HIGHLIGHTS:

The European Payment Alliance is beginning the switch to instant cross-border payments between mobile schemes Bancomat, Bizum and MB Way, enabling 50+ million users in Italy, Spain, Andorra  and Portugal to send and receive money instantly to mobile phone numbers cross-border from June, when all participant banks will be connected.

Visa has extended their VAMP rules update deadline to 30th September 2025.  Visa’s decision to lower the risk threshold for acquirers should enforce stricter limits.

Adyen and Affirm expand their partnership to the UK, allowing British merchants to offer flexible BNPL payment options. Following successful North American growth, UK merchants can now integrate Affirm’s instalment plans.

In other news…

Acceptance and Processing

Visa launches ‘Unified Checkout’ for APM acceptance. The service will launch in the US and in pilot stage in additional markets in Q3

OpenTable and FreedomPay partner to enhance restaurant payment experiences, enabling credit card holds, deposits, and prepaid options. The partnership launches in the US, expanding globally by 2026.

BNPL

Klarna signs deal with Eurostar for travel now, pay later. This partnership marks Klarna’s continued expansion in the travel sector, offering to passengers across Europe.

Cross-border

MoneyGram and Mastercard partner to enhance digital money transfers using Mastercard Move.

Cryptoassets/Blockchain/DLT

Coinbase users lost over $46m in March 2025 to phishing scams, including a $34.9m Bitcoin theft. Scammers used address poisoning and wallet spoofing.

UK crypto platform Ziglu has launched Crypto on Card, a new feature enabling customers to spend their cryptocurrency in real-world transactions using their Ziglu debit card.

Digital and Ecommerce

PayPal launches advertising platform in the UK. Personalised offers can be shown to interested customers based on their past purchases.

Digital, Retail and Neobanking

The Greek Church plans to launch a digital bank, seeking a license from the Bank of Greece. This fintech initiative, aiming for smartphone-based services, sparks internal debate about the Church’s financial role and potential market impact.

Monzo launches in-app contents insurance, targeting underprotected renters. Monzo claims to simplify the process with only five questions.

Fraud and Cybersecurity

Crypto scams in the UK neared £200m, affecting 9,850 people. Scammers exploit rising crypto interest with fake endorsements and AI, bypassing bank protections. Experts urge industry-funded fraud awareness campaigns due to regulatory challenges.

Visa has enhanced its AI fraud prevention with ARIC Risk Hub, powered by Featurespace. This platform, using adaptive AI, profiles genuine customer activity to reduce fraud in real-time.

Yuno integrates Ethoca Alerts to improve the consumer experience and reduce transaction disputes.

Mobile Money / Wallets

Visa offers Apple $100 million to ditch Mastercard. Visa has made a bold push to secure the Apple Card, offering an upfront payment typically reserved for the largest card programmes, according to the Wall Street Journal. American Express is also trying to unseat Mastercard to win the Apple card. Amex is looking to become the card’s issuer as well as the network, the report said, citing the sources.

Regulation (UK)

The PSR proposes remedies to increase transparency and improve competition in card payment fees charged by Visa and Mastercard. Measures include better fee information for merchants, regulatory financial reporting, improved pricing governance, and publication of scheme information.

The Prudential Regulation Authority proposes raising FSCS deposit protection limit to £110,000 from £85,000. This aims to maintain consumer confidence amidst inflation and reflects a wider consultation on deposit protection regulations.