Tom Nawrocki

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has filed a lawsuit against Comerica Bank, alleging that it systematically failed members of its Direct Express government benefits program.

Early insights into holiday shopping trends show a growing movement toward emerging and alternative payment methods. As consumer spending data for Black Friday and Cyber Monday trickle in, buy now, pay later (BNPL) plans, in particular, continue to ascend in popularity.

Despite an improving economy, credit card delinquency rates have remained persistently high over the past couple of years. Following the pandemic, delinquency rates initially dropped as the economy recovered, reaching a low of around 1.5% in 2021. However, this figure has since climbed to 3.2%—the highest level since 2012.

Walmart’s majority-owned fintech, One, is set to receive a fresh infusion of capital next year, fueling speculation about the future direction of the retail giant’s financial arm. The first step will be the relaunch of the Walmart credit card after the severing of an alliance with Capital One last year.

One theme underpins all the major trends in prepaid payments for 2025: security. Many of the industry’s developments stem from the desire to provide more secure payment options and enhanced protection for consumers.

Real-time payments will be the next significant challenge for mid-tier banks in the U.S. More than half (59%) of mid-tier bank business customers believe their use of real-time payments will increase in the next year, prompting banks to make substantial investments to meet these needs.

Despite the buzz surrounding both the promise and risks of artificial intelligence, its impact is likely to remain limited over the next few years. While companies rush to develop uses for AI, they are less enthusiastic about the costs associated with biometrics—even though the technology is much closer to delivering more immediate benefits to payment processors.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has issued a warning to credit card issuers about deceptive practices in their rewards programs. Card companies may be violating federal law if they devalue rewards points, fail to deliver promised benefits, or hide conditions in the fine print of card agreements.

Visa has completed its acquisition of Featurespace, a developer of real-time AI-powered payment protection technology.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s long-simmering probe into Zelle has come to fruition. A lawsuit has been filed against the peer-to-peer payment app’s parent company, Early Warning Services, along with three major banks for failing to combat fraud.