PaymentsJournal

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 Yet many organizations still rely on outdated AP processes—jeopardizing relationships with the suppliers that keep their business moving.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...

Although child identity theft has received increasing attention in recent years, most parents don’t discover it—let alone take action—until after experiencing a financial loss. Among families who reported a financial loss due to identity theft, roughly 96% did not have their children included in a family protection plan until after the breach had occurred. For the past four years, Javelin St...

Although generative artificial intelligence has powerful proficiencies, its limitations have become more apparent as the technology is deployed at scale. Now, however, Visa and Mastercard have unveiled platforms aimed at giving AI an even more prominent role—AI agents will soon be able to shop and make purchases with minimal consumer input. In a recent PaymentsJournal podcast, Christopher Miller ,...

For mid-sized companies striving to compete with multinational giants, Vertical SaaS has become a game-changer, helping them bridge the gap in their software needs. One of the key factors driving this shift is outbound payments—empowering even the smallest businesses to process payments in real time, leveling the playing field. Vertical SaaS seamlessly integrates a range of essential functions, li...

As digital connections have fostered a global community, the demand for cross-border payments has surged. And yet, the cross-border payments paradigm—where correspondent and intermediary banks work with originating banks to process payments—has remained largely unchanged for the past 50 years. In a recent PaymentsJournal podcast, Gary Palmer, President and CEO of Payall Payment Systems, and James...

For the 18th year running, gift cards topped wish lists as the most requested holiday present—solidifying their role as a cornerstone of seasonal giving 1 . With more occasions to gift than ever before, demand is surging, and retailers can’t afford to miss the opportunity. Insights from the 2025 Best Digital Gift Card Programs, Consumer Experience Benchmark Report, conducted by NAPCO research in p...

When a driver misplaces their fleet card or uses it to fuel a personal vehicle, the consequences can be significant for the organization. Shifting to digital payments can help alleviate these pain points, yet many fleet managers have been hesitant due to concerns about maintaining control. In a recent PaymentsJournal podcast, Parker P ierce, Senior Product Manager at Highnote, and Ben Danner, Seni...

Financial institutions have traditionally been risk-averse, relying on tried-and-tested products and services. However, transformative innovations—such as real-time payment rails, artificial intelligence (AI), ISO 20022 adoption, and increasing demands for cybersecurity and fraud management—along with a constantly shifting regulatory backdrop—are making it critical for organizations to adopt new t...

A critical factor is often overlooked when focusing on improving the customer experience: ensuring payments go through successfully. A failed payment is more than simply a lost sale. It can lead to wider-scale revenue impacts and erode customer confidence over time. In a recent PaymentsJournal podcast, John Winstel , VP of Optimization Product at Worldpay, and Don Apgar , Director of Merchant Paym...

When customers make purchases using Apple Pay or Google Pay—or enter their card info at online checkout—their sensitive data is protected by replacing it with a token. While this safeguards consumer privacy, it has also created a challenge: because the same card can be tokenized differently across multiple merchants, businesses are losing access to vital customer insights that could drive smarter...

A cursory survey of sports venues will reveal fields sponsored by Citi, Chase, PNC, and Truist—just within Major League Baseball alone. However, the connection between payments and the arenas and stadiums that host events runs much deeper than naming rights. With a captive audience of thousands, there’s a strong opportunity to drive loyalty and revenue, which is why so many stadiums and arenas are...

Because digital payments offer such powerful use cases, many speculate that they will inevitably replace physical cards. However, this perspective overlooks several key factors—not only are physical cards highly reliable at the point of sale, but they also offer personalization options that create a tangible connection between consumers and their payment method, something digital payments can’t re...