Instant payments
MAS tests upgraded unified QR code system
New code could allow merchants to accept different QR payment methods more easily
Central Bank of UAE launches new 24/7 instant payments system
Immediate Payment Instructions launched in 2019 gained limited traction
Somalia’s Abdullahi on the challenges of re-integration with the international system
The Central Bank of Somalia governor speaks about capacity building, reintroducing the shilling, securing donor support and climate change
New payments rule incites controversy in Argentina
Retailer and former central bank officials allege regulation shields banks from competition
Central bank communicators at a time of transparency
Specialists discuss the evolving roles of comms staff in the policy-making process
Guillermo Avellán on BCE independence, capacity-building and dollarisation
Central Bank of Ecuador general manager speaks about the need to bolster the central bank’s legal autonomy, dollarisation challenges, payments developments and monetising local gold production
Senad Softić on governance, currency boards and EU convergence challenges
Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina governor speaks about improving governance in a political vacuum, managing a currency board amid rip-sawing euro rates, resolving Gazprom’s local units, modernising payments and meeting EU convergence criteria
New York Fed completes global digital dollar proof of concept
Wholesale CBDC project tested 24/7 payment and settlement
Nigerian central bank caps contactless payments
Move limits consumers’ daily contactless payments to $66
Payment security must improve, Norges Bank warns
Norwegian central bank says it will decide on design of new settlement system by 2025
São Tomé gets loan for RTGS upgrade
Island country lacks automated system
Singapore and Malaysia set up cross-border payments link
Travellers can use QR codes to pay for transactions in foreign stores
Swift completes cross-border CBDC settlement pilot
Banque de France, Bundesbank and the MAS among central bank participants
India and Singapore link fast payments systems
Connection designed to help diaspora make cheaper and faster transfers
PBoC launches offline CBDC payments
Users can also conduct e-yuan transactions with 0% battery
Brazil’s central bank reassures public that Pix is free
Online rumours claimed payments system would start charging consumers and firms
Italy to allow larger cash payments despite central bank objections
Official warns move could encourage illicit activity
The long road to 24-hour RTGSs
Extended hours would help international payments but some central banks challenge the business case
Brazilian central bank will make Pix open source
Communications protocols will be open to all “for free”
RBA payments systems suffer outage
Problem took too long to resolve, and platform is too fragile, payments executive claims
Fiji will eliminate cheques from 2024
Governor says improved RTGS will replace paper payments
Swift aims to cut cross-border frictions with predictive tool
Use of anonymised data can help spot errors in cross-border payments, Swift says
FedNow scheduled for mid-2023 launch
Bowman and Brainard see CBDC substitution and cloud technology advantages
Campos Neto predicts end of credit cards
Brazil governor says Pix will be model for region’s payment systems