PaymentsJournal

As dynamic technologies continue to revolutionize the payments space, conferences have become a critical way for payments professionals to stay informed and share their expertise. One of the signature events of the payments space is Nacha’s Smarter Faster Payments 2026 , which will take place in San Diego from April 26-29, 2026. In a recent PaymentsJournal podcast, Stephanie Prebish , AAP, AFPP, A...

Gift cards have evolved from being a thoughtful, last-minute birthday gift into a mature industry that’s helping companies build loyalty both inside and outside their organizations. Their use cases are expanding rapidly, offering innovative ways for business to not only reward employees but also strengthen their bottom line. In a PaymentsJournal Podcast, Samara Swenson , U.S. Senior Marketing Mana...

For decades, typically large regional or money center banks served as correspondent banks that enabled smaller banks to offer cross-border payments. It was rare for credit unions, community banks, and other smaller financial institutions to offer cross-border payments. And if they did, it was a money-losing proposition, offered out of necessity to prevent their customers from leaving for larger ba...

As more people choose to bank online, the role of the traditional branch has undergone a transformation. Once the go-to place for every financial need, the branch is now primarily a hub for more complex transactions that can’t be completed digitally or at an ATM. At the center of this evolution is the interactive teller machine (ITM), which enables customers to connect with a live teller at any ti...

Almost without notice, disappearing payments have shifted from novelty to expectation in small business transactions. A traveler arrives at an airport, books a rideshare, and checks into a hotel—never pulling out a wallet or handing over a card. The transaction happens seamlessly, almost invisibly. The same technology fueling consumer-facing apps is now within reach for small businesses. Research...

Customers signing up for new accounts and services can feel frustrated by the hoops they have to go through, assembling information and entering it in complicated, sometimes multiple forms, whether on paper or online. What they may not realize is that the process can be just as frustrating for the people working at financial institutions, or other businesses performing underwriting functions. Too...

Amid the rise of subscriptions and digital services, consumers are juggling more bills than ever. In fact, the average U.S. household now pays around 10 bills each month—a growing list that can be tricky to track and manage. While more consumers are turning to their financial institution for help managing these responsibilities, many banks have continued to direct their innovation investments else...

In just the first half of the year, ACH payment volume grew by 5.5% on a daily average basis, reaching roughly 17.25 billion payments. The growth is even more pronounced in terms of dollar value, with the ACH Network processing $45 trillion in the first half of 2025—a 6.8% increase compared to the same period last year. In a recent PaymentsJournal podcast, Michael Herd , Executive Vice President o...

The passage of the GENIUS Act in the U.S. has brought stablecoin interest to a fever pitch in recent months. However, even as more of the world’s leading organizations consider launching stablecoin, the use cases for these fiat-backed assets are still being unlocked. In a recent PaymentsJournal podcast, Nabil Manji , SVP, Head of Fintech Growth and Financial Partnerships at Worldpay, and James Wes...

One of the most effective tools in the fight against cybercrime is information sharing—particularly through anonymized consortium data signals—a practice increasingly referred to as cyber fusion. Despite its promise, many institutions remain wary of collaborating in this way, often even within their own organizations. Greater cooperation—through shared data and interoperable fraud, anti-money laun...

Many organizations treat their reconciliation and reporting as mere check-the-box activities, investing only the bare minimum to remain compliant. However, companies that deprioritize these critical back-office functions risk being caught unprepared when faced with a more stringent regulatory environment. In a recent PaymentsJournal podcast, Roger Binks , Chief Commercial Officer at Kani, and Jame...

When credit unions look for ways to improve service for their members, accounting systems may not be the first thing that comes to mind. But when Texans Credit Union upgraded its accounting platform, the benefits cascaded throughout the organization—saving money, streamlining operations, and even boosting morale. In a PaymentsJournal Podcast, Tracy Montez , SVP, Controller at Texans Credit Union,...

As the technology behind payments processing accelerates, it’s also reshaping how merchants need to think about the ways their customers pay. Increasingly, acquirers are discovering that by focusing on areas like reconciliation and streamlining the payments workflow, they can build stronger relationships—not only with their customers, but also with their employees. In a PaymentsJournal podca...

A consumer purchases a product and receives exactly what was described. However, they experience buyer’s remorse and want to return it. Unsure if they’ll be refunded, they falsely report the transaction as fraudulent instead. This kind of misuse may seem minor on its own, but it is part of consumer-engaged fraud—a category often mislabeled and misunderstood. In a recent PaymentsJournal podcast, Ni...

Financial institutions are among the most trusted entities in the world. Consumers believe their banks act in their best interests—especially when it comes to protecting them from fraud. They expect strong, effective solutions that support their everyday financial activities, safeguard their accounts, and secure their identities. But trust isn’t automatic—it must be earned. Nowhere is this more tr...

One of the most important resources for any card portfolio manager is understanding cardholders’ spending patterns. This requires not just full access to data, but also the ability to interpret what the data reveals. Growing business intelligence tools like Card Expert SM from Fiserv are helping issuers gain deeper insight into their customer base, allowing them to serve cardholders more effective...

At best, an inefficient accounts payable process can result in delayed payments or limited visibility into spending. At worst, it could lead to misrouted payments and an increased probability of fraud. Yet many organizations still rely on outdated AP processes—jeopardizing relationships with the suppliers that keep their business moving. In a recent PaymentsJournal podcast, Marchelle Becher, Busin...

Digital cards saw a significant boost in adoption during the pandemic, initially driven by necessity. However, it quickly became clear that hygiene was just one of many benefits—and not even the most compelling one. Both consumers and retailers have found digital to be faster, more cost-effective, and more efficient than traditional physical options. In a PaymentsJournal podcast, Fiserv’s Wesley S...

When a financial institution’s customer is tricked into sending a payment, there has often been little recourse for the victim. As credit push fraud becomes increasingly prevalent—amplified by sophisticated technologies—the financial services industry must strengthen its protections. This is why Nacha has developed a framework of fraud management rules that will go into effect next year. In a rece...

For years, many businesses proclaimed they would never transition their payments to SaaS. Even as everything else moved to the cloud, financial professionals remained adamant that payment services and data would stay in-house. The data was considered highly sensitive, and few were willing to risk storing it outside their walls. But the benefits of Payments-as-a-Service (PaaS) have upended that thi...

Organizations routinely ask employees to take clients out to lunch or attend industry conferences. Yet the expense management process designed to support these essential functions is often manual, time-consuming, and prone to delays, errors, and misuse. In a recent PaymentsJournal podcast, Susie Shyatt , Business Development Executive at B4B Payments, and Hugh Thomas , Lead Commercial Payments Ana...

The relationship between financial institutions and small businesses has grown increasingly strained. Many small businesses are becoming dissatisfied with their payment and banking services. In fact, more than half obtain their merchant payment accounts from providers other than their primary bank. In a PaymentsJournal podcast, Fiserv’s Tim Ruhe , Head of FI Payment Strategy, AJ Levin , Senior Dir...

The traditional model of biweekly or monthly physical check payouts is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. For businesses, moving away from checks results in lower processing costs and a reduced risk of check fraud. While direct deposit offers clear benefits for employees, it’s not always their preferred method of receiving pay. In today’s competitive labor market, an organization’s compensation...

Community banks are the heart and soul of their localities, often providing the spark that helps small businesses achieve their goals. However, the emergence of new technologies in recent years means that more financial services companies are vying for a share of the smaller institutions’ markets. In a recent PaymentsJournal podcast, Matthew Wilcox , Deputy Head of Financial Institutions Group and...

Consumers are inundated with accounts, apps, and subscriptions—often to the point where they lose track of what they’ve signed up for. This can be costly for consumers, but it also prevents financial institutions from gaining a clear view of a customer’s overall financial picture, limiting their ability to offer tailored services. In a recent PaymentsJournal podcast, Kevin Hughes , Director of Pro...