Mastercard rozšířila platformu Mastercard In Control o nové bezpečnostní kontroly, přístup přes jedno API a rozšířené embedded platební možnosti pro firemní virtuální karty. Cílem je vyšší bezpečnost, přehlednost a škálovatelnost.
Mastercard has added new security controls, single application programming interface (API) access, and expanded embedded payments capabilities to its virtual card number platform, Mastercard In Control.
Together, these new features help enterprises and financial institutions manage virtual card programs with greater security, visibility and scale, the company said in a Thursday (July 23) press release emailed to PYMNTS.
The security controls include new Issuer Enforced Controls that allow issuers to set spend limits and other baseline guardrails when creating the virtual card number, and enhanced Clearing Controls that enable corporates and platforms to block invalid transactions, apply more precise controls and better manage payment timing, according to the release.
The new enhancements to the single-API front door, Commercial Connect API, include expanded card controls, simplified integration and accelerated access to end-to-end payment capabilities, the release said.
The expanded embedded payments capabilities provide a simpler, more unified corporate payment experience; reduce onboarding complexity for issuers, platforms and corporates; and features and expanded ecosystem gained through strategic partnerships and innovative use cases, per the release.
“As payments become more digitized and embedded into business workflows, expectations for performance, security and control are higher than ever,” Marc Pettican, global head of corporate solutions at Mastercard, said of the latest enhancements to Mastercard In Control. “We’re expanding our virtual card capabilities to deliver more unified and scalable experiences — helping partners simplify how they implement and scale virtual card programs with greater security, control and consistency.”
Card-based B2B payments scale most effectively when they align with existing workflows rather than asking supplier to change how they operate, Pettican told PYMNTS in an interview posted in January.
Pettican described Mastercard’s Commercial Connect API as “the one front door to Mastercard,” designed to link payment initiation, remittance data, reconciliation, consent and controls across platforms and acquirers. Virtual card rails were embedded from the outset, and support for additional B2B payment capabilities was set to be added over time.
When Mastercard and J.P. Morgan Payments announced in March that they launched a new virtual card in Europe that is designed to support traditional accounts payable needs in industries such as insurance, healthcare, travel and commercial real estate, Karen Ions, head of commercial card client management and delivery at J.P. Morgan Payments, said “virtual cards bring clarity, security and agility to the process.”
Manifest Finance ve spolupráci s Mastercard spustila debetní kartu pro tvůrce, která propojuje platby, bankovnictví a správu financí do jedné platformy. Nabízí rychlejší výplaty, přeshraniční transakce i nástroje pro fakturaci, výdaje a daně.
Creator-focused embedded banking platform Manifest Finance launched a debit card in partnership with Mastercard.
“As the creator economy evolves, millions of creators are operating as full-scale businesses, managing multiple revenue streams, selling products and services, and engaging global audiences,” according to a Thursday (July 23) news release provided to PYMNTS.
However, many of these creators “lack financial tools built for how they actually work,” the release said.
The Manifest Business Debit Mastercard is designed to address this issue “by aligning payments, banking and financial management into an integrated experience” for creator-led businesses, according to the release.
The new card’s offerings include Mastercard’s global business loyalty program, fraud monitoring and identity theft protection services, and access to dining, travel and entertainment events on the Mastercard Priceless platform, the release said.
The platform also allows for faster payouts, embedded payment acceptance, seamless cross-border transactions, and tools for overseeing invoicing, expenses, taxes and multiple income streams, according to the release.
“Creators are building some of today’s most dynamic small businesses,” Ginger Siegel, North America small and medium business lead at Mastercard, said in the release. “They’re managing customers, cash flow, taxes, global audiences and multiple income streams often without tools designed for how they work. Together with Manifest, we’re helping creators access the trusted payments, security and infrastructure they need to grow sustainable businesses in the digital economy.”
The release of the new Manifest and Mastercard debit card follows Visa’s April launch of a creator-focused card, developed in partnership with TikTok.
Meanwhile, the PYMNTS Intelligence report “Ready for Change: Why Nearly Half of SMBs Want to Ditch Cash and Checks” found that small business owners are seeking digital tools to help them control money movement, track spending and deal with payment-related mishaps.
According to the report, 46% of small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) said they would pay to access digital tools.
Meanwhile, 45.8% of these businesses said they would pay for the ability to adjust payment windows based on when their business had the money available, while 63.1% of SMBs said credit cards are the best payment method for disputing a transaction and getting money back.
Mastercard spustil Mastercard Wallet Services, sadu nástrojů pro tvorbu digitálních peněženek a bezkontaktních plateb v aplikacích pro iOS a Android. Už ji testují partnerské banky.
Mastercard has introduced a set of software tools and services designed to make it easier for companies to create digital wallet capabilities on both iOS and Android and add contactless payments to their apps.
The new Mastercard Wallet Services is designed for banks, FinTechs, merchants and digital platforms. It is already being used by several Mastercard partner banks to develop new digital wallet features that could reach consumers by the end of the year, the company said in a Wednesday (July 15) blog post.
“New digital wallets could provide more choice for consumers, as companies all over the world will be able to offer new benefits, rewards, discounts, points or features to encourage users to start using their wallets,” Mastercard Chief Digital Officer Pablo Fourez said in the post. “Those players could also benefit by building stronger connections and engagement with their user bases.”
Apple’s decision in 2024 to begin opening access to the near-field communication (NFC) capabilities that power its mobile payments has created new possibilities for banks to add digital wallet features to their mobile banking apps across iOS and Android, according to the post.
Those possibilities led Mastercard to develop Mastercard Wallet Services, per the post.
“While consumer adoption of alternative wallets will take time, expanded platform access gives banks and FinTechs new opportunities to innovate,” Fourez said. “Ultimately, consumers could be the biggest winners of these changes, gaining access to a broader range of digital wallet experiences, rewards, value-added services and payment options offered through the apps they already use every day.”
PYMNTS reported in August 2024 that in the wake of an agreement between Apple and the European Commission to allow access to NFC technology on iPhones, Apple announced that it was giving developers access to the technology and that starting with iOS 18.1, they would be able to offer NFC contactless transactions using the Secure Element from within their own apps on iPhone.
PYMNTS reported at the time that this move could turbocharge the momentum of digital wallets and allow the in-app contactless features to be deployed across a variety of uses cases, from transit to merchant loyalty and rewards programs.
The PYMNTS Intelligence report “Digital Wallets Beyond Transactions: Global In-Depth Report“ found that digital wallets are used for payments, identification and other purposes.
Mastercard is reportedly considering a sale of its U.K. retail payments business Vocalink.
That’s according to a report Monday (July 13) from the Financial Times (FT), which says this move comes as Mastercard fields concerns about a “strategically critical” asset being under American ownership.
These discussions, the report added, come at a pivotal moment for Vocalink, which provides the systems upholding key parts of the British financial infrastructure. The company is readying itself to seek a contract to build a new payments platform for the U.K..
The report cites two sources briefed on the discussions, who say talks are at a very early stage. A spokesperson for Mastercard declined to comment when reached by PYMNTS.
Mastercard acquired a majority stake in Vocalink from a group of 18 British banks in 2016 for 700 million pounds. One source told the FT that a deal for a 51% stake in the company could be worth roughly 400 million pounds ($535 million).
According to the report, one potential buyer could be DeliveryCo, a new company backed by many of the U.K.’s top banks and payment firms that was established to handle the procurement and funding of the next iteration of the country’s retail payment system.
However, the sources told the FT DeliveryCo is still setting up its funding and governance arrangements, meaning a deal with Mastercard is unlikely to happen before next year.
The FT notes that the potential sale is happening amid concerns by England’s government and central bank about the lack of competition for Mastercard and Visa, which handle the wide majority of retail payments in the U.K.
The U.K.’s Financial Conduct Authority in May announced it had launched an investigation into PayPal, Mastercard and Visa to determine whether the three companies engaged in what it called “anti-competitive conduct linked to the funding and usage of PayPal’s digital wallet.”
All three companies have said they would cooperate with the FCA’s probe.
Another source of unease is President Donald Trump’s willingness to intervene in the overseas operations of U.S. companies, the FT report added, citing the example of the White House’s recent export controls on artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.
PYMNTS Intelligence has collaborated with Mastercard on research reports, including the recent “The Cross-Border Opportunity: What Global Sourcing by US SMBs Means for Payment Providers.” It found that the wall between corporate operations and small and medium-sized business (SMB) workflows has begun to grow more porous.
“As international sourcing becomes routine rather than exceptional, America’s small businesses are inheriting enterprise finance responsibilities ranging from foreign exchange management to supplier liquidity and cross-border cash flow,” PYMNTS wrote earlier this month.
Mastercard spustila Click to Pay se stc pay Bahrain na vybraných kartách, aby zjednodušila online platby pomocí biometrie a passkeys. Řešení využívá tokenizaci pro vyšší bezpečnost.
Key Takeaways Mastercard launched Click to Pay with stc pay Bahrain on eligible cards to simplify online purchases.MA uses tokenization and payment passkeys to strengthen security with biometric authentication.Mastercard is expanding its presence in Middle East digital payments through the Bahrain rollout. Mastercard Incorporated (MA - Free Report) is expanding its Click to Pay footprint through a partnership with stc pay Bahrain, making stc pay among the first in the country to offer the feature as a core capability on eligible cards. The move simplifies online shopping by allowing users to complete purchases with a single click using biometric authentication and passkeys instead of manually entering card details.
The rollout supports MA's broader effort to make digital payments faster, safer and more convenient. Click to Pay uses tokenization to replace sensitive card information with secure digital tokens, reducing fraud risks during online transactions. Combined with Mastercard Payment Passkeys, the solution enables password-free authentication through fingerprints or facial recognition, helping deliver a smoother checkout experience while strengthening payment security.
The partnership also advances MA's long-term strategy of expanding value-added payment services beyond its traditional card network. Mastercard aims to enable fully tokenized e-commerce transactions, and wider adoption of Click to Pay could support higher digital transaction volumes while strengthening relationships with fintech partners and merchants.
The Bahrain launch further reinforces MA's presence in fast-growing digital payments markets across the Middle East. As governments and financial institutions continue promoting cashless transactions, partnerships with innovative fintech companies like stc pay can accelerate the adoption of secure digital payment solutions. Expanding Click to Pay across more issuers and merchants should help MA deepen engagement in digital commerce and create additional long-term payment opportunities.
How Are Competitors Faring?Some of MA’s competitors in the payments space include Visa Inc. (V - Free Report) and American Express Company (AXP - Free Report) .
Visa is expanding frictionless online payments through Click to Pay while advancing tokenization and passkey-based authentication across its network. V is also investing in digital identity and AI-powered fraud prevention, helping merchants deliver faster, more secure checkouts and strengthening its position in the growing e-commerce payments market.
American Express is enhancing its digital payments capabilities by integrating tokenization, biometric authentication and digital wallet support across its network. AXP continues to improve online checkout experiences while expanding partnerships with merchants and fintechs, helping deliver secure, seamless transactions and encouraging greater customer engagement in digital commerce.
Mastercard’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesOver the past year, MA’s shares have dropped 6% compared with the industry’s fall of 19.1%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, MA trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 25.07, above the industry average of 18.17. MA carries a Value Score of D.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Mastercard’s 2026 earnings implies 15.3% growth from the year-ago period.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Mastercard currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Mastercard se posouvá od karetní sítě k multi-rail platební infrastruktuře pro účty, sítě v reálném čase i blockchain. Ve 1. čtvrtletí 2026 vzrostl čistý výnos o 16 % a přeshraniční objem o 13 %.
Key Takeaways MA is expanding beyond cards with multi-rail payments across accounts, real-time networks and blockchain.MA's Q1 2026 net revenues grew 16%, with cross-border volume up 13% and services revenues up 22%.Mastercard is expanding Agent Pay and Mastercard Move to support AI, cross-border and real-time payments. Mastercard Incorporated (MA - Free Report) is steadily evolving from a card network into a multi-rail payments company, enabling transactions across cards, bank accounts, real-time payment networks and blockchain-based rails. The strategy allows consumers, businesses and financial institutions to move money through the most suitable payment method while remaining within MA's ecosystem. As payment preferences continue to evolve, this broader infrastructure is helping the company extend its role beyond traditional card payments.
Mastercard has accelerated this transformation with several recent initiatives. The company launched Agent Pay to support secure payments initiated by AI agents and added Verifiable Intent to authenticate AI-driven transactions. It continues expanding Mastercard Move, a unified platform that connects cross-border, domestic and real-time capabilities, making its network more interoperable and adaptable to diverse money-movement needs.
The strategy is also translating into solid financial performance. In the first quarter of 2026, MA’s net revenues rose 16% year over year, while cross-border volume increased 13% on a local-currency basis. Value-added services and solutions net revenues climbed 22%, highlighting the growing contribution of services and newer payment capabilities alongside the company's core card business.
Rather than relying solely on card transactions, Mastercard is building infrastructure that supports real-time payments, account-to-account transfers, AI-enabled commerce and regulated stablecoin settlement. As businesses seek faster, more flexible and interoperable ways to move money globally, this multi-rail approach positions the company to deepen its role in cross-border and domestic payment flows and to expand its addressable market.
How Are Competitors Faring?Some of MA’s competitors in the payments space include Visa Inc. (V - Free Report) and American Express Company (AXP - Free Report) .
Visa is pursuing a similar multi-rail strategy by expanding Visa Direct, account-to-account payments and stablecoin settlement capabilities. In the second quarter of fiscal 2026, V’s total cross-border volume increased 12% year over year, while value-added services revenues grew 27%, reflecting strong demand for diversified payment solutions.
American Express is strengthening its payments ecosystem by expanding tokenization, digital wallet integrations and commercial payment capabilities. AXP is also leveraging AI to enhance customer experiences and payment security. In the first quarter of 2026, network volumes grew 11% year over year to $486.3 billion, supported by resilient consumer and business spending.
Mastercard’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesOver the past year, MA’s shares have declined 5.3% compared with the industry’s fall of 17.3%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, MA trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 25.15, above the industry average of 18.50. MA carries a Value Score of D.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Mastercard’s 2026 earnings implies 15.3% growth from the year-ago period.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Mastercard currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
ZEN.COM přidává Mastercard Click to Pay do své platformy pro 1,5 milionu zákazníků na 33 trzích včetně EHP, Británie a Singapuru. Funkce umožní tokenizované platby jedním kliknutím bez opětovného zadávání údajů.
European FinTech ZEN.COM has expanded its financial platform to include Mastercard Click to Pay.
This feature joins a platform that already includes multicurrency accounts, foreign exchange, instant cashback, purchase protection and everyday payments, ZEN.COM said in a Friday (July 3) press release.
The integration of Mastercard Click to Pay is available to the 1.5 million consumers ZEN.COM serves across the 33 markets in which it operates, including the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom and Singapore, according to the release.
Mastercard Click to Pay enables tokenized one-click checkout for online purchases. To use it, users enroll a payment card and get a device recognized as trusted, and then they can complete future purchases at participating merchants with a single click and without having to re-enter their card details, per the release.
“People are searching for simpler experiences,” ZEN.COM Chief Growth Officer Lukasz Neska said in the release. “The future of finance is about removing friction from everyday life, not about adding more financial products for consumers to manage.”
The PYMNTS Intelligence report “The Next-Gen Commerce Playbook: Turning Checkout Into a Compounding Customer Loop” found that 84% of global shoppers say one-click checkout is an important factor when choosing where to shop.
The feature eliminates the friction that appears when repeat shoppers are required to re-enter payment details or repeat authentication steps, according to the report.
“One click checkout capabilities address this friction by enabling fast repeat purchases,” the report said. “Stored credentials and streamlined flows align with customer expectations shaped by leading digital platforms.”
PYMNTS reported in February 2024, about five years after Click to Pay was introduced, that removing the manual data entry with Click to Pay reduces checkout times by 50%.
In another Friday press release about ZEN.COM’s integration of Mastercard Click to Pay, Daria Auguscik, vice president, business development director, Mastercard Europe in Poland, said that consumers expect payments to be as simple, fast and secure as other digital services.
“Click to Pay meets these expectations by combining the convenience of card payments with the security of tokenization,” Auguscik said. “We are pleased that ZEN.COM users can now benefit from this global standard and enjoy an even smoother and more intuitive online checkout experience.”
Mastercard se připravuje na agentní obchodování, kde AI agenti nakupují a platí za zákazníky. Spustila Agent Pay a Verifiable Intent pro bezpečné a autorizované transakce.
Key Takeaways Mastercard is positioning for agentic commerce, where AI agents shop and pay for consumers.Agent Pay and Verifiable Intent aim to secure AI-driven purchases and consumer authorization.Tokenization and cybersecurity offerings can address trust challenges in autonomous transactions. Mastercard Incorporated (MA - Free Report) is positioning itself for the rise of agentic commerce — a new form of digital shopping in which AI-powered agents can search, compare and purchase products on behalf of consumers. As AI becomes increasingly integrated into everyday commerce, the payments industry is entering a new phase where transactions may be initiated by software agents rather than people directly. This shift could create a significant new source of digital payment activity.
To support this evolution, Mastercard has introduced Agent Pay, a framework designed to enable secure AI-driven transactions. It has also expanded its collaborations with leading AI firms, including OpenAI, while launching Verifiable Intent, a solution that helps verify and record consumer authorization when an AI agent makes a purchase. Moving beyond pilots, recently, MA and PhotonPay completed a live agentic payment transaction in Hong Kong, demonstrating how an AI agent can autonomously select and execute a purchase using tokenized payment credentials.
Agentic commerce requires trusted identity verification, credential protection, fraud monitoring and dispute management — areas where Mastercard already has strong capabilities. Its tokenization technology and cybersecurity offerings can help address the trust and security challenges associated with autonomous transactions. These strengths complement its Value-Added Services and Solutions business, which posted 18% year-over-year revenue growth on a currency-neutral basis in the first quarter of 2026.
Although still in its early stages, MA is building the infrastructure needed for an AI-driven economy. As AI-powered assistants become more widely used, Mastercard could benefit from higher transaction volumes, broader service adoption and new monetization opportunities across its payments and technology ecosystem.
How Are Competitors Faring?Some of MA’s competitors in the fintech space include Visa Inc. (V - Free Report) and Affirm Holdings, Inc. (AFRM - Free Report) .
Visa is aggressively expanding its AI-driven commerce ecosystem through initiatives like Visa Intelligent Commerce and the Agentic Ready program. V is testing agent-initiated payments, strengthening tokenization and fraud controls, and building infrastructure that allows AI agents to securely shop and transact across global merchant networks.
Affirm is strengthening its position in AI-powered commerce through an expanded partnership with Google. By integrating its BNPL services into Google Search, AI Mode and the Gemini app through Google Pay, AFRM is aiming to make instalment financing more accessible within AI-assisted shopping and checkout experiences.
Mastercard’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesOver the past year, MA’s shares have dropped 6.9% compared with the industry’s fall of 19.2%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, MA trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 23.87, above the industry average of 17.28. MA carries a Value Score of C.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Mastercard’s 2026 earnings implies 15.2% growth from the year-ago period.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Mastercard currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
