Airbnb's FinTech Stack Keeps Growing
Hey FinTech Fanatic!
Airbnb's latest FinTech move lets guests pay for the right to cancel a stay, no questions asked, for a full refund up to 24 hours before check-in.
Dennis Schaal from Skift reported that: “The feature, called the extended cancellation option, is currently available in 12 countries including the U.S., Canada, Ireland, the Netherlands, and several others”.
Airbnb didn't disclose the amount of the fee, which guests can pay at booking.
Here's the interesting part: by entering this game, the short-term rental company opens up a new revenue stream. For now, just service fees on bookings, net of incentives and refunds. FY 2025, their revenue was $12.24B, up 10.26% from 2024.
We saw the travel giant add a FinTech feature in February with Reserve Now, Pay Later. I’m wondering what is next on their FinTech playbook: group payment splitting? Co-branded card or loyalty-linked spend product?
If you have any thoughts, hit reply and let me know!
See what else is shaping the FinTech industry. 👇See you tomorrow!
Cheers,
#FINTECHREPORT
🚨 Nubank crossed $5B in quarterly revenue for the first time in Q1'26, while maintaining a 29% ROE and adding another 4 million customers.
FINTECH NEWS
🇪🇺 Cleo employees allege a toxic workplace culture marked by abrupt strategy changes, leadership turnover and a management style involving public criticism and intimidation. CEO Barney Hussey-Yeo stated that Cleo maintains a high-performance culture whose intensity may not suit everyone.
🇺🇸 Airbnb expands into travel FinTech with an “extended cancellation option” that lets guests pay for a full refund up to 24 hours before check-in. Available in 12 countries, the feature is offered through a third-party partner and could create a new revenue stream while raising concerns for hosts.
🇹🇷 Turkish FinTech Midas has applied for an electronic money institution license as it prepares to enter the digital payments market. Founder Egem Eraslan said the company is developing a digital wallet and prepaid card offering, enabling customers to spend funds held in their accounts.
🇬🇧 Scottish firm Origo is targeting unicorn status within four and a half years after transforming into a high-growth software platform. The company’s CEO said the company expects £30 million in revenue this year and sees significant growth opportunities in the UK pensions and wealth market. Read more
🇧🇷 NG.CASH has launched Pix Crédito, allowing users to access credit directly through the country’s Pix instant payment system. The product targets the company’s 8 million Gen Z users and is expected to become a major revenue driver as NG.CASH expands its financial services offering.
ARTICLE OF THE DAY
📝 Your signals might have a quality problem. In this article, André Ferraz, CEO of Incognia, notes that many institutions already have the right fraud signals but struggle with poor data quality. He highlights that accurate device and location intelligence are critical to reducing false positives and detecting mule account handovers earlier and more effectively.
PAYMENTS NEWS
🇺🇾 Mastercard expands its support for SMEs in Uruguay. The company has introduced an enhanced value proposition that combines financial products, cybersecurity tools (ID Theft Protection & My Cyber Risk), digital presence solutions, training programs, and business advisory services to help small and medium-sized businesses navigate digital transformation.
🇺🇸 FedNow cross-border plan tests real-time payments infrastructure. The Federal Reserve has proposed changes to allow FedNow participants to use intermediary banks for cross-border payments, extending the instant payment network beyond domestic transactions. FinTechs support the move, while banks have raised concerns around sanctions screening and compliance requirements.
🇺🇸 FLEX Payment Solutions expands digital payment capabilities with Pay By Bank. The solution helps businesses reduce payment friction, lower payment acceptance costs, and offer customers greater payment flexibility. It is designed to support a wide range of industries where payment choice and account-to-account transactions continue to gain momentum.
DIGITAL BANKING NEWS
🇩🇪 N26 releases new virtual cards with Mastercard, featuring themes related to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, offering customers four football-inspired designs: Pitch, Jersey, Crowd and Match Ball. The cards can be added instantly to Apple Pay or Google Wallet and are available free until July 20, 2026. Read on
🇧🇷 NuCel, Nubank’s mobile service developed with Claro, has surpassed 1 million customers just 17 months after launch. The milestone highlights Nubank’s strategy to expand beyond financial services by integrating connectivity, digital payments and customer benefits into its ecosystem.
🇪🇺 EU is weighing new powers to ease duplicated capital rules for banks. The proposal would shift compliance to the parent-company level, a move aimed at reducing regulatory fragmentation and potentially freeing up funds for lending. The Commission's final report is due next month, with legislative proposals expected to follow next year.
BLOCKCHAIN/CRYPTO NEWS
🇺🇸 Kalshi passes $2 billion in annualised revenue, in early IPO talks, according to The Information. The talks are in early stages, and Kalshi is unlikely to launch an IPO until late 2027 or 2028, the report said. Find out more
🇧🇷 Ebury Bank joins Brazil’s crypto association ABcripto, strengthening the presence of global financial institutions in the country’s digital asset ecosystem. The move follows Ebury’s acquisition of Bexs Banco and reflects growing integration between traditional finance, foreign exchange and crypto markets.
🇺🇸 The CFTC has permanently banned Celsius founder Alex Mashinsky from trading in US commodities, futures and derivatives markets as part of a settlement. The order ends the regulator’s enforcement action over allegations that Mashinsky and Celsius misled customers about the platform’s safety and profitability.
🇦🇹 WhiteBIT EU secures a MiCA license from Austria’s Financial Market Authority, allowing it to offer regulated crypto-asset services across the European Economic Area. The authorisation supports the company’s European expansion and the upcoming launch of its dedicated platform, WhiteBIT. EU.
🇺🇸 US Regulators propose user ID rules for stablecoin issuers, requiring stablecoin issuers to implement bank-style customer identification programs under the GENIUS Act. The measures would strengthen AML and counter-terrorism controls through identity verification, recordkeeping and customer screening requirements, bringing stablecoin compliance closer to traditional banking standards.
🇺🇸 GoMining challenges Jack Dorsey's Square with a payments system designed around bitcoin. The firm unveiled a software development kit and programmable access for its bitcoin payment protocol GoBTC Pay, allowing merchants to accept BTC for everyday purchases. Read on
PARTNERSHIPS
🇮🇹 Younited and Nexi have signed a memorandum of understanding to integrate Younited Pay into Nexi’s payment acceptance channels in Italy. The partnership will allow merchants to offer instant financing at checkout for online and in-store purchases, with the solution expected to launch in the first half of 2027.
🌎 Bielik.io has partnered with BitGo Europe to integrate its Crypto-as-a-Service infrastructure, supporting regulated crypto trading and custody across the EEA. This aligns with Europe’s transition to MiCAR and will allow Bielik.io to offer digital asset services through a compliant framework.
🇸🇬 Visa and Singapore FinTech Aleta partner to enable SMEs to issue their own Visa-branded debit cards. Through Aleta’s BIN sponsorship model, businesses can launch customized cards while Aleta provides compliance, technology and legal support, reducing time to market to as little as two weeks.
🇯🇴 Valu Jordan and HyperPay form a strategic partnership to expand digital payments and BNPL services in Jordan. The collaboration will allow merchants to access HyperPay’s payment infrastructure and offer Valu’s flexible financing solutions, supporting FinTech adoption and digital commerce growth.
HOW FINTECH PERFORMED LAST WEEK
📈 Here’s how listed FinTech companies performed over the past week:
DONEDEAL FUNDING NEWS
🇩🇰 Festina Finance secures over €25 million in growth funding from Birchway Capital, valuing the company at around €200 million. The investment will support platform development, team expansion and European growth as pension and life insurers modernise legacy systems.
M&A
🇮🇳 Meta is reportedly in talks to invest in Indian FinTech CRED at a $4 billion valuation, while also exploring a potential acquisition and a possible operating role for founder Kunal Shah. The discussions highlight Meta’s interest in expanding its presence in India’s payments and FinTech market.
🇬🇧 Pollen Street Capital has agreed to acquire Universal Banking, Finastra’s core banking software business, which serves more than 150 financial institutions across 100+ countries. The deal will support UB’s growth as a standalone company, with investments planned in AI, data capabilities and product innovation.
MOVERS AND SHAKERS
🌎 Mastercard names Andreia Morelli SVP of Marketing and Communications for North LAC. Based in Mexico City and bringing more than 20 years of experience in financial services, Morelli will lead the company’s marketing and communications strategy across Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. Her appointment comes as the company continues to strengthen its value proposition and accelerate growth across key markets in the region.
🇬🇧 Starling Bank shrinks board as McPike cements control. Starling Bank is reducing the size of its board following a series of departures, increasing the influence of its largest shareholder, Harald McPike. The changes come amid reported disagreements over the bank’s strategy and growth ambitions.
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