FEATURED

Digital & Online

Apr 29, 2026

ANZ Buys Out Worldline's 51% Stake in Merchant Payments Joint Venture

ANZ has pulled the trigger. The bank announced today it's entered a binding agreement to acquire Worldline S.A.'s 51% share in ANZ Worldline, the Melbourne-headquartered merchant payments joint venture that's been running since 2022.

Government

Apr 29, 2026

INIT and Trapeze big winners in $820m Opal 2.0 upgrade deal

NSW commuters will see enhanced services, a new Opal app and the rollout of 25,000 new readers, under a $820m deal announced by the NSW Government yesterday. Officials compared the upgrade to replacing tech from “the start of the century such as the Blu-Ray Player and the first Blackberry”.

THE LATEST

Cards

Apr 29, 2026

EV giant Chargefox lands on WEX Motorpass, as Visa and Mastercard circle

Cash

Apr 29, 2026

Regional Australia doesn't need smarter ATMs, it needs bank branches

Digital & Online

Apr 29, 2026

Apple Pay “tax” row intensifies as inquiry evidence collides

Digital & Online

Apr 29, 2026

Brace yourselves! Big change coming for millions of Xero, MYOB and QuickBooks users

STAY UP-TO-DATE WITH THE LATEST PAYMENTS NEWS

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Fee fog thickens as Visa and Mastercard sidestep parliamentary scrutiny

As the Reserve Bank moves to increase transparency on fees, the global card giants deflect detailed parliamentary questions on $2 billion in scheme fees. They have instead leaned on global narratives, while avoiding direct answers on Australian cost increases and merchant impacts.

The Interchange Bench

Apr 29, 2026

The Interchange Bench

On The Interchange Bench this week, Cash Out Day warms up ATMs, NSW Treasury looks for Payments Strategy lead, Jack Zhang’s Airwallex pushes POS while Prospa pushes points, KuCoin jumps on Mastercard rails and concerned travel agents pack surcharge ban meeting.

Digital & Online

Apr 29, 2026

10,000 pages of law and $140 billion in wages: inside Employment Hero's AI co-employment play

As Payday Super looms, Employment Hero is banking on AI to help streamline workforces and create return on investment.

Banks

Apr 29, 2026

Warning! CBA’s new AI fraud agent tests 80m signals a day

Commonwealth Bank customers may start to notice more proactive warnings about potentially fraudulent transactions after the bank deployed an advanced agentic AI system.

Fintech

Apr 29, 2026

Ant International & Citi launch PayTo for Australian SMEs

Ant International and Citi plan to launch PayTo on Ant’s service in Australia aimed directly at the small business market.

Digital & Online

Apr 29, 2026

Inside the transaction engine: Coles conquers online liquor delivery with Omnivore

How Omnivore kept 985 Coles Liquor stores running through Christmas without a hitch.

Fintech

Apr 29, 2026

Adyen partnership sees big savings for 1Cover

Travel insurer 1Cover claims a $35,000 saving by streamlining its payments stack through Adyen partnership.

Cards

Apr 22, 2026

As fuel soars Visa and Mastercard take aim at Australia's fleet card market

The global payments giants are partnering with big banks like Westpac to move into territory long dominated by Fleet Card and WEX's Motorpass, and petrol station operators said the incumbents have had it too good for too long.

Digital & Online

Apr 22, 2026

ASX finally live with $125m CHESS Release 1

After years of regulatory pressure and a significant system crash, the ASX is finally live with CHESS Release 1, with all Approved Market Operators advised they were successfully connected this week.

Fintech

Apr 22, 2026

Blackhawk launches stored value platform for consumer engagement

The new platform unifies refunds, promotional dollars, loyalty rewards and gift cards into one consumer balance that serves as a retention and marketing tool for brands.

Cash

Apr 22, 2026

Cash use trending up and “essential”: RBA

With $107 billion in cash notes circulating in the economy, the Reserve Bank reaffirms its commitment to “ensure cash remains a viable means of payment". New data shows around half of Australians use cash every week, and about 1.5 million adults rely on it as their main form of payment.

Regulation

Apr 22, 2026

Cuscal spends $48m on NZ EFTPOS network amid sector modernisation program

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand is keen to prioritise an account-to-account network but industry body Payments NZ is concerned that security issues should take priority.

Fintech

Apr 22, 2026

Global processor Paymentology partners with Cuscal and Constantinople to expand into Australia

Global issuer-processor, Paymentology is expanding down under forming strategic partnerships and marking a significant milestone in its global expansion strategy.

Fintech

Apr 22, 2026

Mystery to shroud BECS future until July: AusPayNet

Despite potential impacts on NPP-centric fintechs and other payments stakeholders, AusPayNet won’t make public the results of its assessment of options to upgrade the Bulk Electronic Clearing System (BECS) until July.

Fintech

Apr 22, 2026

PayNuts unveils refreshed brand and solutions

PayNuts has unveiled a refreshed brand identity and an expanded suite of integrated business solutions designed to woo small businesses.

Digital & Online

Apr 22, 2026

Perfume and petrol: what two April data drops reveal about the Aussie wallet

Experian's latest Business Pulse paints one picture of the Australian consumer. CommBank's March Household Spending Insights paints another. Read them side by side, and the shape of 2026 gets interesting fast.

Fintech

Apr 22, 2026

Sydney’s Hello Clever teams with Checkout.com on global AI and rewards play

A new deal with Checkout.com aims to further expand Sydney based Hello Clever’s international growth strategy, having already established regional headquarters in Singapore, New York, and Tokyo.

The Interchange Bench

Apr 22, 2026

The Interchange Bench

On The Interchange Bench this week, the RBA PR machine goes nuts on cash, APRA passes the buck on Binance, Azupay urges merchants to switch to NPP, Airwallex invests in C-suite compliance, Pay.com.au packs up its IPO, Kemper to head SEON commercial, NAB searches for a real-time tech head, AMEX joins the AI party and Bolt goes to Bangkok.

Merchant Service Fees

Apr 22, 2026

The NFC chip, the banks, and the distraction from the bigger payments fight

As the Reserve Bank mulls over the scope of its second payments consultation, it must consider whether regulating Google and Apple will really produce a more resilient and efficient payments system for consumers and merchants, or just deliver a win for the banks?

Cards

Apr 22, 2026

Transport for NSW delivers concession transit while Littlepay turns on Wellington tap

While Melbourne’s myki tap and go transit payments trial continues, a local fintech has delivered a working system to New Zealand’s capital Wellington in just 6 months. Meanwhile, NSW has finally delivered a tap option for concession travellers.

Merchant Service Fees

Apr 22, 2026

Wake up! Only 162 days before surcharge ban kicks in

With just 162 days left until the first round of changes to Australia’s retail payment system, the payments industry is having mixed reactions to the most significant changes in a generation, but you wouldn’t know it.

A2A

Apr 22, 2026

Why the Government won’t move to NPP except in emergencies

The Reserve Bank has told a Parliamentary Inquiry why Government agencies aren’t moving to the New Payments Platform except in emergency situations - and it’s still all about bulk payments, reach, resilience and cost.

The Payments Spotlight

Apr 19, 2026

CBA and the evolution of Aussie payments

As the biggest player in the market, the Commonwealth Bank has been at the forefront of electronic payment milestones for the past 40 years, supporting Australians to adapt to the ever-changing payments landscape. The bank's payments leaders, Albert Naffah and Alison Chang, take a close look at the payments evolution.

The Payments Spotlight

Apr 19, 2026

First with Apple Pay and an early investor in NPP, ANZ strives for innovation

ANZ’s Managing Director Transaction Banking, Lisa Vasic, explains that as the first bank to introduce Apple Pay to the local market, ANZ continues to drive innovation in the payments ecosystem.

The Payments Spotlight

Apr 19, 2026

From cheque books to agentic AI: Global Payments looks at how Australia's payments system grew up

Forty-two years after Australia's first eftpos payment was made in a Sydney supermarket, Global Payments, Head of Integrated and Platforms for APAC, Masseh Haidary, looks at how the payments world has changed - Australians now tap watches ride the NPP and argue about surcharges. The infrastructure underneath all of that? Still evolving, still contested, still fascinating.

The Payments Spotlight

Apr 19, 2026

From click-clack to tap-and-go

Forty-two years ago, the first electronic ‘eftpos’ transaction occurred on a Westpac Handicard at a Woolworths Supermarket. Payments expert, engineer and industry veteran Simon Greig explains exactly what that involved and why it matters.

The Payments Spotlight

Apr 19, 2026

How eftpos changed the way Australians pay

Australian Payments Plus (AP+) General Manager Retail Payments, Colin Sultana explains that the first eftpos transaction marked the beginning of electronic payments in Australia – demonstrating, for the first time, how funds could move digitally between a card-issuing bank and a merchant.

The Payments Spotlight

Apr 19, 2026

New eftpos brand campaign

Australian Payments Plus (AP+) has launched a new eftpos merchant brand campaign, coinciding with the 42nd anniversary of the first electronic card payment.

The Payments Spotlight

Apr 19, 2026

The Woolies transaction that sparked a $1 trillion revolution in Aussie card payments

After processing the first EFTPOS transaction back in 1984, Woolworths sparked an electronics payments revolution that now sees Australians make more than $1 trillion in card payments a year. 42 years on and WPay Managing Director Chris Mills said Woolworths payments ethos remains the same – giving customers choice and convenience.

Merchant Service Fees

Apr 15, 2026

ACCC takes on Mastercard in Federal Court

The ACCC's landmark competition case against Mastercard opened in the Federal Court on Monday, with senior counsel for the regulator, John Sheahan, walking Justice Wigney through the evidence.

Fintech

Apr 15, 2026

Accommodation providers look for cheaper pay options in wake of surcharge ban

With Australia's planned ban on card surcharges set to take effect on 1 October, GoCardless said accommodation providers are seeking lower-cost payment alternatives to protect margins.

A2A

Apr 15, 2026

Bank lobby conflates NPP costs with cards fees ... and threatens more fees!

Small businesses and cardholders might soon be paying higher card fees to help the big banks’ build the New Payments Platform (NPP) and defend their profits from multinationals, according to bank lobbyists.

Fintech

Apr 15, 2026

Bolt repurposes AP+ white elephant Beem after Binance setback

As it looks to recover from an embarrassing short-lived relationship with controversial crypto wallet Binance, Bolt Group's latest move is to give Beem a facelift and turn it into a “true everyday money app”.

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FEATURED

ANZ Buys Out Worldline's 51% Stake in Merchant Payments Joint Venture

INIT and Trapeze big winners in $820m Opal 2.0 upgrade deal

THE LATEST

EV giant Chargefox lands on WEX Motorpass, as Visa and Mastercard circle

Regional Australia doesn't need smarter ATMs, it needs bank branches

Apple Pay “tax” row intensifies as inquiry evidence collides

Brace yourselves! Big change coming for millions of Xero, MYOB and QuickBooks users

STAY UP-TO-DATE WITH THE LATEST PAYMENTS NEWS

TRENDING

Fee fog thickens as Visa and Mastercard sidestep parliamentary scrutiny

The Interchange Bench

10,000 pages of law and $140 billion in wages: inside Employment Hero's AI co-employment play

Warning! CBA’s new AI fraud agent tests 80m signals a day

Ant International & Citi launch PayTo for Australian SMEs

Inside the transaction engine: Coles conquers online liquor delivery with Omnivore

Adyen partnership sees big savings for 1Cover

As fuel soars Visa and Mastercard take aim at Australia's fleet card market

ASX finally live with $125m CHESS Release 1

Blackhawk launches stored value platform for consumer engagement

Cash use trending up and “essential”: RBA

Cuscal spends $48m on NZ EFTPOS network amid sector modernisation program

Global processor Paymentology partners with Cuscal and Constantinople to expand into Australia

Mystery to shroud BECS future until July: AusPayNet

PayNuts unveils refreshed brand and solutions

Perfume and petrol: what two April data drops reveal about the Aussie wallet

Sydney’s Hello Clever teams with Checkout.com on global AI and rewards play

The Interchange Bench

The NFC chip, the banks, and the distraction from the bigger payments fight

Transport for NSW delivers concession transit while Littlepay turns on Wellington tap

Wake up! Only 162 days before surcharge ban kicks in

Why the Government won’t move to NPP except in emergencies

CBA and the evolution of Aussie payments

First with Apple Pay and an early investor in NPP, ANZ strives for innovation

From cheque books to agentic AI: Global Payments looks at how Australia's payments system grew up

From click-clack to tap-and-go

How eftpos changed the way Australians pay

New eftpos brand campaign

The Woolies transaction that sparked a $1 trillion revolution in Aussie card payments

ACCC takes on Mastercard in Federal Court

Accommodation providers look for cheaper pay options in wake of surcharge ban

Bank lobby conflates NPP costs with cards fees ... and threatens more fees!

Bolt repurposes AP+ white elephant Beem after Binance setback

HAVE A NEWS STORY TO SHARE?