The “2025–2026 Growth Corporates Working Capital Index: North America Edition,” a collaboration between PYMNTS Intelligence and Visa, examines how middle-market companies across the United States and Canada are rethinking working capital as a strategic asset rather than as a defensive necessity. Based on a double-blind survey of 322 CFOs and Treasurers at companies with $50 million to $1 billion in annual revenue, the report reveals a decisive shift in how liquidity is managed, deployed and measured as firm ...

Core Insights - Fifth Third Bank has partnered with fintech firm Brex to provide commercial cards and expense management tools for its business clients, utilizing Brex's embedded payments platform [1][2] - This partnership reflects a trend among banks to collaborate with fintech companies to meet the evolving technology expectations of clients, rather than developing their own solutions [2] - Fifth Third is in the process of acquiring Comerica, which will position it as the ninth largest bank in the U.S. with approximately $288 billion in assets [2] Company Statements - Fifth Third CEO Tim Spence emphasized that the partnership with Brex aims to redefine how companies utilize financial technology, combining the bank's strength with Brex's AI-driven innovations to create efficient solutions for businesses [3] - The financial terms of the partnership have not been disclosed [3]

Core Insights - Beyond by RS2 has achieved the status of Principal Issuing Member of Mastercard in Europe, enabling the company to launch and manage payment card programs directly [1][2][5] Group 1: Issuing Capabilities - The new status places Beyond by RS2 among a select group of providers in Europe with full issuing capabilities, allowing support for fintechs, corporates, retailers, and banks in creating flexible and scalable card programs [2][3] - Beyond by RS2's issuing capabilities include BIN sponsorship, enabling companies to launch card programs without needing their own license, and co-branded card solutions to enhance customer loyalty [3][4] Group 2: Product Offerings - The company offers a variety of card options, including debit, credit, prepaid, and commercial cards in both physical and digital formats, with support for Apple Pay and Google Pay [3][4] - Beyond by RS2 provides end-to-end program management, covering branded card products, customer support, fraud prevention, and compliance, leveraging its regulatory expertise for quick and secure launches across the EU and EEA [4][6] Group 3: Strategic Positioning - The CEO of RS2 Financial Services GmbH highlighted that achieving Mastercard principal issuing status allows the company to help clients bring innovative payment products to market faster, providing a one-stop solution for organizations looking to enter or expand in the payments space [5][6] - As part of the RS2 Group, Beyond by RS2 benefits from access to advanced payment infrastructure and processing technology, empowering clients to innovate and scale confidently in the European market [6]

Group 1 - Mastercard has partnered with HyperPay to launch commercial card products in Saudi Arabia, with plans to expand to the UAE and Qatar [1][2] - The collaboration aims to enhance business payment services and provide tailored commercial card solutions for companies and SMEs [1][2] - The initiative seeks to streamline expense management and improve transaction processing efficiency for businesses and merchants [2][3] Group 2 - In Saudi Arabia, 93% of SMEs are confident about the upcoming year, and 99% already accept digital payments, indicating a favorable market environment for this initiative [3] - HyperPay has obtained an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) license, which will enhance digital payment capabilities for SMEs [3] - Mastercard's recent rollout of AI-driven tools and services aims to support developers and promote AI-enhanced payment solutions [4]