Digital payments platform family (Google Pay and Wallet)
Stripe and Advent are pressing forward with a potential bid to jointly acquire PayPal, valuing the payments giant around $53-60 billion and backed by roughly $50 billion in bank financing. PayPal has not yet responded as discussions continue, with experts noting the deal would create a dominant dual-powered payments group.
A round-up of updated deals and hands-on notes on KeySmart SmartCard Gen 3, which works with Apple Find My or Google Find, offering long battery life and slim wallet fit. Various retailer discounts are highlighted in August 2026 coverage.
Walmart has announced it will start accepting tap‑to‑pay, including Apple Pay and Google Pay, at select Walmart and Sam’s Club locations from August 24, 2026, and will roll the feature out to all U.S. stores and clubs by the end of 2026; fuel stations will be upgraded by mid‑2027. The company says the move gives customers more choice at checkout.
NPCI has announced a 0.4% merchant fee on UPI transactions above ₹2,000 to merchants, with caps and exemptions for P2P payments and smaller merchants. The move aims to fund infrastructure and security but sparks debate over the impact on adoption and costs for businesses.