Research

As older payment methods recede, pay-by-bank is emerging as a contender at the point of sale. It allows consumers to continue using the funds in their checking accounts, as they do with ACH payments, but adds greater security with real-time auth...

Generative artificial intelligence is not just hype. It is a high-impact technology that requires the attention of leaders in every industry. Payments and financial services products and business models are at risk, but they will not be affected...

Prepaid cards continue to emerge as effective tools to address the financial needs of underbanked communities and cater to the particular requirements of developing underserved communities, including young people and those providing elder care. ...

Adoption of digital tax filing continues to grow, with the vast majority of U.S. returns submitted electronically. Digital tax preparation and filing remains a highly fragmented market, with one player enjoying a dominant position and others hol...

With the pending launch of the FedNow service in the United States, real-time payments (RTP) are poised to transform the way large numbers of Americans go about their transactions. Hosting RTP at the point of sale is a particularly attractive pr...

Private-label credit cards are an essential part of the U.S. card market, but they are a product in slow decline and face several threats, including instant point-of-sale financing and buy now, pay later loans.

Card networks are at a crossroads after decades of dominance. New payment methods and heightened regulatory scrutiny are eroding the competitive advantage Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover have historically enjoyed. This combinati...

Mergers and acquisitions in payments and merchant services have slowed amid tough economic conditions and the fallout from the FIS-Worldpay deal, which just didn’t work out. Against that backdrop, M&A activity in those spaces is under increasing...

During the pandemic, specialist fintech lending caused long faces at big banks by seizing share. Five percent of Gen Zers and Gen Xers took out loans for plastic or cosmetic surgery. Boat loan applications accelerated 355%, while those seeking l...

The collapses of three cryptocurrency-friendly financial institutions demonstrate the issues that face crypto companies and their providers of financial services. Crypto-focused and related companies can still move toward opportunities by promot...