With millions of members across 20+ countries, Vinted is revolutionizing the second-hand fashion industry by empowering individuals to buy and sell pre-loved items with ease through its digital platform. Through the partnership, Vinted has been able to further its mission by leveraging Checkout.com’s advanced payment technology to optimize transaction performance and support its growing user base. Not only has this improved Vinted’s payment performance, but it has resulted in an improved digital experience for its customers.

The use of Checkout.com’s innovative payment solutions has supported this success. One key component has been Checkout.com’s Intelligent Acceptance offering, which delivers a boost in acceptance rates by applying bespoke AI optimizations tailored to Vinted’s specific traffic patterns. These data-driven improvements have reduced failed transactions and strengthened user trust, driving greater engagement on the platform. As a result, Vinted experienced a 4.15% overall acceptance rate uplift on payments processed by Checkout.com in 2024.

These strong results have strengthened the partnership between Vinted and Checkout.com, which has grown significantly. Between June and November of last year, Vinted tripled the volume of transactions processed by Checkout.com, underscoring the measurable impact of high-performing payment infrastructure in supporting rapid growth.

Checkout.com’s deep regulatory expertise and localized acquiring network across Europe have been critical in enabling Vinted to navigate complex market demands. The partnership ensures compliance with region-specific regulations while supporting local currencies, giving Vinted the flexibility and scalability needed to thrive in diverse markets.

Modestas Tursa, VP Payments, at Vinted, said “Delivering exceptional digital experiences is core to our mission of making second-hand first choice, and our partnership with Checkout.com has been instrumental in helping us achieve that. Checkout.com’s powerful technology and deep expertise across European and UK markets allow us to scale confidently while achieving high-performance payments and delivering the digital experience our users expect.”

Antoine Nougué, Chief Revenue Officer at Checkout.com, said “This partnership reflects our shared vision for the future of digital commerce. Through our advanced, modular technology and a relentless focus on payment performance, we’re helping Vinted achieve operational excellence while setting new standards for the secondhand fashion industry. Together, we’re empowering individuals and shaping the digital economy of tomorrow.”

The post Checkout.com Powers Vinted’s Growth, Advancing the Second-Hand Industry Through High-Performance Payments appeared first on FF News | Fintech Finance.

2024 highlights include:

• 151 million consumer and small business accounts are enrolled to use Zelle, an increase of 16 million from 135 million in 2023.
• Zelle transactions grew 25% from 2023 to a total of 3.6 billion, exceeding $1 trillion in annual payments volume for the first time. This is a 27% increase year-over-year in total dollars sent on the platform.
• The fourth quarter was the best in the history of Zelle in terms of total money sent driven by user growth and popular use cases like paying rent and holiday gifting.

“Zelle is not just a popular way to send money, it’s a vital tool that’s transforming how money moves across America,” said Denise Leonhard, general manager of Zelle. “It is the go-to peer-to-peer payment method for millions of hardworking Americans, and this milestone is a testament to the trust they place in us every day. We remain intently focused on expanding access to Zelle because it unlocks opportunity for individuals, small businesses, community banks, and credit unions.”

Zelle is a valuable and needed tool for small businesses—the backbone of the American economy

Small business owners across the U.S. continue to rely on the unique features of Zelle to provide their customers with flexible ways to pay, to settle with a local vendor, or to reward their employees with an on-the-spot bonus that goes directly into their bank account.

In 2024, small businesses continued to be a significant driver of Zelle growth:

• Almost one in four Zelle senders sent a payment to a small business in Q4, totaling 23 million users.
• Small businesses sent or received more than 500 million transactions in 2024, a 32% increase from 2023.
• These transactions totaled $283 billion, a 32% increase from the previous year.
• From farmers markets to the local handyperson, Zelle empowers small business owners with a secure and reliable way to get paid and access their funds immediately – so they can reinvest in new supplies, pay their employees, or put food on the table for their families.

Helping community banks and credit unions compete for customers

There are more than 2,200 financial institutions on the Zelle network, 95% of which are community banks and credit unions. Many of these are rural, community, and minority-owned or -led banks in areas of the country where people have fewer banking options. Zelle is an important offering for these financial institutions, helping them to compete and retain customers by providing access to the same technology available to larger banks.

In fact, according to a survey of American consumers and small businesses that use Zelle, 74% of surveyed users said Zelle has positively affected the way they feel about their personal bank and one in three Zelle users would open a new account at a financial institution that offers Zelle if their current financial institution stopped providing it.

Helping to protect Americans from scams

In 2024, Zelle empowered over 73 million consumers with information about the risks of fraud and scams. Zelle will continue to lead the way in the fight against scams as a founding member of the Aspen Institute National Task Force for Fraud & Scam Prevention, an effort launched last year to bring together stakeholders across industry, government, and law enforcement to share intelligence and help society stay one step ahead of scammers. To help combat scams and fraud, Zelle has also partnered with organizations like the Better Business Bureau Institute for Marketplace Trust and the National Council on Aging (NCOA) on critical consumer education campaigns.

The post Zelle® Shatters Records with $1 Trillion Sent in a Single Year appeared first on FF News | Fintech Finance.

Drawing on qualitative research from business psychology firm, Innovationbubble, and a multi-market survey with travelers undertaken by market research firm, Opinium – this report, jointly commissioned by Outpayce from Amadeus and Worldline, explores the current state of paying for airline services at the airport.

‘Retailing ready: towards a traveler-centric airport payment experience’ highlights several airport payments pain-points when purchasing services from airlines:

• 54% of travelers have been asked to change location and re-queue to pay for services
• 57% of travelers have been asked to pay with a less robust method, like swiping their card
• Airlines have waived ancillary service fees for more than half of travelers (56%) because they’ve been unable to accept payment
• 45% of travelers confirmed they would be more likely to buy additional airline services at the airport if they could pay with their preferred method
• Travelers rank airports third from eight options in terms of locations where it is most frustrating to encounter a payments issue, below the supermarket and restaurants, but above online retail, public transport, hotels, shopping centers, gas stations.

With two-thirds of travelers buying an ancillary service at the airport ‘at least sometimes’ and respondents spending an average of €263 on airline and airport related ancillary services per trip, payments pain points at the terminal already contribute to revenue leakage for airlines.

According to the report, airlines are rarely in complete control of payments at the terminal and must rely on legacy shared infrastructure that restricts travelers from paying in the way they choose at key service points like check-in, boarding and in-flight. However, using new approaches that integrate modern payments technology with an airline’s underlying IT systems can support a consistent and unified payments experience at multiple airports according to the report.

Jean Christophe Lacour, SVP & Global Head of Products, Outpayce said: “Through the research, travelers expressed frustration at having to walk to another desk to pay and needing to search through their bag for a payment method the airline can accept. As airlines transform to become modern retailers, we have a great opportunity to ensure passengers can pay easily using a card or a digital wallet anywhere in the terminal.”

Ifan Batey, Senior Business Psychologist, Innovationbubble added: “Our research shows that travelers find the airport payments experience to be unpredictable. In a high-stress environment like the airport, regular instances of unpredictability can reduce engagement, discourage future purchases and contribute to negative brand perceptions. For several of the frequent flyers we interviewed, being asked to change location to pay was frustrating enough for them to switch airline.”

Biljana Bosnjak, VP Travel & Hospitality at Worldline said: “Air travel can be stressful, and airlines have an opportunity to make it easier for passengers. By providing frictionless, flexible payment options at various locations in the terminal, airlines can significantly improve the travel experience. It’s vital for the industry to modernize and ensure that every traveler can pay effortlessly, no matter where they are in their journey.”

Travelers confirmed that cards remain king as the preferred way to pay for additional services at the airport, with contactless transactions being slightly more popular than Chip & Pin. However, a significant 35% of travelers prefer to pay with a digital wallet, like Apple Pay or Google Pay, underlining the rapid adoption of such methods.

How would you like to pay for additional airline services at the terminal?

• Card (Contactless) – 46%
• Card (Chip & Pin) – 44%
• Digital Wallet – 35%
• Cash – 28%
• Local payment method – 21%
• Secure link via text or QR Code – 19%

The post Outdated Airport Payments Jeopardize Airline Retailing Ambitions, Finds New Outpayce Report appeared first on FF News | Fintech Finance.

Combining Moov’s real-time payment capabilities with Canopy’s automated servicing technology, the partnership aims to deliver greater efficiency, reliability, and transparency in loan repayment processing.

Key Benefits of Canopy Repay:

• Simplified Payment Workflows: Reduces reliance on legacy payment providers and simplifies lender integrations.
• Enhanced Transaction Reliability: Leverages streaming architecture to reduce payment failures due to dropped or timed-out transactions.
• Real-Time Insights: Provides a unified dashboard with up-to-date loan and payment statuses for improved operational visibility.

This collaboration reflects the growing importance of embedded finance in modernizing lending operations.

“Canopy Repay marks a major step forward in loan repayment operations,” said Matt Bivons, CEO of Canopy. “By integrating Moov’s payment expertise with our servicing platform, we’re equipping lenders with a seamless, scalable solution to improve borrower experiences and boost revenue.”

“Moov believes borrowers should have flexible repayment options,” says Wade Arnold, CEO of Moov. “Through our partnership with Canopy, we enable lenders to offer seamless ACH and card payments for a better borrower experience. Supporting card brands’ debt repayment programs also reduces interchange fees, benefiting both borrowers and lenders.”

Canopy Repay will be available to Canopy’s client base of commercial lenders in June.

The post Canopy Servicing and Moov Partner to Transform Loan Repayments for Lenders appeared first on FF News | Fintech Finance.

Further findings reveal that 81% of organisations receive payment data in real time or once a day, and 83% process, action, and report this data with the same frequency. While spreadsheets offer familiarity, the manual processing involved, especially considering the high volume to payment data that needs processing, often contributes to errors, delays, and an inability to scale.

While this reflects a sector striving for agility, 64% of organisations are still processing and reporting data at a transaction level, which introduces bottlenecks and delays. Without automation, businesses face mounting difficulties in responding to customer demands, scaling operations, and maintaining their market position.

“Legacy systems and manual processes pose a direct threat to operational efficiency. In turn, this threatens compliance and market competitiveness. Organisations relying on outdated methods are not only incurring rising costs but also risking regulatory penalties and falling behind in a fast-paced industry,” comments Nick Botha, Payment’s Lead at AutoRek.

As businesses grapple with the rapid rise in the volume of transactions, a desire to embrace digital transformation has been felt across the payments industry. Automation and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions will significantly help both enterprises and small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to adopt a modernised approach to processing payment data. Further findings from AutoRek’s study also reveal that the vast majority (82%) of respondents reported that automation is on their organisation’s roadmap, with 43% planning implementation within the next six to 12 months and 20% aiming to so within 18 months.

However, while the desire for transformation is clear, many require guidance and support to navigate the complexities of implementing new systems and processes. Addressing the challenges posed by legacy systems, fragmented standards, and manual processes demands a multifaceted approach rooted in modernisation, standardisation, and automation. These findings show the pressing need for organisations to modernise their approach to payment data management, embracing automation to enhance accuracy, improve compliance, and reduce costs.

“Our research shows a worrying disparity between how payments are made and how they are processed. Payment methods have become more sophisticated, yet the industry is still heavily reliant on legacy solutions to process transactions. This needn’t be the case when automation tools are now primed for mass, widescale, adoption,” adds Nick Botha.

For more information, AutoRek’s payment research report is available for download here.

The post 90% of Organisations Still Rely on Outdated Spreadsheets Despite Bottleneck Problems, New Study Finds appeared first on FF News | Fintech Finance.

As a pioneering global Remit Now Pay Later platform, Jazari addresses an ongoing problem for migrant workers. These individuals often have limited incomes or access to credit and frequently need to remit more money to their loved ones due to persistent high inflation and rising living costs in their home countries. Jazari says it enables migrant workers to remit up to 40% more through its specially designed instant credit product, Remit Now Pay Later. It’s backed by a strategic multi-region partnership with Visa, has secured a recurring credit facilitator to power its lending, and gives its customers a single platform to bank, remit and pay later.

The partnership with Bud enables Jazari to further advance its mission of empowering remittance senders and receivers. With the power of the Bud Financial platform integrated into their technology, Jazari aims to make remittances faster, more cost-effective, and easier for migrant communities, ensuring both senders and receivers have the tools to achieve long-term financial stability and growth.

“Central to Bud’s mission is our goal of enabling financial data to support the average consumer – from insights to better understand their finances, to getting access to lines of credit previously not available to them,” said George Dunning, COO of Bud Financial. “The work that Hasnain and the team at Jazari are doing is truly inspiring and meets real-world problems for underserved customers. At Bud, we feel privileged to help bring this to life and be part of its success.”

“At Jazari, we’re on a mission to pioneer Remit (Send) Now, Pay Later for migrant workers, empowering individuals with little or no access to credit,” said Hasnain Sheikh, Founder and CEO of Jazari. “After an exhaustive search for the right partner, we’re thrilled to work with Bud, whose innovative financial connectivity and exceptional team made them the clear choice. Together, we’re embarking on an exciting journey to transform how migrant workers send and manage money, creating opportunities and breaking down barriers along the way.”

The post Jazari Selects Bud Financial to Enhance Revolutionary Remittance Platform appeared first on FF News | Fintech Finance.

Form3’s unique technology solution provides GoCardless with improved operational and technical resilience to ensure that service continuity is maintained as its UK business grows. As a leading bank payment provider in the UK, GoCardless processes over 4% of the UK’s Direct Debit volume (based on data from PayUK). With over 250 million payments now going via Bacs annually, implementing a solution with bank-grade payment submission channels has been a core part of GoCardless’ growth strategy.

Neil Turner, Chief Technology Officer, GoCardless says: “Tens of thousands of customers in the UK trust GoCardless to collect their payments and keep cash flowing within their businesses. Having the right systems in place to process these payments, and the ability to potentially handle millions more transactions each month is fundamental to our business. Form3 has the reputation of offering fast and resilient payment processing that can match our ambitious growth. We look forward to working with them.”

Mike Walters, Form3’s CEO, says: “Form3 has the payment technology that GoCardless can rely on for operational resiliency, speed, and the ability to scale, to support its UK business growth. Today’s announcement further demonstrates how we help the biggest and most ambitious fintechs with their next phase of expansion. We’re proud to work with GoCardless.”

Form3’s account-to-account platform gives GoCardless the flexibility to connect to other payment schemes across the UK and Europe in the future. This can further support scale up activity, as and when it is required.

The post GoCardless Selects Form3 for Bacs Payment Connectivity to Support Scale Up of UK Operations appeared first on FF News | Fintech Finance.

With the new office launch, Ant International will work more closely with local partners in the payment ecosystem to provide innovative payment solutions and inclusive financial services to local acquirers and merchants, especially SMEs doing business in KSA to empower their sustainable growth. This move also positions Riyadh as a hub for international businesses looking to initiate operations in Saudi Arabia, further enhancing its role as a key player in the global business landscape.

Antom is one of Ant International’s business pillars, a unified digital payment solution for merchants. Antom will start operation in the local market later this year, enabling e-commerce acquirers and local merchants to achieve new growth, while aligning with the economic priorities which SAMA has laid out for the Kingdom.

Leiming Chen, Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer of Ant International, said: “The opening of our Riyadh office represents a significant milestone for Ant International in the Middle East, and strong commitment from Ant International to contribute to the economic growth of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – with the creation of local fintech jobs, inclusion initiatives and a boost to digital transformation in the region.

“Under the continued support and guidance of SAMA and the Ministry of Investment (MISA), we’ve taken our first steps to support businesses of all sizes across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by offering digital inclusion, and we plan to bring Ant International’s innovative business pillars to the Kingdom in time. We greatly value the strong, dynamic payment market in Saudi Arabia, which has been shaped by SAMA’s progressive policies and the Kingdom’s vibrant economy, providing a great environment for innovation and sustainable growth.”

Antom has established local acquiring capabilities across more than 40 markets. It enables merchants to seamlessly integrate with hundreds of payment methods – including credit and debit cards, online banking and digital wallets – and facilitates transactions in over 100 currencies. It also customises payment solutions to meet the distinct needs of various industries.

In the future, Antom payment services, including its advanced payment gateway solution, will support local businesses operating in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia via innovative technologies. It seeks to enhance merchants’ operations through AI-routed payment orchestration, LLM-powered merchant services and advanced security measures. These solutions aim to reduce costs, improve efficiency and transaction security, and streamline foreign exchange risk management. Additionally, companies will be able to refine customer targeting by utilising Antom’s digital marketing tools and privacy-computing solutions.

“Ant International’s entry into KSA with Antom payment services aligns closely with the priorities of SAMA, providing stability and consumer protection, supporting KSA consumers to buy safely and conveniently through digital payment methods, and growing KSA’s fintech sector through the creation of local jobs and talent inclusion programs,” said Mr. Chen.

The post Ant International Opens First Middle East Office in Saudi Arabia in Drive to Expand Regional Partnership appeared first on FF News | Fintech Finance.

The way that businesses handle payments has changed significantly since the days of only offering simple card transactions, with today’s merchants needing to support an array of multiple payment methods, and their payment partners needing to enhance their service offerings if they are to remain competitive.

BR-DGE’s new whitepaper addresses the complexity of the current payments landscape to ensure that merchants, acquirers, PSPs, ISVs and other ecosystem players understand and have a plan for exactly how they can maximise their payments offering for customers. The whitepaper also explores what payment orchestration really is, and why it is quickly becoming a must-have for successful businesses.

Specifically, ‘How to Keep Your Customers in a Multi-Acquirer World’ unveils:

• The benefits and challenges posed by multi-acquirer setups – from better flexibility to fragmented systems and higher costs
• How a payment orchestration platform can simplify payment systems connectivity to help businesses juggle multiple providers with ease

Perspectives on multi-acquirer environments from industry leaders including:

• Mastercard
• PSE Consulting, the payments consultancy
• Flagship Advisory Partners, a specialised advisory boutique focused on payments and fintech
• Computop, a payment service provider

An easy-to-understand guide for businesses looking to stay agile and competitive in the multi-acquirer world
Practical advice for merchants, acquirers, PSPs and other payment providers covering everything from how to optimise transaction routing to save on costs, to how to scale globally without losing sight of local preferences

Thomas Gillan, CEO of BR-DGE, shared his thoughts on the importance of the whitepaper at this time, saying: “In a complex and often overwhelming multi-acquirer world, merchants are having to tackle the pitfalls of fragmented tech stacks alone and without guidance. At BR-DGE, we’re confident that we have the solution. With this whitepaper, we’re sharing our knowledge and expertise with enterprise-level businesses around the world so that they can unlock transformational strengths and game-changing growth opportunities by leveraging payment orchestration. BR-DGE is proud to consistently delivering best-in-market technology to suit the unique and divergent needs of businesses, wherever they are in the payments value chain.”

The launch of the whitepaper is the latest in a series of wins for BR-DGE, as the company recently revealed strong momentum throughout 2024 following its revenue record of 600% growth in 2023. During 2024, BR-DGE’s total number of clients grew by 75% from 2023, and its total number of partners grew by 25% from 2023. Looking ahead to 2025, BR-DGE is expecting an even stronger year of results and new client wins.

Bringing together over 400 payment technology solutions in one place, BR-DGE works as an independent, trusted and vendor-agnostic partner for the whole ecosystem, creating value and driving better outcomes for payment providers, their merchants and consumers. Founded in Edinburgh in 2018, BR-DGE now processes millions of transactions monthly on behalf of high-volume customers spanning travel, ecommerce, gaming, digital goods and other sectors. With an emerging large order book already in the pipeline, BR-DGE is positioned to become the go-to source and distribution outlet for payments connectivity, routing, and data services.

To download the full whitepaper, please visit: https://br-dge.to/guides-and-resources/keep-your-customers-in-a-multi-acquirer-world/.

The post Payment Orchestrator BR-DGE Demystifies Payments for Merchants and Payment Providers with New Whitepaper appeared first on FF News | Fintech Finance.