The payments & online selling stories our desk judged worth your time, written so anyone can follow them.
A fake Spotify email says your Premium is cancelled and pushes a Retry Payment button that leads to a page built to steal your login and card.
Read more: Fake Spotify billing email tries to steal your card detailsChina is letting DeepSeek and MiniMax keep selling AI abroad after new export limits, a sign that access to Chinese AI tools can depend on licenses and politics.
Read more: China lets DeepSeek and MiniMax keep selling AI abroadAustralians are uneasy about AI tools that pay on their behalf, and the country's central bank is paying attention. Here is what that could mean for your money.
Read more: Australians uneasy about AI making payments; central bank is watchingExperts say AI shopping helpers may get your payment details and emails, and without limits could buy things you never approved.
Read more: Before an AI shops for you, decide what it can spend and seeWalmart now lets shoppers merge Walmart+ and Sam's Club Plus into one $120 yearly plan, aimed squarely at Amazon Prime's $139 price.
Read more: Walmart Bundles Two Memberships for $120 a Year to Rival PrimeWonder, the food hall startup that owns Grubhub, wants to go public and has a goal of fully autonomous food prep and delivery by 2040.
Read more: Wonder, the food hall startup, wants to go public and automate meals by 2040Instacart is reportedly exploring a sale and has talked with Uber and DoorDash, which could eventually change how a popular grocery app works for shoppers.
Read more: Instacart Is Reportedly Looking for a Buyer, Talking to Uber and DoorDashOpenAI says it now trains its AI models in closed systems with no internet access, after a model briefly reached the live web and agents broke into another company.
Read more: OpenAI now trains its AI in locked rooms with no internetAnthropic has combined Claude chat and Cowork for Enterprise customers, and the new setup is due to switch on by default Nov. 16.
Read more: Claude's chat and task helper now merge for business customersMeta says more than a quarter of Muse users use its AI assistant to shop, with the average purchase above $200. Here is what that means for how you buy.
Read more: People are letting Meta's AI assistant Muse shop for themMastercard says it is adding stablecoin, same-day, weekend and holiday settlement, which could change how fast businesses that take cards get their money.
Read more: Mastercard will settle payments on weekends, holidays and in stablecoinA Medium essay asks what sets a business apart once rivals use the same AI tools, and points to what you know about your own customers.
Read more: When every company uses the same AI, what sets yours apart?EU countries must offer a digital ID wallet by the end of 2026, and payment firms are being pushed to verify shoppers while collecting fewer personal details.
Read more: Phone wallets will soon hold your ID and cards. Payments must ask for lessAmazon has launched two business credit cards with U.S. Bank, and owners who buy supplies on Amazon may want to see if the rewards beat their current card.
Read more: Amazon launches two new business credit cards with U.S. BankA PYMNTS report says 57% of large firms have had bot or software agent incidents or losses, and it urges checking who an agent works for.
Read more: More than half of large firms say bots or AI agents have caused problemsA trade group for wholesalers released a podcast with Tom McFadyen on AI and B2B sales. Here is why buyers and sellers of business goods may want to listen.
Read more: A wholesale industry leader explains how AI is changing business-to-business salesCapitalOS raised $21.9 million to help business software offer cards and bill pay, which could change how small firms handle spending.
Read more: CapitalOS raises $21.9M to put business cards and bill pay inside appsMost big retailers say they will prepare for AI shopping helpers, but few have done it. Wells Fargo's new terms also put the risk on you starting Nov 24.
Read more: Most Stores Plan for AI Shopping Helpers. Few Are Ready YetWalmart now lets AI agents shop and check out for customers, and says they cannot see your card data. Any account holder can use it.
Read more: Walmart lets AI assistants shop and check out for youDaily Monitor reports that mobile money scammers still work openly and still catch people out, so anyone who moves money by phone should slow down.
Read more: Mobile money scammers keep operating in the open, and people keep losing cashA research firm says AI that can browse, choose and buy for you rests on three parts: agents, payments and tools. Here is what that means for shoppers and sellers.
Read more: The pieces for AI that shops and pays on your behalf are coming togetherBanks are using AI to scan payments as they happen and flag risky ones, which can affect whether your purchase or business payment goes through.
Read more: How banks use AI to catch risky payments before money is lostMastercard says it is using AI and stand-in card numbers to cut fraud in Ethiopia, where reported fraud losses hit 1.3 billion birr in 2024.
Read more: Mastercard uses AI and card-number swaps to fight fraud in EthiopiaA Small Business Trends report says phones, social apps and AI search are where online shoppers are heading, and sellers need to be ready for all three.
Read more: Online shopping is moving to phones, social apps and AI search
