🇧🇷 Apple Opens iOS

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Hey Fintech Explorers—Welcome back to Money Explored, the essential Sunday newsletter to stay ahead in fintech!

As 2025 winds down, fintech isn’t easing off the gas—regulators, platforms, and payment giants are still reshaping the rules right up to year-end.

This week, a tech titan loosens its grip on app distribution, commerce infrastructure pivots toward AI-driven payments, and U.S. regulators quietly redraw the line on earned wage access.

Here’s what we’re diving into:

• Apple opens iOS to third-party app stores in Brazil. 🇧🇷

• Fiserv brings Visa and Mastercard into AI-powered commerce. 🤖

• Paycheck advances get a regulatory green light in the U.S. 🚦

Plus: digital euro guardrails in Europe, a brewing U.S. debit fee fight, and another big push into prediction markets.

You’ll also want to keep reading for this week’s sponsor, Google AdSense, and how publishers are taking back control of their ad experiences.

It’s all happening—and that’s just the start…

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Let’s dive in!

🌎 3 Major Stories

Dive into this week’s top Fintech developments.

Apple Opens Door for Third-Party App Stores in Brazil 🇧🇷

The Big Story 📰: Apple is gearing up to allow third-party app stores on iOS in Brazil starting next year, as part of a deal with the country's competition authority, CADE. This decision follows a legal battle that began in 2022 and represents a significant shift in Apple's stringent control over its App Store. Under this new arrangement, developers will be allowed to implement external payment systems, with a clear fee structure delineated for various transactions. For purchases outside the App Store, developers can bypass fees on static text routing while incurring a 15% fee for links directing users to external payment sites. Apple has 105 days to implement these changes, or it risks hefty fines.

Key Takeaway ⚡️: This move could reshape the app ecosystem in Brazil, opening up market opportunities for developers and presenting a more competitive landscape. By allowing third-party app stores and external payment systems, Apple is navigating regulatory pressures while maintaining its revenue model through structured fees. This development is crucial for fintech firms eyeing entry into alternative payment solutions and app monetization strategies. For stakeholders, this is a vital moment to reassess how consumer preferences might shift towards more flexible payment options, enhancing the overall digital experience. Expect a ripple effect in other markets as developers advocate for similar changes following this landmark decision.

Fiserv Teams Up with Visa & Mastercard on AI Tools 🤖

The Big Story 📰: Fiserv is taking a major step in the fintech space by partnering with Visa and Mastercard to deliver advanced AI-driven commerce tools to its merchant customers. This collaboration will provide merchants with access to Visa's agentic commerce tools, designed to help AI shopping agents find products while identifying legitimate agents versus malicious bots. In addition, Mastercard will offer its agent payments framework to ensure secure transactions by registering and verifying AI agents. This new era of commerce aims to empower merchants to navigate the complexities of AI in shopping and payments, although the exact availability of these tools remains unconfirmed.

Key Takeaway ⚡️: Fiserv's move signifies a significant transition into an AI-centric commerce model that is set to reshape how transactions occur. By enabling merchants to engage confidently with AI agents for product discovery and purchases, the initiative not only enhances customer experience but also heightens security protocols in digital transactions. As shopping shifts toward more agent-driven methods, stakeholders in fintech, including merchants and payment providers, must adapt to this evolving landscape. Expect to see a surge in AI-agent integrations across platforms, creating new opportunities for innovation in how consumers engage with brands and make purchases.

Paycheck Advances Get CFPB Green Light 🚦

The Big Story 📰: The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has declared that paycheck advances, commonly known as "earned wage" advances, are not classified as consumer loans. This marks a significant regulatory shift from previous guidance set under the Biden administration. The new advisory states that providers of these services, like digital bank Chime, won't be obligated to offer typical disclosures under the Truth in Lending Act, including costs and terms associated with these advances. While this opinion is not legally enforceable, it provides much-needed clarity for the industry, which has seen increasing interest in paycheck advance products. The reversal reflects broader trends in regulatory policies that prioritize reducing perceived burdens on businesses.

Key Takeaway ⚡️: This move is pivotal for employers and fintech companies that provide paycheck advance services. By not treating these advances as loans, companies can avoid regulatory obligations that could hinder their operations. For workers, this means potentially easier access to their earnings before payday without excessive fees, though it does raise questions about transparency and consumer protections. As the fintech landscape evolves, this change could lead to more companies offering similar products, making it crucial for consumers to understand what they are signing up for. It also sets the stage for renewed discussions about the need for federal regulations to ensure fair practices in this fast-growing market.