Dear Subscriber,

As we put Money20/20 Europe in our rear-view mirror, we check in on what’s currently happening across the pond in the US. In the lead article we consider the bumpy road to EMV adoption in the States and whether the current momentum is sustainable given that certain major obstacles may not have been sufficiently addressed.

Elsewhere, Waitrose is opening up a one-off cashless store exclusively for Sky’s employees in Osterley. Waitrose confirmed to PaymentEye that it currently was currently not planning to open any more cashless stores, so let’s not get carried away and start drawing up battle plans for the ‘War on Cash’.

We also cover the FCA’s new first-of-its-kind regulatory sandbox, described a ‘safe space’ where startups can test out products, services and models without having to jump through all the normal hoops to getting regulated. Finally, we bring you another article from our special Payments {R}evolution Magazine!

Enjoy!

The journey to bring the States in line with Europe, which has made the most of the technology for the past ten years, has had a roller-coaster of a ride. However, now the momentum appears to be working in its favour as MasterCard says “Americans are quickly embracing EMV chip cards,” but are there any obstacles that could impede this momentum?

The payments industry is taking notice of Asia Pacific in a big way. But what trends, challenges and opportunities await those looking to enter this exciting geography? Here Chris Hughes of TNS Asia Pacific explores the pain points and big breaks awaiting payments players in this rapidly expanding region.

Waitrose is about to become the first supermarket in the UK to open up a completely cashless store when a little Waitrose will open its doors in Sky’s new flagship head office in Osterley.

Time and money are of the essence for any startup. For payments and fintech startups trying to innovate in a highly regulated industry, the costly and lengthy process of getting regulatory approval for their product could mean life and death.

The burning question of the moment is ‘What is the future of payments?’ Last year saw non-cash transactions overtake cash payments for the first time, but does that mean cash is on its way out?