Fintech in Focus: Alexa Can Now Pay for Gas

An eventful week for the fintech industry — Amazon enabled voice payments with Alexa, Visa expanded to European markets with Vipps partnership, and Mastercard partnered with Samsung Pay for easier payments in Korea.

Amazon Makes Payment Easier With Alexa

Amazon PayOpens a new window , Alexa, ExxonMobil, and Fiserv have started rolling out voice purchasing technology to nearly 11,500 U.S. ExxonMobil gas stations. Amazon PayCustomers who have the Alexa app installed on their phone, users with Alexa-enabled devices in their car, like Echo Auto, or vehicles with Alexa Built-in, can now pay for fuel using their voice.

Mastercard Launches Samsung Pay Card for Korean Consumers

Payment technology company, MastercardOpens a new window , has announced a partnership with Samsung Electronics and Samsung Card. Together the companies will launch Samsung Pay Card, a co-branded digital and physical credit card available through Samsung Pay. With the Mastercard partnership, Samsung Pay will deliver more flexibility and choice to cross-border payments with a new service that allows foreign merchants to accept cards registered for overseas payments on the Samsung Pay app.

Visa Enters European Markets With Vipps Partnership

Norway-based smart payment company, VippsOpens a new window , announced that they have entered into a strategic agreement with Visa. Together, the companies will aid European banks and card issuers to deliver smarter and simpler solutions to their customers. “This collaboration will contribute to the development of digital payments in Europe,” says Henning Holtan, Regional Managing Director, Visa.

Jiko Acquires Mid-Central National Bank

Fintech company, JikoOpens a new window , announced that they had completed the acquisition of the Mid-Central National Bank. The acquisition marks the beginning of Jiko’s strategy to establish a completely new model for money storage and movement. 

Finance News: Fintech To Retailers’ Rescue: Mastercard Builds Solutions for Enhanced Shopping Experience

Gartner Names Oracle a Leader for Global Retail Core Banking

OracleOpens a new window announced that the company had been named a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Global Retail Core Banking for the 12th time. Oracle was evaluated along with five other companies and was named a leader for its completeness of vision and ability to execute. 

Neon Pagamentos Bags $300M in Series C

Brazilian fintech startup, Neon PagamentosOpens a new window , closed its Series C funding round with $300 million. General Atlantic led the funding round alongside Vulcan Capital, PayPal Ventures, and Endeavor Catalyst. Neon Pagamentos is a digital bank that offers credit cards, personal loans, and investment products, among other services.

New Trojan Malware Targets Fintech Companies

A new trojan malwareOpens a new window is being deployed to target financial tech organizations aiming to steal email addresses, passwords, and other sensitive corporate information. The trojan is carried in a code ripped from legitimate applications.

SMBs Getting Financially Fit for Growth: Hitachi Research

Hitachi Capital Business FinanceOpens a new window reported that small business leaders are putting their enterprises through a financial workout to get fit for growth in the near future. The research revealed a significant rise in the proportion of SMBs that plan to keep costs down (61%), improve cash flow (32%), and get stricter on late payment (27%) to achieve growth in the final months of the year. Around 22% of the respondents said that they plan to expand into new markets, and the rest revealed that they plan to get their financials back in shape.

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