India’s cash shortage leads to huge boost in e-payments
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi unceremoniously killed off the country’s 500 and 1,000 rupee notes last month, but a lucrative e-payment phoenix is rising out of those ashes. Converting to around $7 and $15 respectively, the 500 and 1,000 rupee notes represented 86 percent of the currency used in India. New notes will be offered as a replacement, but there’s still a massive cash shortage — which means digital payments need to carry more weight. Indian digital wallet apps (which, like Android and Apple Pay, let you pay for things with your phone) are jumping at the opportunity, expanding their features to make e-payments easier than ever. On Tuesday, a […]
EML boss sees cashless society as ‘tap and pay’ technology takes off
AUSTRALIA is likely to be a cashless society within a decade as “tap-and-pay” technology becomes commonplace, according to Brisbane-based EML Payments. The payment services provider is riding a wave of global demand for debit, prepaid and loyalty cards, providing transactions worth $2.5 billion for major Australian and global brands including the Good Guys, Toyota, Ladbrokes, Shell and Sprint. “Australia has one of the highest adoptions of tap- and-pay in the world, accounting for 75 per cent of transactions,” EML Payments chief executive Tom Cregan said. “In the US, it is only about 10 per cent.” Mr Cregan said the move to a cashless society in Australia had been pushed by […]
WorldRemit and GTBank launch money transfer routes to West and Central Africa
Digital money transfer service WorldRemit and leading African financial institution Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) have launched new money transfer routes to West and Central Africa. With the WorldRemit app or website, people can now send secure overseas money transfers to any bank account in Benin, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal or Togo. Funds will be deposited as CFA Francs. Commenting on the launch, Dan Shuaib, the Managing Director, of Guaranty Trust Bank CI, said: ‘’This service removes the barriers that limit customers’ access to remittances and provides them with a quick and convenient way to receive money from any part of the world. Our partnership with WorldRemit to create this […]
Privacy fix for blockchain from Blythe Masters
Blockchain could finally drag Wall Street recordkeeping into the 21st century, but before they’ll use it financial firms want to know their data will be kept secret. The startup run by former JPMorgan Chase & Co banker Blythe Masters says it’s found a solution. The version of blockchain that powers the bitcoin currency is wildly transparent, recording each transfer of bitcoin from one person to another in a public database anyone can tap into. But such openness is anathema in finance, posing a conundrum for Wall Street firms otherwise drawn to digital ledgers because they could simplify and speed up recordkeeping. Digital Asset Holdings, where Masters is chief executive officer, […]
Telepin Software powers Valyou Mobile Wallet in Malaysia
Unique mobile financial services platform delivers affordable, convenient mobile money solutions to under-banked market. Telepin Software, a global leader in mobile money transaction platforms, announces that it is now powering the mobile financial services for Valyou, a Malaysian-based licensed money services business that provides multi-country international remittance services. The Valyou mobile wallet is an easy, secure way to store and manage cash from a mobile device; a convenient e-money solution aimed at serving the under-banked segments of Malaysia, such as youths, lower income earners and migrants. It is simple-to-use, secure, offers more benefits the more one uses it, puts customers fully in charge of when, where and how they handle […]
Can the internet revolutionise finance in China?
Internet finance in China has developed rapidly over the past several years. Internet finance embraces a huge range of activities, including third-party payment, online lending, direct sales of funds, crowd-funding, online insurance and banking and digital money. Public sentiment towards internet finance has moved the full gamut from fever pitch to fear. What is the future of internet finance? Optimists argue that internet finance represents a third type of financial intermediation, after direct and indirect financing, which could completely revamp traditional financial industries. Others point out that internet finance is mainly a Chinese phenomenon: a product of regulatory arbitrage, which could evaporate once financial regulations tighten to levels equivalent to […]
Stripe’s valuation nearly doubles to $9.2 Billion
The most valuable U.S. financial-technology startup is extending its lead. Stripe Inc., whose software is used by businesses to accept and track digital payments, will be valued at $9.2 billion in a new funding round that is being completed, the company said. That valuation, which includes roughly $150 million in new cash being raised, nearly doubles the privately held company’s $5 billion price tag in a July 2015 round. Stripe was already valued higher than other U.S. “fintech” startups such as Social Finance Inc. and Betterment Inc. The leap comes as other fintech firms and some Silicon Valley tech startups struggle to maintain their valuations. Payments company Square Inc. has […]
Hot fintech app Revolut stops issuing new cards as it changes licences
Revolut, the fast-growing international money exchange service, has stopped opening new accounts temporarily as it changes licences. Founder and CEO Nikolay Storonsky told Business Insider: “At the moment, we don’t send new cards. We’re putting people on the waiting list.” Two sources told Business Insider that the freeze is down to a disagreement with partner Paysafe, a company that issues cards and processes payments on behalf of Paysafe. The sources say Paysafe, formerly known as Optimal Payments, told Revolut to stop issuing new cards after discovering that many cards were being issued outside of Europe. Last week it emerged that Revolut had stopped operating all of its cards outside of […]
