of everyday digital experiences, that is a meaningful shift. For banks looking for a practical modernization play, payment hubs may offer something valuable: a way to improve today\u2019s payment journey while preparing for what customers will expect next.\nAt PYMNTS Intelligence, we work with businesses to uncover insights that fuel intelligent, data-driven discussions on changing customer expectations, a more connected economy and the strategic shifts necessary to achieve outcomes. With rigorous research methodologies and unwavering commitment to objective quality, we offer trusted data to grow your business. As our partner, you\u2019ll have access to our diverse team of PhDs, researchers, data analysts, number crunchers, subject matter veterans and editorial experts.\n\r\n\r\nThe post 6 in 10 Banks Turn to Payments Hubs to Speed Money Movement appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2026-04-07T04:00:48-04:00", "date_modified": "2026-04-07T09:32:42-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/679fcf5c2ed5358e99e8e23b22e3b5d761e37bdb76fa7b0e13d8ecd9ff01bf88?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/679fcf5c2ed5358e99e8e23b22e3b5d761e37bdb76fa7b0e13d8ecd9ff01bf88?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Payment-hub-1.jpg", "tags": [ "data point", "featured insights", "Featured News", "News", "payment hubs", "payment rails", "Payments Intelligence", "Payments Orchestration", "PYMNTS Intelligence", "PYMNTS News", "The Data Point", "Payments Innovation" ] } ] }