Join Patti Murphy and James Shepherd on Today in Payments as they explore the future of AI-driven commerce and the growing role of stablecoins in everyday payments.

They kick things off with a look at how Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal are racing into the world of “agenic commerce”—where AI agents shop and pay on your behalf. Is it the future of convenience or a new fraud frontier?

Next, they unpack Visa’s big move into cross-border stablecoin payments, including collaborations with Stripe’s Bridge platform and a growing list of fintech partners. But the path forward isn’t all clear—federal legislation to regulate stablecoins remains stalled in Congress.

The episode also covers the massive Zelle outage that disrupted payments for millions across major banks, highlighting the risks of centralized infrastructure in P2P payments. And finally, they break down HSBC’s new tool for helping U.S. clients manage the cost of rising tariffs with import duty financing.

Trusting AI with Your Wallet

In this episode of Today in Payments, Patti Murphy and James Shepherd break down four of the biggest stories shaping the future of fintech and commerce:

New York steps in where the Feds stepped back—Governor Hochul signs the state’s first BNPL regulation, setting a precedent for others to follow.

A new study shows merchants want more from their PSPs—especially tech that reduces checkout friction and boosts conversion.

Virtual cards are gaining serious ground. Patti and James explore why adoption is surging and how they’re being used in real-world B2B and consumer scenarios.

Coinbase is about to make history as the first crypto company added to the S&P 500—replacing Discover as the Capital One acquisition reshapes the index.

From Guardrails to Growth

Join Patti Murphy and James Shepherd on Today in Payments as they dive into this week’s biggest developments in payments and policy:

Durbin Strikes Again – The Credit Card Competition Act is making a comeback as a proposed amendment to the GENIUS Act. If passed, it would give merchants more control over card routing, challenging Visa and Mastercard’s grip on the market.

Visa Launches Embedded Payments Program – Visa announces its Commercial Integrated Partners program, enabling fintechs to embed Visa capabilities directly into business applications. One early partner, Car IQ, is turning vehicles into in-app payment tools.

Nevada Eyes Special Charters for Payment Banks – Lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow fintechs and processors to gain direct access to U.S. payment rails, bypassing the traditional banking system—and the fees that come with it.

UK Cracks Down on BNPL – The UK government is introducing regulation to rein in the growing buy now pay later market, requiring affordability checks and clearer consumer protections.

Merchants Want Choice and Congress Is Listening

In this episode of Today in Payments, Patti Murphy and James Shepherd break down four major developments shaping the payments landscape:

First, they discuss the European Commission’s renewed investigation into Visa and Mastercard’s interchange fees. With EU credit card fees capped at 0.3% and U.S. rates averaging 1.8%, regulators are questioning transparency, competition, and the dominance of foreign payment networks.

Next, they dive into a new survey showing that U.S. banks are falling behind on offering real-time payment options through RTP and FedNow. Despite growing demand from corporate and retail customers, many banks still rely on legacy systems and see Zelle as “good enough.”

Then they explore a new NSF authorization solution from FIS and Kip. This model allows merchants to approve debit card transactions even when a customer’s balance is too low—without triggering overdraft fees—by paying a small premium for the approval.

Finally, they unpack Block’s latest move to bring Bitcoin to the point of sale. Starting later this year, Square merchants will begin accepting Bitcoin payments directly, potentially moving crypto closer to everyday retail use.

The Price of Staying the Same

Welcome to Today in Payments with Patti Murphy and James Shepherd—your weekly breakdown of the biggest stories shaping the future of payments and fintech. In this episode, Fiserv makes major headlines by launching a new stablecoin (fi-USD) and partnering with Early Warning Services to roll out the Paze digital wallet. Meanwhile, U.S. regulators are calling on banks to help tackle a surge in non-card payment fraud, and new research from the Strawhecker Group reveals a dramatic shift in the POS landscape toward cloud-based, processor-integrated solutions.

Fiserv Goes Crypto, POS Goes Cloud

In this episode, we cover the latest developments in the payments industry:

• The U.K. Competition Appeal Tribunal rules that Visa and Mastercard’s interchange fees violate competition law.

• U.S. lawmakers fail to pass the Credit Card Competition Act, but regulatory pressure continues to build.

• Stablecoins move into the mainstream as companies like Amazon, Walmart, Visa, Stripe, and Mastercard explore new use cases.

• Stripe enables USDC payments for Shopify merchants, while Visa and Mastercard expand stablecoin partnerships.

• Mobile wallet usage for in-store purchases grows more than 10% year-over-year.

A new market report projects payment processing revenue to reach $268 billion by 2029, driven by innovations like blockchain, contactless payments, and embedded finance.

Stay tuned for more weekly insights on payments, fintech, and the future of digital commerce.

Swipe, Tap, or Token: The Changing Face of Payments

Congress gears up for "Crypto Week" as the House plans votes on major crypto legislation, including the GENIUS Act and Clarity Act. Plus, the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act sparks debate over digital privacy. We also dive into stablecoin market projections, Apple’s legal win over Visa & Mastercard, and the push to phase out paper checks. Don't miss this packed update on the future of payments and digital currency!

Digital Dollars and Legal Drama

Major shakeups in payments: Australia plans to eliminate credit card surcharges, slash interchange caps, and force transparent pricing. Meanwhile, U.S. merchants push for lower fees and fintechs brace for data access tolls from JPMorgan. Plus, a McDonald’s AI breach exposes 64 million applicants—all due to the password "123456." Don’t miss this wide-ranging breakdown of payments, privacy, and policy.

The Great Payments Shake-Up

Lawmakers make good on their promise during Crypto Week, officially passing the GENIUS Act to regulate stablecoins and support the U.S. crypto economy. Patti and James discuss what’s next for regulation, Brazil’s wildly successful PIX system and its clash with Visa and Mastercard, PayPal’s big bet on global wallets, and the surprising windfall from retiring the U.S. penny. Packed with insights you won’t want to miss.

Big Moves in Payments

Patti Murphy breaks down the explosive growth of real-time payments (RTP), with transaction values surging nearly 200% in Q2 and widespread adoption by community banks and credit unions. Plus, FedNow is quietly building momentum. What does this mean for merchants, funding timelines, and residuals? Find out in today’s episode.
Note: Due to technical difficulties, this episode includes only one story.

The Race to Real-Time

Today in Payments

Related tracks