🚨 Google Launches AP2: The New Rulebook for AI Payments

Hey Payments Fanatic!

Big one from Google yesterday: they launched the Agent Payments Protocol (AP2)—an open framework that lets AI agents securely buy on your behalf across cards, bank transfers, and even stablecoins.

With 60+ partners already onboard (think Checkout.com, Adyen, Mastercard, PayPal, Coinbase, Revolut, and more), it could become the rulebook for agentic commerce.

If 2023 was “AI writes” and 2024 was “AI browses,” 2026 might just be “AI buys.”

And speaking of payment history… let’s test your knowledge 👇

In 1999, PayPal’s original use case was:

A) to facilitate high-risk industry payments

B) to beam money between Palm Pilots

C) to send money via email

D) to power eBay transactions

✅ Check the right answer here, and let me know if you had the correct answer 😉

Cheers,

Marcel

PODCAST 

🎤 Redefining Wealth with Goodfin. In the latest episode of Connecting the Dots in FinTech, host Jonathan Cutler (JCUTLER Media Group) interviews Anna Joo Fee, CEO and Founder of Goodfin, to discuss how the company is reshaping the concept of wealth and expanding access to alternative investments. The conversation covers the origins of Goodfin, the traditional barriers to private equity and venture capital, and how the platform promotes inclusivity in these areas. You can also listen to us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts

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🇬🇧 Another risk from agentic AI payments, first-party fraud. ACI Worldwide's Cleber Martins said banks have a unique opportunity to take the lead in digital identity governance by safeguarding identity data and transaction behavior. This can reduce fraud risks, enhance user trust, and give banks more visibility into AI-driven transactions.

🌎 Google announced the Agent Payments Protocol (AP2), powering AI commerce. The protocol can be used as an extension of the Agent2Agent (A2A) protocol and Model Context Protocol (MCP). In concert with industry rules and standards, it establishes a payment-agnostic framework for users, merchants, and payment providers to transact with confidence across all types of payment methods.

🇸🇦 Google Pay launches in Saudi Arabia. Google Pay enables users to make secure payments using Tap to Pay for seamless transactions in stores, as well as in apps and on the web. It also enables them to easily add and manage their Mada cards and credit cards, such as Visa and Mastercard, within the Google Wallet application.

🇺🇸 Klarna customers in the US and UK can now access Klarna installment plans for in-store Apple Pay purchases. Customers can then select the installment plan of their choice and complete the seamless payment process through Apple Pay. Before approval, Klarna applies its industry-leading underwriting to ensure responsible lending, with no impact on the customer’s credit score.

🇰🇷 K bank proves stablecoin remittance technology between South Korea and Japan. The internet-only K bank said that it has completed the first phase of verification of "Project Pax," a proof-of-concept project for overseas remittance technology utilizing stablecoins between the two countries.

🇦🇪 Visa seeks to tap the UAE's growing high-net-worth community. The digital payments firm has launched Visa Private, a product for high-net-worth individuals that offers travel, lifestyle, and retail privileges, in the United Arab Emirates, ahead of a broader Gulf rollout.

🌎 Nuno Lopes Alves to lead Visa in Latin America and the Caribbean; Rodrigo Cury takes over Brazil. With over 25 years of experience in banking, payments, and consulting, eight of which were at Visa, Nuno has led the business in Brazil since June 2021. Cury, who has been with Visa since June 2024, will be the general director.

🇸🇦 Visa launches world-first local cloud payment platform in Saudi Arabia. This means Saudi businesses will be able to accept payments faster and more securely on CyberSource, a Visa Acceptance Platform offering, all through a single integration.

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🇰🇷 PayPay is now accepted in South Korea via Ant International’s Alipay+. Starting from late September 2025, Japanese travellers will be able to use PayPay to make payments in South Korea at stores displaying the Alipay+ logo. PayPay will show users the payment amount in Korean won and its yen equivalent in real time.

🇮🇳 FinTech startup Pelocal raises $5 million from Unleash Capital Partners, Unicorn India Ventures, and angels. The company will use the funds to expand product development and strengthen its go-to-market strategy. Read more

🇫🇷 Worldline appoints Srikanth Seshadri as new Chief Financial Officer. Srikanth Seshadri is an experienced global finance leader with a broad expertise in financial control, corporate finance, and funding. He will be key to driving transformation & streamlining efforts at Worldline.

🇺🇸 Tether picks Anchorage Digital to set new standard for U.S. stablecoins. The collaboration highlights the future of digital dollars and sets a new standard for the U.S. stablecoin landscape. Anchorage Digital will help issue the token, which is compliant with the GENIUS Act.

🇦🇺 Westpac taps Mastercard and Oracle's new embedded virtual card payment capabilities. By embedding virtual cards directly into the Oracle Cloud ERP, businesses gain real-time visibility, enhanced control, improved working capital management, and streamlined supplier onboarding, all within their system of record.

🇬🇧 Curve investor IDC seeks removal of chair amid row over Lloyds deal. In a statement issued, IDC Ventures said it noted with concern the recent reappointment of Lord Stanley Fink as director and chairman on 31 July after the appointing shareholder had effected his removal on 29 July.

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