Mastercard stories
Merchants could win back lost sales as tokenised checkout trims friction, reduces card-not-present fraud and keeps payment data in bank rails.
The open-source framework targets wallet-based payments as digital wallet use and agentic commerce expand rapidly worldwide.
Retailers face a new fight for visibility as AI agents increasingly decide which products get bought and checked out for customers.
The payment option is generating more completed sales, with approval rates for online guest checkouts rising to 75.18% in April 2026.
Businesses can now move USDC through Nium's network and settle in fiat, cutting trapped liquidity across more than 190 countries.
Missed calls at small firms are becoming a bigger revenue risk as Newo expands its AI receptionist tools beyond the US and into Europe.
OpenClaw users will be able to let AI agents pay with existing cards as Mastercard's controls add limits, authentication and audit trails.
Backing from Tether comes as stablecoins pass USD $300 billion in circulation, underlining investor appetite for their payments infrastructure.
Healthcare advertisers in India and New Zealand will face tighter checks before using Google Ads, as LegitScript widens its certification scheme.
A broader spread of AI and software hiring has pushed Seattle to the top of Karat's 2026 engineering talent list, ahead of Amsterdam and San Francisco.
Retailers are bearing the cost as millions of valid card payments are challenged, leaving banks to refund GBP £3.5 billion in a year.
High decline rates and chargeback risk are already hitting merchants as AI agents struggle to pass payment checks built for human shoppers.
Backed through to 2027, the fintech body can expand work on SME finance and digital verification with new government and bank support.
Consumers in New Zealand are being offered a new premium payments package as banks face tougher scrutiny over rewards and overseas spending costs.
Wider use of new financial health tools could help 200,000 more UK SMEs a year secure lending, CFIT said after testing prototypes.
A tougher fee regime is pushing the payments firm to offer SMEs more services, from POS and broadband to bookkeeping, beyond EFTPOS.
The tie-up gives fintechs and digital banks a quicker route into Australia’s fast-growing card and mobile payments market.
International visitors to South Korea can now tap iPhone and Apple Watch for subway, bus and taxi fares, avoiding cash and local cards.
AI-led payments are moving into Thailand’s checkout process, with a controlled pilot showing how a ride can be booked and paid for automatically.
Authenticated AI payments in Singapore and Malaysia could set the standard for cross-border commerce, with banks weighing fraud and consent risks.
