US consumers pined for pre-pandemic pleasures in Q4 2021, with the delta wave receding and omicron just entering the frame—and it showed in their search behavior. Organic Google search visits to travel sites increased 41% year over year that quarter. Meanwhile, retail and consumer goods took a hit: Visits to those sites decreased 14% as the prospects of in-store shopping improved.
Tencent reportedly faces a record fine over rule violations; Paytm was allegedly banned from onboarding new users for similar reasons.
Another bank sets up a metaverse HQ that consumers haven’t asked for: Siam Commercial Bank has become the second major financial institution to enter the metaverse.
Biometrics are poised for wider adoption: Consumers aren’t happy with the status quo for identity verification—and most of those who tried newer methods liked them, according to a PYMNTS and Pindrop survey.
APIs take off among banks: They’re critical for “as a service” innovations, but APIs raise the challenge of working with legacy tech stacks and finding developers during a talent shortage.
The payments firm partnered with FTX and launched a new API service aimed at attracting crypto firms.
Capchase lands more capital and customers: The fintech can use its $80M in funding to capitalize on surging investor demand in the revenue-based financing space.
Jamaica adds cash incentives for CBDC usage: The government’s offer of JMD$2,500 ($16.35) to the first 100,000 people who set up digital wallets after April 1, 2022 could drive adoption—but won’t ensure retention.
Data from the FDIC, NCUA, and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) on outcomes of initiatives targeting the underserved would also have value for banks.
Stilt offers credit solutions to neobanks: The US fintech’s banking as a service (BaaS) arm could take off due to neobanks’ need to diversify revenue.
A bill that would require banks to report incidents and ransomware payments to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) passed the Senate.
The two firms can help each other relieve competitive pressures in their respective industries.