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Finovate Global Hong Kong: Funding for Stablecoins, Yields on Idle Capital, and More!

Finovate Global Hong Kong: Funding for Stablecoins, Yields on Idle Capital, and More!
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Avaloq, Backbase, Finovate Global, PayPal, Temenos

This week’s edition of Finovate Global reviews the latest fintech news from Hong Kong.

RD Technologies raises $40 million in advance of stablecoin licensing

Hong Kong-based stablecoin infrastructure firm RD Technologies has secured $40 million in Series A2 funding. The round was jointly led by a consortium of both new and existing investors. Participating in the investment were ZA Global, China Harbour, Bright Venture, and Hivemind Capital. HSG, Eternal Digital, CMSC Partners, and Guotai Junan International Private Equity Fund were also involved in the funding. RD Technologies raised $40 million in a Series A1 round in September 2024.

The funding comes as Hong Kong’s stablecoin licensing regime takes effect. This regime provides a framework for stablecoin issuers, including the necessary licensing requirements as mandated by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) for companies seeking to issue fiat-backed stablecoins. The new Stablecoins Ordinance also requires these firms to maintain proper reserve asset management, robust stabilization mechanisms, and the capacity to process redemption requests at par value under ordinary conditions. Companies also must comply with anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing (CTF) regulations as well as maintain obligatory risk management, disclosure, and auditing standards.

Founded in 2020, RD Technologies provides technology to help bridge the Web2 and Web3 worlds. An early advocate of stablecoins, RD Technologies drives responsible and sustainable innovation in digital finance via open networks, real-world use cases, and industry-wide collaborations. The company participated in the stablecoin sandbox launched by the HKMA earlier this year, and is developing HKDR, a stablecoin backed 1:1 by the Hong Kong Dollar, via its subsidiary RD InnoTech.

“We are thrilled with the passage of the Stablecoins Ordinance, which sets a clear and robust framework for the sustainable growth of Hong Kong’s virtual asset ecosystem as a global financial hub,” RD Technologies Rita Liu said earlier this year when the stablecoin legislation was passed. “As pioneers in the stablecoin space, with RD InnoTech Limited’s participation in the HKMA’s sandbox, we are dedicated to building trust by aligning with these regulations to deliver secure and innovative solutions for virtual asset trading, cross-border payments, and tokenization of real world assets.”

As part of the investment, RD Technologies and Hong Kong-based virtual bank ZA Bank inked a new partnership through which the two companies will investigate regulated stablecoin use cases in financial services.

Airwallex Launches Yield in Hong Kong

International payments and business financial platform Airwallex has introduced its Airwallex Yield solution in Hong Kong. Airwallex Yield is designed to enhance treasury management by enabling businesses to earn returns on their suplus funds held in multi-currency accounts. There are no lock-up periods with Airwallex Yield, which provides access to highly rated money market funds such as those managed by firms like Fullerton Fund Management and Goldman Sachs Asset Management.

The launch of the new solution, which also went live in Singapore recently, makes Airwallex the first global payments institution to secure a Securities and Future Commission (SFC) license for asset management services in Hong Kong. Yield currently enables companies to generate returns of up to 3.97% on multi-currency balances via discretionary portfolio management services. Airwallex also has partnered with JP Morgan Asset Management to leverage short-duration money market funds in order to provide liquid returns without minimum lock-up periods. Launched in Australia in the fall of 2023, Yield reached more than $67.3 million in funds under management.

“We’re excited to announce the full launch of Airwallex Yield to businesses in Hong Kong,” Airwallex Asia-Pacific General Manager Arnold Chan said. “We’ve seen growing demand from businesses looking for more effective ways to maximize the value of their capital. In today’s dynamic market environment, businesses are actively seeking ways to make their capital work harder. Airwallex Yield gives them a seamless and flexible way to earn returns on their balances, all from within the Airwallex platform. We’re not just looking to help businesses make the most of their surplus balances—we also want to encourage them to bring new funds to Airwallex because of the value Yield provides.”

Chocolate Finance, WeBank, Syfe Announce Hong Kong Entry and Expansion

A number of fintechs have announced plans to enter or expand their presence in Hong Kong of late.

First, Singapore-based Chocolate Finance has secured regulatory approval to being operations in Hong Kong. The news comes as the savings app announced that it has added $19.4 million in Series A+ funding to its coffers courtesy of a round led by Nikko Asset Management. The round also featured participation from existing investors Peak XV, Prosus, and Saison Capital, along with company founder Walter de Oude. Along with the funding news, Chocolate Finance announced a limited time Double Referral Program from July 22 to August 31, offering additional rewards and limited-edition merchandise.

Founded in 2022, Chocolate Finance delivers returns of up to 3% on savers’ first ($15,500) SGD 20k, 2.7% on the next ($23,250) SGD 30k, and 2.7% on any additional amount.

Next up, Chinese digital bank WeBank has won approval to set up its Hong Kong subsidiary, which will manage the institution’s overseas operations there and offer services to businesses covered by the Belt and Road Initiative.

WeBank was launched in 2014 by Tencent in partnership with a handful of other Chinese companies. The financial institution is the largest online-only lender in China, and is one of the world’s largest unicorns with a valuation of $32.4 billion (235 billion yuan).

WeBank’s Hong Kong subsidiary is expected to investigate potential opportunities in fintech such as real-world asset tokenization. The firm will also be a part of Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s “architecture community” for Project Ensemble, the HKMA’s wholesale central bank digital currency initiative.

Lastly, Chocolate Finance isn’t the only Asian company leveraging the occasion of a recent funding to announce increased engagement with Hong Kong. Singapore-based digital wealth platform Syfe recently announced that its $80 million Series C round in June will help fuel the firm’s regional expansion, including further inroads into Hong Kong.

“This fund raise comes at an exciting time as we grow our presence across the region and expand our offerings,” Syfe Founder and CEO Dhruv Arora said. “In our markets of Singapore, Hong Kong, and Australia, nearly half of all adults are in the ‘mass affluent’ segment, meaning those who have between a few hundred to a few million dollars in investable assets, and this segment is growing fast. As a platform built in the region, for the region, we have a deep understanding of what these investors need. We’re in a great position to serve them with personalized, accessible, and high-quality wealth management at scale.”

Syfe will use the capital, which includes an all-equity C2 round of $53 million, in part to fuel its expansion in Hong Kong. In a statement, the company noted that its business in Hong Kong has “doubled in size” since the beginning of the year. Syfe currently has more than $10 billion in assets under management as of end-of-year 2024 and has raised a total of $132 million in funding. The company was founded in 2019.

Here is our look at fintech innovation around the world.

Sub-Saharan Africa

  • Orange Money and BaaS fintech JUMO have teamed up to offer credit services in Africa.
  • MoneyBadger and Peach Payments partnered to make it easier for merchants to accept Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
  • Forbes looked at the connection between African mobile money service, M-Pesa, and Western-based services such as Venmo and PayPal.

Central and Eastern Europe

Middle East and Northern Africa

  • Libyan Islamic Bank partnered with Backbase to modernize its consumer banking operations.
  • Israel-based tax preparation platform April raised $38 million in Series B funding.
  • Egypt’s Midbank announced the completion of its core banking migration with Temenos.

Central and Southern Asia

  • India’s Esaf Bank turned to SugarCRM for relationship management.
  • TBC Uzbekistan Fintech earned a spot on the CNBC and Statista roster of the world’s top fintech companies, the first Uzbek company to do so.
  • Zaggle Prepaid Ocean Services acquired Indian fintech startup Rio.Money.

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Brazilian financial infrastructure firm QI Tech secured $63 million in a Series B extension round.
  • PitchBook looked at seven fintech startups driving digital banking in Mexico.
  • Payment solutions provider Boku was granted a Payment Institution license from the Central Bank of Brazil.

Asia-Pacific

Photo by Florian Wehde on Unsplash

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PayPal Unveils PayPal World to Facilitate Global Payments

PayPal Unveils PayPal World to Facilitate Global Payments
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Alumni News, Daily news, PayPal
  • PayPal’s new launch, PayPal World, is a new global platform designed to connect major digital wallets and payment systems.
  • The new platform will enable users to shop and send money across borders using their domestic wallets without needing international payment methods.
  • PayPal is partnering with Venmo, Mercado Pago, UPI, and Tenpay Global to create wallet interoperability for nearly two billion users and expanding cross-border capabilities for both consumers and merchants.

Fintech pioneer PayPal is unveiling PayPal World this week, a new platform that connects global payment systems and digital wallets.

At launch, PayPal is partnering with Mercado Pago, NPCI International Payments Limited (UPI), Tenpay Global, and Venmo to promote wallet interoperability for the more than two billion users of these platforms.

PayPal World aims to transform the way people send money, as well as how they shop online, in-store, and with AI agents across borders. The new capability will allow PayPal users to use their app to scan and pay when they shop across borders. With PayPal World, consumers won’t need to carry an international payment method to shop overseas. Instead, the platform will use the user’s domestic payment system or digital wallet to complete the transaction, even if the payment type at checkout is different from their home currency.

“PayPal World is a first-of-its-kind payments ecosystem that will bring together many of the world’s largest payment systems and digital wallets on a single platform. It is a testament to the passion our partners share for an inclusive, global digital economy and has the potential to revolutionize cross-border commerce,” said PayPal President and CEO Alex Chriss. “The challenge of moving money across borders is incredibly complex, and yet this platform will make it so simple for nearly two billion consumers and businesses. We believe the changes we are announcing today have the potential to be a real game changer over time. We can’t wait to welcome many more global partners, wallets, and their users soon.”

Merchants can benefit from PayPal World with no additional integration. The platform will connect millions of businesses to digital payment systems and wallet users worldwide, making it possible for businesses to automatically accept new digital payment options at checkout when more partners join the platform, expand their global client base, and increase payment options beyond online and in-store payments into AI agent payments.

PayPal is piloting the new platform through a partnership with peer-to-peer (P2P) payment app Venmo in which the two platforms will become seamlessly interoperable and expand access to global P2P payments. Under the collaboration, PayPal and Venmo users can send money to each other, regardless of geography.

While PayPal World’s wallet connectivity to PayPal and Venmo will go live this fall, Venmo users will be able to shop at millions of merchants across the globe that accept PayPal starting next year. The expanded purchasing capabilities will help merchants reach Venmo’s base of young, affluent, and digitally native consumers.

PayPal World is doing to the US what Revolut did to payments in the EU in the sense that it is breaking down borders, simplifying cross-currency transactions, and reshaping expectations around how money moves. By making digital wallets interoperable across platforms and regions, PayPal is positioning itself not just as a payment processor, but as a universal payment translator that bridges the gap between local payment habits and global commerce. As more wallets and systems join the platform, PayPal World could become a foundational layer in the next era of international payments.

PayPal’s new launch comes at a time when cross-border e-commerce is rising and consumers expect payments to be seamless. While players like Revolut, Alipay+, and Western Union have made strides in international money movement, PayPal’s scale and merchant network give it an edge in solving interoperability at both the consumer and merchant level.

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Fintech Rundown: A Rapid Review of Weekly News

Fintech Rundown: A Rapid Review of Weekly News
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Fintech Rundown, PayPal, Signicat, TIFIN AG, VISA

According to a report in Bloomberg, JP Morgan is going to make fintechs pay up if they want access to customer financial data. Fighting words? Or just signs of what’s to come? Check out this news and more in this week’s edition of Finovate’s Fintech Rundown!

Identity management

Digital identity platform Signicat acquires Dutch NFC-based digital identity verification solutions provider Inverid.

Lending

Digital lending platform Yabx launches GenAI-powered voice solution designed to increase financial literacy among its underserved borrowers.

Billtrust unveils major collections software innovations.

Grasshopper Bank partners with Lendio to enhance SBA loan delivery with AI-powered tools.

Payments

Digital payments company Checkout.com goes live in Canada.

New QR-based payments platform QwikPay launches in Australia.

Cash App adds tap-to-pay for iPhone.

ICBA Payments and Visa renew partnership supporting community bank payments.

Finzly appoints its first Chief Financial Officer and Head of Partnerships to accelerate growth and expand market reach.

Wealth management

Weath management solutions company TIFIN unveils new multilingual LLM innovation hub in India.

Small business banking

Visa and TikTok team up to help founders of small businesses in the UAE access training, tools, and digital marketing advice.

Plaid joins forces with Xero for enhanced US bank feeds.

Insurtech

Saudi Arabia-based embedded insurtech platform Yasmina raises $12 million in seed funding.

Crypto and Defi

Crypto payments platform MoonPay announces support for 1-click cryptocurrency purchases via Revolut Pay.

Cryptocurrency exchange OKX integrates with PayPal to enable crypto purchases and deposits across the European Economic Area (EEA).

Digital banking

JP Morgan reportedly to charge fintechs for access to customer data according to a report from Bloomberg.

Photo by Floriane Vita on Unsplash

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PayPal to Ship Physical Credit Card

PayPal to Ship Physical Credit Card
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Alumni News, Daily news, PayPal
  • PayPal launched a physical credit card, expanding PayPal Credit’s reach from online use to in-store purchases, with no annual fee and flexible repayment options for travel purchases.
  • At launch, the card is offering buy now, pay later flexibility that will allow customers to spread travel costs over six months and access additional BNPL loans at checkout.
  • Despite its practicality, PayPal’s new card takes a more conventional approach compared to other fintechs that offer bold designs, tiered rewards, or unique incentives like stock or credit-building tools.

In a time dominated by digital payments, physical cards are holding strong. This week, fintech pioneer PayPal introduced a new physical credit card, extending the reach of PayPal Credit from online purchases to in-store payments.

The new card, which is issued by Synchrony, will allow customers to leverage buy now, pay later (BNPL) payment options. At launch, new card customers will have the option to pay for their travel purchases made by January 31, 2026, over the course of six months. Leveraging the BNPL model in combination with the flexibility of a credit card gives account holders more ways to pay for travel purchases by spreading the cost over time to best suit their cash flow.

For further payment flexibility, customers can also apply for a PayPal Buy Now Pay Later loan at the point of sale to break their purchases into smaller payments over weeks or months. The card also comes with no annual fee, purchase protection, ID theft protection, and travel concierge services.

“PayPal Credit is one of our most popular products and customers have long been requesting the ability to use it on-the-go as they look for more choice and flexibility wherever they shop,” said PayPal SVP, Global Head of Consumer Financial Services Scott Young. “From our buy now pay later options to our credit cards, we continue to bring customers a range of solutions to help them manage cash flow and pay in the ways that suits their budgets for the things they love and need.”

Credit is not new to PayPal. The company launched PayPal Credit, formerly known as Bill Me Later, in 2008, after PayPal’s then-parent company eBay acquired Bill Me Later for $945 million. Physical cards are not new for PayPal, either. The California-based company launched its Business Debit Mastercard in 2003 and began issuing debit cards for Venmo users in 2018.

PayPal said that the physical card will begin rolling out “in the coming weeks” to US customers.

PayPal’s move into physical credit cards comes as no surprise, but its approach is. While many consumer-facing fintechs have leaned into creative card designs and differentiated perks like sleek metal cards, bold rainbow finishes, or eco-friendly recycled materials, PayPal has opted for a more traditional route. Other fintechs have layered in tiered rewards, credit-building features, or even stock-based incentives. Though PayPal’s flexible repayment option for travel purchases adds some value, its new card feels relatively conservative compared to the more imaginative offerings from its fintech peers.

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Fintech Rundown: A Rapid Review of Weekly News

Fintech Rundown: A Rapid Review of Weekly News
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Fenergo, Fintech Rundown, PayPal, Ripple, TreviPay, Tuum

The UK is looking to regulate Buy Now, Pay Later lenders. Meanwhile in the US, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is reducing fines on previous enforcement actions. It’s a tale of two very different regulatory trends depending on which side of the Atlantic you’re on.

We’ve got the latest regtech news along with the rest of the top headlines in fintech right here in this week’s edition of the Fintech Rundown!

Payments

Ripple reports that Zand Bank and fintech platform Mamo have deployed its blockchain-enabled payments solution, the first UAE-based financial institutions to do so.

French fintech Next Generation chooses enterprise platform Fireblocks to power its payment ecosystem.

Global Payments unveils new POS command center for business operations, Genius.

PayPal launches its Complete Payments service in Singapore.

Albertsons Companies offers invoice-based payment for its business customers courtesy of its partnership with TreviPay.

AAA Life Insurance partners with payments network One Inc. to support digital payment processing.

Digital banking

Finovate Best of Show winner Tuum launches suite of Islamic Banking solutions to enable financial institutions to offer more Sharia-compliant banking products.

Fraud prevention

Money and safety app for families, Greenlight, introduces Family Shield to help caregivers protect seniors from financial fraud.

Identity verification and fraud prevention services provider AU10TIX launches continuous AML risk monitoring.

MRI Software integrates Nova Credit’s Income Navigator into its fraud prevention and application qualification solution.

DeFi / crypto

Non-custodial stablecoin wallet MiniPay is now available as a standalone application on iOS devices.

Investment / wealth management

U.S. Bank Global Fund Services turns to Fenergo to digitize and streamline its investor onboarding and service experience.

Regtech

Risk management company EverC launches its AI-powered risk assessment solution for marketplaces, Smart Scan.

Photo by Martin Damboldt

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Fintech Rundown: A Rapid Review of Weekly News

Fintech Rundown: A Rapid Review of Weekly News
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: AMLYZE, Fintech Rundown, nCino, PayPal, Personetics

Happy Monday! If you need to step away from the fintech news to finish your income taxes this week, then don’t worry. Finovate’s Fintech Rundown will be here when you get back to make sure you’re informed and updated on the latest in fintech and financial services news.

Digital banking

Zions Bancorporation selects nCino as its technology platform.

Personetics introduces new Chief Revenue Officer Puneet Malhotra.

Payments

Pay by Bank platform Banked acquires consumer payments app VibePay.

PayPal forges a strategic partnership with money movement company TerraPay.

Paysera announces strategic partnership with payee verification solutions provider iPiD.

On-demand pay provider Tapcheck raised $225 million in combined equity and debt financing.

Digital payment network Paysend teams up with Tink to enhance its open banking capabilities.

Identity verification and fraud prevention

AI-powered fraud platform Sift unveils updates to its Partner Program.

Anti-financial crime solutions company AMLYZE unveils its open knowledge initiative to standardize the fight against money laundering, AMLTRIX.

AU10TIX announces new CEO Yair Tal.

Regtech

Ozone API introduces guide to help banks and PSPs navigate Verification Of Payee (VOP) ahead of new regulations from the EU expected in October.

Crypto

Digital asset trading platform Currency.com appoints Konstantin Anissimov as its new CEO.

Bitcoin self-custody platform Theya launches Theya for Business, a bitcoin management solution.

Neonomics integrates its open banking payments solution into Ovoro’s crypto platform.

Financial wellness

Smart money app Plum raises £15m in debt financing from global financial group BBVA.

Investing and wealth management

Apex Fintech Solutions introduces new Chief Technology Officer Andrew Glenn.

Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich

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PayPal to Facilitate Cross-Border Trade in China

PayPal to Facilitate Cross-Border Trade in China
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Alumni News, PayPal
  • PayPal is launching its PayPal Complete Payments platform in China, offering seamless cross-border payment solutions.
  • The platform, which initially launched in the U.K., Canada, and Europe, helps merchants settle funds quickly and manage international payments.
  • PayPal estimates the new tool will help Chinese merchants to reach over 400 million PayPal users globally.

PayPal, which just released its stackable in-store and online rewards system PayPal Everywhere earlier this month, has a new take on what it means to be “everywhere.” The California-based company is launching PayPal Complete Payments in China this week.

Originally debuted in the spring of this year, the PayPal Complete Payments platform integrates customized products and solutions to help merchants sell globally, streamlining payments and receivables. Upon launch, the platform was available to small and mid-sized enterprises in the U.K., Canada, and more than 20 European markets.

“We are excited to bring PayPal’s Complete Payments solution to China, empowering businesses with secure, seamless cross-border transactions and helping them tap into global markets,” said PayPal President, Global Markets Suzan Kereere. “This launch marks a significant milestone in PayPal’s mission to revolutionize commerce globally, bridging Chinese businesses with consumers around the world in a more efficient and transparent way.”

Over time, PayPal plans to add multiple capabilities to PayPal Complete Payments in China. The company will:

  • Use its network to enable Chinese merchants to reach over 400 million active PayPal users and billions of international consumers who use card and APM payments.
  • Settle funds quickly to allow merchants to get quick and easy access to their funds.
  • Offer tailored products– including RMB Transfer and Vendor Payouts– for Chinese merchants to enable fast and secure global fund management and facilitate settlements from PayPal accounts to domestic bank accounts.
  • Help merchants analyze risk and protect against fraud with AI-powered tools that can reduce time spent managing disputes.

“As one of the first e-commerce platforms to bring PayPal Complete Payments to China’s merchants, we are thrilled to support their expansion into global markets,” WooCommerce Chief Marketing Officer said Tamara Niesen. “This partnership delivers a tailored user experience for WooCommerce merchants, enabling cross-border businesses to confidently scale with PayPal’s advanced solutions.”

PayPal has offered its payments capabilities in China for almost two decades. By partnering with China UnionPay, along with other key players in the region, PayPal is currently engaged with over 700 merchants from across the country. Despite help from partners, PayPal is also able to hold its own in the region. In 2020, the company acquired a 100% stake in Chinese payments firm GoPay, becoming the first foreign company to fully own a Chinese payments platform.

Photo by Aleksandar Pasaric

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PayPal Unveils PayPal Everywhere

PayPal Unveils PayPal Everywhere
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Alumni News, Daily news, PayPal
  • PayPal enhanced its rewards program to allow consumers to receive 5% cash back on a spending category of their choice.
  • Shoppers can receive up to $1,000 in cash back in their selected category.
  • PayPal also announced that customers can add their PayPal Debit Card to their Apple Wallet.

Payments pioneer PayPal has spent the year working to make it easier for customers to make transactions. Today, the California-based fintech announced it is expanding its rewards program to incentivize customers to choose PayPal at the point-of-sale.

Under the new, enhanced rewards program, consumers choose a monthly category of spending, such as groceries or clothing, that they want to receive 5% cash back on while using their PayPal Debit Mastercard. Shoppers can receive up to $1,000 in cash back in their selected category.

Users can also stack cash back offers. For example, if a DoorDash customer selected restaurant as their monthly category, they will receive the 5% cash back offer for using their PayPal Mastercard and another 10% cash back if they save the deal from DoorDash in the PayPal app. The 15% total rewards would be automatically applied when checking out with PayPal.

“We know that consumers are looking for smart, simple and safe ways to make their everyday purchases while also getting more value out of every transaction. That’s why millions of customers can now enjoy the trust and convenience they love about PayPal everywhere – both in-store and online, with access to rich rewards that put more money back in their pockets,” PayPal President and CEO Alex Chriss. “It’s a pivotal moment for PayPal and its customers and a significant first step as we bring the power of PayPal to everywhere they shop.”

PayPal also unveiled today that customers can add their PayPal Debit Card to their Apple Wallet, which will offer even more options at the point of sale.

“We’re excited to work with PayPal to bring Apple Pay to PayPal Debit Card cardholders and help deliver a seamless shopping experience to even more users,” said Eddy Cue, Senior Vice President of Services at Apple. “Whether in-store, online or in-apps, PayPal debit card cardholders will be able to enjoy the convenience and security that Apple Pay brings to their everyday lives.”

Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

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PayPal and Fiserv Tighten Ties for Faster Checkout

PayPal and Fiserv Tighten Ties for Faster Checkout
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Alumni News, Daily news, Fiserv, PayPal
  • Fiserv is tapping PayPal to help its merchant clients offer faster checkouts through PayPal’s Fastlane.
  • Fastlane recognizes returning customers via email, allowing them to autofill payment details and complete purchases in as little as one click.
  • PayPal estimates Fastlane users convert more than 80% of the time, with a 50% higher conversion rate and a 32% faster checkout process compared to non-users.

After first partnering more than a decade ago, PayPal and Fiserv have furthered their partnership to help Fiserv’s merchant clients leverage PayPal to offer shoppers a faster checkout experience.

Specificaly, Fiserv will allow its merchant clients to connect to PayPal’s Fastlane, which will ultimately help speed up guest checkout flows in the U.S. Fiserv joins BigCommerce, Bold, Adobe, and Salesforce, which also offer PayPal’s Fastlane.

“We’re excited to deepen our collaboration with Fiserv and extend our innovative products and solutions to a broader audience,” said PayPal Executive Vice President and General Manager Large Enterprise and Merchant Platform Group Frank Keller. “This partnership reinforces our commitment to driving excellence in checkout convenience by partnering with leading payment service providers and e-commerce platforms.”

Fastlane, which PayPal first launched in January and then made generally available earlier this month, recognizes customers early in the checkout process by their email. After customers receive a one-time passcode sent via email, Fastlane allows shoppers to access their saved information by autofilling the fields in the checkout flow. Once verified, customers can complete their purchase in as little as one click. If Fastlane does not recognize a shopper by their email, it allows them to create a Fastlane profile by opting in during their purchase process, enabling faster transactions in the future.

Because the tool does not require users to fill out forms or remember passwords, PayPal estimates that guest shoppers using Fastlane convert more than 80% of the time, have up to 50% higher conversion rates compared to non-Fastlane users, and reduce the time to checkout by 32%.

“Fiserv is committed to simplifying the complexities of commerce, creating value for our clients by making it simple for businesses to enable new, engaging experiences for their customer base,” said Fiserv Head of Merchant Solutions Jennifer LaClair. “Our expanded partnership with PayPal supports our mission to enhance client value by providing simple, cutting-edge solutions to our clients that elevate and accelerate the commerce experience.”

Photo by David Rado

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Fintech Rundown: A Rapid Review of Weekly News

Fintech Rundown: A Rapid Review of Weekly News
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Alumni News, ASA, Eko Investments, Fintech Rundown, Kobalt Labs, Mitek, nCino, PayPal, Trustly, UpSwot, Weekly Alumni News

Finovate’s Fintech Rundown is here with a look at some of the top fintech headlines. From startups emerging from stealth flush with capital to the launch of new AI-powered fraud fighting technologies, we’ve got you covered. Be sure to check back all week long for the latest updates.

E-commerce

E-commerce payments solution provider Klarna acquires New Zealand’s Laybuy.

Regtech

Risk and compliance company Unit21 introduces new anti-fraud technology for ACH transactions.

Payments

Uruguay-based cross-border payment platform dLocal forges strategic partnership with Uphold’s onramp service, Topper.

PayPal integrates with payroll provider UKG to offer early wage access.

Payments company D24 forges a strategic partnership with payments orchestration platform Yuno.

Nigeria-based B2B payments and liquidity platform for emerging markets businesses Waza emerges from stealth with $8 million in funding.

Identity management

Biometric authentication solutions company IDEX Biometrics names Catharina Eklof as its new CEO.

Crypto / DeFi

Romania-based AI and blockchain technology provider Humans.ai acquires TensorChain creator Starfish Technologies.

German neobank N26 expands its cryptocurrency trading product, N26 Crypto, to five new European nations: Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Portugal, and Switzerland.

Worldwide Stablecoin Payment Network (WSPN) raises $30 million in seed funding.

Decentralized finance (DeFi) risk management platform Chaos Labs secures $55 million in Series A funding.

Stablecoin-to-fiat money transfer app Sling Money locks in $15 million in funding.

Lending

ABN AMRO forges partnership with nCino to enhance its corporate lending operations.

Embedded finance fintech Amount secures $30 million to fuel its expansion into the credit union industry.

Digital banking

Challenger bank Starling Bank launches its first savings account offering 3.25% interest.

Wealth management

Cloud-based wealth management solution provider FusionIQ partners with wealthtech provider interVal to deliver new technology solutions to financial advisors.

Open banking

Open banking payments company Trustly announces strategic partnership with food delivery service company foodora.

Financial literacy

Northern Trust teams up with Greenlight Financial Technology to give its clients access to Greenlight’s finance app and debit card.

Embedded finance

Regtech Kobalt Labs joins the Treasury Prime Partner Marketplace.

Three Finovate alums – ASA Financial, Eko Investments, and upSWOT – earn finalist spots in the 2024 NXTSTAGE Financial Technology Pilot Competition.

Accounting and taxes

Automated accounting and tax solution for “solopreneurs,” Lettuce, raises $15 million in Series A funding.

Fraud and financial crime prevention

Digital identity and fraud prevention innovator Mitek Systems expands its partnership with Alogent.

Photo by Roman Kraft on Unsplash

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PayPal Makes Fastlane Generally Available to U.S. Merchants

PayPal Makes Fastlane Generally Available to U.S. Merchants
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Alumni News, Daily news, PayPal
  • PayPal is launching Fastlane, a one-click guest checkout experience for online merchants.
  • Fastlane automatically recognizes shoppers based on their phone number or email address, and autofills information forms in the checkout flow.
  • PayPal first unveiled Fastlane in January, and has been testing the solution with select merchants and ecommerce sites, including BigCommerce.

Fintech pioneer PayPal is launching Fastlane, its guest checkout tool, for all U.S. merchants this week. Fastlane aims to accelerate the guest checkout experience to help users complete their purchase in as little as one click.

Merchants can integrate Fastlane into their existing online checkout flow to create a simpler, faster checkout experience for the 43% of consumers who prefer a guest checkout experience. By using the customer’s email, Fastlane recognizes shoppers early in the guest checkout process and allows them to access their saved information with a one-time passcode sent via email. After entering their passcode, users can autofill the information in the checkout flow and complete their purchase in as little as one click.

When Fastlane does not recognize a shopper, it allows them to create a Fastlane profile by opting in during their purchase process, enabling faster transactions in the future.The tool does not require users to fill out forms or remember passwords.

“Fastlane by PayPal significantly reduces the time consumers spend using guest checkout – making for a more seamless checkout experience,” said PayPal President and CEO Alex Chriss. “With Fastlane, we are bringing an accelerated guest checkout to businesses of all sizes helping them to drive more sales.”

PayPal unveiled Fastlane in January and has since tested the technology with select businesses, including merchant SaaS provider BigCommerce, which is among the first ecommerce sites to test PayPal’s Fastlane. Over the past several months of trialing the technology, BigCommerce saw a 32% reduction in time it took for customers to check out. Additionally, as company CEO Brent Bellm noted, “Results from early-adopting test customers show that Fastlane users convert more than 80% of the time, which is up to a 50% improvement over guest shoppers who do not use Fastlane. For BigCommerce enterprise customers using PayPal, the Fastlane experience further improves on our checkout conversion rate of 71%.”

Fastlane is available for U.S. merchants on PayPal Complete Payments and PayPal Braintree, as well as via platforms including Adobe Commerce, BigCommerce, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, and others.

Photo by Martin Dusek

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PayPal’s Stablecoin Joins Solana: Impact on Consumers and Banks Explained

PayPal’s Stablecoin Joins Solana: Impact on Consumers and Banks Explained
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: PayPal, Thought Leadership

PayPal’s stablecoin, PayPal USD (PYUSD), was officially added to the Solana Blockchain last week. This shift comes after the California-based company launched on Ethereum blockchain last summer. Now, PayPal stablecoin users can send PYUSD on Ethereum or Solana when transferring out to external wallets.

“For more than 25 years, PayPal has been at the forefront of digital commerce, revolutionizing commerce by providing a trusted experience between consumers and merchants around the world. PayPal USD was created with the intent to revolutionize commerce again by providing a fast, easy, and inexpensive payment method for the next evolution of the digital economy,” said PayPal Senior Vice President of the Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, and Digital Currency Group Jose Fernandez da Ponte. “Making PYUSD available on the Solana blockchain furthers our goal of enabling a digital currency with a stable value designed for commerce and payments.”

In addition to enabling PYUSD transfers on both Ethereum and Solana, this move will have significant implications for PayPal, consumers, banks, and the crypto markets.

Impact on PayPal users

Faster transactions: Because Solana’s blockchain is known for its high-speed processing capabilities, PYUSD transactions on Solana will be much quicker, which will enhance the experience for end users.

Lower transaction costs: Solana offers low transaction fees, which will not only reduce the cost of sending and receiving PYUSD, but it will also make Solana a more attractive option for users looking to save on transaction costs.

More flexibility: Offering both Solana and Ethereum will offer users more choices for their transactions. Offering multiple blockchain allows users to choose different options based on their preferred cost and transaction speed.

Impact on Banks

Integration challenges: Traditional banks seeking to participate in the stablecoin market may need to adapt their systems to accommodate transactions that involve PayPal’s stablecoin on the Solana blockchain. These adaptations could require significant technical and regulatory challenges.

Competition: The race to stablecoin dominance has quieted among most traditional financial services providers in the U.S., but cross-border payments in all of their forms are still top-of-mind for many. As PayPal leverages the blockchain to offer faster and cheaper transactions, traditional banks may face increased competition.

Regulatory scrutiny: PayPal’s move onto Solana may attract further attention from regulators. This increased regulatory scrutiny may require financial institutions to pay more attention to their own operations and closely monitor regulatory developments to ensure that their own operations are compliant.

Impact on the Crypto market

Increased credibility: While it is not a bank, PayPal is a reputable player in the traditional financial services space. Because of its tenure and reputation in the space, the company’s adoption of Solana for its stablecoin operations offers credibility to the blockchain and crypto industries.

Boost for Solana: Solana will likely benefit from the partnership, as PayPal’s move serves as a vote of confidence for the blockchain and may lead to increased demand for Solana’s native token and may result in further adoption by other enterprises.

Shifting competition: PayPal’s selection of Solana may put pressure on Ethereum to improve its scalability and cost efficiency.

Overall, PayPal’s move is likely to enhance the efficiency and appeal of its digital currency offerings, drive broader adoption of blockchain technology, and spur innovation and competition in both the traditional financial sector and among crypto players.

PYUSD is issued and managed by Paxos Trust, a company whose products are subject to regulatory oversight by the New York State Department of Financial Services. Users can purchase PYUSD in the PayPal and Venmo wallets, as well as on crypto.com, Phantom, and Paxos. All platforms offer a fiat-to-crypto user experience.

Photo by Muhammad Asyfaul on Unsplash

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