Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, the complaint goes beyond intellectual property theft as Fintiv claims that Apple engaged in corporate racketeering, deliberately lifting confidential innovations from CorFire, a mobile wallet solutions provider Fintiv acquired in 2014. 

According to the lawsuit, Apple breached nondisclosure agreements and also recruited CorFire staff to facilitate the development of Apple Pay, which was launched globally in 2014.

The issue dates back to 2011 and 2012, when Apple allegedly held a series of meetings with CorFire and entered into non-disclosure agreements to explore licensing discussions. 

Rather than formalise a deal, Apple is accused of using those sessions to extract technical knowledge and later build its own product without compensation or credit.

“This is a case of corporate theft and racketeering of monumental proportions,” the suit reads. “Apple has generated billions of dollars in revenue without paying Fintiv a single penny.”

Fintiv’s legal team, led by veteran lawyer Marc Kasowitz, isn’t pulling any punches. In a statement accompanying the filing, Kasowitz declared: “This is one of the most egregious examples of corporate malfeasance I’ve seen in 45 years of legal practice.”

The lawsuit alleges violations of both federal and state-level statutes, including the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, Georgia’s state equivalent of the RICO statute, the Defend Trade Secrets Act, and Georgia’s Trade Secret Act. Apple stands as the sole defendant in the case.

A key element of Fintiv’s argument is that Apple formed what it calls an “association-in-fact enterprise” with top-tier banks and credit card companies, including JPMorgan Chase, Citibank, Bank of America, Visa, Mastercard, and American Express, to profit off the stolen technology. 

Fintiv insists these institutions have benefitted from Apple Pay transaction fees while being part of an informal commercial ecosystem rooted in misappropriated technology.

CorFire, originally based in Alpharetta, Georgia, developed mobile wallet infrastructure long before Apple’s first foray into the space. The lawsuit asserts that the similarities between CorFire’s proprietary solutions and the structure of Apple Pay are not coincidental, but the result of intentional reverse engineering of CorFire’s work.

Again, this new filing follows a separate legal setback for Fintiv. On August 4, a federal judge in Austin, Texas, dismissed a related patent infringement case Fintiv had filed against Apple. Fintiv has indicated plans to appeal that decision but appears to be moving its focus to the Georgia court, where CorFire’s legacy and intellectual property were originally based.

While Apple has yet to issue a public response, the case is already drawing attention due to its potential financial and reputational implications. Apple Pay remains a central component of the company’s services division, which has become a major revenue stream.

The lawsuit is registered as Fintiv Inc v Apple Inc, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia, No. 25-04413.

This case points to a more serious legal confrontation over how tech giants interact with smaller firms, especially in early-stage collaborations that never formalise into partnerships. 

Fintiv says Apple has followed this same pattern in other disputes, pointing to ongoing claims involving Masimo and Valencell, whose health-tracking technologies allegedly influenced the development of the Apple Watch.

The co-branded service enables customers in Zambia to send and receive money globally, based on their convenience and needs.

Zoona is a leading fintech and enterprise payments platform in Zambia. Acquired by Chipper Cash in 2022, the two brands now support 5 million customers across Africa. 

Today’s announcement combines Western Union’s global strength and 175 years of expertise in international money movement with Chipper Cash’s and Zoona’s deep local payments knowledge and innovative mobile technology platform. 

Chipper Cash app users can now support their loved ones by sending and receiving money seamlessly across Western Union’s network of over 200 countries and territories. 

They also have the flexibility to send funds to mobile wallets worldwide, as well as for cash pick-up at hundreds of thousands of locations abroad. Payout to bank accounts shall be launched shortly.

“Zambia’s digitally savvy population of over 20 million is driving a remarkable shift toward mobile-first financial solutions,” said Mohamed Touhami el Ouazzani, Western Union’s Regional vice president of Africa. 

“Integrating our international money transfer services in the Chipper Cash app means customers can transfer funds across our global network – reliably and with ease. I am delighted then that, together, we are expanding the possibilities for Zambians to connect, transact and thrive in the global economy.”

The Chipper Cash app is available for download on both Android and iOS smartphones. To initiate a Western Union transaction, customers can use funds stored in their Chipper Cash wallet. The wallet can be conveniently topped up at multiple cash and digital payment touchpoints, including retailers, mobile network operators, banks and ATMs.

“At Zoona, we’ve witnessed firsthand the incredible evolution of Zambia’s financial landscape—from the early days of cash-based transactions and agent networks to a thriving ecosystem of mobile and digital payments,” said Brett Magrath, CEO at Zoona and CPO at Chipper Cash. 

“This partnership marks the next chapter in that journey. With smartphone adoption on the rise, there’s an increasing appetite for digital financial services that move beyond USSD to deliver richer, app-based experiences. This partnership extends the reach of Zambia’s vibrant fintech ecosystem—connecting more users to global financial services through a seamless digital experience.”

The collaboration builds on Western Union’s well-established physical presence in Zambia that caters to diverse and fast-evolving customer needs. The move also supports Western Union’s, Zoona’s and Chipper Cash’s shared mission to make financial services accessible to all consumers in Zambia – regardless of their banking status.

This strategic move addresses the unique financial landscape of the region, where a significant portion of the population still remains unbanked.

This integration will further Unlimit’s offering for Tanzanian businesses, with their solution enabling access to a comprehensive suite of national, regional and global payment methods. 

It will also provide merchants access to a vast new customer base of M-Pesa’s 60 million, Mixx by Yas’ 20 million and Airtel Money’s 41.5 million users, simplifying transactions and minimising customer churn, while helping to create a smoother and more inclusive payment experience.

Tanzania is quickly emerging as a regional digital payments hub, with the annual transaction value of its mobile money market now exceeding $80 billion.

This shift comes as cash payments become less common and total digital transaction volumes surge, with Unlimit recording a 76% increase between 2023 and 2024.

“Tanzania is one of the fastest-growing economies of the decade, and it’s now entering a new era of digital payments maturity,” said Irene Skrynova, Chief Customer Officer at Unlimit. 

“By continuously expanding our services and integrating dominant local payment methods, we ensure that both banked and unbanked users are fully supported. This positions us to seamlessly enable international brands to enter and scale in this thriving market, while empowering Tanzanian businesses to connect with their target audiences effortlessly.”

The expansion of Unlimit’s services in Tanzania follows their successful launch into the nation in Q2 2024, with the receipt of their Bank of Tanzania licence and the opening of a regional office. 

The integration of these mobile-money services expands Unlimit’s existing Tanzania offerings and underscores its commitment to supporting merchants with a wide range of payment options across Africa. 

These include local and international cards across Africa, such as Visa and Mastercard, and Verve in Nigeria; mobile money solutions such as M-Pesa and Airtel Money in East Africa; USSD payments in Nigeria; as well as bank transfers through all regional banks.

The partnership will enable funds to be sent from countries around the world to mobile wallets across Africa through the organization’s licensed payment rails. The service will first launch in Madagascar, and eventually to other countries across the continent.

Kumar Shourav, Managing Director, MTO’s at MFS Africa noted that a partnership like this is unprecedented in the industry, with huge potential benefits, value, and impact implications in the long run.

“At MFS Africa, we have always believed in making payments as simple as possible. Payment infrastructures globally have traditionally remained fragmented and local in nature. Africa’s 54 countries are diverse not just in terms of population, development levels, growth rates, and stability but with payment infrastructure and regulations as well. Africa’s fast-growing populations and markets present important opportunities for businesses and individuals in an environment of slowing global growth.

“MFS Africa has more than a decade worth of experience in navigating the challenging Africa payments landscape. Its direct relationship with mobile wallet players, banks, cash pick up networks and regulators on the continent is unmatched in the industry. Western Union is a global leader in cross-border, cross-currency money movement and payments. Through this partnership, both organisations will provide customers, businesses and Global Development Organisations across the world with access to convenient payout options in Africa.

“This will foster better integration between Africa and the rest of the world and will go a long way in supporting financial inclusion across the continent. Therefore, this partnership made complete sense.”

Similarly, Western Union’s ethos is based on empowering the aspiring populations of the world with accessible financial tools to improve the lives of their loved ones and communities.

Hassan Chatila, Global Head of Account Payout Network, Western Union, says, “At Western Union, we aim to be the global leader in providing accessible financial services to the world’s populations and, in turn, increase global financial inclusion. Our efforts to drive global financial inclusion means delivering on customer needs today and into the future. Through our partnership with MFS Africa, we are excited to come together and deliver on our joint commitment to bring innovative solutions for customers as they support their families and accelerate their momentum up the economic ladder.”

Mohamed Touhami El Ouazzani, Regional Vice President of Africa, Western Union, “Innovation, commitment to customer focus and financial inclusion are at the heart of everything we do at Western Union. We are deeply committed to the region and remain focused on advancing cross-border money movement solutions for the people in this region, their communities as well as the broader economy. Through our collaboration with MFS Africa, we look forward to achieving our common critical role in getting money to the places where and when it is most needed.”

This collaboration to provide access to transacting across borders will further cement MFS Africa as a preferred, better, and one-stop solution for payments into and within Africa.

Whether you’re a young entrepreneur in the merchant marketplace, require access to collect loan repayments from customers or need to send bulk payments, MFS Africa strives to continuously connect senders, recipients, and service providers across the continent.

The organization’s full-service digital payments network connects over 400 million mobile money wallets, over 200 million bank accounts across Africa, and over 200,000 agents in Nigeria, to enable cross-platform and cross-border payments for remittance companies, mobile network operators, banks, non-bank financial institutions and global merchants.