Mobile will account for nearly half of US online sales in 2026 and become the dominant channel in 2027. To make the most of this shift, retailers and brands should enhance integration of their shopping apps and loyalty programs.

Visa Direct will pilot letting businesses and platforms send stablecoin payouts to recipients’ crypto wallets, per a press release. The importance of the creator economy is growing for ecommerce. Over half of US social shoppers follow creators or influencers, and almost half (49.5%) of all US social shoppers have made a purchase based on creator content. Instituting quick and reliable stablecoin payouts for freelancers can help them retain key marketing contractor team members on social media platforms. However, crypto adoption has met resistance: Per a Kansas City Fed report, the largest predictor for cryptocurrency payments is payee preference, far outstripping speed, privacy, or cost.

In today’s episode, we talk about whether the “American Dream” is less achievable, or just different, how this new economic reality has reshaped consumer behavior, and how brands are marketing aspiration differently. Join the discussion with host and Head of Business Development, Rob Rubin, Senior Director of Briefings, Jeremy Goldman, and Analyst, Paola Flores-Marquez.

Fintech isn’t just a budgeting tool—it’s becoming a partner in Gen Z’s resilience, according to Plaid’s “The Fintech Effect” report. We knew that fintech use was on the rise and that Gen Zers even prefer these digital competitors to traditional banks. And these findings reinforce why financial institutions must either work with fintechs to deliver more complete suites of financial products, or prioritize developing them in-house. They also underscore the importance of viewing fintechs as potential partners, rather than competitors. This raises the question of whether charging fintechs fees for customer data access could backfire and drive fintechs—and customers—to competitors.

The sources of ad spending growth are shifting as telecom and financial services surge, while retail and CPG slow but still dominate in scale. Every industry is leaning harder into digital, with social and display ads commanding more budget than ever.

Early Warning Services, the company behind Zelle and Paze, submitted a five-point plan to US financial regulators to combat fraud. While a multi-sector approach could be a good idea in theory, it may also deflect from each financial player’s responsibility to secure every transaction. If FIs want customers to trust that their money is safe with them, they can’t blame their partners for fraudulent transactions that customers use their mobile banking apps to make. But clearly, the traditional siloed approach to combating fraud isn’t working against sophisticated criminal rings that operate across multiple platforms.

In today’s episode, ​we talk about the promise and challenges financial media networks face in the burgeoning commerce media network landscape.​ Join the discussion with host and Head of Business Development Rob Rubin, ​Principal Analyst Sarah Marzano, and Senior Analyst Max Willens.

They can stand out from the pack by increasing their offerings, providing data analytics, and forging key partnerships.

Shifting consumer preference toward fixed installments shows how BNPL can compete with credit cards’ incentives.

The partnership highlights the importance of individual merchant deals and larger platform tie-ups

Despite being a leader in AI use, the BNPL provider said leaning on AI for customer service lowered support quality

But its megadeal with Worldpay and FIS will transform its business and expand its revenue opportunities

Agent Pay could transform the payments experience for consumers with hyperpersonalized recommendations

Economic uncertainty could derail its efforts to reinvigorate growth

The company’s acquisition spree could help accelerate growth despite an uncertain economic climate

The payments giant also deepened its tie-up with Coinbase to make buying and using the asset more accessible

The move helps cement crypto’s long-term future, but the industry still has hurdles to overcome before mainstreaming

Higher prices could impede volume growth and raise credit card issuers’ delinquencies

The increased security for merchants and customers can make Skipify a more attractive payments partner