Payabl. launches Virtual Business Cards
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Virtual cards are a digital alternative to physical credit or debit cards, offering real-time issuance, customisable limits, and transparent spending to streamline expense management and enhance financial oversight. Businesses can generate cards instantly, assign them to team members, set spending limits, and freeze/unfreeze access when needed.
Built to simplify B2B payments, payabl.'s Virtual Business Cards are ideal for e-commerce companies needing extra transaction security, start-ups and scale-ups managing supplier budgets and global teams with travel and multi-currency expenses.
The new proposition further strengthens payabl.'s Business Accounts offering and underpins the company's commitment to helping businesses stay ahead in today's rapidly evolving payments landscape.
Ugne Buraciene, Group CEO of payabl., said: 'With the launch of our virtual cards service, we're making it easier for companies to take greater control of their payments. From improved oversight of spending, to the ability to set budgets and ensure the highest level of security, payabl. is removing the friction from payments so businesses can focus on what really matters: growing their businesses and better serving their customers and partners.'
payabl.'s virtual cards service has been designed specifically to meet growing merchant demand and usage, with the total volume of virtual card transactions expected to reach 175 billion by 2028, rising from 36 billion in 2023*. The value that virtual cards bring to businesses is evident, with 94% of firms that use them saying their transactions are faster, more detailed, and more secure**.
Breno Oliveira, Head of Product at payabl., added: "The virtual cards market is booming, with transactions now in the billions and set to rise significantly. While much focus has been on consumer use cases, the value they can bring to businesses in cutting admin time spent on payments and boosting productivity is evident. And at payabl., we're unlocking those benefits for more businesses.'
Card issuance now sits alongside payabl.'s wide range of payment solutions, including card acquiring, local payment methods, and point-of-sale (POS) terminals. Its Business Accounts enable customers to send, receive, and manage multi-currency payments 24/7/365, with access to an all-in-one dashboard and dedicated client relationship managers.
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The Sun
30 minutes ago
- The Sun
Costly mistakes EVERYONE makes when buying new phones, TVs & Amazon gadgets – why you're losing £1000s without realising
WHETHER it's early Christmas shopping or just a treat, buying new phones, TVs, and gadgets off Amazon can end up being a costly nightmare. There are loads of simple mistakes that could be costing you thousands, from getting sucked in by flashy TV specs you don't need, ignoring a little-known iPhone menu that reveals if you're being scammed, and falling for a costly Amazon"price trick". Here are some of the biggest mistakes that you can make when you're snapping up new gadgets. PHONE SHOPPING MISTAKES Mistake 1 – Ignoring official 'refurbished' schemes It's easy to forget that buying phones isn't just a choice between a new mobile from the shop or a used one via eBay or Facebook Marketplace. There's a third (and easily missed) option: certified refurbished schemes. Many gadget makers and retailers have dedicated services where they restore used or unboxed phones so that they're basically as good as new, but with big discounts. Apple is a good example. Go to the website and look for the Certified Refurbished section here. There you'll find top iPhone models that have been fully tested, include a one-year warranty, a brand new box with all accessories and cables, and a fresh battery too. And they're all heavily discounted because they're "refurbished". Right now, you can get £310 savings on some iPhone 14 Pro Max models (but we've seen discounts as high as £460 before). Samsung has a similar scheme called Certified Re-Newed here. iPhone 16e review – I've secretly tested Apple's cheapest mobile and I love the new button but that's not the best bit And again, you'll get gadgets in a brand new box with a cable, SIM ejector, plus a year-long warranty. Then there are third-party marketplaces like Back Market that also refurbish mobiles. So don't pay full price for a phone without checking the refurbished version too. Just remember: you might struggle to find refurbished units for the absolute-newest phone models. Mistake 2 – Buying a used phone with fake parts When you're buying a used phone from a person directly, you'll often be nabbing it at a saving. But that person might have secretly repaired the mobile with fake parts – and not told you. Now you've got an iPhone that might break down, not work properly, and require expensive repairs. Not only that, but it'll affect the resale value of your mobile too. You'll want to get into Settings > General > About > Parts and Service History. This will show parts of your iPhone, and whether they're legit or not. "If a part is labelled Genuine Apple Part, the part has been replaced with a genuine Apple part using genuine Apple parts and processes," Apple explained. "If a part is labelled Unknown Part, this means that the installation is incomplete. "Or the part was replaced with a non-genuine part, was previously used or installed in another iPhone, or isn't functioning as expected." If you're not seeing the menu, it means your iPhone hasn't had any parts swapped. 16 You should check this page before you accept the smartphone from whoever you're buying it from. "Genuine Apple parts are designed to fit precisely within the device and provide optimal performance, safety, and reliability," Apple explained. "Repairs performed by Apple and Apple Authorised Service Providers are covered by Apple's warranty. "Repairs performed by untrained individuals or using non-genuine parts might affect the functionality, safety, security, and privacy of the device." Apple adds: "Using non-genuine batteries might also result in unexpected behaviour after installation, device software updates, or while charging. "Using non-genuine batteries might also lead to safety issues." Mistake 3 – Not looking at the phone's 'software' version All phones run on an operating system, with settings, menus, and design. Apple's iPhone runs on iOS and most other mobiles run on Google 's Android. These operating systems are updated fairly regularly – usually receiving a major upgrade once a year. These updates are important for two reasons. The first is that they deliver new features, keeping your old mobile feeling fresh with the latest tricks. And the second is that software updates are how tech giants deliver security fixes to your phone. These fixes will close dangerous security loopholes that hackers can use to break into your device, accounts, and potentially even your finances. If your phone is too old to receive these updates, it's seriously exposed to cybercrime – not to mention missing out on new features too. So before you buy a used phone, make absolutely sure that it can still receive software updates. A quick Google search will reveal the latest iOS or Android software version, and whether your mobile can get it. For instance, only the following iPhones can get the iOS 26 update coming out in September: iPhone 16e iPhone 16 iPhone 16 Plus iPhone 16 Pro iPhone 16 Pro Max iPhone 15 iPhone 15 Plus iPhone 15 Pro iPhone 15 Pro Max iPhone 14 iPhone 14 Plus iPhone 14 Pro iPhone 14 Pro Max iPhone 13 iPhone 13 mini iPhone 13 Pro iPhone 13 Pro Max iPhone 12 iPhone 12 mini iPhone 12 Pro iPhone 12 Pro Max iPhone 11 iPhone 11 Pro iPhone 11 Pro Max iPhone SE (3rd gen) iPhone SE (2nd gen) So if you buy an older iPhone than that, you're leaving yourself exposed. Here's some phone advice from The Sun's tech editor Sean Keach... Buying a phone from last year or the year before is a savvy move to save money. But if you're snapping up a mobile that's five years old, you might be in serious danger. Make absolutely sure that it is still getting updates – and isn't cut off, or about to be. If you're left with a gadget that can't get security updates, you're an open goal for cybercriminals. 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Fortunately, there's a brilliant tool called CamelCamelCamel (here)that lets you plug in any Amazon product link to see its full price history. You'll be able to see a graph that charts its price movements, plus its highest, lowest, and average mark-ups. That way, you can tell if you're actually buying a great deal – or you're being massively ripped off. Mistake #2 – Not using price alerts The problem with buying products online is that it always feels like there's a sale on – until the moment you actually want to buy a product. 16 Then suddenly it's full price everywhere and you're paying hundreds more than you'd hoped to. The best way to tackle that with Amazon gadgets is to set up price alerts. This is perfect if you don't need something right away and want to get the best value for money. For a start, you can add items to your Amazon Wish List, and then switch on notifications in your Amazon account settings. That way, you'll be notified when prices drop for any of the items on your wish list. You can also go into the Amazon app, head into the Notifications > Recommendations settings and toggle it on. This will give you personalised deal alerts based on your shopping activity – like for items that you've recently searched. This is handy, as it'll capture gadgets that you forgot to add to your wish list but might still be interested in. It could save you from massively overspending. Mistake #3 – Ignoring Amazon's hidden discounts There are a few easy-to-miss discount schemes on Amazon worth noting. Firstly, there's the Amazon Renewed store here. This is Amazon's Certified Refurbished store, where it professionally inspects, tests, and resells gadgets – with a one-year guarantee included. 16 You'll find significant discounts on products, including phones, headphones, and laptops. So it's worth checking on that store before you pay full price on regular Amazon. If you're a Prime member, you can also take advantage of the Buy More & Save store – you can find that here. This knocks 15% off your total bill if you buy at least four qualifying items. There's plenty in there, including food, clothes, and home essentials – but also some electronics too. So it's an easy way to trim your Amazon bills if you need the items on offer.
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
UK's biggest energy supplier is ‘on verge of splitting from tech arm' in £10billion demerger
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The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
How has Ryanair changed its cabin baggage rule – and will other airlines do it too?
For all but the most seasoned travellers the metal bag sizers used by budget airlines have become an instrument of fear because of the heavy financial penalty incurred if hand baggage is too big to fit. But as the summer holiday season gets under way there is some good news for those who struggle to travel light: Ryanair has announced it is increasing the size of the small 'personal' bag you can take in the cabin for free by 20%. Yes. But it comes as airlines fall into line behind a new EU guaranteed bag size of 40cm by 30cm by 15cm. The current dimensions of the Ryanair free carry-on limit are 40cm by 25cm by 20cm – below the EU rule. It is increasing them to 40cm by 30cm by 20cm. Ryanair trumpets this is 'bigger than the EU standard'. It says the change 'will be implemented over the coming weeks, as our airport bag sizers are adjusted'. The size change represents a 20% increase in volume and means Ryanair will be accepting free bags one-third bigger than the new EU minimum. But that is the only aspect of Ryanair's baggage policy that is changing. If you get it wrong and a gate check reveals the bag is oversized you will pay a fee of £60. A larger cabin bag can be added to a flight booking for £6 to £36 depending on the route but, again, if it is deemed too large at the airport it will cost £75 to stow. Some won't have do anything. Rival budget airline easyJet, for example, already allows a more generous free underseat bag. Wizz Air's current free bag policy is the same as the one that Ryanair is moving to. The airline association Airlines for Europe (A4E) says its 28 members have started applying the bag dimensions which were agreed by EU transport ministers last month. 'This will bring more clarity to passengers across Europe,' says its managing director, Ourania Georgoutsakou. 'From city-hoppers to family travellers, everyone will benefit from the same clear rule across our members' networks.' Standardising cabin-bag rules has been on the Brussels agenda for years with the decision to settle on a size enabling frequent travellers to buy one piece of luggage that will be accepted by multiple airlines. All A4E airlines will be following the bag rule by the end of the 2025 summer season, it says, adding that 'carriers will continue to permit larger personal items at their discretion'. Not yet, but they could be. European consumer groups are calling on EU lawmakers to investigate budget airlines for 'exploiting consumers' by charging for hand luggage. In May, BEUC, an umbrella group for 44 consumer organisations, called for Brussels to investigate seven airlines, including Ryanair, easyJet and Wizz Air for this. BEUC director general Agustín Reyna said the airlines were 'ignoring the EU top court who ruled that charging [for] reasonably sized hand baggage is illegal'. The organisation was referring to a EU court of justice ruling in 2014 that said the 'carriage of hand baggage cannot be made subject to a price supplement, provided that it meets reasonable requirements in terms of its weight and dimensions'. In the meantime, Spain has become a battleground for the issue. Last year, its consumer affairs ministry fined five carriers, including Ryanair, a total of €179m (£150m) for charging passengers for hand luggage and seat reservations. Now low-cost carrier Wizz Air is being investigated, too. Ryanair's chief executive, Michael O'Leary, says no. He is dismissive of the Spanish effort, recently telling the Guardian the country has a 'mad minister who's decided that as General Franco passed some law 30 years before Spain joined the EU, passengers are free to bring as much baggage as they want.' A Spanish court has now temporarily suspended the fines on three of the airlines (including Ryanair) while the matter is under judicial review, after a legal challenge. To complicate matters further, last month the transport committee of the European parliament voted to give passengers the right to an extra piece of free hand luggage weighing up to 7kg. Under the new rule, travellers could bring one cabin bag measuring up to 100cm (based on the sum of the dimensions) on board their flight, as well a personal bag, at no additional cost. (MEPs also want children under 12 years old to be seated next to their accompanying passenger free of charge.) The proposed law requires approval from 55% of EU member states, but if adopted after the negotiations due to start this month, would extend to all flights within the EU, as well as routes to and from the EU. The airline industry is predictably opposed, stating that the cost of the bag will be folded into overall prices, pushing up fares. 'Europe's airline market is built on choice,' Georgoutsakou says. 'Forcing a mandatory trolley bag strips passengers of that choice and obliges passengers to pay for services they may not want or need. What's next? Mandatory popcorn and drinks as part of your cinema ticket? 'The European parliament should let travellers decide what services they want, what services they pay for and, importantly, what services they don't,' she says.
