In sectors like iGaming, FX, and crypto, payment infrastructure plays a far bigger role than just moving money. It’s the gateway to onboarding, compliance, trust, and ultimately, conversion.
Now, thanks to open banking and the EU’s Instant Payments Regulation (IPR), regulated businesses are rethinking what’s possible: real-time transactions, richer customer insight, and smoother experiences, all while staying compliant.
This isn’t just a technical upgrade. It’s a strategic shift.
Operating in high-friction verticals means threading a tight needle: AML and KYC checks are non-negotiable, while users expect fast, intuitive digital journeys. But legacy tooling often makes these goals feel mutually exclusive.
Manual checks, third-party handoffs, and inconsistent user flows slow down onboarding and erode trust, especially when customers are used to one-click checkouts and instant transfers in other parts of their digital lives.
Card payments still play a key role, and remain vital for many users and use cases, but they’re not always optimised for high-frequency, high-risk flows. Chargebacks, settlement delays, and high fees can become pain points if not managed proactively.
Open banking and the Instant Payments Regulation (IPR) are reshaping how regulated businesses handle money movement, making it faster, smarter, and more secure by design.
With open banking, operators can access verified bank data in real time (with user consent), enabling instant KYC, faster onboarding, and push-based payments that reduce fraud and chargebacks. These flows are authenticated directly with the bank, which builds trust while cutting out intermediaries.
At the same time, IPR brings the infrastructure up to speed, literally. Euro transfers will now settle 24/7, in under 10 seconds, across the EU. That means real-time liquidity, instant deposits and withdrawals, and a step-change in user expectations.
Together, they deliver:
This isn’t just an upgrade to payments, it’s a blueprint for aligning compliance, user experience, and commercial efficiency in high-risk verticals.
Orchestration still plays a vital role for businesses offering multiple payment methods, particularly when it comes to card payments. Routing transactions across acquirers or retrying intelligently can significantly improve conversion and reduce cost.
However, in the case of open banking, the value lies in simplicity, transparency, and control. Once a customer chooses to “pay by bank,” the transaction flows directly from their account via the selected provider, and no rerouting is required.
This clarity is especially powerful in regulated sectors, where auditability and risk reduction are just as crucial as user convenience.
Open banking and IPR don’t just solve today’s pain points; they lay the foundation for a smarter payments ecosystem. In high-risk sectors where compliance, speed, and trust are mission-critical, that’s a meaningful leap forward.
By embracing these tools, businesses can move beyond outdated trade-offs and build compliant, customer-centric payment experiences. That kind of strategic clarity is a real advantage in a landscape that’s only getting more complex.
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