Kelly Choos 
This Week in FinTech Ukraine: European telecom companies have agreed to lower roaming charges for Ukrainians, and American Express is allowing US cardholders enrolled in the Membership Rewards program to put their points in exchange for a donation of Ukrainian relief.
Deutsche Telekom, the German telecommunications company headquartered in Bonn, and other European telecommunications companies have agreed to reduce roaming charges for Ukrainians for 90 days to help refugees stay in touch with their families, Reuters reported.
The move, which also included Orange, Vodafone and others, allows free calls to Ukraine and scraps roaming charges.
Commissioner for Competition and Executive Vice-President of the European Commission Margrethe Vestager asked other companies to do the same.
“We encourage more similar measures that can make a real difference in these extraordinary circumstances,” Vestager said in a statement.
American Express announcement that US cardholders enrolled in the Membership Rewards program can redeem their points for a donation for Ukrainian aid.
The effort is made possible in partnership with the PayPal Giving Fund. Donations made using Amex Points are used to support certain charities providing humanitarian relief in Ukraine and affected areas of Europe.
Epic Games has raised $144 million for the humanitarian effort in Ukraine after the Fortnite developer pledged to donate proceeds from the game for two weeks to relief efforts, the Daily Mail reported.
Together with Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox, the company has pledged to donate gaming revenue to Ukraine for two weeks, starting March 20.
Charities that received the charitable donation included UNICEF, Direct Relief, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the World Food Programme.
On Twitter, Fornite tweeted, “Our deepest thanks to everyone who has joined us in supporting humanitarian relief efforts for those affected by war in Ukraine.”
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NEW PYMNTS DATA: WHY PATIENT PORTALS ARE BECOME TABLE TOPS FOR CONSUMERS
On: Patient portals have become a must-have for providers, so much so that 61% of patients interested in using the tools say they would choose a provider that offers one. For Accessing Healthcare: Easing Digital Frictions In The Patient Journey, a collaboration between PYMNTS and Experian Health, PYMNTS surveyed 2,333 consumers to learn how healthcare providers can ease digital pain points to improve care and satisfaction. patients.
