Mastercard Stories - Page 3

Irish Stories

Mastercard stories

Payzone & Miconex expand local gift cards across Ireland

Shoppers in Ireland can now buy locally branded gift cards at more than 3,000 Payzone outlets, boosting town-centre spending.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • Wed, 19th Aug 2026

Global Stories

Mastercard stories

Gaming

Appcharge study finds local acquiring lifts gaming payments

Local banks approved in-country gaming payments 8.4 percentage points more often than cross-border routes, Appcharge said.

By Joseph Gabriel Lagonsin • 4 min read • Thu, 27th Aug 2026

Fintech

Payouts.com picks Casper for AI agent payment settlement

AI agents gain a dedicated payment rail as the partnership aims to remove reliance on human card details for software-led purchases.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • Wed, 26th Aug 2026

Digital Transformation

Rain launches payments alliance for agentic commerce

Card networks and fintech groups are trying to set rules for AI-driven purchases before a projected USD $3 trillion market fragments.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • Thu, 20th Aug 2026

Software-as-a-Service

SAP Concur launches AI tools for travel & expenses

Finance teams could cut manual work and tighten oversight as SAP Concur rolls out AI tools for approvals, cards and meeting planning.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • Wed, 19th Aug 2026

Customer Relationship Management

South East Asia & India launch loyalty industry body

The new body seeks to help brands retain customers as Asia-Pacific loyalty spending is forecast to reach USD $141.8 billion by 2030.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • Wed, 12th Aug 2026

Data Protection

LUMOS adds Pureprofile research to audience platform

Marketers will gain access to sentiment and research signals as LUMOS expands its audience graph with Pureprofile data.

By Mark Tarre • 4 min read • Wed, 12th Aug 2026

Disaster Recovery

Percona Live Amsterdam to unite open source database users

Database teams will compare notes on sovereignty, resilience and compliance as the conference returns to Europe this year.

By Sean Mitchell • 3 min read • Tue, 11th Aug 2026

Crypto

Yellow Card raises USD $40 million for stablecoin push

Backers including SC Ventures and Sony Innovation Fund are betting USD $40 million will help widen access to dollar-based payments in emerging markets.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 5 min read • Sat, 8th Aug 2026

Crypto

Western Union launches Stablecard with Rain in 37 markets

The service lets remittance recipients hold dollar value in 37 markets, helping protect balances from local currency swings before spending via Visa.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • Thu, 6th Aug 2026

Stories from Other Regions

Mastercard stories

Airlines

Nectr launches Power Perks energy plan with bill credits

Households in New South Wales and Queensland could cut power bills as Nectr offers recurring credits to reward customers who stay put.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 4 min read • Mon, 31st Aug 2026

Software-as-a-Service

LoanPro expands Salt Flats summit to 500 executives

The bigger invite-only gathering signals LoanPro's push to become a key meeting place for lenders as it adds sessions on AI, fraud and regulation.

By Sean Mitchell • 3 min read • Sat, 29th Aug 2026

Fintech

Walmart adds tap-to-pay at select US stores & clubs

Shoppers will soon be able to tap phones and cards at Walmart tills, as the retailer rolls out contactless checkout across US stores by 2026.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 3 min read • Tue, 25th Aug 2026

Fintech

Fat Zebra promotes Hakkinen, Kwakernaak in reshuffle

The promotions come as Australia's payments sector braces for new licensing rules and closer scrutiny of governance at fast-growing processors.

By Mark Tarre • 4 min read • Fri, 21st Aug 2026

Fintech

Nium launches US domestic card issuance for businesses

Businesses can now cut payment complexity in the US as Nium extends its card programme to local issuance and just-in-time funding.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 3 min read • Fri, 21st Aug 2026

Virtual Private Networks

Revolut launches Ultra tier in Singapore for S$899

The subscription aims to woo Singapore's affluent customers with travel perks, investment discounts and bundled services worth more than S$10,000 a year.

By Joseph Gabriel Lagonsin • 4 min read • Wed, 19th Aug 2026