For 1 in 3 Americans, Credit Card Debt Outweighs Emergency Savings
Roughly a third of Americans say they have higher balances on their credit cards than they do in their rainy-day funds. The worrisome percentage points to why so many people remain gloomy about the economy, despite cooling inflation and low unemployment. According to a new study from Bankrate, 36% of Americans say they have amassed more credit card debt than emergency savings. That’s the highest percentage of participants to say so in the 12 years since Bankrate added the question to its annual survey. Sixty-three percent of U.S. adults point to inflation as the main reason why they are unable to save for the unexpected. [CBS News]
Venmo and Other Payment App Theft is ‘Skyrocketing,’ Manhattan DA Warns
Venmo, Cash App, PayPal, Zelle and other payment apps may be convenient ways to send cash with a few taps of your smartphone, but they’re a breeding grounds for theft, said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Culprits range from savvy swindlers, who trick their way into victims’ locked cell phones, to violent offenders who either drug their targets and then take advantage or bark out commands while threatening physical harm. The issue has gotten so out of hand in New York that Bragg has sent a letter to the popular apps demanding that they put in more security measures, including lower transfer limits, additional password security, additional wait times for large transactions and increased monitoring for unusual activity. [CNN]
Credit Card Debt Is Up and It’s Taking Longer to Pay Down
From fuel and groceries to hotels and airline tickets, consumers are putting more purchases on credit cards, and taking longer to pay them off. The four biggest U.S. banks reported higher credit card spending in 2023 compared with the previous year. In fact, since 2020, credit card spending has steadily increased at three of the four. The exception is Citigroup, where credit card spending hit a recent peak in 2021. [The Wall Street Journal]
The Rising Cost of Using Credit Cards
Customers are noticing some small businesses are now charging a processing fee to use a credit or debit card. “I would suspect for small businesses, we’re going to see more and more of those passing fees onto customers,” said Dr. Bob McNab, Professor of Economics for Old Dominion University. “As credit cards increase the charges levied on small and large businesses to process transactions, it’s normal to see businesses try to shift those costs to consumers. We already see that in Europe and in Asia where it is commonplace.” [WTKR]
Klarna to Debut $7.99 Monthly Plan as Buy Now, Pay Later Firm Seeks New Revenue Sources Ahead of IPO
Swedish fintech firm Klarna is launching a monthly subscription plan in the U.S. to lock in its heaviest users ahead of an expected initial public offering this year. The product is set to be announced later Wednesday and will cost $7.99 per month. Users of the subscription plan, named Klarna Plus, will get service fees waived, earn double rewards points and have access to curated discounts from partners including Nike and Instacart. [CNBC]
Mastercard Launches Service to Ease Adoption of Biometric Authentication
Mastercard has launched the Mastercard Biometric Authentication Service, a solution aimed at enhancing security and convenience for consumers. The service leverages biometrics, such as fingerprints, iris scans and facial recognition, to verify identity and secure personal. By adopting the latest Fast Identity Online standards, the service creates an encrypted key pair stored on personal devices, ensuring that only the user’s unique biometrics can unlock this passkey. [PYMNTS]
One-Quarter of UK Buy Now, Pay Later Users Hit by Late Repayment Fees
New research with UK consumers found that 22% of BNPL users have missed one or more repayments in the six months to December 2023. Of those people, more than one-quarter took a hit on their credit score as a result or were contacted by a debt collection agency. Young people were most likely to receive late fees, with 34% of users aged 18-34 charged for missing a repayment over the same period. [Financial Times]
Apple Offers to Open Mobile Payments to Third Parties Amid EU Antitrust Case
Apple said it will address antitrust concerns from European regulators surrounding the popular Apple Pay app by allowing access to third-party mobile wallet and payment services. The company has agreed to allow companies’ apps to make contactless payments on devices that use the iOS operating system, such as iPhones, for free without the need to use Apple Pay or Apple Wallet, the European Commission executive arm said. [The Wall Street Journal]
Companies Want to Move Fast with AI Adoption, But See Plenty of Speedbumps
Businesses looking to take advantage of the latest artificial intelligence tools are in search of any number of potential benefits, including automating repetitive tasks, enhanced data analytics, reduced human error and better and faster decision making. The problem is, barriers to AI adoption abound, keeping companies from deploying the technology as fast as they’d like. A recent survey showed less than 40% of organizations have successfully deployed an AI project. Among the biggest barriers to adoption: the rise in cybersecurity threats. A Foundry/Searce study showed that 58% of respondents said data security is a leading barrier to AI adoption. [CNBC]
Take a Close Look at the Credit Card Competition Act
The proposed Credit Card Competition Act is a concerning piece of legislation. I fear it will enrich big box retailers at the expense of consumers in already underserved communities. The CCCA, while seeming like a minor change to rules about how a relatively small fee is determined, will have a major impact on access to credit and only serve to price people out. [Concord Monitor]
Citi Launches Browser Extension That Finds Coupons, Promo Codes
Citi launched a new browser extension designed to help consumers save money while shopping online. The free tool, Citi Shop, is available to eligible U.S. Citi credit cardmembers and allows them to find deals and discounts at over 5,000 online merchants. Citi Shop is designed to overcome a barrier for consumers when it comes to finding coupons or promo codes while shopping online: the amount of time it takes to find these offers. [PYMNTS]
Huge Welcome Offers for Capital One Venture X Business and Spark Cash Plus Cards
Capital One is currently offering massive welcome bonus offers on 2 of its popular business credit cards: the Capital One Venture X Business Card and the Capital One Spark Cash Plus Card. For a limited time on the Venture X Business Card, you can earn up to 300,000 bonus Capital One miles: Earn 150,000 miles once you spend $20,000 in the first 3 months, and an additional 150,000 miles once you spend $100,000 in the first 6 months. The Capital One Spark Cash Plus card is offering a limited-time welcome bonus offer of up to $3,000 cash-back: Earn $1,500 cash back once you spend $20,000 in the first 3 months, and an additional $1,500 once you spend $100,000 in the first 6 months. [Upgraded Points]
