Deutsche Bank and Mastercard announced a strategic partnership designed to accelerate the evolution of open banking and redefine the payment experience for merchants and consumers across Europe. The collaboration will elevate Deutsche Bank’s Merchant Solutions offering, particularly its Request to Pay (R2P) service, by introducing new levels of choice, flexibility, and efficiency with account-to-account based payments on Mastercard’s trusted open banking network. This partnership positions Deutsche Bank and Mastercard at the forefront of payment innovation enabling merchants to offer “Pay by Bank” functionality through Deutsche Bank’s Merchant Solutions. The partnership empowers merchants to leverage R2P as a preferred payment method giving consumers the ability to authorize payments directly from their bank accounts with real-time processing and immediate confirmation. Mastercard’s open banking technology will be fully integrated into Deutsche Bank’s platform, supporting faster settlement, enhanced reconciliation, and greater payment transparency.
FIS cloud-native, core-agnostic hub solution connects multiple payment networks and processes payments in one place via a single API
FIS has launched its Money Movement Hub, an innovative payments solution that helps to simplify the back-end infrastructure of financial institutions by enabling them to connect to multiple payment networks and process payments in one place. Designed as a turnkey solution for a wide range of institutions – from super regional banks to community banks – the Money Movement Hub supports a modernized payments journey that can change with each client’s needs. The flexible, cloud-native platform is core-agnostic and allows banks to start with the payment types they need today, then add new capabilities over time through a “pay-as-you-grow” model. It delivers unified and secure money movement experiences that can be embedded across a variety of customer channels, helping institutions meet digital demands quickly and efficiently. The FIS Money Movement Hub helps to harmonize the payments ecosystem within a financial institution by facilitating the integration of major payment networks within one solution, via a single API. As well as helping to reduce complexity for organizations, the solution can increase the accuracy of payments, improve liquidity, and help to quickly remediate security risks. This innovative payments hub responds to evolving consumer demands for faster and more efficient payments, as well as regulatory changes, and aims to transform financial institutions’ money movement capabilities. Features of the FIS Money Movement Hub: Unified integration; Cloud-native; Built-in fraud controls.
Pret-A-Manger secures global payment processing with store-and-forward functionality helping ensure uninterrupted transaction processing even during connectivity disruptions
Pret-A-Manger is leveraging the FreedomPay payment acceptance solution in the U.S., U.K. and Hong Kong. The retailer plans further deployments of the system in Europe later in 2025. Utilizing FreedomPay payment acceptance technology, Pret-A-Manger seeks consistently available and operational processing of customer payments. The platform’s store-and-forward functionality helps ensure uninterrupted transaction processing even during connectivity disruptions, helping the retailer maintain business continuity and maximize revenue. Chris Matthews, global retail technology director at Pret A Manger. “Partnering with FreedomPay allows us to leverage their best-in-class technology to ensure secure and reliable payment processing, no matter where our customers are in the world. This partnership is a key ingredient in our recipe for international success, allowing us to focus on what we do best: delivering delicious, freshly made food and organic coffee.” With the help of Dallas Holdings Limited, the retailer opened its first shop in Los Angeles in 2024 as part of its U.S. growth trajectory, with the chain aiming to reach 300 stores by 2029.
Verizon and Trustly install new in-store process that simplifies the ability for customers to enroll in pay by bank autopay and secure associated discounts within a single transaction.
Verizon and Trustly have partnered to extend pay-by-bank options to Verizon’s brick-and-mortar retail stores, allowing customers to use their bank accounts directly for purchasing devices, upgrades and accessories. A primary goal for Verizon is to lower payment acceptance costs by encouraging customers to switch from card payments to ACH/pay by bank, and the new in-store process simplifies the ability for customers to enroll in autopay and secure associated discounts within a single transaction. Verizon’s strategy of offering discounts for pay by bank is highlighted as a successful method for influencing customer payment choices and is particularly appealing to younger consumers. Kerrie Larpenter, director of enterprise customer success at Trustly, and Attie Muse, senior director of payment strategy and operations at Verizon said, “Adding pay by bank as an option in a retail setting adds the payment option in a trusted, secure environment.” “By using Trustly to remove the friction of traditional ACH, like the manual entry of banking credentials, we made direct bank payments a more appealing option for customers,” Attie Muse, senior director of payment strategy and operations at Verizon. Muse and Larpenter said that pay by bank’s appeal — and the attendant discounts and incentives — are especially attractive to Generation Z and millennial consumers as it ties into responsible budgeting.
Virtual accounts give banks the ability to rewire how payments create value, turning one-time payouts into always-on financial relationships
A growing number of banks are starting to see disbursements; not as the end of a process, but the start of a relationship. At the center of this shift is a powerful new strategy — virtual accounts. More than just a modern payment tool, virtual accounts give banks the ability to rewire how payments create value, turning one-time payouts into always-on financial relationships. Shifting the focus from virtual accounts as a tactic to virtual accounts as a strategy is important to driving momentum against that shift. Because virtual accounts allow banks to move beyond simply sending money to a recipient’s existing account at another financial institution or FinTech digital wallet. Instead, they offer the chance to issue a branded digital account to those receivers instantly and at scale. And they can do that where funds are deposited, and this is where the opportunity for new engagement around that account begins. For financial institutions, traditional disbursements often generate little future value beyond the corporate account that wants to move the money to a recipient. Thinking about virtual accounts as a strategy flips the economics. Instead of seeing static money, recipients gain faster access to funds, financial management tools, and even rewards. Banks gain new revenue streams, behavioral insights, and lasting customer relationships. For banks under pressure to innovate and differentiate, this strategy offers a powerful competitive edge. The magic of virtual accounts is in their ability to close the loop inside of an existing bank ecosystem. Funds don’t just exit the bank. They stay in branded environments where they can be spent, transferred or saved.
Forge launches GameLink and PayLink, a link-in-bio with payments built for games providing a centralized hub for any game to connect purchase, content, community, and launch a direct-to-consumer experience within minutes
Forge, the platform for community-driven game marketing and engagement, announced Forge GameLink and PayLink, a groundbreaking Link-in-Bio product purpose built for game studios and publishers. Building on Forge’s mission to empower game developers and foster direct connection with players, GameLink provides a centralized hub for any game to connect purchase, content, community, and launch a direct-to-consumer experience within minutes. Forge PayLink enables any game developer to link out from their existing in-app purchase flow and seamlessly integrate payment processing, without disrupting the checkout process. Additionally, games can feature their SKUs directly on their GameLink. Game developers can use PayLink to increase their revenue by up to 35% with just a few minutes of integration. Unlike traditional game websites which serve as static landing pages, Forge GameLink offers developers and publishers the ability to create dynamic, customizable and easily managed Link-in-Bio style landing and community hub for their game. Forge GameLink is integrated into the recently announced Forge Direct suite, enabling a seamless upgrade path to a full featured customizable community portal complete with quests, loyalty rewards, and direct-to-player commerce. Additionally, games can directly list SKUs on their Forge GameLink for purchase. Mobile games can link to their SKUs via PayLink to seamlessly provide support for existing MOR and alternative payment options within their existing in-app checkout experience. By providing direct payment processing options, games can boost revenue and provide increased retention through loyalty, rewards, and other incentives with the Forge platform.
Bank of England tests AI to spot real-time payment fraud and uncovered 12% more illicit accounts than they would otherwise have found
The bank of England’s Project Hertha tested the application of modern AI techniques to help spot complex and coordinated criminal activity in payment system data. The experiments were conducted using a state-of-the-art simulated synthetic transaction dataset, developed as part of the project. It includes data for 1.8 million bank accounts and 308 million transactions. The dataset was built by using an advanced AI model trained to simulate realistic transaction patterns. It found that payment system analytics could be a valuable “supplementary tool” to help banks and payment service providers (PSPs) spot suspicious activity. Banks and PSPs participating in the project uncovered 12% more illicit accounts than they would otherwise have found. The experiment also proved particularly valuable for spotting novel financial crime patterns. When trying to spot previously unseen behaviours, it helped achieve a 26% improvement. “The results demonstrate promise but also show there are limits to the application and effectiveness of system analytics,” states the BofE. “It is just one piece of the puzzle. The introduction of a similar solution would also raise complex practical, legal and regulatory issues. Analysing these was beyond the scope of Project Hertha.” The central bank says the results also highlight the importance of labelled training data, robust model feedback loop and explainable AI algorithms to maximise effectiveness.
Conferma’s partnership with JP Morgan Payments Network to enable businesses to issue virtual cards and make multi-currency payments via API that integrates directly with ERP, procurement, and expense management platforms
Conferma has expanded its strategic membership in the J.P. Morgan Payments Partner Network to include J.P. Morgan Payments’ virtual card solutions as part of its European offerings. This expansion offers European-based businesses the opportunity to issue and manage virtual cards effortlessly, unlocking multi-currency capabilities and providing greater flexibility to streamline payments across the region. J.P. Morgan Payments’ virtual card services offer businesses in Europe the opportunity to access virtual card services and benefit from trusted payment capabilities—simplifying procurement, boosting cash flow, and enhancing security. What this means for businesses: Expanded payment freedom: Corporates can issue virtual cards, eliminating international barriers and empowering businesses with greater global agility. Multi-currency efficiency: Virtual cards enable payment in local currencies, reducing FX costs and improving payment efficiency. Seamless integration: Conferma’s API technology integrates directly with ERP, procurement, and expense management platforms, making adoption effortless and quick. Stronger financial oversight: Businesses gain more visibility, control, and fraud protection, enhancing compliance and security. By combining J. P. Morgan Payments’ virtual card solutions through the J.P. Morgan Payments Partner Network with Conferma’s seamless technology, businesses can accelerate payments, enhance security, and cut operational costs.
Solution combines Deluxe’s merchant processing tech and Chargent’s Salesforce-native tools to enable businesses to automate billing, accept payments, and gain real-time transaction insights natively without leaving the Salesforce environment
Deluxe and Chargent announced a strategic partnership to deliver seamless, end-to-end payment integration within Salesforce. This collaboration allows businesses to automate billing, accept payments, and gain real-time transaction insights—all without leaving the Salesforce environment. By combining Chargent’s powerful, Salesforce-native tools with the secure and scalable merchant processing infrastructure at Deluxe, the new offering helps businesses accelerate cash flow, reduce manual work, and improve financial visibility. “This partnership enhances the way our customers manage payments—simplifying operations and supporting revenue growth,” said Bryan Van Meter, Head of GTM at Chargent. “Deluxe brings credibility, scale, and decades of payments expertise that our customers can trust.” “Partnering with Chargent allows us to bring the robust payment infrastructure at Deluxe directly into the Salesforce ecosystem,” said Brian Mahony, President of Merchant Services at Deluxe. “This integration gives businesses a secure, efficient way to manage payments within the platform they already rely on—helping them streamline operations, improve cash flow, and support long-term growth.”
Pagos launches first MCP server to allows LLMs and AI-powered tools to securely query real-time BIN-level card data directly from card networks
Pagos, an all-in-one provider of payments optimization solutions, today announces the launch of its first Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server, making it easier than ever for AI agents and applications to query the payments intelligence available only through Pagos. This MCP Server, designed for their direct-to-network BIN data solution, allows large language models (LLMs) and AI-powered tools to securely query real-time BIN-level card data directly from card networks. Developers and businesses can now plug this data directly into their AI workflows, making it easier than ever to: Get to know your customer base with card details like issuer, card brand, and country data; Design routing strategies around preferable approval rates and processing costs; Finetune your retry strategy; Create BIN-based fraud rules to identify and block issuing banks or specific BINs frequently associated with fraud or carding attacks; Reduce your interchange costs by identifying when a customer’s card qualifies for Level II or III data; Prototype AI tools without building a custom connector to Pagos