Weekly News Update

Payments News Update – April 22, 2021

Legal and Regulatory Developments SPOTLIGHT: At Congressional Hearing, Panelists Question Why Crypto and Fintech Firms Need Bank Licenses The Block – April 15, 2021 Congress collected feedback from legal minds on how fintech firms may use or abuse banking licenses. The hearing, entitled “Banking Innovation or Regulatory Evasion? Exploring Trends in Financial Institution Charters,” included former...

Payments News Update – April 16, 2021

Legal and Regulatory Developments SPOTLIGHT: Insider's Report On Payments: Interchange in the Crosshairs The Green Sheet – April 12, 2021 The major card brands are on the hot seat. Under pressure from Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill.,Visa and Mastercard postponed for a year interchange rate changes that were slated for April 2021. This followed news that the financial software giant Intuit is suing the two brands in...

Payments News Update – April 1, 2021

Legal and Regulatory Developments SPOTLIGHT: Retail Groups Seek to Protect Merchants in Ongoing Swipe Fee Litigation Chain Store Age – March 31, 2021 The nation’s two largest retail trade are objecting to the scope of proposed class-action swipe fee litigation. The Retail Industry Leaders Association and the National Retail Federation are asking to intervene in longstanding multidistrict class action...

Payments News Update – March 25, 2021

Legal and Regulatory Developments SPOTLIGHT: A DOJ Investigation of Visa Is the Latest Chapter in a Long History of Probes Into Network Policies Digital Transactions News – March 22, 2021 The news that the U.S. Department of Justice is probing debit card routing practices at Visa Inc. follows on a long history of such investigations and could portend a more serious attitude by regulators to address...

Payments News Update – March 4, 2021

Legal and Regulatory Developments SPOTLIGHT: UK Launches Antitrust Probe Into Apple CNN Business – March 4, 2021 The United Kingdom's competition watchdog has launched an investigation into Apple (AAPL) after app developers complained that they're being forced to use the company's payment systems and distribute their products via its App Store. The Competition and Markets Authority said Thursday that it will...

Payments News Update – February 18, 2021

Legal and Regulatory Developments SPOTLIGHT: Feds Probing American Express' Business, Consumer Card Sales Practices The Hill – February 12, 2021 American Express disclosed on Friday that several federal agencies are probing its sales practices for its small business credit cards and consumer cards. The company said in a regulatory filing that it received a grand jury subpoena in January from the U.S....

Payments News Update – February 11, 2021

Legal and Regulatory Developments SPOTLIGHT: Big Banks, Big Tech Face off Over Swipe Fees American Banker – February 7, 2021 The fees generated from consumers’ debit card spending have long been a source of acrimony between big banks and retailers. But now the banks have a new adversary: Apple, PayPal and other fresh competitors from the tech industry. In recent months, banking heavyweights have sought to...

Payments News Update – January 28, 2021

Legal and Regulatory Developments SPOTLIGHT: UK Merchants to Face Post-Brexit Fee Increase From Mastercard Business Insider – January 26, 2021 In response to Brexit, Mastercard is reportedly planning to increase fees for UK online card purchases. And this move could negatively affect cash-strapped merchants. Insider Intelligence publishes hundreds of insights, charts, and forecasts on the Payments & Commerce...

Payments News Update – January 21, 2021

Legal and Regulatory Developments SPOTLIGHT: CFPB Under Chopra Will Be Aggressive Consumer Watchdog, Experts Say Compliance Week – January 19, 2021 Rohit Chopra, currently a Democratic commissioner on the Federal Trade Commission, has been nominated by President-elect Joe Biden to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Unlike some Biden nominations (think Janet Yellen at the Treasury...

Payments News Update – January 14, 2021

Legal and Regulatory Developments SPOTLIGHT: Visa Will Not Acquire Plaid After Running Into Regulatory Wall TechCrunch – January 12, 2021 Visa and Plaid called off their agreement this afternoon, ending the consumer credit giant’s takeover of the data-focused fintech API startup. The deal, valued at $5.3 billion at the time of its announcement, first broke cover on January 13, 2020, or nearly one year ago...