Community Q&A
Questions
3,063 questions answered by experts in payments, banking, and financial services.
Is it possible to add a plugin to U.S. e-commerce platforms like Magento so customers can pay with alternatives to PayPal and cards?
What does it mean when your bank asks for details about your business and sources of funds?
Which reliable financial institutions provide offshore or anonymous debit cards?
What are some examples of early-stage Bitcoin startups?
What are the steps required to launch a Bitcoin exchange in the United States?
Does a money-transfer company have to register in the sending country, the receiving country, or both?
Will Bitcoin ATMs be successful in the future?
How can an Indian citizen open a bank account in the U.S., UK, or another country?
What does the future look like for Facebook as an e-commerce platform?
What regulatory requirements must be met to run a business like PayPal?
Which U.S. banks are most popular with startup businesses, and why do founders choose them?
What denominations of banknotes and coins does the Chinese yuan come in?
How can I grow my money starting with only $0.30 in my PayPal account?
In the U.S., how can a non-citizen and non-resident open a bank account online?
Is there a way to find out when and where money sent from a U.S. bank was credited to my bank account?
Does transferring money between accounts at different banks normally involve paying a fee?
Is it reasonable to call Bitcoin a currency when its value is so volatile, and how can anyone rely on its price?
What factors caused Bitcoin to reach around $900 per BTC on November 18, 2013?
Can government financial regulators like the SEC monitor and regulate wire transfers between bank accounts?
Why is there a fixed maximum limit on the number of bitcoins that can ever be created?
Banking: Is transferring funds through an ATM vulnerable to hacking or security weaknesses?
ECB: Does paying via IBAN automatically mean the transfer is free of fees?
PayPal vs. Google Wallet—who is likely to win?
Dwolla: Does an online money transmitter need a separate money-transmitter license for each U.S. state in which it offers services?
Why are U.S. banks slow to adopt features long used abroad, such as chip-and-PIN cards, pay-at-table systems, and easy free transfers between customers?
Pakistan has millions of mobile, internet, and Facebook users—what business ideas could monetize this market, and how should products be delivered and paid for?
Payments: Do most non-U.S. consumers have debit cards?
Who is developing the next generation of banking applications?
Why do certificate-of-deposit (CD) interest rates vary so widely between banks?
What broader consequences stem from HSBC’s involvement in laundering money for Iran, drug networks, and other illicit groups?
Why are U.S. banks so slow to roll out hardware security tokens (one-time code devices) for login authentication?
Why hasn’t Africa adopted Bitcoin at scale for remittances and money transfers?
What should someone know in order to build an e-commerce payment system in a developing country?
Online Payments: With digital wallets becoming more common, is there a future for an app that converts spare coins into bank deposits or merchant gift cards?
In which countries does PayPal offer its full feature set rather than acting only as a simple payment gateway?
Why are money transmitters in the U.S. often treated harshly or cautiously by financial institutions?
What would happen if everyone held personal accounts directly with the central bank?
Since most money is digital, how do regulators verify that banks aren’t creating money improperly? Is there a central ledger of accounts?
In what ways could companies like Experian and Equifax be disrupted?
For a non-U.S. resident with a U.S. LLC, is it better to open a business bank account in the U.S. or Europe?
Outside the U.S., what specific obstacles does Bitcoin face for hobbyists and small entrepreneurs wanting to enter the space?
What does it mean to endorse money on a passport?
Which U.S. banks, if any, accept or use digital currencies like Bitcoin?
Besides PayPal, are there mass-payment platforms that support automated payouts?
What are the main challenges involved in transferring money across borders?
Is there a payment gateway that works directly on platforms like Twitter and Facebook?
Is Payoneer’s U.S. payment service a good option?
Are there Bitcoin startups specifically targeting cross-border remittance markets?
Will Bitcoin increase in value again?
What is the future of Bitcoin if governments begin declaring it illegal?
What are the key requirements for building a micropayments system?
I have an idea for an ATM-card-sized hardware device paired with software—what companies can manufacture such a device for me?
Why are international banks withdrawing from the Pakistani market?
Would operating a Bitcoin exchange in Pakistan be profitable?
Money Transfers: How can you determine whether two SWIFT banks have a direct wire-transfer relationship?
Why is there no seamless, unified money-transfer method between Canada and the U.S.?
What is the most efficient method for sending money to clients directly from your website?
How can I find a payment-gateway consultant in India?
What is the next major breakthrough likely to happen in payments as the industry moves toward frictionless transactions?
What can an average person do to help counter money laundering?
What security considerations should be included on your checklist before launching an Internet Payment Service Provider (IPSP)?
How do casinos stop individuals from counterfeiting gaming chips?
What common challenges do small businesses face?
As an eBusiness leader, what qualities do you expect from a Chinese payment service provider?
Online Retail: How should a new website with no brand recognition address customer security concerns?
When do daily ATM withdrawal limits reset?
Can funds be deposited onto a debit card via an ATM?
What are the best resources for learning banking terminology, processes, and business rules, especially in corporate banking?
In remittances, what does a “free send” pricing model actually mean?
Is Bitcoin a perfect solution for international airtime top-ups and transfers?
How can I earn money independently on my own?
Why do stores accept only certain credit cards?
Online Payments: What alternatives exist to credit cards and PayPal in developing countries?
Why has the U.S. government been able to levy multi-billion-dollar fines on foreign banks, while other countries have struggled to impose similar fines on U.S. banks for misconduct?
Does a national central bank effectively hold all of a country’s currency worldwide?
How do countries intentionally reduce the value of their currency?
How do countries intentionally devalue their currency?
What do VCs and other investors think about a “WhatsApp for peer-to-peer payments” startup concept?
How do U.S. tax rates compare with tax rates in other countries?
Does Mint.com support Bank of America accounts, and why or why not?
What is an SBN number for a business account, why is it requested to receive funds from Canada to the UAE, and is there another way to receive the money?
Do cross-border bitcoin transfers fall under money-transfer regulations?
How does the government determine which bank I use?
How can an external party confirm or authenticate a Square transaction?
What would it cost Square to swap out unencrypted readers for encrypted versions?
How can a third party independently verify a Square transaction?
What functions are provided by a cash deposit machine?
How does a savings account differ from a checking account?
How can I verify a company's legitimacy online?
Do MagTek and IDTech provide white-label hardware readers?
What alternatives exist to traditional wire transfers for sending money?
Could a compliant cross-border bill payment service (for example, from the U.S. to Mexico or Indonesia) operate without remittance licenses?
Where is the U.S. fintech and payments ecosystem most active: New York, San Francisco, or Atlanta?
What is currently happening with Ripple as a company and protocol?
What should I do in a real-time emergency if internet is my only means of communication?
How are very large sums of money transferred between parties or institutions?
If I want to send a wire transfer to Thailand, are there limits on how much I can send?
Which U.S. banks provide cross-border remittance services?
What is the process for obtaining newly issued coins from the RBI?
What are bank drafts or bank draft checks typically used for?