Top 5 Stories This Week in Fintech

SAP Partners with TransferMate for Cross-Border Payments

SAP has partnered with TransferMate to integrate the fintech's B2B payments infrastructure into SAP Multi-Bank Connectivity.

The move enables businesses using SAP Cloud ERP or SAP S/4HANA Cloud environments to execute cross-border payments without switching to external platforms.

TransferMate operates as a non-bank payments provider through this integration, giving SAP customers direct access to international payment capabilities within their existing enterprise software.

The partnership addresses growing demand among businesses for seamless embedded finance solutions that eliminate friction from cross-border transactions.

How is E-Commerce Changing with Shopify and payabl?

European financial technology provider payabl. has rolled out a new payment integration for the Shopify e-commerce platform, designed to accelerate merchant onboarding and reduce friction at checkout.

The extension allows Shopify merchants to go live within 48 hours and access popular payment methods including credit and debit cards, with plans to incorporate PayPal and Wero in future updates. 

The integration provides merchants with a suite of operational tools beyond basic payment acceptance.

These include automated refund processing, 3D Secure authentication, AI-powered fraud detection and chargeback management capabilities.

Stablecoins: How Visa’s Pilot Improves Global Payouts

Visa has unveiled a pilot programme allowing businesses to send payouts directly to recipients' stablecoin wallets, marking the latest expansion of its Visa Direct platform.

The announcement at Web Summit enables businesses using Visa Direct to fund payouts in fiat currency while recipients receive funds in USD-backed stablecoins such as USDC.

The innovation addresses longstanding challenges in global payouts, particularly for creators, freelancers and marketplace participants operating in markets with currency volatility or limited banking infrastructure.

How Did Unicorn Zilch Raise US$176m in Latest Funding Round?​​​​​​​

Zilch has raised US$176.7m in debt and equity in its latest funding round.

The funding follows the recent launches of agentic commerce platform Intelligent Commerce and Zilch Pay.

Led by KKCG, the funding round also included participation from BNF Capital in addition to several other investors. 

Zilch will also be expanding its securitisation, led by Deutsche Bank. 

The funds will be divested into driving greater brand visibility through increased above-the-line marketing spend, in addition to supporting the exploration of strategic M&As.

Orion Warns Fintech Breach Costs Hit $5.56m as AI Gaps Widen

Orion Innovation highlights rising security costs, workforce shortages and regulatory deadlines as FIs struggle to balance AI innovation with compliance.

Financial institutions are confronting breach costs that average US$5.56m, some 25% above the global figure of US$4.44m recorded in 2025, according to IBM's Cost of a Data Breach Report cited by Orion in its guide to cyber resilience.

The disparity reflects the sector's particular vulnerability as AI-driven systems take on critical roles in lending decisions, risk assessment and transaction processing.

The financial impact arrives alongside compressed regulatory timelines that are reshaping how institutions respond to security incidents.