Synchrony Financial is tapping e-commerce platform Adobe Commerce for embedded credit and installment financing at checkout. Details of the agreement were not disclosed.

Through the API-enabled integration, SMBs that host websites on Adobe Commerce can offer customers expanded financing options, Florin Arghirescu, senior vice president and chief product officer at the $119.5 billion Synchrony, told Bank Automation News.

• Financing options include:
• Credit cards;
• Short-term installment loans; and
• Long-term installment loans.

Synchrony’s integration with Adobe Commerce lets small businesses quickly offer credit and flexible payment options similar to major retailers, Arghirescu said. Merchants can onboard in minutes, enabling shoppers to access open credit lines and single-use financing at checkout.

Expanded payment options are critical for both merchants and consumers with varying credit experiences, Anita Chalkley, senior vice president of credit acquisition at Synchrony Financial, recently told BAN.

Adobe Commerce also works with PayPal and Klarna.

Xcel FCU taps Mahalo for infrastructure upgrade

Xcel Federal Credit Union has rolled out digital banking solutions provider Mahalo Banking’s Thoughtful Banking platform, Mahalo announced April 2.

The integration process began in April 2024 and was completed in December 2024, and included structured user acceptance testing and comprehensive Xcel staff training before going live, a Mahalo spokesperson told BAN.

The platform includes:

• CardHub for enhanced card management and security controls;
• Accessibility features for neurodiverse users;
• Peer-to-peer payments via Zelle;
• Credential assurance technology to protect consumer data.

The digital upgrade reflects a growing trend among credit unions to prioritize member-focused digital strategies amid rising competition from fintechs.

Credit unions have been stepping up their digital banking game. The overall satisfaction score for credit union digital channels in 2025 is 715 on a scale of 1,000, 45 points higher than retail banks, according to the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Credit Union Satisfaction Study report, published April 1.

Mahalo works exclusively with credit unions, the spokesperson said without disclosing names.

“Our platform is purpose-built for the unique needs of the credit union industry, and our team is made up of credit union veterans,” they said.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the $190 million Xcel CU told BAN: “Mahalo’s system allows us to easily support and train our members with their special admin tools, especially their Impersonate feature. Their Interstitial feature allows us to easily communicate a global message to all our members and even target segments for specific messages.”

Bloomfield, N.J.-based Xcel FCU plans to send out a member feedback survey at the end of the summer, the credit union’s spokesperson said.

Shoreline Hometown CU taps Appli for AI-powered lending

Shoreline Hometown Credit Union is planning to go live with Appli’s AI-powered smart financial calculator.

The $127.8 million Shoreline Hometown CU benefiting from an Appli initiative aimed at credit unions with assets of less than $250 million, an Appli spokesperson told BAN.

“In order to stay relevant in today’s market, small credit unions must do something drastic,” Appli Chief Executive Tim Pranger, said in an April 8 release. “We’re making our AI-powered financial calculator with personalized lending insights available to smaller institutions that previously couldn’t afford this technology.”

Key calculator features include:

• AI-driven personalized pre-qualification insights;
• Improved loan application conversion by reducing borrower uncertainty; and
• Focus on financial inclusion for underserved community-based institutions.

In addition to Manitowoc, Wis.-based Shoreline Hometown CU, St. Helens, Ore.-based InRoads Credit Union is set to integrate the solution this year, the Appli spokesperson said.

Highnote, Feedzai team up on secure payments

Credit card management platform Highnote will use AI-powered fraud prevention firm Feedzai to enhance security for Highnote’s acquiring business, Feedzai recently announced.

The collaboration aims to expand advanced fraud and risk management tools to smaller banks and fintechs, Tejal Kaur, senior fraud and identity expert at Feedzai, told BAN.

“By combining Feedzai’s AI-driven risk platform with Highnote’s banking-as-a-service infrastructure, smaller banks and fintech companies can now leverage advanced fraud detection tools traditionally only available to larger banks,” he said.

The collaboration comes amid rising fraud threats targeting digital payments, especially as businesses expand into embedded finance. Financial fraud losses in 2025 are expected to exceed the $12.5 billion lost in 2024 as fraudsters leverage tech to their advantage, according to a March 28 report from cloud-based digital banking solutions provider Alkami.

Feedzai’s platform provides:

• Fraud detection and prevention across Highnote’s acquiring services;
• Real-time payment risk assessment to support fast transactions; and
• Regulatory compliance support through advanced monitoring and explainable AI.

Feedzai also works with Mastercard and Fiserv, Kaur said.

Partners 1st FCU transitions to Tyfone

Partners 1st Federal Credit Union has transitioned to digital banking services provider Tyfone’s nFinia platform, according to a recent release.

The $536.6 million Partners 1st CU previously used the platform of Cubus One, which was acquired by Tyfone in 2020, according to the April 2 release. The upgrade to Tyfone’s nFinio platform is to support long-term innovation and boost flexibility as members’ needs evolve, according to the release.

Platform features include:

• A user-friendly, customizable interface designed to grow with member expectations;
• API-driven infrastructure for fintech integration and self-service tools; and
• Enhanced security.

“Upgrading to Tyfone’s nFinia platform made complete sense with our strategic business goals. Our primary focus will be on digital investments over the next three to five years,” Clinton Miller, CEO of Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Partners 1st CU, said in a statement.

Elga CU selects Pocketnest for financial wellness

Elga Credit Union has chosen Pocketnest, a financial wellness platform, to offer personalized financial guidance to its members, Pocketnest recently announced.

The integration is in progress and expected to take eight to 12 weeks, with the solution on pace to go live in the fall, a spokesperson for Pocketnest told BAN.

The partnership aims to help members fo the Grand Blanc, Mich.-based credit union build healthier financial habits through customized planning tools based on analysis of their interactions with the platform, they said.

Pocketnest’s gen AI-powered platform enables:

• Personalized financial guidance;
• Customizable financial planning tools; and
• Data insights for driving engagement.

The $1.6 billion Elga CU in February selected digital banking service provider Tyfone’s nFinia platform in order to leverage technology to support underserved communities and SMB clients, Elga said at the time.

Pocketnest also works with:

• $7.6 billion Michigan State University Federal Credit Union;
• $2.5 billion Lake Trust Credit Union; and
• $1.6 billion Community Financial Credit Union.

F&M Bank selects Candescent’s platform

Farmers & Merchants Bank, also known as The Bank of Fayetteville, has selected digital banking services provider Candescent‘s digital banking platform to power its next phase of digital transformation, according to a recent release.

The $1.8 billion F&M bank, based in Stuttgart, Ark., is turning to Candescent to modernize customer interactions and meet rising demand for personalization, speed and security in digital banking.

The platform includes:

• Mobile and online banking with built-in tools for account management, bill pay and money movement;
• Enhanced analytics and personalization tools; and
• API-driven infrastructure to enable future third party app integrations.

Candescent works with 1,300 banks and credit unions, according to the company. Other publicly announced clients include the $2.9 billion Sound Credit Union and $1.2 billion The Union Bank.

Visit the Bank Automation News interactive Transactions Dashboard.