Merchant

Self-service payments require investment by the biller, but the payoffs can be huge, says PayNearMe's John Minor.

By focusing on "available near me" functions, retailers can combine digital with the need to boost small businesses, says Qualpay's Penny Townsend.

Some categories of businesses, such as restaurants, have different needs the program doesn't adequately address, says LendingFront's Jorge Sun.

The fees banks charge to merchants have skyrocketed because people are making more purchases using their credit cards during the pandemic. Lawmakers can cap these fees before they further eat into retailers' profits.

While instant payments and open banking have been gaining momentum across the globe, payments providers have established digitally backed services that not only facilitate seamless financial operations but also help generate revenue, says AFEX Americas' Christian Spaltenstein.

Organizations that put the customer experience front of mind will be the winners, but they must nonetheless expect additional pressure from regulators, new competition, ever more digitally demanding consumers, and no slowdown in technological innovation, says Entersekt's Gerhard Oosthuizen.

With people shopping online more than ever before, and a new group of consumers joining the online retail space, it’s become increasingly important for brands to connect their sales channels and embrace e-commerce, says Hatch founder and CEO Joris Kroese.

2020 has shown that the payment industry is flexible and resilient, and if 2021 throws our plans out the window, we'd better be equipped to adapt on the fly, says IDEMIA's Megan Heinze.

The pandemic may have served as a catalyst for rapid growth in contactless payments through wearable devices. It’s the combination of form and function, however, that will push wearable payments into further growth in 2021 and beyond, says Zeta's Bhavin Turakhia.

The events of 2020 fueled new customer expectations, accelerated digital transformation and allowed B2B companies to react and deliver. But customers’ changing expectations are not going to disappear, says MSTS' Brandon Spear.

The permanent shift to digital also requires changes in how firms communicate with consumers, says Medallia's Diane O'Hara.

As business flocks online, voice tech and social are just two of many innovations that will become stable stakes for merchants, says Hatch's Joris Kroese.

The simplest of mechanisms, having evolved over time, has now become a trending solution, a beacon of a brighter time and an essential service provider in an hour of need, says PPS' Tessa Unsworth.

Data that mimics the original set is part of coronavirus vaccine trials, and also has ramifications for mapping financial services metrics, says Aite's Ginger Schmeltzer.

Using imaging, hyperlinks and other technology can enhance the response to payment disputes, says Chargehound's Pallavi Kuppa-Apte.

Amazon-owned PayFort has changed its name to Amazon Payment Services and will offer installment payments to the markets it serves in the Middle East and North Africa.

Tokenization, click to pay and other advancements boost efficiency and safety, says the Electronic Payments Coalition's Jeff Tassey.

Paying on delivery with tokenization, biometric fingerprint cards, vein scanning or phone-to-phone with a variety of card payment options helps create a universe of consumer choice, convenience, personal preference and better fraud protection, says Radar Payments' Jane Loginova.

Global collaboration among researchers creates a network effect to share resources and spot threats, says Bugcrowd's Casey Ellis.

The e-commerce expansion borne out of the pandemic heightens the balancing act between security and user experience, a challenge Forter and Nuvei hope to address through a mix of data analysis and an expansive network of merchants.