A new report by PYMNTS Intelligence and Visa Direct highlights a $1.35 trillion opportunity to accelerate consumer payouts in healthcare, insurance, and investment sectors by shifting from slow methods like checks and ACH to real-time payments. Currently, only 5% to 12% of payouts are real-time, but firms aim to increase this significantly within three years to meet consumer demand for faster access to funds. Faster payouts reduce financial stress, disputes, and administrative burdens while improving trust and operational efficiency. However, challenges like fraud risks, compliance, and system costs must be addressed for wider adoption.
In Q2 2026, top contributors to growth included Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, Alphabet, United Rentals, Apple, and Visa. Alphabet’s Google Search and Cloud segments showed robust revenue growth of 19% and 63%, respectively, boosting operating i...
Visa and Mastercard continue to hold strong economic moats due to their global acceptance, network effects, and recurring revenue models. A recent $38 billion merchant settlement slightly lowers interchange fees but removes long-standing legal uncert...
