Payments

The payments sector is changing fast. Modern issuers have adopted a digital-first user journey, with digital payment cards provided at sign-up and physical cards following later.

Domestic payment systems are launching as an alternative to the established payment card brands.

Payment acceptance and acquiring has become more complex and competitive, with the arrival of new players and new technologies.

Consumers are adopting alternative payment methods (APMs), such as digital wallets, local cards and cryptocurrencies. Payment orchestration platforms (POPs) are helping merchants to optimise transaction flows and conversion rates.

For payments companies to succeed, it won’t be enough to focus on the transactions. Companies need to understand each customer and provide personalised services they need. Organisations risk falling behind if they cannot put their customers first and respond to rapid change.

While the payments ecosystem has become faster and more convenient for customers, there is still a lot of untapped potential across  international markets, and business-to-business transactions.

New banking-as-a-service providers offer a broad range of services such as insurance and digital payments, that can be embedded in software and apps. We expect significant growth in embedded finance as the next phase of fintech evolution.

Working with our payments consultants

Secure payment processing is at the core of every financial services provider, whether they are a major bank or a new entrant.

Behind a point-of-sale terminal or automatic teller machine is a complex payment processing ecosystem. With the arrival of technologies such as open banking, blockchain and machine learning, it’s only going to get more complex.

Our independent consultants bring valuable insights about payment services and the infrastructure that supports them. We help companies to optimise their use of payments so they can grow their businesses.