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Archive · November 12, 2026

November 12, 2026.
Five payments stories that matter.

The 5-minute briefing for payments professionals who need to know what happened, what it means, and what to do about it — before their 9am.

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The Lead

Story 01

Western Union Abandons Intermex Acquisition After Rejecting California’s Conditions

Western Union terminated its $500 million Intermex acquisition, saying California’s conditions would require material changes to its business model, agent relationships and strategy. California’s DFPI said its conditions addressed fraud, scams, money laundering and competitive access. The cancellation prevents the companies from combining their agent networks and customer relationships, ending a deal intended to expand Western Union’s US retail footprint and digital customer acquisition.

Source: PYMNTS
Also Worth Knowing
№02

Square Opens Bitcoin Acceptance to Eligible Merchants Ahead of January Fees

Eligible US Square merchants can now accept Bitcoin through the Lightning Network and receive dollars without holding cryptocurrency; New York businesses remain excluded. Square completed the rollout within its existing merchant software and settlement relationship, removing the need for a separate crypto-payment provider. Processing remains free through December 31, 2026, before a 1% fee begins on January 1, 2027.

Source: PYMNTS
№03

US Card Balances Reach $1.29 Trillion as Delinquency Transitions Edge Lower

US credit-card balances rose $22 billion to approximately $1.29 trillion in the third quarter, while transitions into early and serious delinquency edged down, according to PYMNTS’ account of New York Fed data. A companion analysis found median opening credit scores of 688 for cards issued in 2020–2022, compared with 699 for 2017–2019 originations. Those differences distinguish aggregate repayment trends from the credit profiles of newer borrowers; the headline delinquency decline does not establish uniformly stronger performance across account cohorts.

Source: PYMNTS
№04

OCC Reassigns Bank Examiners to Charter Reviews as Its Workforce Shrinks

The OCC is assigning bank examiners to charter and merger reviews alongside licensing specialists, according to Bloomberg reporting summarized by PYMNTS. The agency reportedly employed approximately 2,600 people in August after losing more than 1,000 since January 2025, while at least 50 firms applied for charters from early 2025 through October 2026. The reassignment adds examiners to application reviews, but the report does not quantify application delays and says the agency had not canceled or delayed examinations.

Source: PYMNTS
№05

United Allows AI Flight Search but Keeps Agents Out of Checkout

United Airlines allows personal AI agents to search flights and display prices but blocks them from completing bookings on its website. The airline cited sensitive-data exposure, unintended purchases and mandatory customer disclosures; CEO Scott Kirby also said he did not want another intermediary between United and its customers. The policy separates permission to discover flights from permission to purchase them, keeping checkout under United’s control even when an agent handles the search.

Source: PYMNTS
The Long Memory
“Congress enacted the Electronic Fund Transfer Act in 1978, establishing consumer rights and responsibilities for electronic fund transfers. Regulation E implements the act, covering transactions such as ATM withdrawals, debit-card payments and preauthorized transfers, with rules for disclosures, unauthorized-transfer liability and error resolution. Source: Federal Reserve, “Electronic Fund Transfer Act (Regulation E)” — https://www.federalreserve.gov/supervisionreg/rege-about.htm

Filed under: Payments History · The Long Memory

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