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A leading payments industry news source for more than 17 years. Glenbrook curates the news and keeps you abreast of the important daily headlines in payments.
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September 4, 2026
Top Post
US ATMs Celebrate 57th Birthday
ATM Marketplace
"The first ATM was installed in the U.S. 57 years ago on Sept. 2, 1969 in the town of Rockville Center of Long Island, New York. It was deployed for Chemical Bank by the company Docutel. This was not the first ATM to be deployed, as that honor is held by a Barclays Bank location in 1967 in London. This initial ATM relied on carbon-14 impregnated vouchers that customers had to purchase from a teller. The ATM in 1969 used a magstripe card, but only allowed customers of Chemical Bank to withdraw cash. Read about 48 little known ATM facts.
Anthropic Debuts Claude Features Focused on Agentic Commerce
Digital Commerce 360
"Anthropic made its ambitions to compete against OpenAI and Google in agentic commerce clear with the release of new features for Claude. The new Claude options will build on what Anthropic has already learned, observing how retailers have built and used custom agents with the existing platform. Anthropic will provide pre-built designs for agents. In conjunction with the rollout, Anthropic announced that Accenture, Mastercard, Visa and Shopify will all put Claude’s new agentic commerce capabilities to use in offerings for their clients."
On the web
Finzly Introduces Assure, AI-Powered Security, Assurance and Intelligence Layer
Finzly
"Finzly announced the launch of Assure, an AI-powered security and assurance layer as part of its Agentic Galaxy suite of AI capabilities, powering the infrastructure for BankOS, its modern operating system for banks. Rather than relying on point AI solutions stitched together after deployment, banks running BankOS get AI-powered security, compliance monitoring and operational resilience woven into the infrastructure they run their banking innovation on. The launch comes as AI changes the threat landscape for banks."
Open Banking Has Proved Data Sharing Can Work – Now It Has to Prove It Can Create Value
Open Banking Expo
"The UK’s Open Banking ecosystem recently passed two significant milestones : more than one billion payments and 100 billion API calls across the CMA9 banks. Those figures matter. Open Banking is no longer an experiment operating at the edges of financial services. The infrastructure works at scale, adoption is growing and the market is moving from proof of concept towards everyday use. In June 2026 alone, 99.5% of reported API calls were successful."
Payment Provider Blik to Block Illegal Gambling Transactions in Poland
Focus Gaming News
"The platform will block payments linked to operators on Poland’s register of illegal gambling sites. Poland. The Polish mobile payment provider BLIK has introduced a new measure to block transactions connected to illegal gambling websites, both within the country and abroad. Effective from September 1, the block is triggered when a payment is linked to a domain listed in the Ministry of Finance’s register of illegal gambling sites. BLIK is one of Poland’s most widely used payment systems"
Education: Mastercard - What’s in the Cards?
Mastercard
"The credit card is one of the most recognizable totems of modern commerce. Billions and billions of cards have been produced over the decades, and while the dimensions have largely remained the same, new technology, design trends and concerns about accessibility and sustainability have evolved how they look, feel and work. Here’s a brief look at the changing face of cards."
September 3, 2026
Top Post
Brazil, ECB Studying Instant Payments Link in Potential First Cross-Border Move for Pix, Sources Say
MarketScreener
"Brazil's central bank and the European Central Bank (ECB) are studying a potential link between their instant payment systems, two people with direct knowledge of the matter said, in a move that could mark the first cross-border expansion of Brazil's successful Pix platform. The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the discussions reflect a willingness by technical teams to assess whether such an interconnection is feasible. One source said a pilot project could be launched in 2028 if the initiative advances as planned."
On the web
UK Fintech Revolut Gains Conditional US Banking License
Yahoo Finance
"British digital bank Revolut announced it has won conditional approval for a US banking license, bringing it a major step closer to launching as a national bank in the United States. The approval by the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency opens the door to Revolut eventually offering loans, credit cards and insured deposits to US customers directly. Revolut said it is working with authorities to launch the US bank in 2027. The fintech previously relied on partnerships with US banks to provide banking services. "
Monetary Authority of Singapore: Consultation on Proposed Amendments to the Payment Services Act 2019 for Stablecoins Regulation
MAS
"This paper sets out proposed legislative amendments to the Payment Services Act 2019 to introduce the regulatory framework for stablecoins in Singapore, as well as proposals on further requirements taking into account stablecoin developments since 2023. MAS invites comments from interested parties on the proposals set out in the consultation paper."
Citi’s Services Business Pioneers Live Transactions on Swift’s Ledger, Collaborating with FAB and OCBC to Redefine Always-On Global Payments
Business Wire
"Citi announced that it has successfully processed live transactions on Swift’s blockchain-based ledger, marking a significant milestone in its strategy to deliver always-on, cross-currency, and interoperable payment solutions for its institutional clients. As the first U.S. bank to conduct live native ledger transactions, Citi has collaborated with First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) and Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC) on this global initiative."
FIS Launches Embedded Banking Platform, Letting Banks Deliver Accounts and Payments Inside Business Software
FIS Global
"FIS® announced the launch of FIS® Embedded Banking Platform, its first embedded finance offering built specifically for banks. The platform enables U.S. banks to offer banking services directly within the business software their corporate customers use daily. Corporate customers increasingly expect to do their banking natively inside the software they use to run their business every day, rather than switching to a separate banking portal."
NYC’s Click-to-Cancel Rule Takes Effect Oct. 1, Making It Easier to End Subscriptions
Scripps News
"New York City will become the first municipality in the country with its own click-to-cancel rule when new consumer protections take effect Oct. 1. The rule requires companies to offer a straightforward cancellation process in the same method customers used to sign up, so if a customer subscribes for a service online, it must be just as easy to cancel the subscription online. Streaming services, gym memberships and service contracts have long made signing up quick and simple, while canceling can require navigating confusing or time-consuming steps."
FedNow and the Development of U.S. Fast Payments
Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
"FedNow is a real-time payment service developed by the Federal Reserve that enables individuals and businesses to send and receive instant payments around the clock through participating financial institutions. But how does it compare to competitors and other payments alternatives? In this article, we examine FedNow's adoption and usage pattern and compare it to other fast-payment services, both in the U.S. and abroad. Our analysis explores the unique growth pattern of FedNow and assesses its long-term prospects."
KB Kookmin Bank Leverages Kinexys by J.P. Morgan for Import/Export Payments
J.P. Morgan
"KB Kookmin Bank will launch an import/export corporate payment service leveraging Kinexys by J.P. Morgan’s Blockchain Deposit Account (BDA) network. KB Kookmin Bank will be the first among Korean financial institutions to use this service for import/export companies. Remittances will be supported to a total of 10 countries. Korean importers and exporters will be able to use Kinexys’ BDA network to settle USD payments faster with major overseas financial institutions on the Kinexys network."
WhatsApp Launches Bill Payments in India via Bharat Connect
Sarkaritel
"WhatsApp has announced the rollout of bill payments in India, enabling users to find, manage and pay household and utility bills directly through the messaging platform. Powered by the Bharat Connect network, the new feature is being introduced gradually and will become available to all Android and iOS users across India in the coming weeks. The WhatsApp bill payments feature will provide access to approximately 22,722 billers across 30 categories, covering essential household and financial payments."
What Is Russia’s Digital Ruble and How Will It Work?
Anadolu
"Russians can now make purchases and send money using a new form of the national currency that is held directly on a platform operated by the country's central bank. It is issued exclusively by the Bank of Russia, cannot be mined and does not operate as a decentralized currency. The digital ruble is also legal tender in Russia. The system can also support programmable transactions. For example, smart contracts could automatically trigger a payment once specified conditions are met."
Anthropic Launches AI Agent Blueprints For Retailers Ahead of Holiday Shopping Season
The Economic Times
"Artificial intelligence company Anthropic is giving retailers blueprints to build shopping and merchant agents on Claude, it announced on Wednesday, as demand for internal and external conversational search tools expands ahead of the holiday shopping season. The blueprints are guidelines for building shopper and merchant agents for retail, travel and ticketing companies."
On the wires
India Stalls Alipay+ Payments Link over Security, Data Concerns, Sources Say
Reuters
"Alipay+'s proposal to link with India's instant payments system for cross-border transactions has been stalled due to national security concerns in New Delhi and questions about the storage and use of customer data, three sources familiar with the discussions said. The proposal, made by Alipay+ in January, was the first by a China-linked entity in the financial services sector and came against the backdrop of easing tensions between the two neighbours, which had a deadly border clash in 2020."
September 2, 2026
Top Post
FedNow® Service 2027 Discount Program
The Federal Reserve
"Institutions may qualify for the FedNow Receive Discount, Send Discount or both, provided they meet the respective eligibility requirements. The discounts are available to both new and current FedNow Service participants. The FedNow Receive Discount provides a one‑time statement credit for institutions that have enabled the ability to receive instant payments and meet the additional service participation requirements outlined. See details below for eligibility criteria, discount amounts and qualification requirements."
Bank of America, Citi Join 21-Firm Stablecoin Plan
Crypto News
"Bank of America, Citi, Goldman Sachs and 18 other financial institutions committed on Sept. 1 to establish a stablecoin company during the second half of 2026, subject to closing conditions. The unnamed venture plans to issue a U.S. dollar-denominated stablecoin during the first half of 2027. The group said it may later introduce tokens linked to other G7 currencies, with a euro stablecoin named as its first expansion priority."
On the web
X Shifts Us Creator Payouts from Stripe to X Money
TechCrunch
"Elon Musk’s social network X said that starting today, all of its U.S. creator payouts will be handled through X Money, the app’s payments service. The benefit of this new payment system is that the payments are instant. There’s no waiting until the end of a billing cycle or a minimum threshold that has to be reached before the creator can access their money. Previously, payments were processed every two weeks, with a minimum payout of $30, X’s documentation states."
Handwave, Visa Integration Enables Linking of Cards to Palm Biometrics for Payments
Biometric Update
"European palm biometrics startup Handwave has announced an expanded agreement with Visa. A release says the agreement integrates Visa’s tokenization and authentication technologies into Handwave’s model for safe, seamless card onboarding. Building on a prior collaboration focused on integrating Visa’s Token Management Service (TMS), the new Handwave integration will enable Visa to securely link cards to a user’s palm biometrics, replacing sensitive data with secure digital tokens."
Stripe Buys Clerky, the Legal Startup Behind 23% of Silicon Valley Seed Deals
Dealroom
"Stripe has agreed to acquire Clerky, the online legal service that startups and their attorneys use for routine paperwork. Clerky, founded more than a decade ago by Silicon Valley startup attorneys, handles company formation, financings, and other legal filings, with legal expertise built into its products. Clerky is deeply embedded in the early-stage ecosystem. Startups on the platform account for 23% of all Silicon Valley seed and pre-seed financings and have raised over $140 billion in venture capital collectively."
Bank of America: Consumers Subscribe to More Spending
Bank of America
"Consumers are increasingly embracing the subscription economy. Subscription spending rose 7.7% year-over-year (YoY) in July 2026, outpacing overall card spending growth by more than a percentage point and a half for the past two years, according to Bank of America payments data. Entertainment and retail subscriptions drove most of that increase and now account for roughly 43% of all subscription spending."
Australia: CommBank Reduces Merchant Fees to Support Businesses Manage Costs [Video]
CommBank
"CommBank is reducing its Merchant Service Fee0 from 1.1% to 0.99% per transaction for in-store payments for customers on simple flat-rate pricing from 1 October 2026, making it one of the lowest rates in market. The reduction is designed to help businesses keep the cost of accepting card payments low, supporting them as they manage day-to-day operating costs. The change coincides with the removal of card surcharging from 1 October, providing additional support for the small number of businesses impacted by this change."
Russia Begins Mass Digital Ruble Rollout Through Largest Banks and Retailers
Finance Feeds
"Russia began the mass rollout of its digital ruble on Sept. 1, moving the central bank digital currency beyond its earlier testing phase and into wider use across major banks, retailers and payment networks. Systemically important banks and other large credit institutions designated by the Bank of Russia as important to the payments market must now allow customers to open digital ruble wallets, make transfers and use the currency to pay for goods and services."
Mollie and GoCardless Combine to Create Europe’s Leading Payments and Financial Services Partner
Mollie
"Mollie announced it has completed its acquisition of GoCardless. The two companies are trusted by more than 350,000 businesses across 30+ markets. At its heart is a comprehensive payment suite that unites Mollie's best-in-class card and local payment methods with GoCardless's leading Pay by Bank solution, available across 38 countries, empowering businesses to get paid, manage money and scale with confidence."
Can Asia’s Banks Make Stablecoins Work Across Borders?
Asian Banking & Finance
"Asia’s banks are developing stablecoins to keep deposits and capture cross-border payments, but fragmented regulations and gaps in payment infrastructure could limit how quickly the technology scales. “Banks are rolling out stablecoin capabilities to prevent deposits and payments from shifting to nonbank issuers,” Michael Benz, head of the Asia-Pacific region at AMINA Group AG, said. Japan’s three megabanks said in June they plan to conduct commercial transactions using stablecoins by March 2027."
Interoperability and Trust Key to AI Commerce: Alipay+ and S&P Global Report
Business Wire
"A new report by Alipay+, the unified wallet gateway of Ant International, in partnership with S&P Global, reveals a growing "commerce digitalisation gap", with people increasingly expecting seamless mobile payments and intelligent digital assistance, yet friction – from inconsistent payment acceptance to trust in AI – still define their experience."
September 1, 2026
On the wires
PayToMe.co Accelerates Global Expansion of Its AI-Powered Commerce Platform
PR Newswire
"PayToMe.co, a Silicon Valley AI and financial technology company, announced the continued global expansion of its AI-powered commerce platform, connecting FinTech, commerce, logistics and travel through an integrated ecosystem. Its platform combines AI, intelligent workflow automation, embedded payments, Text-to-Pay, digital invoicing, KYC/KYB, financial management, data intelligence and enterprise APIs to reduce manual processes across transactions, payments, customer engagement and workflow execution."
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