Gift, loyalty and rewards programs have dominated headlines in recent weeks, reflecting mainstream adoption of gift cards, points and miles in everyday transactions. Recent examples include Jan 31, 2024, disclosures of Blackhawk Network's intention to acquire gift card rewards provider Tango Card, and Factor4 and LMS-POS integration that facilitates gift card transactions at the POS.

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The latest study by the U.S. Faster Payments Council, jointly conducted by the FPC’s Fraud Work Group and Verafin and released Jan. 24, 2023, calls for renewed efforts to rein in faster payments exploitation. Fraud Trends and Mitigation Opportunities (Bulletin.01) offers guidance on threat detection, prevention and mitigation, according to The Clearing House Vice President, Real-Time Payments Lee Kyriacou, who also chairs the FPC Fraud Work Group.

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Don't expect a speedy resolution to the Federal Reserve's controversial plan to lower allowable debit card interchange. The Fed disclosed last year that a new, lower debit interchange cap was on the schedule for 2025. In an announcement this week, however, the Fed said it would extend until May 12 the deadline for comments on its plan to slash permissible debit interchange by as much as 30 percent. Comments originally were due by Feb. 12.

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Emerging trends in identity theft, first-party fraud and other financial crimes have inspired technology leaders to partner to protect against known and unknown threats. On Jan. 11, 2024, the gaming platform Underdog Fantasy disclosed its partnership with Sift, a real-time fraud protection service. The same day, security specialists Darwinium and AtData formed an alliance to leverage adjacent capabilities, and Forter, a trust platform for digital commerce, launched a new abuse prevention solution.

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Artificial intelligence dominated media coverage in the opening weeks of 2024, as the ascendant technology took center stage at two prominent industry events. In addition, a bipartisan working group on AI convened on Capitol Hill. These activities reflect widespread interest in AI and its potential to shape business, private life and public policy.

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Elon Musk threw down another gauntlet, this one challenging financial institutions and payments companies, in particular one payments disruptor he helped to create, PayPal. In a Jan. 9, 2024, message posted to Musk's social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the serial entrepreneur confirmed what many had suspected since he purchased the platform: X is being positioned to go beyond content creation and distribution to disrupt the payments space.

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Official numbers provided Jan. 17, 2024, by the U.S. Census Bureau affirm bullish predictions by retail industry leaders and trade associations of record-breaking 2023 holiday spending. The report, released one day after the National Retail Federation's annual conference and expo, indicates a 3.8 percent increase over 2022's holiday spend.

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Buy now, pay later is taking off like gangbusters, and that has regulators and some members of Congress concerned. In a letter posted during the holiday shopping season, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Senator John Fetterman, D-Penn., urged the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to take steps establishing consumer protections for BNPL.

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A new report by The Wise Marketer, commissioned by Engage People, shows a growing number of consumers are using points as currency. Based on an October 2023 survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers, Paying with Points – Tomorrow Is Too Late found 84 percent of respondents are redeeming points online and in stores, an 80 percent increase over the previous year, researchers noted.

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India has emerged as a digital-first economy and global ecommerce giant, providing growth opportunities for merchants, processors, tech startups and third-party service providers. This is according to a number of industry leaders and a diverse cohort of fintechs, including Monnai, EBANX and AstroPay, which have extolled the region's adaptable infrastructure and skilled labor force.

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Visa is on the receiving end of a legal challenge to its surcharging and cash discounting rules. MiCamp Solutions, an Arizona-based financial technology company and leading ISO, filed a class action lawsuit in December 2023 against Visa in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on behalf of itself and other ISOs hamstrung by the regulations and the penalties levied for noncompliance.

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