Europe

ACCEPTANCE & PROCESSING

Nuvei is integrating Visa Direct for Account into its payments platform across Europe, with further expansion expected in 2026. This will enable merchants to send funds directly to bank accounts in multiple currencies from the same integration used for acceptance. By combining Visa Direct for Card and Account, Nuvei targets faster refunds, marketplace disbursements, gig payouts and insurance claims to reduce friction between checkout and settlement.

Cashflows has partnered with Boodil, a UK-based e-commerce payments technology provider, to bring enhanced card acceptance, faster onboarding, and fraud tools to UK Shopify merchants ahead of the holiday season, when e-commerce transactions traditionally reach their peak, targeting higher conversion for SMEs.

BNPL

Afterpay, owned by Block, Inc., confronts new fraud type wherein fraudsters are posing as merchants and consumers to process transactions and refunds only to default on payments. While this “self-pay” type of fraud has been seen before, its growth is spurred by BNPL’s fast, low-friction model and new generative AI tools that ease fake identity creation.

DIGITAL, RETAIL & ‘NEO’ BANKING

The Associazione Bancaria Italiana (ABI) has called for a phased investment schedule for the Digital Euro, set to be rolled out in 2029 pending regulatory approval. The member banks have expressed support for the initiative but emphasise that the costs of adapting banking infrastructure for the digital currency are substantial.

OPEN BANKING & PSD

Klarna has announced a partnership with German Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe to enable Variable Recurring Payments (VRP) and broader account-to-account (A2A) options. The partnership leverages bank APIs for consented pull payments and sets the stage for retail subscriptions and biller use cases, with initial availability focused on ecommerce and app-based flows.

Rest of the World

ACCEPTANCE & PROCESSING

Tencent has launched TenPay Global Checkout, allowing Weixin Mini Program merchants operating outside mainland China to accept a wide set of local payment methods via a single integration. The roll out begins in Singapore and Macao SAR with cards, PayNow, and BOCPAY(MO), with an expansion planned to Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

BNPL

PayPal has launched a no-fee “Pay in 4” BNPL offering in Canada, adding a widely distributed instalment option for millions of shoppers at existing PayPal accepting online stores. The move deepens PayPal’s checkout mix for Canadian merchants and arrives in time for the festive season.

CRYPTOASSETS/BLOCKCHAIN/DLT

Tangem Pay has begun a gradual launch of a virtual Visa card enabling users to spend on-chain USDC via Apple Pay/Google Pay at any merchant on the Visa network. The roll out will focus on parts of the US, LATAM, and major APAC markets in late November before expending to Europe in 2026. The approach keeps settlement to merchants in fiat while preserving crypto balances for consumers, and is designed to work with existing contactless acceptance, minimising integration work for acquirers.

Square has rolled out bitcoin payments to more than four million merchants, enabling customers to pay in BTC across Square hardware with auto-conversion to fiat for the seller. Merchants can toggle the feature in their dashboard after verification, extending crypto acceptance to mainstream SMBs without new terminals or settlement risk exposure.

Standard Chartered has agreed to support DeCard, a DCS‑issued stablecoin card positioned to let cardholders spend stablecoins at real‑world merchants on existing acceptance networks. The initial collaboration will be rolled out in Singapore, followed by a wider expansion to other key markets.

SCHEMES

Mastercard has debuted “The Mastercard Collection” across Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, bundling elevated dining, entertainment and travel benefits for World, World Elite and the new World Legend tiers. The programme is designed to stimulate premium card usage at hospitality and travel merchants, with Live Nation pre‑sales and fast‑track airport lanes among the perks.