As payments become faster and more digital, the industry must balance efficiency with empathy—humanising technology to rebuild trust and real connection.
The payments landscape has evolved radically in the past decade, with neobanks, fintechs and crypto all becoming the new norm. And while we appreciate the ease of contactless payment and open banking advantages, it does beg the question: have we optimised technology so much that we’ve lost touch with the human touch?
I blame COVID, sorry to bring up the dreaded C word. Since then, we’ve seen a massive transition into being able to function in a more virtual environment, whether that’s working from home, using online banking, or having wine at home and going to the pub less. We’ve all got a bit more used to being self-sufficient and realise we can function in a world that doesn’t involve queuing for ages to post a parcel or see the bank manager. However, and you knew there was a but coming… have we forgotten about the need for the human touch?
After all, we are still humans, we do still have emotions, thoughts and feelings, and as a human, I have not once uttered the words ‘sorry, I don’t know that one’ (apologies, Alexa, in case you are listening, you are mostly amazing but occasionally that can be somewhat frustrating!). So that leads me to the payments industry. Fantastically roaring ahead with the advent of open banking, cross-border payments, crypto, and the list goes on.
The seamless transaction is now a given and part of our landscape, but can we do more? Have we forgotten that it’s a human on either side of the payment? Or like my long-lost regular trips to the pub, has this become a fond memory to,o and got lost along the way?
I believe the ‘human touch’ isn’t just about face-to-face transactions, it’s about building trust, empathy and giving support. And in our world of state-of-the-art chatbots, automated phone menus, and the dreaded words – ‘go online to find out more’-one could question whether these avenues are helping to solve problems or causing more issues. And when something does go wrong, such as a lost card or a bereavement case, you don’t always want to check online or click through a labyrinth of phone menus; you want to speak to someone.
So, for me, the answer lies not in reversing progress, but in humanising our technology. Much like hybrid working, a hybrid service model is the best fit. We must combine the efficiency of chatbots and online FAQs with a clear, prominent and genuinely responsive human support channel.
Let’s make that direct contact number easy to find—not buried in a website—and ensure someone answers quickly. Because ultimately, my time is money, and my trust is earned. Give me back those five minutes I spent navigating a phone system or on hold, and maybe I’ll finally have time to re-establish those regular trips to the pub.
