Category: Mobile Commerce and Payments

Pay Advance Apps May Be Costlier Than Workers Think

The New York Times – Business:
The loans tide borrowers over until their next paycheck. The apps offer no-cost options, but most users end up paying high fees, a report finds.
Stripe Buys A.I. Start-Up OpenRouter for $7.5 Billion

The New York Times – Business:
The deal is significant for the artificial intelligence industry, uniting Stripe’s payments business with OpenRouter’s helping businesses direct their spending on A.I. models.
A Tap-to-Pay Society Is Leaving These New Yorkers Behind

As fewer people carry cash, vendors, street performers and people experiencing homelessness and unemployment are at a disadvantage.
Supreme Court, for Now, Rejects Google Bid to Block Changes to App Store

The emergency order is the latest turn in a longstanding legal dispute between the tech giant and the creator of the popular game Fortnite.
Fortnite Returns to Apple’s App Store After Scoring a Legal Victory

Apple kicked the popular game out of the App Store nearly five years ago, prompting a court battle that was partially resolved on Tuesday.
House Strikes Down $5 Overdraft Fee Limit, Sending Issue to Trump

Lawmakers also struck down a rule giving the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau supervisory power over tech companies’ payments apps.
Can Using the Light Phone III Help Cure ‘Brain Rot’?

Minimalist gadgets like the new Light Phone III, a smartphone that barely does anything, promise to help us focus. The trade-offs are big.
DoorDash Announces ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ Partnership With Klarna

DoorDash said the arrangement with the financial tech service Klarna would allow customers to defer payments on orders such as takeout from restaurants, makeup and electronics.
CFPB Drops Lawsuit Against Banks Over Zelle Scams

A spokeswoman for the payment app’s parent company said the lawsuit against three large banks was “without merit, and legally and factually flawed.”
How Consumers Can Protect Themselves With the CFPB on Pause

Rules on bank and credit card fees, medical debt and payment apps are in limbo. One thing you can do is carefully check your financial statements, one expert says.
Did You Sell Concert Tickets or Clothes? You May Owe Taxes

If you received more than $5,000 for online sales of “goods or services” in 2024, you might get a Form 1099-K. Don’t ignore it, an expert says.
Elon Musk’s Attacks on CFPB Remove Obstacle to Building ‘X Money’

Former officials at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said Elon Musk’s payment-business aspirations were driving his efforts to hobble the agency.