Facebook Messenger’s AI, Natwest’s new card, and Vocalinks acquisition in cards and payments
- Facebook Messenger AI assistant offers payments suggestions. Facebook’s AI assistant for messenger, ‘M’, can recognize intent in conversations and offer relevant content and capabilities in open conversations. These capabilities include payments, meaning that if ‘M’ recognizes intent of a payment in a conversation, it will suggest that the participant use the messenger P2P payments function
- HH Global has reported that the popularity of contactless cards is limiting the adoption of mobile payment services like Apple Pay and Android Pay in the UK, with just 1% of consumers saying they would choose to use mobile payments in everyday scenarios
- MasterCard’s £700m acquisition of VocaLink has been approved by the CMA
- FCA has revealed that a further 31 fintech firms have been admitted into its regulatory sandbox. The second wave of admissions was reported in a speech delivered by FCA executive director of strategy and competition Christopher Woolard
- NatWest has launched a credit card designed for blind and partially-sighted. Accredited by the RNIB, the cards have a notch on the right hand side to help visually impaired customers insert them into ATMs and PIN pads the right way. They also have tactile markings to help customers identify them in their wallet, similar to, but distinguishable from, the RNIB-accredited debit and savings account cards which the bank introduced in 2015
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