Mastercard launched the Mastercard AI Card Design Studio, an innovative platform that transforms how issuers create and deploy card designs. By combining speed, affordability and advanced customization, it gives card issuers a powerful, intuitive solution to bring their unique brand to life. The AI Card Design Studio draws on Mastercard’s brand and card production expertise to bring high-end design capabilities directly to its partners. Users can upload logos and product details, use AI-assisted design features, customize as needed and instantly download brand-compliant designs. What once took weeks can now be completed in minutes—accelerating go-to-market timelines while enabling more creative flexibility and emotional impact. With the AI Card Design Studio, Mastercard is applying that same approach to the creative process, giving partners more control and clarity from the start. The platform empowers creative teams by providing compelling design tools, while freeing up time to focus on higher-level creative strategy. From pioneering multisensory branding and launching the inclusively designed Touch Card, to introducing our sustainable card program aimed at removing first-use PVC plastics from our network by 2028, Mastercard has consistently pushed the boundaries of what design can do. This new tool is a natural extension of that legacy, allowing issuers to quickly produce stand-out designs.
Uber Pro Card will deliver enhanced payment experiences by leveraging Mastercard One Credential, a single digitally connected credential offering greater payment choice
Mastercard is deepening its global payments partnership with Uber to improve experiences for drivers, couriers and Mastercard cardholders using the Uber platform. Uber will leverage a range of Mastercard products and services – including Mastercard Move for real-time disbursements, Mastercard One Credential to simplify the payment experience, and Mastercard Gateway capabilities for collections – to support its business operations. The Uber Pro Card, which Mastercard already supports in the United States and Canada, has been renewed in those markets and will be expanded to new ones, including the United Kingdom. The card allows Uber drivers and couriers to receive instant payments at no cost after every trip or delivery and offers benefits like leading cash-back rewards on gas purchases. Along with this expansion, the Uber Pro Card will also deliver enhanced payment experiences by leveraging Mastercard One Credential, a single digitally connected credential offering greater payment choice. With Mastercard One Credential, drivers and couriers will gain flexible and innovative options for managing their finances, supporting greater financial resilience. Uber’s global customer base will also benefit from Mastercard’s consumer payment products and services, including its Offers Platform. This will add increased, unique benefits and value to Mastercard cardholders purchasing delivery and mobility services on Uber’s platform. Mastercard Gateway, the company’s global processing and fraud prevention solution, will also be leveraged to enable Uber to accept a wide range of digital transactions quickly and securely.
70% of Galaxy S25 owners are using Galaxy AI features and more than half are using Circle to Search; Galaxy AI to expand to 400 million devices by the end of 2025
Samsung is planning a big expansion of AI features on Galaxy phones, and claims that a huge percentage of its users are already leveraging AI features in one way or another. Samsung says that 70% of Galaxy S25 owners are using Galaxy AI features. There’s no specific timeline (as in, how often after the features being used), but it’s still a big number. Samsung further adds that: “More than half” of Galaxy S25 owners use Circle to Search (a Google feature); Photo Assist usage “doubled” compared to Galaxy S24 users; Now Brief is used by “one in three” Galaxy S25 owners; Google Gemini use “tripled” on “the latest Galaxy S series.” With all of this in mind, Samsung says that it will expand Galaxy AI to hundreds of millions of devices over the course of 2025. Specifically, the company wants to double its previous “200+ million” figure to over 400 million. At the center of our innovation is a desire to bring consumers seamless and secure mobile AI experiences that align with their needs. That’s why Samsung Galaxy is committed to expanding Galaxy AI to 400 million devices by the end of this year — democratizing the power and possibilities of mobile AI to even more users. It stands to reason that new device launches and updates to existing devices will play a big role, but it’s still a big promise.
Google Messages testing RCS’ new MLS encryption which makes E2E encryption possible across different RCS clients and providers
Google Messages is beginning to test the new Messaging Layer Security (MLS) protocol. Universal Profile 3.0 adds support for MLS, which makes E2E encryption possible across different RCS clients and providers. Google first announced its support for this interoperable protocol in 2023. The GSMA and Apple announced official adoption this March. Google Messages is now beginning to test MLS encryption for RCS. It starts with a new message “Details” (long-press on the chat/text) screen that’s fullscreen compared to the current approach. You get a preview of the message at the top, with Google also showing a “Status” section for “Sent” and Delivered” that explains the new checkmarks. We see Google using the latest single circle design that has yet to become widely available. There’s also a “From” section, while the bottom portion provides more technical details including Type, Priority, Message id and Encryption Protocol. This new design is not widely rolled out in the beta channel. It’s unclear if that’s also the case for MLS as the old UI makes no indication, while Apple has yet to specify when support is coming.
Apple Pay in Korea offers alternative to Samsung- users can purchase and recharge rechargeable smart cards directly within the Wallet app, and can enable “Express Mode” by tapping an iPhone or Apple Watch on a Tmoney machine
Apple Pay has launched in Korea, allowing iPhone and Apple Watch users to use the country’s transit system, Tmoney, without feeling overshadowed by Samsung’s mobile payment services. Users can purchase and recharge Tmoney cards directly within the Wallet app, and can enable “Express Mode” by tapping an iPhone or Apple Watch on a Tmoney machine. The automatic recharge function can be adjusted or canceled anytime via the Wallet or Tmoney app, and remains active even when switching to a new iPhone. The service does not support postpaid payment options like traditional Tmoney cards, credit cards, or Samsung Pay. However, users can enable “Express Mode” by tapping an iPhone or Apple Watch on a Tmoney machine without opening an app or waking the device. The service has built-in security functions to protect personal information and does not collect or track user data or transit history. However, restrictions apply, such as not supporting local government fare subsidy cards and balance top-ups using credit cards within the Apple Pay Wallet. Apple Pay Tmoney is available only on devices running iOS 17.2 or later
The GENIUS Act’s requirement for all approved stablecoin issuers to have robust AML, KYC and risk monitoring programs coupled with national trust bank charter that allows companies to offer crypto custodial services to open the stablecoin market to a wider range of users
With the GENIUS Act now law, stablecoin issuers—including banks and fintechs—finally have regulatory clarity under federal oversight, allowing for broader adoption. Federally insured banks can issue stablecoins, while fintechs require Federal Reserve approval. The law aims to legitimize stablecoins with rules on consumer protections, reserves, AML, and KYC, drawing more users and revenue. Paxos CEO Charles Cascarilla said the law will help stablecoins go mainstream, while Mastercard’s Jorn Lambert emphasized regulation as key to adoption. Paxos, PayPal, Fiserv, and Mastercard are part of the Global Dollar Network pushing for scale. Though stablecoins won’t likely replace everyday payments in developed economies, they’re seen as transformative for cross-border transactions, gig economy pay, and digital wallets. Tether and Circle welcomed the law, with Circle seeking a national trust bank charter to expand its services. Critics, including the ABA and Consumer Reports, warn that stablecoins could disrupt traditional banking and lack adequate consumer safeguards. Still, large banks like Citi, JPMorgan, and BofA are exploring stablecoin strategies, with Citi appearing the most bullish, according to KeyBanc.
Amazon acquires AI wearables startup Bee whose stand-alone Fitbit-like bracelet records everything it hears with the goal of listening to conversations to create reminders and to-do lists for the user
Amazon has acquired the AI wearables startup Bee. Bee makes both a stand-alone Fitbit-like bracelet (which retails for $49.99, plus a $19-per-month subscription) and an Apple Watch app. The product records everything it hears — unless the user manually mutes it — with the goal of listening to conversations to create reminders and to-do lists for the user. The company hopes to create a “cloud phone,” or a mirror of your phone that gives the personal Bee device access to the user’s accounts and notifications, making it possible to get reminders about events or send messages. At a $50 price point, Bee’s devices are more cost-accessible to a curious consumer who doesn’t want to make a big financial commitment. This acquisition signals Amazon’s interest in developing wearable AI devices, a different avenue from its voice-controlled home assistant products like its line of Echo speakers. Bee says that users can delete their data at any time and that audio recordings are not saved, stored, or used for AI training. The app does store data that the AI learns about the user, however, which is how it can function as an assistant. Bee also says it’s working on a feature to allow users to define boundaries — both based on topic and location — that will automatically pause the device’s learning. The company noted that it plans to build on-device AI processing, which generally poses less of a privacy risk than processing data in the cloud.
WEX and BP partnership to enable fleet drivers to pay for parts and service, tolls, car washes, parking, and roadside assistance using earnify fleet card and earn rebates for fuel an vehicle-related purchases at over 8,000 stations
WEX and bp announced a new partnership to provide fleet drivers access to fuel savings through the earnify™fleet fuel card program in the U.S. Moving forward, earnify™fleet cards can be used for fuel and vehicle-related purchases at merchants that accept WEX and Mastercard® with on-going fuel rebates available at over 8,000 stations across the bp family of brands. Designed for small businesses and large fleets, this partnership will expand the program’s valuable fuel rebates to bp, Amoco, TravelCenters of America, TA Express, and Petro stations across the country. “With the earnify™fleet card, we’re combining WEX’s payments technology with bp’s fueling network to give fleets a smarter, more efficient way to manage operations,” said Brian Fournier, Americas SVP & GM, Mobility at WEX. Drivers can use their earnify™fleet card to pay for parts and service, tolls, car washes, parking, and roadside assistance. With all of these options available on one card, this simplified solution can also be utilized for integrated reporting and invoicing. Business owners and fleet operators can set purchase controls on employee spending based on product type, dollar amount, time of day, and more. The cards come with EMV chip technology, giving businesses extra protection from fraud. earnify™fleet drivers can sign up for the earnify™ rewards program and earn personal loyalty points when they fuel for work at participating locations. This added benefit is designed to enhance earnify™fleet driver satisfaction and encourage in-network fueling, benefiting both drivers and fleet managers.
Nuvei adds PINless debit and least cost routing to its authorization optimization suite tools to boost merchant authorization rates
Nuvei announced the addition of PINless debit and Least Cost Routing to its Authorization Optimization suite, improving its authorization rate for merchants in North America by up to 3.5 percentage points for applicable transactions. PINless debit and least cost routing are available now in the U.S., enabling eligible transactions to bypass traditional card rails in favor of lower-cost local debit networks. Nuvei’s smart routing engine uses real-time AI and machine learning to analyze every transaction and determine the most effective path to approval based on issuer behavior, network logic, card metadata, and regional preferences. Key routing capabilities include: Intelligent Routing – Routes transactions through the best-performing bank or card network; PINless Debit Routing (U.S.) – Routes eligible debit cards through lower-cost networks, with fallback to Visa/Mastercard. Nuvei’s enhanced smart routing helps merchants optimize margin, performance, and speed without adding operational complexity.Nuvei’s intelligent authorization stack ensures that once a transaction reaches the right place, it has the highest possible chance of being approved. These features work together to reduce friction, resolve soft declines, and adapt in real time to issuer requirements: Smart Auth Messaging – Dynamically configures payloads and message formats based on issuer-specific logic; Network Tokens – Increases issuer trust and compatibility through Visa and Mastercard network tokens; One-Click Payments – Accelerates repeat transactions with frictionless token-based experiences. If a transaction fails, Nuvei’s Smart Retry capabilities step in to recover revenue in real time, with no disruption to the customer experience. Built into the Authorization Optimization Suite, Smart Retry uses advanced decisioning logic to analyze failure reasons and automatically reattempt transactions through the most promising alternate paths. Nuvei’s Smart Retry engine includes: Account Updater – Automatically refreshes expired or replaced card credentials; Bank Failover Routing – Routes the transaction to a backup bank or APM if the primary path declines; Auth Reconfiguration – Modifies message format dynamically based on issuer response codes
New AI model uses behavior data from Apple Watch for better health predictions, outperforming traditional detection methods that rely on data streams from sensors
Apple-sponsored research paper, which relies on data from the Heart and Movement Study, explains how behavior data can often serve as a more significant health indicator relative to conventional biometric data obtained through hardware sensors. The study says that physical activity, cardiovascular fitness, and mobility metrics are especially useful for detecting transient and static health states. With that information in mind, the researchers created what they call a WBM, or wearable health behavior foundation model. It was trained on “behavioral data from wearables, using 162K participants with over 15 billion hourly measurements from the Apple Heart and Movement Study.” In short, the WBM uses patterns derived from raw sensor data to predict a person’s health state, and the study suggests this outperforms traditional detection methods that rely on data streams from sensors. The research paper also says the WBM was tested on 57 health-related tasks, and that it outperformed a traditional PPG (photoplethysmograph) model in most situations. Specifically, WBM outperforms PPG in predicting static health states such as beta blocker use, as it more reliably detects heart rate reductions during the day. It also outperformed PPG in predicting transient health states such as pregnancy, though it was unable to predict diabetes better than PPG. “Low-level sensor data outperforms behavioral data in tasks where physiological information is sufficient,” the study says. As for what all of this means in practice, Apple could adopt this type of hybrid approach as a way of building upon its existing health-related technology. In other words, using a WBM-like model alongside the existing Apple Watch PPG or ECG (electrocardiogram) sensors.