Payments & Fintech
Cards, transfers and the systems that move money.
Latest news
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Form3 Opens Payment Data to Read-Only AI Agents
Its first MCP adapter lets authorized agents investigate payment information without initiating changes.
Visa Plans an AI Financial Assistant for Bank Apps
Visa's in-app assistant is scheduled for a US bank pilot in August, with a wider rollout planned later.
SoFi Brings SoFiUSD Into Its Banking App
SoFi members begin gaining access to a bank-issued stablecoin, with wider availability expected in June.
Circle Adds Managed Stablecoin Settlement to CPN
CPN Managed Payments lets institutions use stablecoin settlement while keeping their own workflow in fiat.
Stripe and Tempo Introduce Machine Payments Protocol
The open protocol lets agents and services coordinate payments within a software request.
MetaMask Card Expands Across the United States
The US rollout includes New York and introduces a paid Metal option linked to the MetaMask wallet.
Explainers & guides
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3D Secure Explained: Why Some Card Payments Ask for a Second Step
Why your bank asks you to approve some online card payments, when it can skip the step, and who pays for fraud.
Chargeback Fee: What a Disputed Card Payment Costs a Merchant
The chargeback fee Stripe, PayPal and Square charge, and the other costs of a disputed card payment.
Interchange-Plus vs Flat Rate: Choosing a Card Pricing Model
Interchange plus vs flat rate: one rate for every card, or the real cost of each card plus a markup.
Interchange Fee Explained: Where a Card Payment Fee Goes
Interchange fee explained: one processing fee on the statement, three payments to three different parties.
10 People Shaping Fintech
Ten people whose work helps explain where payments, digital banking and financial infrastructure are going.
Stablecoin Payments: Where the Fees Come From
A low network fee is only one part of moving money from a customer's wallet to a merchant's bank.
Why a Cross-Border Transfer Can Still Take Days
The international message can arrive quickly while the recipient's money waits in the last mile.
What Happens After You Tap Your Card?
The terminal's approval is one step in a longer journey from a payment request to settled funds.
About this desk
Payments can look simple at checkout while involving several institutions behind the screen. This desk follows the products, people and infrastructure responsible for that journey, from card authorization to international transfers and stablecoin settlement.
Begin with what happens after you tap a card, then explore why a cross-border transfer can still take days. Both guides separate a message arriving from money becoming available.
Our coverage also examines the founders and other contributors shaping fintech. The editorial selection of 10 influential people provides starting points across payments, digital banking and financial health. Product announcements are reported with their actual scope and availability. We pay attention to the complete customer journey: the recipient amount, permissions, fees, refunds and the support needed when an expected result does not arrive.