Visa is launching a Trusted Agent Protocol to protect merchants from fraudulent bots during transactions with AI agents. This protocol uses cryptographic signatures to verify trusted agents and secure transactions, allowing AI to make purchases on behalf of consumers. It aims to enhance confidence in the agentic commerce ecosystem.

On Black Friday, Visa reported blocking 280% more suspected fraudulent transactions in the UK compared to previous years. This reflects a stronger defense against fraud targeting shoppers during the holiday sales.

Visa released its 2025 Creator Report, highlighting the growth and challenges of TikTok creators across five regions. The report indicates that most creators expect increased earnings and emphasizes the need for tailored financial tools. Visa also announced a pilot program with Karat Financial to streamline financial management for creators.

Visa is now offering advisory services to help clients navigate the use of stablecoins, responding to increased demand from financial institutions and merchants. Despite a growing interest, CEO Ryan McInerney believes stablecoins have limited consumer use in stable economies like the U.S.

Visa is enabling US banks to settle transactions using Circle's USDC stablecoin on the Solana blockchain. Cross River Bank and Lead Bank are among the first institutions to adopt this service, which reflects the changing regulatory landscape under the second Trump administration. Visa will also support Circle's upcoming Arc blockchain network.

Visa Direct is now allowing stablecoin payouts through BVNK, enhancing payment options for users. This move aims to streamline transactions and cater to the growing demand for cryptocurrency integration in financial services.

Gökçe Güven, CEO of fintech startup Kalder, faces federal charges for securities fraud, wire fraud, and other offenses. The DOJ alleges she misled investors during a $7 million seed round by providing false information about the company's operations and financial health. Güven is also accused of using fraudulent documents to secure a visa.

Visa and Aldar have introduced a voice-enabled payment system through the Live Aldar app, allowing customers to pay real estate service charges via an AI agent. This new feature aims to streamline routine transactions and enhance user convenience while ensuring security and transparency.

Visa's Acceptance Platform now supports Tap to Pay on iPhones, allowing users to make contactless payments using their devices. This feature aims to enhance the payment experience for customers and merchants alike.

Visa and Mastercard have agreed to reduce interchange fees by 0.1% over several years. The settlement allows merchants to choose which types of Visa cards they will accept, potentially categorizing cards based on rewards and other features. Mastercard claims this will benefit smaller merchants through lower costs and more acceptance options.

BVNK is teaming up with Visa to integrate stablecoin payments into Visa Direct's network. This partnership allows select business customers to use stablecoins for funding payouts, expanding options for global payments.

Acquired.com has integrated Visa A2A to enhance recurring and variable payment solutions. This collaboration allows businesses to process real-time account-to-account payments with clear customer consent, improving efficiency and reducing operational issues related to traditional methods like Direct Debit.

Fiserv has teamed up with Visa and Mastercard to provide merchants with AI-driven commerce tools. These tools will help identify legitimate AI shopping agents and enable secure transactions, although access dates for merchants are still unclear. This move reflects a growing trend in agentic commerce, where AI agents assist in shopping.

Amazon and Visa are collaborating to develop tools that enable software developers to create AI-driven shopping experiences. These tools aim to allow AI agents to make purchases autonomously, although specific launch dates are not yet provided. Other partners in this initiative include Expedia Group and Intuit.

Juspay is partnering with Visa to introduce Click to Pay in Brazil, aiming to reduce cart abandonment and enhance transaction security in e-commerce. The service allows customers to complete purchases with a single click, using tokenized credentials, thereby simplifying the checkout process. Advanced biometric authentication will also be incorporated for added security.

Visa has introduced USDC stablecoin settlement in the US, allowing banks to process transactions using Circle’s dollar-pegged stablecoin through blockchain technology. Cross River Bank and Lead Bank are piloting this service, which aims to enhance transaction speed and treasury efficiency. The move indicates a shift toward stablecoins becoming a standard tool for banks.

FIS has introduced a new platform that enables banks to engage in agentic commerce, allowing transactions initiated by AI agents. This service, developed in collaboration with Mastercard and Visa, aims to enhance security and streamline payment processes while reducing fraud. It will be available to FIS bank clients by the end of Q1 2026.

Visa is collaborating with Aquanow to enhance stablecoin settlement services in Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. This partnership aims to streamline transactions using approved stablecoins like USDC and eliminate delays associated with traditional banking systems.

Truther is introducing a Visa card in El Salvador on January 29, allowing users to spend USDT directly from their self-custody wallets without preloading funds. The card features a 2% fee on currency conversions and no IOF tax for Brazilian users, aiming to simplify stablecoin transactions for travelers and crypto enthusiasts. Truther plans to expand its services to other Latin American countries in the near future.

Visa is exploring the integration of stablecoins into its payment systems, aiming to tap into the burgeoning $40 trillion credit market. The company believes that stablecoins could enhance transaction efficiency and reduce costs, providing a modern alternative to traditional payment methods. This shift aligns with the growing interest in cryptocurrencies and digital currencies across the financial landscape.

Visa is set to implement a new fraud prevention and dispute management program, called Vamp, which will place more responsibility on merchants and their banks to combat fraud starting October 1. The program consolidates previous initiatives and introduces compliance standards that could lead to new fees and fines for merchants based on their fraud management performance. This shift aims to address rising fraud rates in digital transactions, particularly as friendly fraud disputes increase significantly.

Visa has participated in a $4.9 million Seed funding round for HoneyCoin, a stablecoin-compatible payment platform. HoneyCoin, which allows real-time payments and operates across over 45 markets, seeks to expand its team and enhance its services with the new capital. CEO David Nandwa envisions transforming financial infrastructure akin to Apple's impact on computing and Visa's on commerce.

Visa has decided to abandon its open banking initiatives in the U.S. amid ongoing debates about data access and privacy. The move reflects the complexities and challenges within the rapidly evolving financial technology landscape in America, where regulatory pressures and consumer concerns are intensifying.

Cloudflare has joined forces with Visa, Mastercard, and American Express to establish payment frameworks for AI agents that autonomously conduct transactions. This collaboration aims to secure the burgeoning “agentic commerce” economy, enabling AI systems to make purchases on behalf of users using programmable money like stablecoins.

Visa has noted a modest increase in stablecoin adoption, highlighting the need for clear regulations in the sector. The company emphasizes the importance of regulatory clarity to foster growth and innovation in the use of stablecoins for payments.

Visa has launched the Trusted Agent Protocol to facilitate secure AI-driven transactions for users and merchants, addressing the challenges of agent-driven commerce. Developed in collaboration with Cloudfare, the protocol aims to distinguish trusted AI agents from malicious entities, enhancing trust in AI-initiated payments. Visa is collaborating with various partners to ensure seamless and secure transactions in the evolving landscape of AI commerce.

Visa continues to lead the digital payments space with its innovative product ecosystem and advanced processing network, VisaNet, which facilitates secure transactions globally. The company is expanding into new payment flows, including B2B and P2P, and enhancing security through initiatives like tokenization, while also providing value-added services to optimize customer experiences. With a commitment to facilitate commerce across over 200 countries, Visa aims to uplift everyone in their payment experiences.

Visa and Mastercard have introduced new AI-powered shopping tools designed to enhance the consumer shopping experience by providing personalized recommendations and improved security features. These innovations aim to streamline payment processes and make online shopping safer and more efficient for users.

Visa is joining the Global Dollar Network (USDG) stablecoin consortium led by Paxos, making it the first traditional finance company to do so. The consortium, which includes firms like Robinhood and Kraken, aims to share yield among its members, contrasting with existing stablecoin issuers that retain interest from reserves. Visa's entry highlights the growing intersection of traditional finance and the cryptocurrency sector.

Visa has announced the integration of Google Pay tokenization into its fleet cards, allowing for dynamic provisioning of fleet data tags during the tokenization process. This innovation aims to streamline the payment experience for fleet operators, reducing the time required for digital wallet provisioning and enhancing control for fleet managers.

Nikola Plecas has joined the TON Foundation to lead its global payments strategy, bringing extensive experience from his previous role at Visa Crypto. His appointment aims to enhance TON's mission of delivering decentralized services and accelerate its growth in the crypto space.

Visa's ARIC Risk Hub, utilizing advanced AI technology, has enabled Norway's Eika Group to reduce phishing losses by 90% within a year. The platform creates user profiles to distinguish fraudulent activities and adapts to evolving threats, enhancing fraud prevention for financial institutions globally.

Visa has announced partnerships with Klarna and Zilch to launch innovative flexible debit cards that integrate various payment options, allowing consumers to choose their preferred payment method while shopping. The cards aim to provide a user-friendly experience and cater to the growing demand for accessible payment solutions among consumers, with a significant waitlist already established in the US.

Visa and Stripe have announced a partnership aimed at simplifying the integration of stablecoin payments into card transactions. This collaboration seeks to enhance the usability of stablecoin-based cards, potentially broadening their adoption in everyday transactions. As digital currencies gain traction, this initiative represents a significant step in bridging traditional finance with cryptocurrency solutions.

Visa has launched an accounts receivable (AR) manager tool aimed at streamlining the payment process for suppliers, addressing a significant bottleneck in business payments. The tool is designed to enhance cash flow management and ease the reconciliation of invoices for businesses of all sizes. With this initiative, Visa seeks to improve efficiency and reduce payment delays in the supply chain.

Visa has proposed a $100 million bid to replace Mastercard as Apple's credit card partner, according to reports from the Wall Street Journal. This substantial offer is part of Visa's strategy to secure a prominent role in Apple's financial services, as competition intensifies in the credit card market.

Rain has partnered with Visa to join a pilot program for stablecoin settlement, enabling onchain credit card transactions to settle in USDC year-round. This collaboration allows for more efficient capital management and enhances the utility of stablecoins in global payments, while also introducing innovative financing solutions for credit card receivables. Rain aims to integrate blockchain technology with traditional financial systems, improving payment accessibility and operational efficiency.

Visa has launched the Trusted Agent Protocol (TAP), a framework designed to ensure secure interactions between AI shopping agents and online merchants. By implementing cryptographic verification, TAP allows merchants to distinguish between legitimate AI bots and malicious ones, significantly enhancing the safety of AI-driven commerce. This protocol is developed in collaboration with Cloudflare and requires no-code integration for merchants, making it accessible for widespread adoption.

Spreedly has announced the integration of Just-In-Time Card Updates for Visa Cards, utilizing Visa Account Updater to provide merchants with real-time access to updated card credentials. This enhancement aims to reduce failed payments in recurring billing and subscription models, improving authorization rates, operational efficiency, and customer retention. The collaboration with Visa also includes broader integration efforts to enhance payment reliability for merchants.

Visa has launched the Commercial Integrated Partners Program aimed at streamlining integrations for fintech companies. In addition, Visa reported strong Q2 2025 earnings, introducing products like Visa AR Manager and partnering with Webull to enhance real-time money movement for users.

Visa has partnered with Bridge to introduce stablecoin-backed Visa cards, enabling users to make purchases using stablecoins at any merchant that accepts Visa. The product will initially launch in several Latin American countries, allowing merchants to receive payments in local currencies. This collaboration aims to integrate stablecoins into Visa's existing payment network, enhancing consumer choice.

Lithic has integrated Visa's Account Level Management (ALM) through the VCPE API, enabling faster delivery of premium card programs for fintech partners without the need for card re-issuance. This integration allows for near real-time enrollment into programs like Visa's Signature offerings, enhancing cardholder experiences and improving program economics by assessing spend at the account level. Currently available in the U.S. and Canada, the integration aims to facilitate personalized rewards and benefits for cardholders.

Visa has partnered with Knex to integrate virtual card payment solutions into Oracle's ERP system, aiming to streamline financial transactions for businesses. This collaboration allows for enhanced efficiency in managing expenses and payments through a seamless digital experience.

The European Commission is investigating Visa and Mastercard regarding their transaction fees, which have raised concerns about unfair pricing practices in the payments industry. This scrutiny is part of broader efforts to enhance competition and transparency in the payments sector across Europe.

Beach volleyball player Steven van de Velde will miss the World Championships in Adelaide due to a visa denial linked to his 2016 conviction for sexual offenses involving a minor. Despite the Dutch volleyball federation's efforts to secure the visa, Australia's strict policy on individuals with criminal records led to the rejection, causing disappointment for Van de Velde and his team.