Education solutions company Sallie has launched Backpack Media, an education media network that offers marketers access to Gen Z and Gen Alpha students and the families influencing their purchasing decisions across Sallie’s owned properties, the open web, and CTV.

Consumer interest in chatbot-based checkout isn’t quite there, but AI-based discovery is on the rise.

The company is shifting tactics as users prefer to purchase on retail sites rather than in chatbots.

Our exclusive survey data examines the path to purchase across six markets in Latin America as digital marketplaces, social commerce, and AI reshape shopping behavior.

A Santander-Mastercard pilot shows AI can transact—forcing brands to rethink the funnel.

Payment players can only get rewarded in agentic commerce if they’re visible to agents.

While categories like payments, back-end infrastructure, and in-store systems remain relevant, AI has emerged as a defining force in retail tech for 2026.

Stablecoins are moving from crypto rails to mainstream payments infrastructure. Regulatory support and institutional investment are accelerating adoption, but consumer trust gaps, fragmentation, and liquidity risks pose near-term hurdles for digital payments.

The fintech and Stripe aren’t currently in talks, but a takeover is still possible.

To maintain growth, Sezzle looks to phone plan, subscriptions for stickiness.

As PayPal’s stock tumbles, Stripe is reportedly interested in buying some or all of the company.

The platform is introducing ChatGPT ads for merchants as it looks to become the go-to partner for agentic commerce.

The fintech tempers its expectation for AI in payments in the short term.

Despite the noise around agentic commerce, discovery isn’t fully automated. Consumers may encounter products through digital platforms, but they aren’t yet handing over curiosity or preference-setting to AI.

On February 20, eBay’s updated user agreement goes into effect, banning third-party AI agents that autonomously buy for consumers, targeting the emerging “buy-for-me” tools designed to handle discovery, decisioning, and checkout.

It’s betting that Google’s protocols will funnel agentic payment volume to its BNPL platform.

Consumer spending remained strong, but the network is losing its hold on Capital One’s credit program.

Mastercard bets AI recommendations are the clearest near-term use case for banking clients.

Growing consumer adoption of AI tools is positioning AI platforms as an alternative shopping channel—but most AI-driven transactions are still completed on retailer websites.

The deal expands PayPal merchants’ reach across agentic platforms, tightening its grip on AI-driven discovery and checkout.