10-Q, Member Exclusive

Shopping and financial services: The match we didn’t know we needed

  • The latest trend shaking up the industry is the increasing convergence of shopping and financial services.
  • Joining the fray after Chase is PayPal, the newest entrant in the advertising market. PayPal may not attract the same criticism as Chase but it could face a different type of challenge [hint: data privacy] that requires its attention and adept handling.
close

Email a Friend

Shopping and financial services: The match we didn’t know we needed

    The trend of intertwining retail more deeply with financial services

    by SARA KHAIRI

    While it’s often said that matches are made in heaven, some surprising combinations come to life right here on Earth. Just as pineapples on pizza spark debate, these unexpected pairings can evoke different reactions. The latest trend shaking up the industry is the increasing convergence of shopping and financial services.

    The trend

    BNPL solutions are a prime example of merging shopping with financial services, effectively integrating financial firms into the consumer’s purchase journey.

    Another emerging trend is the move by banks and financial firms into the advertising sector to diversify their revenue streams. This shift could be in response to recent industry developments, including the impact of higher-for-longer interest rates on banks’ net interest income (NII), rising regulatory compliance costs, and increasing pressures on interchange revenues affecting nearly all financial firms.

    JPMorgan Chase surprised everyone by embracing an unexpected, modern strategy. The bank introduced a retail media network in April this year, venturing into a market already under the sway of major retailers.

    Joining the fray after Chase is PayPal, the newest entrant in this market. It plans to establish a new advertising platform, PayPal Ads, centered around transaction data from its nearly 400 million active accounts. 

    “PayPal Ads”

    To kickstart the platform, PayPal has brought on board notable talents.


    subscription wall for TS Pro

    0 comments on “Shopping and financial services: The match we didn’t know we needed”

    BNPL, Member Exclusive, Who owns the customer

    Affirm’s full-stack ambition is bigger than consumer finance alone

    • Affirm began 2026 on the front foot.
    • The recent moves by the BNPL firm point to an overarching strategy: expanding from consumer checkouts into B2B distribution and institutional control.
    Sara Khairi | March 05, 2026
    10-Q, Member Exclusive

    Coinbase rides the waves of stress and opportunity with its ‘Everything Exchange’ vision

    • 'Everything Exchange' reflects Coinbase’s ambition to be a one-stop financial platform.
    • Outgrowing its crypto exchange roots brings Coinbase fresh regulatory, competitive, and market challenges.
    Sara Khairi | March 02, 2026
    BNPL, Creating win-win partnerships, Embedded Finance, Member Exclusive, SMB Finance

    How embedded BNPL optimizes cash flow for SMBs: Inside the Intuit-Affirm partnership

    • The Intuit-Affirm partnership embeds BNPL directly in QuickBooks invoices, transforming accounting into a real-time decision layer.
    • In the new fintech partnership model, platforms manage workflows and customers while specialists handle the decision layer to drive scalable results.
    Sara Khairi | February 26, 2026
    10-Q, Member Exclusive

    Banking: AI, automation, and the rise of digital-first scale

    • From AI agents at Goldman to automation at Truist and lean growth at Nubank, the contours of a modern banking model are emerging.
    • Banks are rethinking human-machine cooperative roles and new ways to scale.
    Sara Khairi | February 23, 2026
    Member Exclusive, Numbers with Narrative, Policies & Playbooks

    Open banking’s paywall era – and what it means for banks, fintechs, and policy in 2026

    • Financial innovation doesn’t follow a straight path. When it swerves, the clash between ideals and economics comes into focus.
    • With data volumes surging and regulatory clarity still elusive, a harder question is emerging: If access to financial data is commercialized, how “open” is open banking – and who ultimately bears the cost?
    Sara Khairi | February 19, 2026
    More Articles