Consumer behavior: Digital wallets, fraud, and the future of how the UK pays
September 17, 2026
In this interview, Jyoti Rambhai, Editor of The Payments Association, speaks with Peter Harmston, Partner and Head of Payments Consulting at KPMG in the U.K., about the changing landscape of payments and the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the industry.
Peter predicts that chatbots will evolve to become more sophisticated and capable of handling more complex tasks such as mortgage applications and investigating payments. He also highlighted the importance of using AI to tackle fraud and predicted a significant uplift in its use in the next 24 months.
Peter Harmston also discusses the potential for AI to be used in banking, particularly in virtual branches or customer service interactions that feel like human interactions. However, he emphasised the importance of companies owning their brand name and customer experience rather than relying solely on AI.
