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Archive · April 19, 2026

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Story 01

France’s CB Pushes Co-Badging to Challenge Visa and Mastercard’s European Dominance

France's CB is advocating for co-badging, enabling French bank cards to operate on both local and international networks, aiming to reduce dependence on Visa and Mastercard. If adopted, this move could erode the market share of global card schemes and boost local payment networks across Europe. Banks and merchants may gain more negotiating power and lower fees, while Visa and Mastercard face increased competition on their home turf.

Source: Financial Times
Also Worth Knowing
№02

Stripe Launches New Credit Card Issuing Platform for European Fintechs

Stripe has introduced a credit card issuing platform in Europe, allowing fintechs and digital banks to create, distribute, and manage branded credit cards. This expansion gives European fintechs more flexibility to offer tailored credit products and strengthens Stripe’s position as a key infrastructure provider. Traditional banks may face increased competition as fintechs accelerate card innovation and customer acquisition.

Source: TechCrunch
№03

Early Warning Services Unveils Certos to Raise Bar for Bank Fraud Prevention

Early Warning Services has launched Certos, a suite of fraud and identity risk solutions designed to help financial institutions combat increasingly sophisticated fraud threats. The new portfolio could set a higher industry standard, prompting banks and credit unions to upgrade their fraud prevention capabilities. Competing fraud tech vendors will need to accelerate innovation or risk losing contracts to Certos-backed institutions.

Source: Finextra
№04

Home Depot Acquires SIMPL Automation to Boost Same-Day Delivery With AI

Home Depot has acquired SIMPL Automation to enhance its same-day and next-day delivery operations using AI-driven logistics technology. This move gives Home Depot a logistics edge, promising faster fulfillment and improved customer experience in the home improvement sector. Competing retailers may need to accelerate their own automation investments or risk losing share in the delivery race.

Source: PYMNTS
№05

NatWest Expands Financial Foundations Program to 50,000 With Investment Guidance Focus

NatWest Group is scaling its Financial Foundations program to reach 50,000 people in UK workplaces and community groups, emphasizing investment-focused financial guidance. This expansion strengthens NatWest’s position in financial wellness and could attract new clients seeking accessible investment advice. Competing banks and fintechs may respond by launching or expanding their own educational initiatives.

Source: Finextra
The Long Memory
“Despite Visa and Mastercard’s global reach, France’s CB network still processes over half of all card payments in France, making it a rare local outlier in Europe.

Filed under: Payments History · The Long Memory

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