Amazon opens first contactless grocery store in London March 4, 2021 Amazon has opened a contactless bricks and mortar grocery store in London – the first physical shop the tech giant has launched outside of the US. The Amazon Fresh store in Ealing will carry a private UK food brand dubbed “by Amazon”, and will let consumers skip the checkout queue. Shoppers will scan a smartphone [...]
Bitfinex Pay launches as a cryptocurrency payment system March 3, 2021 Crypto trading platform Bitfinex is gearing up to take aim at some of the digital payment big players as it launches Bitfinex Pay today.
German regulator ‘files criminal complaint’ over manipulation at Greensill Bank March 3, 2021 The German financial regulator has reportedly filed a criminal complaint against Greensill Bank for suspected balance sheet manipulation. Bafin filed the complaint earlier today with prosecutors in Bremen where the bank’s headquarters are based, according to the Financial Times. It comes as part of an investigation into the firm’s balance sheet by KPMG which started [...]
Budget 2021: As it happened March 3, 2021 Live updates and links to all our coverage, reactions and analyses as the Chancellor of the Exchequer delivers the government’s Budget later today – at 12.30pm. Please also visit our dedicated Budget 2021 Hub. Wrap-up of the main Budget announcements Here’s a wrap-up of the main announcements made by the chancellor in his spring Budget: [...]
Prudential’s Asia business drives growth in operating profit March 3, 2021 Prudential is preparing to spin off its US unit as it focuses on its main Asian business which boosted operating profit four per cent last year. The insurance giant reported overall adjusted operating profit from continuing operations of $5.5bn while Asia operating profit jumped 13 per cent to $3.7bn. It comes after a difficult first [...]
Budget: The UK’s contactless payment limit lifted to £100 March 3, 2021 Rishi Sunak will today lift the limit on contactless payments to £100 in a bid to boost the UK’s ailing retail sector. The previous limit on contactless payments was £45, however the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) conducted recommended lifting the cap after a public consultation. “As we begin to open the UK economy and people [...]
Banks raise the alarm over £100 contactless payment limit March 2, 2021 Major UK banks are said to have raised concerns over an increase in the contactless payment limit to £100 due to the growing risk of fraud. In his Budget tomorrow chancellor Rishi Sunak is expected to hike the cap on contactless spending from its current limit of £45. But a string of high street lenders [...]
If the PM wants to make mass testing work – there must be national health passes February 22, 2021 Two things can be true at once: the roll out of vaccinations is by far the most promising development in the pandemic, and the future is still very uncertain. The Prime Minister’s new roadmap announcement this evening will likely leave many questions unanswered. Even when businesses are allowed to reopen, they face an uphill battle [...]
UK banks urged to scrap branch closures during lockdown January 28, 2021 Britain’s Financial Conduct Authority has today told banks to rethink moves to close branches during lockdown. The FCA said banks should consider the impact of national restrictions on their ability to comply with regulatory guidance on closing branches. The authority released a statement today urging banks to consult any customers that are affected directly. The [...]
Contactless payments could be raised to £100 following Brexit agreement January 27, 2021 The limit for contactless card payments could more than double under new proposals being considered by the regulator now the UK has left the EU. The limit for contactless payments was raised from £30 to £45 last April at the start of the pandemic but could not be raised further due to a limit [...]