International and commercial spending, along with value-added services, drove the network’s revenues.

Uber is expanding premium storytelling through Journey Takeovers, which turn entire rides into narrative canvases—and delivering unusually long, high-quality attention.

Listening patterns from 2025 show how audio fits into everyday moments differently across markets, from commutes to cooking to winding down at night. Spotify’s Wrapped for Advertisers pulls those signals into a clearer picture for 2026 advertising decisions.

Revolut sold shares that valued the company at $75 billion. The amount raised was unclear, but the buyers included several venture firms and asset management firms that commonly invest in private shares. Revolut’s global success has been remarkable. But it may just crowd the graveyard of foreign neobanks that have tested the US waters. N26 quit in 2022 after two years. When Bunq tried in 2023, it gave up after getting tied up in regulatory reviews. Monzo still operates in the US but gave up hope of getting a banking license. Incumbents have a lot to fear, but Revolut doesn’t have a slam dunk.

Klarna’s revenues soared 28% YoY to $903 million, per its Q3 2025 earnings report. Gross merchandise volume (GMV) jumped 23% YoY, powered by strength in the US—where GMV cracked 43% growth YoY. Interest-bearing US loans accounted for over 244% of US GMV growth. Klarna’s blueprint for US consumers is connecting—for now. Younger, credit-averse consumers may be drawn to the Klarna Card’s debit-forward approach, but it still lacks a rewards structure compelling enough to pull consumers away from credit cards. While its membership rewards model did net 1 million signups in less than a month, issuers still face little threat from this card unseating their offerings.

American Express’ total revenues increased 11% in Q3 2025, per its earnings release. Increased card member spending, higher net interest income, revolving loan balances, and card fees supported growth, the company said. The uptick in dining indicates that even the wealthy are looking to pull back on bigger indulgences like vacation and looking for more local opportunities to splurge. To make up for lost travel volume, issuers should encourage spending on fine dining with exclusive dining pop-ups and experiences through their dining apps, focusing on local vendors—similar to Square’s Neighborhoods’ launch, but elevated.

As Primark celebrates its 10-year anniversary in the US, the European retail giant navigates the challenges of building brand awareness in a competitive American market while staying true to its core value proposition that made it a cultural institution in the UK and Ireland.

A consortium of international banks are exploring whether to create a stablecoin-esque digital currency to facilitate payments on-chain across G7 countries, per a press release. Engineering a stablecoin-like digital currency that’s pegged to multiple currencies is a big task for the global banks logistically. These efforts also demonstrate that banks are taking the risk of payment disintermediation seriously—and, in the process, legitimizing stablecoin’s place in the payments ecosystem.

The Trump administration announced on September 15 that a TikTok sale deal has finally been reached with China after months of uncertainty, allowing TikTok to remain operational in the US. That means TikTok’s future in the US isn’t as uncertain as it recently was. FIs that set aside plans to build up their TikTok following or reach target customers via campaigns or finfluencer relationships should now move full steam ahead on TikTok. This is the moment to restart those efforts with a renewed focus on authenticity and education. FIs should create specific content that speaks to Gen Z’s financial realities.

The news: British fintech Revolut is reportedly considering acquiring a US bank to rapidly obtain a US banking license, enabling faster expansion, per The Financial Times. It will likely target a low-cost, nationally chartered bank. Our take: Revolut’s potential acquisition of a US bank reflects a growing trend of successful fintechs becoming banks themselves through strategic acquisition rather than merely being disruptors. PYMNTS reported that multiple fintechs—including Wise, Circle, and Ripple—also recently applied for banking licenses with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. This means banks must lean into what differentiates them from the growing competition beyond charters and insured deposits, like long-standing reputations, excellent customer service, and customer-centric products and services.

68% of US LGBTQ+ adults say all or most companies participate in Pride Month to boost business, while just 16% believe it’s driven by genuine support, per a January survey from Pew Research Center.

Klarna’s later entry into the US debit card space offers it a pathway to seize more payment volume.

There are now more than 80 retail media networks (RMNs) in the US. The volume of RMNs, combined with the dominance of Amazon and other established competitors, makes it challenging for new and niche RMNs to capture share.

A trade war between two of the world’s largest consumer markets would cause significant disruption for consumers, retailers, and brands in Europe.

Poor planning, political posturing, and a shift to inference workloads turned China’s state-backed data center spree into a cautionary tale for US hyperscalers.

On Monday, US and Chinese officials reportedly announced a significant reduction of the recent tariffs that have led to economic uncertainty around the world.

95% of women characters in US ads are portrayed in domestic and family roles, while only 3% are in leadership roles, according to a March 2025 CreativeX report. In worldwide ads, 71% of women characters are portrayed in domestic roles and 20% in leadership roles.

When you think of tax season, gaming or dating probably don’t come to mind. But for H&R Block, flipping that narrative is part of a larger strategy to meet the next generation of taxpayers exactly where they are—whether it’s in a virtual mansion on Roblox or swiping right on Tinder.