e-commerce
Paytm payment gateway launches UPI subscription services for businesses
KOLKATA: Paytm has announced the launch of subscription service for businesses. Named as ‘Paytm Subscriptions’, the service will enable businesses to collect payments from their users via flexible payment methods. The subscribers and customers will be able to choose and pay through their preferred payment option of Patym Wallet, UPI or cards.
Paytm Subscriptions can support different business models and use cases such as free trials with automatic payments, one-time charge with automatic payments as well as flat or variable charging. Merchants can also integrate the payment option for display on a TV screen or in-app purchases. To provide a seamless experience to users, the payment gateway is built with intelligent features such as pre-debit notifications, smart retry, intelligent routing between multiple bank gateways, card expiry notifications, and intelligent error code handling.
Paytm vice president Saloni Malhotra said, "We are excited to launch Paytm Subscriptions, which enables companies to receive periodic and timely payments for their services. Businesses of all sizes can integrate flexible payment options for their subscribers. We have already onboarded several leading online platforms and are expecting to bring in more than 1000 businesses within the next 6 months.
Paytm Subscriptions provides a unique offering to access the largest repository of saved payment instruments – 220+ million Saved Cards, 400+ million Wallets and 100+ milion Saved Bank Accounts. This helps the entire payment process to become faster, with the highest success rate in the industry. Already, popular platforms such as Zee5, Disney+, Epic On, JioSaavan and Gaana, The Hindu among others have started using the service for subscription payments.
e-commerce
American Express to acquire AI startup Hyper to boost automation
Deal targets expense management as AI reshapes corporate spending tools.
MUMBAI: From receipts to robots, the expense sheet is getting a brain upgrade as American Express moves to bring artificial intelligence into the heart of corporate spending. The company has announced plans to acquire Hyper, a relatively young but fast-rising startup founded in 2022 that builds AI-powered agents capable of organising expenses, generating reports, verifying compliance with budgets and policies, and nudging users with timely reminders. The deal, expected to close in the second quarter of 2026, underscores a growing shift among financial institutions to automate traditionally manual, time-heavy workflows.
Hyper counts Sam Altman among its backers, adding a layer of Silicon Valley credibility to the acquisition. While financial details remain undisclosed, the strategic intent is clear: deepen automation capabilities and sharpen American Express’s position in the competitive corporate spending ecosystem.
The two companies are not strangers. They previously collaborated in 2024 on a co-branded credit card product, suggesting that the acquisition is less a cold buy and more an extension of an existing relationship. With this move, American Express is effectively bringing that capability in-house, aiming to embed AI directly into its commercial services stack.
Chief executive Stephen Squeri had already signalled the direction of travel in a recent shareholder letter, describing AI as a “structural shift” in how businesses operate. The Hyper acquisition appears to be a direct response to that shift, particularly in expense management, where processes such as approvals, compliance checks and reporting remain ripe for automation.
Alongside the acquisition, the company is also expanding its product suite. A recently launched business credit card offers cashback and benefits at an annual fee of $295, with another card expected later this year moves that complement its broader push into commercial services.
Taken together, the strategy points to a future where managing expenses may require fewer spreadsheets and more algorithms. For American Express, the bet is simple, if businesses are rethinking how work gets done, the tools that power that work need to evolve just as quickly.
