Latest News

June 11, 2025 -George Lekakis, Senior Banking Correspondent

Taxpayers foot the cost of RBA’s EasyPay service

In 2021 the Reserve Bank gave banks 12 months to roll out least cost routing for card-not-present payments. However, in 2025 the RBA-managed online payments platform – EasyPay – still hasn’t processed an eftpos transaction.

June 11, 2025 – Warwick Ponder, Editor

With a little luck, AP+ may launch eftpos Click To Pay for online payments next year

With a bit of luck and some tough negotiations, Aussie online shoppers may be able to use eftpos Click To Pay from next year, complete with integrated least-cost routing (LCR) to reduce costs for merchants.

June 11, 2025 – Peter Drennan, Senior Business Analyst

Card growth slows, but credit debt not yet getting out of hand

This week the RBA released its Retail Payments data to April 2025. Here are the latest results.

June 11, 2025 – Staff Reporter

RBA looks for RITS risk expert following assessment update

The Reserve Bank of Australia has advertised for a new risk management officer for payments settlements, following an update on 2024 recommendations on the Reserve Bank Information and Transfer System (RITS).

June 11, 2025 – Staff Reporter

HICAPS integration helps 6,000 medical clinics with faster and simpler payments

NAB’s HICAPS is being integrated with leading practice management software, Best Practice, to make claiming card transactions and reconciliations faster, simpler and easier for GPs, clinics and patients.

June 11, 2025 – Staff Reporter

Luxury Escapes signs up for PayID via Azupay

Travel website Luxury Escapes has partnered with Azupay to offer PayID as a payments option for online holiday bookings without card surcharges or manual bank account transfers.

June 6, 2025 – Warwick Ponder, Editor

AP+ to explore consumer protections on PayTo

Australian Payments Plus (AP+) will explore further consumer protection mechanisms for PayTo transactions later this year, potentially bringing the service in line with card payments.

June 6, 2025 – Staff Reporter

Busy agenda at June Payments System Board Meeting

The Payments System Board has released the minutes of their June meeting, with disclosure on when to expect the merchant payment costs consultation paper, a welcoming of the Standard for Payment Service Provider Porting of Merchant Payment-Related Data and revealing ongoing concern about CHESS and its December batch failure.

June 6, 2025 – Staff Reporter

Tyro loses CEO in turbulent times – will there be others?

Tyro CEO and Managing Director, Jon Davey, has resigned from the Aussie payments and acquiring firm after almost three years at the helm.

June 6, 2025 – Warwick Ponder, Editor

Harro’s Empires considers legal options after AUSTRAC crack down

Crypto ATM operator Harro’s Empires is considering legal options after AUSTRAC refused to renew its registration and placed operating conditions, including transaction limits, on other Australian crypto ATM providers.

June 4, 2025 – George Lekakis, Senior Banking Correspondent

Taxpayer millions and privacy on the line as ANZ Worldline flounders

As Victorian taxpayers gift millions to ANZ’s ailing partnership with French payments giant Worldline, some serious questions have emerged about the Reserve Bank’s management of an outsourcing deal with the joint venture.

June 4, 2025 – Warwick Ponder, Editor

Would you trust AI to access your wallet and do your shopping?

What are the trust, privacy and liability issues for consumers in a new world of AI-powered commerce?

June 4, 2025 – Staff Reporter

Big changes to rewards as regulation looms large

In the past few months, major credit card issuers have made significant changes to their card fleets which impact rewards cards significantly.

June 4, 2025 – Staff Reporter

Westpac deploys call centre AI to detect scams

Westpac is piloting new AI technology which is says revolutionise its customer support capabilities, including improving the bank’s ability to detect if a customer is being scammed.

June 4, 2025 – Michael Sainsbury, Senior Business Correspondent

Billions in Card Fees: Australia’s Productivity Blind Spot?

As the national economic debate turns to productivity as the release of five draft reports from the Productivity Commission beginning next month, the growing financial burden on business from a record $6.4 billion a year in card payment costs is rapidly emerging as a blind spot.

May 28, 2025 – George Lekakis, Senior Banking Correspondent

ANZ Worldline cedes market share to Stripe and other non-bank acquirers

Stripe is making big inroads into the Australian acquiring market at the expense of ANZ Worldline and Westpac.

May 28, 2025 – Michael Sainsbury, Senior Business Correspondent

CBA calls for more BNPL checks as sun sets on Aussie-led fintech boom

The nation’s biggest lender and largest consumer bank CBA has called for more credit controls in the Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) sector ahead of regulatory reforms due to kick in on June 10.

May 28, 2025 – Staff Reporter

AP+ moves to conquer large batch payments hurdle for NPP

Australian Payments Plus (AP+) is rushing to design a solution for large batch payments over the New Payments Platform, after the Reserve Bank of Australia expressed serious concerns about progress.

May 28, 2025 – Staff Reporter

Digital wallets continue to explode ahead of regulatory controls

Industry analysts are predicting a further 20.8% growth of digital wallet usage in Australia in 2025, while the sector remains devoid of regulatory controls.

May 28, 2025 – Staff Reporter

Fighting AI with AI – tech battle looming to combat Aussie APP scams

Friendly AI may be the best for of defence against predicted increases in sophisticated AI-driven criminal scams in Australia, according ACI Worldwide’s Scamscope report.

May 28, 2025 – Staff Reporter

DCS credit card rewards to offset carbon emissions via Sphere

In a world first, a new partnership between DCS Card Centre (formally Diners Club Singapore) and Australian eco-tech, Sphere will enable consumers to utilise their rewards to offset carbon emissions and aid biodiversity.

May 21, 2025 – George Lekakis, Senior Banking Correspondent

Adyen reports record Australian growth and a compliance breach

Dutch-owned merchant payments provider, Adyen, could be facing heightened regulatory scrutiny of its Australian business after a local audit by PwC found that the subsidiary may have breached a condition of its financial services licence.

May 21, 2025 – Staff Reporter

Mastercard outage triggered record disruption in card payments, data reveals

New data reveals external dependencies remain a critical vulnerability for the Australian payments system, following a Mastercard outage in March which triggered the most widespread disruption to card payment services seen since reporting began four years ago.