Consumers expect speed and transparency—banks are responding with self-service tools that streamline dispute resolution and enhance trust.

QR code payments offer UK small businesses a fast, low-cost alternative to card terminals—boosting cash flow and meeting modern customer expectations.

Tokenisation is reshaping financial services, offering faster, more efficient ways to manage and trade assets across bonds, real estate, and beyond.

SEPA Instant promises faster, 24/7 payments across Europe, but with few banks ready, urgent investment is needed to meet rising demand and regulatory deadlines.

To address the money mule problem, organisations must combine elements of fraud prevention, cyber threat intelligence, and anti-money laundering capabilities.

Fintech automation brings speed and innovation, but system failures, outages, and over-reliance highlight the need for strong oversight and planning.

Embedded finance and multi-banking give corporates greater control, new revenue streams, and stronger networks—unlocking value beyond traditional banking.

With consulting revenues soaring, choosing the right partner means defining objectives, setting scope, and avoiding solutions that miss the mark—or your watch.

The payments landscape is evolving with digital assets, real-time transactions, and new regulations—businesses must adapt to stay efficient and compliant.

Banks clinging to outdated systems risk security breaches, regulatory headaches, and lost market share—modernisation isn’t just an upgrade, it’s a survival strategy.

Legacy systems are a competitive risk—financial institutions must modernise with AI, automation, and cloud solutions to stay agile and scalable.

AI-driven fraud is evolving fast—banks must adopt adaptive AI models to detect and prevent scams in real-time.

With AiTM fraud rising, businesses must strengthen security, adopt biometrics, and educate users to stay ahead.

E-invoicing is transforming financial operations, enhancing efficiency, compliance, and fraud prevention while shaping the future of digital tax systems.

Forex brokers must adopt payment orchestration, real-time settlements, and AI fraud prevention to stay competitive and compliant.

Personalised, omnichannel payment experiences are key to deepening loyalty, boosting retention, and exceeding customer expectations.

The future of e-commerce is subscription-based, offering businesses predictable revenue, deeper customer relationships, and long-term growth.

The future of payments is digital, inclusive, and transformative—driving financial access, innovation, and global economic empowerment.

Open finance is redefining data sharing, innovation, and growth in financial services.

Travel is surging, but outdated payments lag—fintech-driven innovation is key to seamless, secure, and sustainable transactions.

European banks must embrace digital transformation and fintech partnerships to stay competitive and compliant.

In 2025, payments firms must prioritise safeguarding funds, expanding open banking, and preparing for stablecoin regulation to stay competitive and compliant.

Open banking holds promise for e-commerce, but its success depends on targeted use cases, merchant incentives, and consumer trust.

Mobile payments and digital wallets are driving a cashless economy, reshaping commerce, and redefining consumer expectations.

UPI is transforming cross-border payments, boosting India’s global digital payment reach.

With fraud evolving faster than security, banks must embrace risk-based authentication or risk falling behind.

The EU’s shift to open banking and finance presents both opportunities and challenges, demanding a balance between innovation, security, and regulation.

As crypto reshapes finance, the FATF’s Travel Rule struggles to keep pace—can global regulators close the gap on illicit transactions?

Many payment firms assume they need an FCA licence, but exemptions may allow them to operate with fewer regulatory burdens.

The 2024 holiday shopping season set eCommerce records, but a surge in post-holiday returns and chargebacks highlights the costly “holiday hangover” for merchants.

Network tokenisation boosts security, cuts costs, and enhances customer experiences, making it essential for modern merchants.

Swift drives global interoperability and innovation, aligning with the UK’s National Payments Vision to enhance seamless, secure payments.

The payments industry in 2025 will see advancements in real-time payments, AI tools, and voice-activated technologies reshaping consumer and business interactions.

Fintech is leading the shift from traditional IPOs to transparent, cost-effective direct listings.

Digital payments demand advanced fraud prevention, blending AI and human intelligence to counter evolving threats while ensuring seamless user experiences.

2025 payment trends focus on digital wallets, instant payments, AI, fraud prevention, and consumer convenience, driven by evolving regulations and innovation.

De-risking endangers financial inclusion, driving MSBs out and boosting unregulated markets, calling for urgent reform.

Rising youth involvement in economic crimes highlights the urgent need for robust financial education.

UK businesses must prioritise digital investment to boost financial clarity, agility, and competitiveness in an evolving economic landscape.

Payments firms must streamline technology after acquisitions to boost agility and compete amid disruption.

Fintech drives UK SME growth with tailored solutions, streamlining finances and boosting efficiency.

Web3 is transforming finance with blockchain, digital assets, and smart contracts, paving the way for a decentralised future.

Quality Engineering is transforming digital banking, enabling seamless innovation, operational continuity, and future-proofing in a rapidly evolving landscape.

In an era marked by technological advancements and evolving consumer preferences, high-end banks and financial institutions are constantly seeking for innovative ways to cater for the demands of the discerning mass affluent market.

Open Banking set out to revolutionize finance by giving third-party providers access to customer data (with consent) to drive innovation and empower consumers. But while Europe’s PSD2 regulation has enabled new fintech services and a vibrant TPP ecosystem, adoption has fallen short of initial expectations. Complex regulations, security concerns, and, most critically, profitability challenges for banks have created hurdles. Discover how a shift in strategy, combined with data enrichment, could help banks embrace Open Banking as a growth opportunity rather than a regulatory burden.

AI transforms payment routing, boosting success, cutting costs, and improving customer experiences in real time.

Payment firms must balance innovation with compliance, while regulators support growth and trust.

A flexible, focused marketing plan improves budgeting, targeting, and adaptability, with ongoing analysis ensuring effective growth.

Compliance in payment communications is key to trust; AI solutions and customised frameworks ensure secure, global adherence to regional regulations.

The Click to Pay mandate allows card issuers to modernise payments, boost customer experience, and ensure secure, interoperable digital transactions.

The Payments Association (TPA)’s George Iddenden recently sat down with Peter Theunis, senior vice president sales and European managing director at BPC to discuss the remarkable transformation of the payments processing industry, driven by the rise of fintech, the shift towards digital payments, and evolving consumer behaviours.

Chargeback abuse costs billions, but merchants can reduce fraud with proactive strategies like customer engagement and better security.

Visionary leadership is crucial for driving innovation and navigating the rapid changes in the payments industry.

Traditional banks must modernise their tech stack to stay competitive with fintechs and meet shifting consumer expectations.

Despite the growth of digital payments, cash use is rising in the UK, supported by emerging cashtech innovations.

The merged R&D tax credit scheme in April 2024 introduces new rules for contracted-out R&D, benefiting larger businesses but requiring careful planning and documentation.

Rising maintenance costs in social housing, driven by damp remediation and regulations, are pushing providers to adopt preventive strategies and modernisation.

How open banking can reshape finance, enabling personalised services, streamlined verification, and improved fraud detection.

The challenges financial institutions face under SEPA Instant Credit Transfer regulations and explores how advanced technologies can help overcome them.

Discover how moving sales online can transform your business and unlock new growth opportunities.

In the fast-moving payments industry, trust must be replaced by a “Protection Model” focused on safeguarding compliance, technology, and risk management.

Payment companies are accelerating KYB with AI and APIs, enhancing onboarding speed and competitiveness while maintaining strict compliance.

The fintech industry remains male-dominated, but fostering mentorship, challenging stereotypes, and supporting gender equality initiatives can pave the way for more women to rise into leadership roles and create a more inclusive future.

Choosing the right custody solution is vital for institutions to securely navigate the evolving digital asset landscape and future-proof their financial operations.

Outsourcing customer support allows companies to focus on growth while ensuring high-quality service through experienced partners who personalise solutions, maintain brand consistency, and leverage advanced technology.

The payments industry must address cross-border inefficiencies to support SMEs, which are critical to global economic growth and financial inclusion.

Cross-border payments expand a business’s global reach, but their success hinges on secure, efficient processes, versatile payment methods, and strong partnerships with payment providers who offer seamless integration and robust fraud protection.

Digital wallets are reshaping payments with convenience and security, but face challenges like device reliance and regional limits; with increasing regulatory focus, their growth and innovation are set to continue.

Banks must quickly adapt to ISO 20022, leveraging strategic partnerships to overcome legacy system challenges and meet the March 2025 compliance deadline.

The shift from virgin PVC to recycled PVC (rPVC) and paperboard payment cards is revolutionising the financial industry, reducing environmental impact while offering business advantages, and positioning financial institutions as leaders in sustainability.

Rethinking the approach to banking silos, this article explores how connecting, rather than breaking down, silos can foster innovation and efficiency in financial institutions.

Despite significant advances, cross-border payments still face challenges like delays, high costs, and inefficiencies, but innovative projects like BIS’s Project Rialto and Nexus offer hope for a more seamless global payment system.

Fintechs can accelerate mainstream adoption of digital assets by integrating them with traditional payment networks, enabling seamless everyday transactions.

The move to ISO 20022 brings benefits like enriched data and improved fraud prevention, requiring a strategic approach and decisions between building in-house solutions or partnering with vendors.

With the UK at the forefront, the future of cross-border payments is being shaped by technological advancements, regulatory changes, and the growing demand for efficient, secure, and cost-effective solutions.

UK banks’ reduced lending and account closures stress SMEs, highlighting the need for multi-service apps (MSAs) to streamline financial services with open banking.

Swift’s updated CSP and IAF are essential for ensuring robust cybersecurity and compliance across the global banking community.

Card issuer processors face integration, compliance, and fraud challenges but can stay competitive by streamlining processes and enhancing customer experiences.

Navigating the complexities of global expansion in fintech requires strategic partnerships, innovative solutions, and a deep understanding of regional regulatory and cultural nuances.

How modernising legacy systems through outcome-driven strategies, cloud migration, and fintech partnerships enhances agility and innovation.

Open banking revolutionises financial services by enhancing user experience with seamless account integration, real-time transactions, and personalised services.

APP fraud is surging, with UK Finance reporting £42.6 million lost in early 2023, prompting calls for stronger consumer protections.

Combining digital innovations with traditional in-person services allows banks to provide a seamless experience that leverages the convenience of digital services and the personal touch of physical interactions.

Utilising payments data analytics can drive financial growth by enhancing services, reducing costs, and improving security, though it requires overcoming challenges in data management, integration, and fraud prevention.

PSD3 updates PSD2 to enhance electronic payment services, merging payment and e-money institutions, regulating digital marketplaces, clarifying delegated authentication, and detailing open banking API requirements

The financial sector must modernise card issuance to meet consumer demand for instant, seamless payments, with digital platform-issued cards projected to reach 1.3 billion by 2027, driven by API-led approaches and the rise of digital wallets.

From 7 October this year, all consumers who are victims of automated push payment (APP) fraud paid via faster payments must be reimbursed within 5 business days, with the cost split equally between the paying and receiving payment service providers (PSPs)

The UK leads the open banking revolution, driven by the Payment Services Regulations and the revised PSD2, fostering competition, innovation, and secure data access, with significant adoption growth and benefits for businesses and consumers alike.

Fintech firms must leverage personalized and secure communication tools, like SMS and chat apps, to build consumer trust and enhance customer experience, as demonstrated by successful partnerships with reliable providers.

Global SMEs are shifting to fintechs for their financial needs, urging traditional banks to collaborate with fintech providers to offer flexible, innovative solutions, writes James Camilleri, CEO and co-founder of Fyorin

ChatGPT, nearing 200 million users, uses Large Language Models to streamline tasks and improve efficiency in industries like fintech, enhancing customer support and fraud detection.

In 2023, the UK government committed £100 million and 400 new fraud officers to reduce fraud by 10% by 2025, amid increasing social media and deepfake scams, according to IDnow’s UK Fraud Awareness Report.

As real-time payment adoption grows, 50% of European firms are already involved, with another 42% planning to join, highlighting the balance of challenges and benefits in managing financial crime.

Instant payments are rapidly transforming the transaction landscape, supported by a global increase in payment rails and advanced services, despite facing challenges from fraud and regulatory demands.

Unveiling the complexities and optimisation opportunities in the card payments industry’s operational landscape.

PSPs must enhance their end-to-end reconciliations to deliver seamless, efficient payment services and stay competitive in the rapidly evolving fintech landscape

Financial inclusion, as defined by the World Bank, is crucial for economic development and social progress, ensuring equal access to financial products and services tailored to the needs of both individuals and businesses. The United Nations emphasises financial inclusion as a crucial driver of economic and social development, evident in its inclusion as component eight of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals for 2030.

In an increasingly interconnected world, global commerce has become the lifeblood of the modern economy. Businesses of all sizes are expanding their reach beyond borders, opening up new opportunities and markets. However, the traditional financial systems have often lagged behind the speed and efficiency demanded by the globalised marketplace. Enter cross-border real-time payments—a concept that is reshaping international trade by breaking down barriers and providing a boost to global commerce.

In the first half of 2023, UK Finance reported authorised push payment (APP) fraud losses amounting to £293.3 million, with the total number of APP cases increasing by 22%. The nature of authorised push payment (APP) fraud was harrowing – victims were willingly initiating and authorising payments into controlled accounts, often driven by criminal manipulation or misinformation.

2023 research by American Express reveals that late payments are a significant challenge for UK finance professionals, driving a shift towards digitizing B2B payments to improve efficiency and cash flow.

As the pace and scope of cross-border payments continue to accelerate, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the payment industry’s approach to compliance must also evolve—and take centre stage. 

Banks and finserv companies have a significant task in 2024 when it comes to building and retaining consumer trust. This is concerning news because it’s easier than ever for customers to switch banking providers.

Traditional finance is at a crossroads with the new digital frontier, and the rapidly evolving landscape of digital assets demands innovative custodial solutions. For banks, payment service providers, financial institutions and others that are either considering or already piloting digital asset projects, it’s imperative to understand the importance of an underlying custody infrastructure.

Disability has the potential to impact anyone in society. It can be visible or hidden, temporary, or permanent, and can be influenced by a number of factors. More than one billion people around the world have some level of disability, equating to roughly 15% of the global population. At the same time, the world is ageing as people live longer, and the number of people aged 60 and over will double to 2.1 billion by 2050.

The payments sector’s success and growth over the past decade can largely be attributed to firms’ ability to meet and exceed customer’s expectations. Unlike established banks, fintechs are largely free from the legacy tech stacks that slow down banks from modernising. So Payment Service Providers (PSPs) can anticipate customer needs and provide services that address their problems. However, as new PSPs continue to emerge, the landscape is becoming increasingly competitive. So PSPs have to meet changing customer expectations more quickly.

The ongoing digitisation of payments can perpetuate a false narrative that traditional payment cards are becoming obsolete. The reality is that card payments are thriving globally, adapting to the new age of fintech and smartphones. While the landscape of financial transactions is ever-changing, the truth is that one size does not fit all – and different markets have different payment requirements. 

Open banking — a promised financial utopia where data flows freely, consumers reign supreme, and businesses can reduce their payment processing fees — but what use is this powerful innovation if you can’t get customers to actually adopt it?

After a year of development, the royal assent of the UK Financial Services Markets Act (FSMA 2023) signifies that change is on the horizon for the UK’s financial landscape and its players.

Can FI’s look beyond transaction data to uncover the true picture of risk? ComplyAdvantage’s research revealed that payment screening teams continue to grapple with siloed data sets and disparate systems. And yet, as the financial crime landscape grows more complex, the need to connect fragmented data sets to understand the global networks behind financial crime has never been more important. ComplyAdvantage’s Iain Armstrong give his top tips for integration success in payment screening.

Guy W. Lecky-Thompson, head of products & processing services at Trionis explains why ATMs still have a prominent role in the future of the payments industry.

Tony Petrov, chief legal officer at Sumsub, summarises the rules incorporated in the EU Artificial Intelligence Act (EU AI Act) and how they might impact on the industry.

The transition to real-time payments is well underway. AutoRek global payments manager, Nick Botha, explains why those who prepare and adapt now will be better poised to become a leader in the world of real-time payments.

Sumsub, a full-cycle verification platform, releases its ‘State of Verification and Monitoring in the Crypto Industry 2023’ report. Polina Uzhva, partner marketing manager, Sumsub, provides a summary, focusing on the regulations and verification practices for crypto companies, with highlights from verification performance and identity fraud statistics.

Eduardo Martínez of Toqio outlines why embedded finance has become an essential component of developing systems and providing customer satisfaction.

Christien Ackroyd explains how the ethical grade concept works, covering best practices, benefits, and which banks are getting it right.

Pavlo Khropatyy explains how banks should embark on the journey of digital transformation, keeping their customers firmly at the heart of their strategies.

With big tech entering the banking space, payment firms need to be at the forefront of changing the ‘software sabotage’ culture to ensure consumers and those in the supply are protected as well as reducing e-waste.

James Hunt of Feedzai discusses the evolution of acquiring banks and PSPs.

Open banking can address customer pain points from bill paying to shop checkouts, but consumers need reassurance to use it with confidence, says Holly Coventry, vice president, international open banking payments at American Express.

UK regulators are prioritising APP scam prevention after £480 million in customer losses in 2022, proposing new PSR rules for stricter fraud warnings and reimbursements, especially protecting vulnerable customers and small businesses

Monica Eaton explores how augmented reality is used in the marketplace and what impact it might have on the payments industry. 

Daniel Holden explains the meaning and significance of unified commerce and why it is vital to the customer experience.

FIS senior sales executive Julien Farley discusses why he believes that the payment industry should adopt a more open-minded approach to the different payment methods that are used worldwide.

Eduard Stringer, director of product management for Europe at FIS, explains why he believes the EU needs to step up and ensure regulation supports the needs of payments businesses and consumers.

It will make millions of us redundant. It will turn whole industries upside down. It might even lead to the obliteration of humanity, and its replacement with something smarter and more civilised.

Bob Kaufman explains how integrated payment frameworks transform reconciliation processes for travel and tourism businesses.

In the last seven years, Tillo has grown from a start-up with a handful of employees to a multi-national company employing nearly one hundred individuals across three continents.

Russel Fernandes, head of product for card present payments at Trust Payments shares his 11 tips to make sure companies get the most out of their point-of-sale (POS) systems.

Jovi Overo, managing director of BaaS at Unlimit, shares his views on how BaaS will grow over the next five years and what service providers should be implementing today to reap the benefits.