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 year — and the coronavirus pandemic — caused a dramatic shift in attitude. Many consumers and merchants now saw contactless cards and mobile payments as a way to move ahead without the germ fears that come with touching cash and PIN pads. And even after those fears subsided, the new habits stuck around.

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 construction industry has been challenged by the pace of evolution and is still dominated by invoice and check payments," said Michael Praeger, CEO and co-founder of AvidXchange.

Billionaire Ant Group Co. co-founder Jack Ma skipped a recent taping of an African TV program he created, spurring speculation online about his whereabouts and the outcome of an investigation into his internet empire.

PayPal’s Venmo has launched a new “Cash a Check” feature on its mobile app to some customers. The offering is made in partnership with Ingo Money and its parent, First Century Bank.

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.

Card payments can't always cut it in different countries, says PPRO's Steve Villegas.

Finance teams can cut down their workload significantly and free up time to analyze data and make more strategic decisions towards improving customer experience and business growth, says RecVue's Amit Chaudhry.

As the pandemic accelerates a broad business shift away from cash payments, Pablo Martinez, marketing leader at startup Pay Theory, recalls hearing how his Puerto Rican father and Guatemalan mother struggled for years to enter the U.S. banking system.