05 Dec 16 @ 12:01

The largest UK banks are set for another windfall with the sale of the bank-owned payments company VocaLink to Mastercard for £700 million ($920 million) – but what are the... read more

01 Nov 16 @ 14:45

Global Payment Cards Data and Forecasts shows that the Middle East and Africa (MEA) and Asia-Pacific were the fastest growing regions for payment cards in 2015, with card numbers up... read more

10 Oct 16 @ 13:54

It seems that European payments regulation may be forcing the end of frictionless card payments, by making the cards market take a step backwards. We appear to be moving away from... read more

04 Oct 16 @ 15:29

A comparison of the UK and the Czech Republic illustrates that contactless cards can be a strong catalyst for growth in a variety of market conditions. The UK and the... read more

21 Sep 16 @ 14:33

Cash was used for less than half of all retail transactions across the UK in 2015 according to the BRC’s annual Payments Survey. The report looks at the methods of... read more

09 Sep 16 @ 09:56

On the 25 June 2015, a new package of EU Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Counter-Terrorism Financing (CTF) legislation came into effect with the adoption of the Fourth Money Laundering Directive... read more

09 Sep 16 @ 09:18

A £14 billion legal claim has been filed against Mastercard on behalf of UK consumers seeking damages for anti-competitive card fees. In 2014, the European Court of Justice ruled that... read more

07 Sep 16 @ 13:44

Disruption, innovation, Uberisation, disintermediation, Fintechisation, regulation… all of these words are nowadays perceived as challenges for the retail banks and their business. Media and experts are fond of predicting that... read more

12 Jul 16 @ 15:30

Card fraud rates are on the rise in many parts of the world despite the widespread adoption of fraud analytics solutions by financial institutions and retailers, along with EMV in... read more

12 Jul 16 @ 10:24

The Financial Conduct Authority is reportedly probing the £2.7bn P2P lending sector for the second time in two years, following widespread calls for tougher regulation of so-called “alternative finance” providers. On Friday,... read more

05 Jul 16 @ 10:57

British voters’ decision to Brexit and leave the European Union on June 23 shocked markets around the world. It might also have significant implications on the development of the payments... read more

01 Jul 16 @ 16:37

A federal appeals court on Thursday threw out a $7.25 billion antitrust settlement among Visa,MasterCard  and millions of retailers over credit card fees. The 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals... read more

24 Jun 16 @ 10:57

Following Britain’s momentous decision to leave the European Union our thoughts must inevitably turn to the potential impact on UK consumer payments. In this blog we provide some early thoughts... read more

19 May 16 @ 10:53

Advancements in digital technology continued to shape the payments industry in 2015 as mobile, online and other digital forms of digital payments moved into the mainstream. From mass transit to... read more

12 Apr 16 @ 14:15

Payment cards at the point of sale (POS) and online showed solid growth rates in most European countries in 2014, supported by the roll-out of contactless technology. The challenges for... read more

08 Apr 16 @ 09:10

A new report  investigating how mobile wallets like Apple Pay, Android Pay, Samsung Pay and others which were developed in other world regions can be adapted to fit the European payment... read more

04 Apr 16 @ 12:46

Commercial cards represent just 4% of all payment cards in Europe according to Commercial Cards in Europe 2015. The sector has significant scope for expansion as many businesses do not currently... read more

11 Mar 16 @ 11:14

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, said that 2015 would be the year of Apple Pay. As it turned out, 2015 was the year of mobile payments initiatives generally as technology... read more

07 Mar 16 @ 16:24

Visa and MasterCard brands collectively account for 86% of all European payment cards. Visa holds the largest share in Europe as a whole and in western Europe, while MasterCard has... read more

02 Feb 16 @ 10:15

Germany has a new online payment method. Launched during the final quarter of 2015, paydirekt facilitates ACH-funded payments between consumers and merchants. Germany already has various alternative online payment types,... read more