PayThink

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.

Careful due diligence is required when picking technology to expedite accounts payable automation, says Kofax's Michelle Trapani.

I look forward to seeing digital currencies brighten up our antiquated banking infrastructure and embrace the global move toward e-commerce. For now, though, I’m not holding my breath, says T1 Payments' Donald Kasdon.

With fewer people allowed inside branches, banks have to capitalize on those limited in-person interactions by offering experts on financial literacy and mobile banking.

Trade war bans on payment apps are pressuring large companies and providing opportunities for regional specialists, says Nets' Sirpa Nordlund.

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.

As the transport ticketing market evolves in the wake of the pandemic, further intensifying the challenges caused by the dominance of proprietary systems, it’s time to see a more open, collaborative public transport ecosystem, says Calypso Networks Association's Philippe Vappereau.

Congress acted first when it freed financial firms from having to disclose the beneficial owners of commercial clients. Now it's time for regulators to further ease anti-money-laundering reporting requirements by freeing them from filing duplicative or unnecessary suspicious activity reports.