Cards & Payments
BofA’s Winnie Chen charts real-time payment path
BofA’s Winnie Chen charts real-time payment path
Companies want simplicity and certainty as they move funds across borders.
21 hours ago
SWIFT rolls out new framework for retail payments
A group of 25 banks will go live with it by the end of June.
1 day ago
JCB to explore commercialisation of UWB payments
Smartphones with UWB functions are widely available in Japan, JCB said.
3 days ago
Stablecoin payment volumes double to $390b as Asia claims 60% share
Majority of activity is in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan, according to McKinsey and Artemis Analytics.
4 days ago
The Bank of the Philippine Islands unveil new debit card
The new design has a curved notch at the bottom left corner.
4 days ago
India bank credit hits $2.4t amidst fintech boom
Formal banking reach expanded to 569.3 million Jan Dhan accounts by early November 2025.
5 days ago
ISO 20022 and agentic AI to drive payment unification in 2026
But financial institutions (FIs) and tech providers must integrate new real-time systems with legacy rails.
4 in 10 APAC firms prefer instant payments for cross border transfers
72% of instant payment use is currently tied to standard customer purchases.
Interoperability vital as 24/7 push hits 'fragmented' Philippine payments
Fragmented ecosystems and limited wallet acceptance will cause abandoned transactions.
Weixin Mini Programs' transaction value up 65% in LNY 2026
Transactions of Chinese tourists visiting Italy and Malaysia more than doubled.
Digital wallets, agentic AI to speed up payments
The focus is on agentic systems that can act on behalf of users.
How will agentic AI change online payments?
It’s unclear who’s liable if it over‑orders or pays the wrong merchant.
Alipay’s AI Pay surpasses 100 million users
Consumers pay via voice command, eliminating the need to switch between pages.
Filipinos outside capital favour loan apps and microloans over credit cards
The majority expressed willingness to access educational materials to improve their finances.
E-wallet use jumps to 65% amongst Malaysia’s 25- to 34-year-olds
Older users logged a 14% rise year on year but still trail younger groups on this method.
Taiwan revolving credit rises to $3.78b in Dec 2025
Monthly retail sales surged to NT$453.7b, from $396.7b a month earlier.
How digital payments are forcing QSRs to rebuild checkout and staffing
They're redesigning counters and drive-thrus for QR codes and e-wallets.
Commentary
Asia’s banks hold the mandate to innovate. Now they must earn it.
Why Asia's banks are rebuilding their credit infrastructure in 2026