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.

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.

Even early in the pandemic, it was apparent that acquirers needed digital onboarding, electronic payments and automated chargeback solutions to keep their footing in an acquiring landscape already facing disruption.

The Trump administration's cantankerous relationship with China has lasted the president's entire term, often shaking up the payments and financial services landscape. With a new executive order, Trump has announced bans on more than a half dozen software firms — including payment apps affiliated with Tencent and Alibaba/Ant Group.

The digital currency and related distributed-ledger technologies could "enhance the efficiency, effectiveness and stability of the provision of payments," according to an interpretive letter issued by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

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.