Could cryptocurrencies be a serious alternative to the dollar?
With its wild fluctuations, which even created some “Bitcoin billionaires”, the cryptocurrency craze that has swept the financial world over summer is hard to ignore. Yet for all the hype about the Bitcoin roller-coaster, is there any chance we will one day be doing the shopping with Bitcoin, or some other crypto-dollar? This question has the potential to affect all of us, not to mention the core institutions at the heart of our financial system. And it’s not quite as far-fetched as it may sound. At the moment Bitcoin looks to have taken off as a highly speculative asset, rather than a realistic alternative to money. In the longer term […]
Paying bills just got easier with Easy Bill Pay
Financial services company, FSA Group LTD launches Easy Bill Pay, a bill payment service which allows users to pay and store bills and organise their finances quickly, easily and conveniently. As many as a third of Australians pay their bills late and this can cost them money and affect their credit report. On average a late fee of $24 is charged and that adds up. A survey conducted by a major bank in 2016 concluded that Australians were charged $286 million dollar in late fees in 2016. There are many reasons people pay their bills late and it can be as simple as forgetfulness, disorganisation, time poor or lack of […]
The search for bitcoin’s founder: who invented cryptocurrency?
The identity of the pioneering cryptocurrency’s founding father(s) has remained a mystery since a whitepaper published by a programmer going by the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto surfaced in 2008. However, there are plenty that have worked with the bitcoin founder to make it a success. Satoshi Nakamoto ‘What is needed is an electronic payment system based on cryptographic proof instead of trust, allowing any two willing parties to transact directly with each other without the need for a trusted third party’ – Satoshi Nakamoto, 2008. For a cryptographically secured digital currency built on a system that requires no central authority, it is unsurprising that its creator has stayed in the shadows. […]
Macquarie adopts open banking solution
Macquarie customers will be one of the first to test the new open banking regime with the help of a fintech. Retail finance solutions provider Zip Co, which operates under its zipPay and zipMoney brands, will allow Macquarie customers to add banking and credit card accounts via personal financial management app Pocketbook. Zip Co acquired Pocketbook in 2016 and currently has more than 400,000 users. The app integrates with Macquarie’s open banking platform, giving customers the option to connect and manage personal finances. Zip co-founder and chief executive Larry Diamond said as momentum for this type of innovation is quickly growing, the integration with Macquarie Banking and Financial Services Group […]
Cash payment decline tipped to gather pace in 2018
A $1 billion piece of infrastructure to be switched on in early 2018 is likely to accelerate the decline of cash and further cut into already tumbling use of cheques, payments company BPay Group predicts. In a change that Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe has described as potentially “transformational,” the new payments platform is due to be switched on soon after Australia Day in 2018. The project, which is going through its final stages of testing over summer, will offer consumers the ability to make real-time payments to customers of other banks. The system will also allow people to link bank accounts to phone numbers or email addresses, removing the […]
Payments startup Sniip announces national Australia Post partnership
Mobile payment technology company Sniip is today announcing a new nation-wide partnership with Australia Post to explore the use of Sniip to enable consumers to pay bills using the Post BillPay barcode anytime, anywhere. Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sniip, Damien Vasta, said the company was excited to be working with Australia Post to provide greater choice to consumers in how they pay their bills. “Working with Australia Post presents an exciting opportunity to bring the benefits of speedy and secure bill-payment to the vast network of Post Billpay users Australia-wide,’’ Mr Vasta said. “This partnership is truly a breakthrough in customer service delivery, meeting the […]
Hyperwallet facilitates AUD transfers for Amazon sellers
Hyperwallet, a top global payout provider to digital marketplaces, today revealed that it will support international seller disbursements from Amazon’s new Australia-based marketplace. Hyperwallet’s multi-currency payout solution enables Amazon Marketplace sellers from across the globe to quickly and easily accept payment to their bank account across a wide range of local currencies. Hyperwallet is offering sellers the ability to use ‘Login with Amazon’ on its website to register for Hyperwallet’s self-serve payment portal, providing a simplified onboarding process for global sellers. Hyperwallet then ensures fast, convenient payment to sellers’ local bank accounts through its global network of banking relationships. “Amazon has long been recognized as a pioneer in […]
ANZ announces Garmin Pay partnership
ANZ has today introduced Garmin Pay to its customers after signing a partnership with the wearable tech giant. ANZ customers will now be able to load their credit and debit cards on the Garmin app and use their Garmin smartwatch to make purchases anywhere they go without having to take out a wallet or phone. ANZ’s Managing Director of Products, Bob Belan, was excited to announce the latest partnership today. “At ANZ we are determined to bring our customers new payment experiences so they can pay the way they want to,” Mr Belan said. “We’re pleased to be partnering with Garmin to bring our customers a payment option with one […]
