Payments are arguably the face of fintech. When you think about financial technology, it is easy to think about solutions which are making payments faster, easier and more accessible.
We have heard from over 100 experts across the paytech world as we explore the following topics this February.
Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL)
Our February paytech focus will begin by analysing one of the most popular emerging payment methods we’ve seen stick over the last few years. Viewed by some as a shady alternative to credit while also a lifeline for others, we will initially be investigating how BNPL myths have been exposed this past year. Additionally, we will hear from experts about the popularity and use cases of the payment technology, and if it will overtake credit card usage by 2025.
We will then tackle a question which has sparked debate in the fintech world: is the BNPL hype over? The focus will be rounded out by predicting the sort of year BNPL will have in 2024.
Cross-border payments
The second paytech focus will highlight the developments taking place in cross-border payments. The topic will initially explore what businesses should prioritise when looking to offer cross-border solutions. This will be followed by predictions in the space for 2024.
Artificial intelligence (AI), for better or for worse, has become a mainstay in a lot of fintech offerings. As such, we will hear from industry experts about the impact AI is going to have on cross-border payments security too. Although there are a lot of effective solutions already in the space, we will then turn our attention to challenges stopping the sector from growing.
Our second focus will be concluded by discussing the impact central bank digital currencies will have on cross-border payments in 2024 as they continue to develop.
Innovative solutions
AI and BNPL are just a couple of examples of innovative solutions that have taken the payments world by storm. However, in our third focus, we will be looking to the future at other solutions which could see mainstream adoption in 2024. As well as casting predictions, we will be hearing from experts about the last five years, and what technologies were able to capitalise on the pandemic’s digital boom.
Of course, not every region responds to payment trends in the same way. For example, in countries across Asia, QR codes are extremely popular while in Europe, they see considerably less usage. To better understand regional differences, our last focus for the topic will be on comparing trends in emerging markets to established ones.
Digital wallets
The cost of living crisis unfortunately took over many headlines in 2023, highlighting how much people are struggling in the current economy. However, paytechs are working to alleviate this stress. One way is through the introduction of digital wallets. Our first focus will look at how cost of living has impacted their adoption. We will then look at why certain geographies or subsectors in the financial world that benefit more from digital wallets than others.
The Fintech Times February paytech focus will conclude with predictions about what 2024 has in store for digital wallets. This will definitely be a month you don’t want to miss!