Payments
BCEAO certifies 24 business APIs for WAEMU regional instant-payment platform
BCEAO certified 24 business APIs for the WAEMU PI-SPI platform, covering payment initiation, mass requests, automated operations, real-time tracking and treasury management across the monetary union.
SAMA announces Tap to Pay on iPhone for Saudi merchants
SAMA said Tap to Pay on iPhone would soon let Saudi merchants accept mada, contactless cards and digital wallets directly on compatible devices through near-field communication.
India's new UPI merchant fees draw Supreme Court challenge and retail opposition
India's new UPI merchant-fee framework faced a Supreme Court petition and retailer objections, while government sources said the 0.4% charge above ₹2,000 would still begin on 15 October.
India’s NPCI sets merchant fees for larger UPI payments from October
India’s NPCI announced a 0.4% merchant fee on qualifying UPI payments above ₹2,000 from 15 October 2026, capped at ₹300 per transaction, while retaining exemptions for smaller payments and eligible micro-merchants.
Bank Audi and Mastercard launch programme offering 10,000 Lebanese small businesses free digital accounts
Bank Audi and Mastercard announced a programme on 9 September providing 10,000 eligible Lebanese businesses with free bank accounts, Mastercard business debit cards and multi-currency banking through the neo Business platform.
India backs linking BRICS central bank digital currencies ahead of New Delhi summit
India will press BRICS members to link their central bank digital currencies for cross-border settlement at the 12–13 September summit in New Delhi, while declining to back a unified bloc-wide payments network.
Ant International, Visa and Mastercard begin know-your-agent payments collaboration in Singapore on Thursday
Ant International, Mastercard and Visa said on Thursday they had begun developing an interoperable Know-Your-Agent framework for AI agents projected to orchestrate US$3 trillion to US$5 trillion of global consumer commerce by 2030.
Qatar Central Bank joins GCC's AFAQ payments system, completing six-nation central bank coverage
Qatar Central Bank joined the Gulf Payments Company's AFAQ cross-border system on Monday alongside three Qatari commercial banks, lifting total GCC participation to 74 banks and completing central bank coverage.
Colombia's Yuno raises $45 million Series B led by Global PayTech Ventures
Colombian payments orchestrator Yuno raised $45 million in Series B funding led by Global PayTech Ventures, taking total funding to $80 million across three rounds.
ECB selects 36 payment providers including Deutsche Bank, UniCredit and Revolut for digital euro pilot
The ECB has chosen 36 payment service providers, including Deutsche Bank, UniCredit and Revolut, to participate in its digital euro pilot scheduled to start in H2 2027.
SWIFT's blockchain ledger ready for use with 17 pilot banks pioneering tokenised cross-border payments
Swift's blockchain-based ledger is ready for use, with 17 banks preparing to pilot live transactions using tokenised deposits, the interbank messaging network said.
Citi Hong Kong launches eVouchers on Citi Mobile app to boost digital banking
Citi in Hong Kong launched an eVouchers function on its Citi Mobile app, letting cardholders browse, save and redeem vouchers from more than 500 merchant outlets for online and in-store purchases.