Cross-border Payments

Cross-border Payments
Small Business Cross-Border Cash Flow Helped by Marquee Payments Partnerships
January 31, 2023

Small- to medium-sized businesses have been hobbled on a global stage. The lure of eCommerce is that digital channels level the playing field for…well, just about anyone.  Theoretically at least, smaller firms should be able to compete with even the largest of eCommerce juggernauts if...

Cross-border Payments
Fiserv Gets OK to Offer Cross-Border Transfers in Singapore
January 31, 2023

Payments firm Fiserv has won approval to expand its offerings in Singapore. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has granted Fiserv a Major Payment Institution (MPI) license, allowing it to provide cross-border money transfer services and real-time account transfers, Fiserv announced in a Monday (Jan....

Europe
Kenya Attempts to Breathe New Life Into Digital ID Scheme
January 30, 2023

The Kenyan government is pushing for a nationwide digital ID scheme. But the years-long implementation so far has been beset with complications. The government’s attempts to create a nationwide ID scheme go back years, following close to two decades of consolidating data from different population...

Cross-border Payments
Atlantic Money Says Wise Delisted It From Price Comparison Website
January 27, 2023

Atlantic Money has accused international money transfer service Wise of stifling competition. In a statement on its website on Friday (Jan. 27), the foreign exchange (FX) startup expressed its frustration at being delisted from Wise’s price comparison service, which allows consumers to compare the cost...

Europe
Ecobank and MTN to Launch Mobile Money Microloans in Guinea
January 26, 2023

FinTech Optasia, Ecobank and MTN are partnering to launch a mobile money microloan service in Guinea. In a Thursday (Jan. 26) press release, the Dubai-based FinTech announced that the services will be offered to MTN’s subscribers in the country under the Ecobank product name “Prêt...

Europe
McWin Restaurant Fund Takes Majority Stake in L’Osteria
January 24, 2023

Czech investment firm McWin is set to acquire a majority stake in restaurant business L’Osteria. In a statement on Tuesday (Jan. 24), McWin said it will purchase a majority stake in the Italian restaurant chain, subject to regulatory approval. Although McWin did not state the...

Europe
ECB Board Member: Digital Euro Should Complement Other Payment Methods
January 23, 2023

A digital euro should complement, not replace, other electronic payment methods or cash. So said European Central Bank (ECB) Executive Board Member Fabio Panetta in a Monday (Jan. 23) speech to the European Parliament’s Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs. “Our priority for the digital...

Europe
Euro-Denominated Stablecoins Vie for Prominence in MiCA Era
January 23, 2023

The EURM token is the latest euro-denominated stablecoin endorsed by Spain’s central bank. The new digital euro will be issued by Spanish FinTech Monei, which has been authorized by the Banco de España (BDE) to test the stablecoin in its regulatory sandbox, Spanish media has...

Latin America
Argentina and Brazil Explore Common Currency
January 22, 2023

The two biggest economies in South America are reportedly working on a common currency. Brazil and Argentina will announce the project this week, the Financial Times (FT) reported Saturday (Jan. 21), noting that the move could someday create the second-biggest currency bloc on the planet. “There...