The payments & online selling stories our desk judged worth your time, written so anyone can follow them.
Broadcom launched Arcot Scam Defense, a tool that lets banks block an online card payment you approved if it looks like you were being manipulated.
Read more: Broadcom adds a second check to stop card scams you approve yourselfA survey of 2,000 US consumers finds that 36% delayed a payment because paying was too complicated. Bill senders may get paid later if it takes more than three clicks.
Read more: Making people click more than 3 times to pay can cost you the paymentCareCredit has launched Pay Later, a loan with fixed monthly payments for dental, vision and other care that insurance skips. Here is what to compare before you sign.
Read more: CareCredit adds a fixed-payment loan for health costs insurance skipsFrance's cyber agency chief says criminals took over retailers' smart fridges through weak passwords and missing protection, not advanced hacking.
Read more: Hackers took over French retailers' smart fridges using weak passwordsStord has bought rival AMS Fulfillment in its largest deal yet, a move that could shape warehouse and shipping choices for online sellers.
Read more: Stord buys rival AMS Fulfillment in its biggest deal yetVisa has widened its lower card fee program for small Canadian sellers, while Mastercard has kept its own limit, so your costs may depend on which card you take.
Read more: Visa lowers card fees for more small Canadian businessesA law firm says US and European regulators expect businesses to describe their AI data practices accurately, and to do it before anything changes.
Read more: Your privacy policy must match how your AI tools handle customer dataBank of America says AI assistants that shop for you could cut into marketplaces like Etsy and eBay, and earnings reports next week and the week after may show early signs.
Read more: AI shopping assistants may squeeze online marketplaces like Etsy and eBayWorley linked a smart-contract system to HSBC so approved invoices can start instant bank payments. Here is what businesses should settle before trying it.
Read more: Approved invoices can now trigger bank payments automaticallyA Fiserv executive says online stores are working out how their checkout will handle AI shoppers, and McKinsey sees up to $5 trillion in sales by 2030.
Read more: Online stores weigh whether their checkout can handle AI shoppersInstant payments and stablecoins are here, but speakers at Money20/20 said many banks and companies are slow to use them fully. Checks and ACH are not going away.
Read more: New ways to move money are here, but many banks are slow to use themAcuityTec's Version 10.1 lets a business share blocked, high-risk and approved lists across its accounts, so one known bad actor cannot start fresh on each.
Read more: AcuityTec adds shared fraud data across accounts in version 10.1Visa released fraud tools for business virtual card payments, including spending limits, so owners who pay suppliers this way should know what may soon be offered.
Read more: Visa adds fraud checks for business virtual card paymentsAzoma raised $11.2M to help brands get picked by AI shopping agents, a sign that product listings now need to work for software as well as shoppers.
Read more: Azoma raises $11.2M to help brands get picked by AI shopping agentsBanks use AI to sort fraud cases and disputes, but new state laws mean they must explain how it shaped a decision. Many cannot yet.
Read more: Banks Are Using AI on Fraud Cases, but Struggle to Prove How It DecidesKlarna says its new Consumer FX feature covers its merchants worldwide, whatever currency the store uses. Check the rate and fees before you pay.
Read more: Klarna lets you shop at stores abroad and pay in your own currencyAmazon blocked Meta's Muse shopping agent, and the fight shows there is no agreed way for AI tools to prove who they are or who sent them.
Read more: Amazon blocks Meta's AI shopping agent, exposing a gap in online trustVisa says scammers are building fake stores to fool AI shopping tools this holiday season, so a purchase made for you could send your money to a fraudster.
Read more: Visa warns fake online stores are built to fool AI shopping helpersFinance teams jumped from 16% to 80% using generative AI for cash flow in a year, but only 5% let AI agents act on their own, a new study finds.
Read more: Finance teams now use AI for cash flow, but few let it act aloneA crypto tracking firm says scam gangs are using chatbots instead of people, and that fast reporting is the best way to get stolen money frozen.
Read more: Crypto Tracking Firm Says Scam Gangs Are Switching to AI ChatbotsSierra and Meta unveiled a shared way for customers' AI agents to prove who they are to businesses. Here is what owners should do before more of them show up.
Read more: Meta and Sierra Launch a Standard for AI Shopping Agents to Identify ThemselvesThe UK competition regulator wants Apple to make it cheaper and easier for rivals to offer tap-to-pay on iPhones, which could mean more choice for users.
Read more: UK regulator wants to make it easier to rival Apple Pay on iPhonesChrome is adding a Suspicious sites warning that flags fake-looking pages even when Google is not sure they are dangerous. It could keep your passwords and card details safe.
Read more: Chrome will now warn you about sites that look like scamsGoogle is adding Android tools that hide sensitive screens, warn about risky links and block fake bank calls, aiming to stop scams before money or codes are handed over.
Read more: Google adds new Android tools to stop scam calls and texts
