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The news: Cash App launched 鈥減ools鈥濃�攁 feature to make group payments frictionless鈥攖o a limited number of US-based users with plans for a later wider rollout, per a press release. Our take: Cash App wants to cement itself among Gen Z users, households making up to $150,000 annually, and the populations traditionally overlooked by legacy financial institutions.

Tariff uncertainty, billion-dollar merger and acquisition deals, and a jump in social commerce will create new dynamics in the payments industry in H2 2025. Burgeoning tech like agentic AI and stablecoins will further shake up the space.

AI-forward, frictionless customer experience helps ensure Google Pay鈥檚 consistent use.

Google has entered the AI shopping arena: The company鈥檚 AI Mode experience aims to assist consumers throughout every step of the shopping experience鈥攆rom finding inspiration to buying at the right moment.

At the same time, they are the first mobile payments-native generation, with 85.1% using their phone for in-store or online purchases, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. They鈥檙e also leading the charge in buy now, pay later (BNPL) adoption. Over the holidays, 54% of Gen Zers used BNPL, outpacing the 50% who used credit cards, per a J.D. Power survey.

The news: Blackhawk Network and Visa will launch physical gift cards with tap to pay capability. Our take: Blackhawk鈥檚 rollout patches a serious security loophole that risked gifters and recipients鈥� money being snatched by fraudsters.

The news: PayPal posted net revenue growth of 5% YoY at $8.3 billion due to strong performances of Venmo, its debit card, and Braintree, per its earnings report. Our take: PayPal is leaning into its branded experience and tech innovations to power its way through 2025.

The news: Affirm will be available as a payment option for in-store shoppers on Stripe Terminal for US and Canadian merchants, per a press release. Our take: Snagging a Stripe Terminal integration is a big win for Affirm. This can help expand its lead in the US, where it holds $35.69 billion in payment value鈥攁 $4 billion dollar lead over Klarna.

Consumers are slowly making changes to how they pay at checkout. We look at the top seven payment methods and delve into what鈥檚 pushing forward and detracting from their growth.

This report analyzes how digital adoption and evolving consumer habits are reshaping South Korea鈥檚 retail, media, and payments landscape.

The global payments industry will be a $2.3 trillion revenue opportunity in 2028. But shifting business models, new technologies, and alternative payment methods are changing how key card players compete for a share of this revenue.

The Vipps wallet in Norway is the first to use Apple鈥檚 NFC tech, opening the floodgates for more to deploy the tech.

The news: Zip鈥檚 total transaction volume (TTV) spiked 30.3% YoY in fiscal 2025 (ended June 30, 2025), driven by momentum in its US business. Cash before taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBTDA) more than doubled YoY to AUD 170.3 million ($109.38 million), a 147% increase. Total transaction value hit AUD 13.1 billion ($8.42 billion). Transaction volume was up 22.1% YoY to 93 million. Net bad debts decreased YoY to 1.5% of TTV, down from 1.7% in FY24. Our take: Zip鈥檚 year-end results reflect the spending strength of US consumers. We forecast US total retail sales to hit $7.513.38 trillion for 2025. By comparison, Zip鈥檚 native Australia is only anticipated to crack $356.49 billion in total retail sales this year.

The news: Early Warning Services partnered with Fiserv to expand Paze acceptance through its merchant network. Our take: Paze now needs to convince users to reflexively flip between two wallets for ecommerce and in-person transactions. Converting primary loyalty to either Apple Wallet鈥檚 18.1 million users or Google Wallet鈥檚 12.4 million users will be a tough consumer behavior to build. But as deals with its new expanded merchant network solidify, Paze is still primed for steady growth.

The news: American Express rolled out special London-based perks and offerings as a part of its Adventures with Amex series. Our take: Sixty percent of respondents to Amex鈥檚 Global Travel Trend Report planned on taking at least one trip for a sporting event this year. Hitching its London adventure rollout to both F1 and Wimbledon can get those travelers to book through Amex鈥檚 platform instead of a competitor鈥檚.

The Latin American consumer banking market is vast, yet over 40% of consumers are currently underbanked. Foreign banks looking to enter the market can tap this audience, but they should learn from and partner with local fintechs to do so.