The payments & online selling stories our desk judged worth your time, written so anyone can follow them.
A network of look-alike online shops fakes a declined payment to collect card details. No charge is ever made, so your bank statement stays quiet.
Read more: Fake shops 'decline' your card on purpose to collect more cardsScramble Cloud is selling 20TB of encrypted storage for a one-time $349.95, but daily upload limits and the company's newness are worth weighing first.
Read more: A 20TB encrypted cloud storage plan is on sale for a one-time $349.95Mastercard used Money 20/20 to discuss AI tools that shop and pay for you, and digital tokens tied to the dollar. Here is what that could mean for your wallet.
Read more: Mastercard Talks Up AI Shopping Agents and Digital DollarsAmerican Express now lets eligible U.S. cardholders book Airbnb stays through its travel site and app and earn Membership Rewards points on prepaid bookings.
Read more: Amex Cardholders Can Now Book Airbnb Stays and Earn RewardsA JD Sports marketing leader says many searches now end before shoppers reach its site, as AI answers and AI helpers make the first call on what to buy.
Read more: Shopping AI now picks products for you, and retailers are adjustingAzoma raised $11.2 million to help big brands get found by AI shopping assistants, a sign that being seen by AI may soon matter for anyone who sells products.
Read more: Startup raises $11.2 million to help brands win over AI shopping assistantsNine Chinese agencies back AI shopping and delivery agents but plan risk-based rules. Which agents face strict checks is not yet clear.
Read more: China plans safety rules for AI shopping assistants, by how risky they areSeveral European countries now require invoices as data that accounting software can read. Deadlines run through 2030, so firms that trade there should check their tools.
Read more: Europe is making businesses send bills as computer-readable dataChargeflow's Prevent 2.0 scans Shopify orders after checkout and blocks risky ones before shipping, just as 'never arrived' disputes tend to spike.
Read more: New AI tool blocks risky Shopify orders before they shipEvervault launched Browser Tokens, which give AI agents a stand-in card or password so the real details never pass through the AI.
Read more: New tool lets AI shop for you without seeing your real cardLianLian Global's platform clients can now pay creators and sellers through PayPal or Venmo, which could mean fewer forms and no bank details to hand over.
Read more: Online platforms can now pay creators straight to PayPal or VenmoSezzle, the buy now, pay later company, wants to become a national bank. Approval is likely more than a year away, but it could change how apps like it are overseen.
Read more: Sezzle applies to become a national bankBasware, an invoice software maker, has agreed to buy Trustpair, a payment fraud prevention company. Businesses that pay invoices may see more built-in checks.
Read more: Basware agrees to buy Trustpair to fight payment fraudAn investment strategy says Shopify could gain as AI assistants begin finding and buying products for shoppers, which may change how people reach online stores.
Read more: Shopify could gain as AI shopping assistants start buying for usStaples Canada has launched Staples Business, one brand for supplies, tech, print and facilities. Business buyers may get one contact, but delivery is the test.
Read more: Staples Canada rolls its business services into one brandHSBC's new Hong Kong dollar coin, HSBC RedCoin, lets PayMe app users send money to friends and pay at more than 100,000 merchants.
Read more: HSBC launches a Hong Kong dollar digital coin you can spend in its appTD Bank is teaming up with data network Akoya so money apps can connect to your account without your bank login, and you can shut off access yourself.
Read more: TD Bank will let finance apps connect without your bank passwordA brand that hit $200 million in online sales shows that web success does not guarantee store success, because leases and inventory change the math.
Read more: A $200 Million Online Hit Can Still Struggle Once It Opens StoresA new survey finds shoppers would still send AI agents to big marketplaces, even when a brand's own site offers the same price, shipping and returns.
Read more: Shoppers Still Pick Big Marketplaces Even When AI Does the BuyingWalmart says shoppers will soon be able to cap what an AI helper spends, approve each buy, and see which orders the AI placed.
Read more: Walmart will let you set spending limits for AI shopping helpersSpaceX launched a partner program to help companies set up and build on its Grok AI. Business owners may soon see more firms pitching Grok services.
Read more: SpaceX Starts a Partner Program to Help Companies Use Its Grok AINew York startup Daytona raised $60 million at a $1 billion value to build a cloud for AI agents, a sign of where business software is heading.
Read more: Daytona, a New York startup, is now valued at $1 billionCash was still about 56% of South African consumer transactions in 2024, even as banks build faster payments and test AI, the central bank found.
Read more: South Africa builds fast digital payments, but most people still use cashAbout a quarter of early Muse users use Meta's AI helper to shop, spending around $200 a purchase, while banks and experts warn that protections lag.
Read more: Meta's new AI helper is mostly used for shopping, at about $200 a buy
