The Green Sheet Online Edition
August 24, 2026 • 26:08:02
News Briefs
Same-day payments drive ACH growth <- click to read full story
Nacha reported strong ACH network growth in the second quarter of 2026, with 9.3 billion payments valued at $25.9 trillion, up 6.2 percent and 11.1 percent, respectively, year over year.
Same-day ACH volume jumped 29.5 percent to 435.7 million payments valued at $1.3 trillion. B2B payments rose 9.9 percent to 2.2 billion, while consumer internet payments exceeded 3 billion for the first time.
Person-to-person payments increased 21 percent to 136.6 million, with value rising 35.6 percent. During the first half, the ACH network processed 18.2 billion payments worth nearly $50 trillion.
Small business sales post modest growth in July <- click to read full story
Fiserv reported modest small business sales growth in July, with sales rising 1.6 percent year over year as higher average tickets offset declining foot traffic. Average tickets increased 3.2 percent, while traffic fell 1.6 percent, marking its ninth consecutive monthly year-over-year decline. Restaurant sales decreased 0.8 percent, including a 3.4 percent decline at limited-service restaurants.
Retail sales rose 1.9 percent, led by gains in sporting goods and hobbies, health and personal care, and clothing and accessories. Essential spending increased 2 percent, compared with 1.3 percent for discretionary purchases. Fiserv said consumers remain engaged but increasingly selective.
Trump promotes Credit Card Competition Act <- click to read full story
President Trump renewed his support for the Credit Card Competition Act, praising Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., for working to curb what Trump called excessive swipe fees. Marshall and Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., are seeking a Senate vote on the bipartisan measure, which would require large card-issuing banks to enable transactions over at least one network unaffiliated with Visa or Mastercard.
Similar House legislation has also been introduced. The Merchants Payments Coalition welcomed Trump's endorsement, arguing increased network competition could reduce interchange costs. The group estimated the legislation could save merchants and consumers $17 billion annually.
India rethinks the economics of free UPI payments <- click to read full story
India is moving toward allowing merchant fees on some Unified Payments Interface transactions through a proposed amendment to its Payment and Settlement Systems Act. UPI and RuPay debit transactions have largely operated under a zero merchant discount rate policy since 2020.
Officials are considering fees targeting larger merchants or transactions, while person-to-person and ordinary consumer payments would remain free.
One proposal would impose fees of 0.3 percent to 0.5 percent on qualifying transactions above 2,000 rupees. The debate reflects the challenge of funding UPI's infrastructure, security and continued innovation. India's experience could also provide lessons for other markets developing real-time account-to-account payment systems.
New Jersey businesses warned over surcharges <- click to read full story
The New Jersey attorney general's office warned businesses that credit card surcharges must be clearly disclosed before customers incur charges, or merchants could face fines. Under the state's Consumer Fraud Act, surcharges cannot exceed merchants' card-processing costs and must be disclosed at appropriate points, including restaurant menus, websites, apps, kiosks and telephone transactions.
Following more than a dozen consumer complaints, the state issued warning letters to 14 businesses over alleged disclosure failures. Each violation can carry a $10,000 penalty for a first offense and $20,000 for subsequent violations.
Officials also advised consumers to watch for improperly disclosed fees and misleading "cash discount" programs that add charges to posted prices rather than offering genuine discounts.
Financial strain widens divide among U.S. credit card customers <- click to read full story
JD Power surveyed 40,386 card customers between June 2025 and May 2026 and found financial health among U.S. credit card customers deteriorating even as card spending increases. Its 2026 U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study classified 60 percent of customers as financially unhealthy, up from 56 percent a year ago, while average monthly credit card spending rose $109 to $1,167.
Premium and airline co-branded cards earned higher satisfaction scores, while cards without rewards or annual fees lagged. Fifty-two percent of customers carry balances, with 30 percent of those owing at least $2,500. Fraud incidence increased to 13 percent, while proactive issuer outreach declined. American Express ranked highest in issuer satisfaction. 
This article contains summaries of news stories recently posted under Breaking Industry News on our homepage. For links to these and other full news stories, please visit www.greensheet.com/breakingnews.php.
Notice to readers: These are archived articles. Contact information, links and other details may be out of date. We regret any inconvenience.
