Driving Faster Payments in the U.S. and Around the Globe 

In advance of next month’s NACHA PAYMENTS conference, we wanted to connect with some of the companies that are driving real-time payments around the globe. VocaLink is one such organization. The company is providing the central infrastructure software to The Clearing House in the US for its Real-time Payments System. VocaLink operates the UK national payments infrastructure, which processes 90 percent of UK salaries, and also implemented the FAST service in Singapore and PromptPay in Thailand, enabling international faster payments. In September of last year, ACI and VocaLink announced a partnership to offer a complete end-to-end immediate payments solution to launch a domestic or regional immediate payments network.

Are Millennials’ Shopping Behaviors Today, Everyone’s Shopping Behaviors Tomorrow?

Much has been made of the impact that the so-called ‘Millennial generation’ (aka Generation Y) will have – or is already having – on the way financial services are developed and delivered. And plenty of (digital) column space has been dedicated to discussing how the first digital native generation is transforming commerce – and payments – with different expectations, preferences, and shopping behaviors than their older cohorts.

The Middle East Presents Retailers A Growing Opportunity But Faces Two Challenges

36% of Middle East residents are digital shoppers¹  and are expected to spend $19B² online in 2017; with this spend figure rapidly growing to $34B in 2021. Although cash is the preferred method of transacting, the region is edging toward a digital society. In the UAE and Saudi Arabia, nearly two thirds of the population has smartphones—fueling shopping online growth.³  This prevents retailers new growth opportunities.

Key Cross-Border Considerations for Payment Providers

Pursuing a cross-border strategy is increasingly popular, especially among those U.S. payments companies – and merchants – competing in an increasingly commoditized domestic market. While there’s no template that works for all businesses, there are certain key themes that seem to crop up again and again when discussing with colleagues, partners and clients.

Whose Liability is it Anyways? The Rise of Bots in Financial Services

The implication of driverless cars, in terms of liability, is fascinating. For starters, in a world where vehicles are all completely self-driving, it would (technically) be impossible to drive under the influence, so this alone will eliminate many accidents. But, when there is an accident (and there inevitably will be), who will be liable for the damages? The car manufacturer? Or the developer of the software that runs the car? What will happen to insurance companies and contracts when there is no liability to insure against? It’s thought-provoking that this scenario will touch a wide range of industries.

Seamless Payments Africa and the Region’s Evolving Payments Landscape

Blockchain is overhyped and misunderstood; consumers want consistency; and customer centricity and collaboration are not a project. Although they’re not necessarily my own sentiment, these are my three key takeaways from the Seamless Payments – Africa conference, which wrapped up recently in Cape Town.

Are Card Payments Getting Simpler... Or More Complex?

2017 is now well underway, and the trends that will shape the year ahead in payments are taking shape. There has already been plenty of discussion around frictionless payments, and reducing complexity for both consumers and for merchants. So, are card payments getting simpler, or more complex? The answer seems to be… both.

March Madness: The Elite 8 of Payments

March Madness is officially upon us and millions have (incorrectly) picked their brackets because no one picks every game correctly…and we mean no one. March Madness has also now brought about copycats (how flattering)—from brackets on books to restaurants to cities to sportswriters and more…there might even be one on Members of Congress (hello mid-term elections!!!!). And I think 2017 marks our second annual Rantings Madness bracket, though our bracket does not involve 64 or 68 teams, as that would be nauseating. We’ve whittled ours down to the Elite 8…in this case, the Elite 8 of Payments.

Drowning in Data? Or Thirsty for More? Omni-Channel’s Biggest Challenge

There is no doubt that retailers recognize the value of knowing their customers better. Whatever the merchant sector, geography, or business model, understanding customer buying habits, payment and channel preferences, and satisfaction levels can drive sales, boost customer loyalty and raise revenues. But, in the ever-changing world of the omni-channel shopper, how easy is it to really know your customer?

The single biggest key to this challenge is data – and lots of it. Not just ‘big data’, but smart, consolidated big data – and this only comes from the ability to bring massive amounts of information together from multiple sources, and analyze it to build a comprehensive picture.

9 Surprising Loan Servicing Trends

“Think like customers, not like lenders” was my motto during my 30 years as a lender. But it’s getting tough. Customers are changing faster than ever.

We recently worked with Aite Group on an extensive study to learn more about how customers view and pay their loans. The billing and payment experience is the top driver of loan servicing satisfaction. So focusing here will create more smiling customers.

We learned that one VP increased customer satisfaction by 50 percent through enhancing his company’s billing and payment experience*. Could 2017 be your year to make big jumps in customer satisfaction?