Payments news stories in March 2017 were dominated by the usual suspects – cyber-security, mobile payments and fintech! SWIFT started its various SWIFT Business Forums, and for us SWIFT’ies that’s pretty interesting. Check out the following top payments news stories that caught my eye during March 2017:
1. Payments News – Cyber Security
- Cifas figures reveal record identity fraud levels in the UK
- Samsung S8 will introduce facial recognition for payments, as well as fingerprint and iris detection
- City of London Police warn of ATM cameras planted by crooks
- Swiss based SIX links up with IBM to build a cyber-security centre
2. Payments News – Mobile Payments
- MasterCard and Geitr partner to introduce a payment bot for Messenger
- India’s Paytm raises $200 million from Alibab to grow its online retail business
- Interest in MoneyGram hots up with interest from Euronet and Ant Financial
- Google adds P2P payments to its Gmail app
- Samsung, Smartlink and Ingenico introduce CCP (Contactless Companion Platform) to deliver digital cash
- Nordic banks offer mobile payments using Dankort
3. Payments News: Digital / Crypto-currencies
- Crypto Valley Association – the Swiss based not for profit association – founded to build a global blockchain and cryptographic ecosystem
- CIGI – Centre for International Governance Innovation – stresses the G20 to take decisive steps to harness blockchain technology
- secureKey and IBM link up to provide a blockchain based digital identity solution
4. Payments News: Banks
- Barclays and Uber team up through a customer loyalty program
- Bank of England launches new Fintech Community and various proof of concepts
- IDC Financial Insights reports how 80% of banks in Asia Pacific will run on a cloud based architecture by 2018
- UK Cheque and Clearing company will launch a image based cheque clearing system from 30th October, 2017
- Payments Canada select Accenture to implement a industry wide modernisation program
- BBVA create a global Head of Data role
5. Payments News: Fintech
- Nordea prepares for PSD2 with Open Banking API portal
- UK government launches Digital Strategy to create a world leading economy
- The Bank of England blog discusses the implications of the Fourth Industrial Revolution
- Deutsche Bourse’s Ankur Kamalia explores investments that encourage innovation – focusing on blockchain and machine learning
- Starling Bank partners with TransferWise to provide customers with cheaper cross border transfers
- French food retailer – Carrefour – has launched a online banking service that can be activated online in 10 minutes!
- European Commission launches public consultation on FinTech in a bid to create competitive and innovative financial services in Europe
- The Monetary Authority of Singapore pilots a KYC utility based on the MyInfo digital identity service
- Nordea – The Robots are Coming!
- Square arrives in the UK
- Interesting – Burton Taylor report on Bloomberg terminal number decreases
- Payments in Switzerland will undergo the biggest digital transformation in 30 years according to Payments Standards Switzerland
- Central Bank of Bahrain talk Fintech
6. Payments News: SWIFT
- Finextra provide a good overview of the SWIFT Business Forum in Zurich in their live blog of the event
7. Payments News: Reports
- State of Fintech Report by PAYFORT and Wamda put the spotlight on fintech in Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
- Finextra Report – From legacy to innovation: Transforming the role of banks in the payments industry
- Matteo Rizzi provide a neat recap of the FinTechStage Inclusion Forum in Jakarta, Indonesia
- CBI / PwC Survey Financial Services Survey reveals stability in the sector after a jittery 2016
That’s it folks! Let me know below if I missed anything important…