This week the Paypers launched their latest edition of the Payment Methods Report, featuring insightful articles, thoroughly-researched infographics and a breakdown on payment methods basics. In this blog we highlight the main subject that are treated in the report.
This year’s report aims to present the key trends and developments in global and regional payment methods by highlighting the innovation, challenges and developments in the use of the most important payment methods across geographies and verticals.
Operating in an ever changing ecosystem
The payments methods that we use for offline and online purchases evolve year by year. With a growing increase in digitalisation that aims to promote financial inclusion and governments more aware of the influence they have promoting a cashless society, things are changing fast.
The effects of PSD2 and GDPR in Europe and other regulations globally are together with consumer preferences, advances in technology, innovation in customer services shaping the payment landscape. Going into the factors that determine this evolution in more detail is essential for understanding its current state and being aware of its future potential.
Payment Methods in Focus – Trends and Developments
In the first chapter, the report takes a closer look at various types of payment instruments and methods presenting their trends and developments. This section answers questions such as: why are cards still popular, what is the estimation for instant payments and what impact will it have on online banking payments, how is cash impacted by other payments methods? What is direct carrier billing’s importance in emerging markets?
Off course, the report doesn’t shy away from the hot topic that is the use of cryptocurrencies as a payment method and presents the way in which people can actually purchase goods and services using cryptocurrencies and what industries and regions are currently using or can benefit from using crypto.
Zooming into e-wallets
After setting expectations on the definition of e-wallet, the reports lists a number of e-wallet providers such as the usual suspect like banks, cards schemes and fintech, but also ‘Big Tech’ companies like Apple and Google Pay whilst not forgetting ‘Big Merchants’ such as Starbucks.
A comparison is made between different geographical regions where we see that developments, applications and levels of adoption of e-wallets vary.
For the e-wallet to be adopted into the payment landscape adding value to engage customers and merchants, is crucial.
Innovations in the Way We Pay
The rise of ecommerce changed the way consumers interact with merchants. Instead of the merchant having control, customers are deciding for themselves what actions to take, how, when and where.
Convenience for these customer therefore becomes ever more important. The payment process needs to be as fast and as simple as possible. This means that companies have had to adapt their payment methods to meet new demands for a seamless experience.
Voice is emerging as an important commerce channel and even has the potential to redefine commerce. Companies like Google and Amazon have heavily invested in their ‘smart assistant’.
The growth of connected devices will pose new challenges to e-commerce marketers, but an integration with IoT devices built around purchasing and re-purchasing can have important benefits.
In this section of the report payments and ecommerce specialists share their expert knowledge on the evolution of commerce, voice commerce and Internet of Things.
How to Create the Right Payment Mix
In the last chapter of the report, several regions and verticals are examined by experts in their field, who offer an in-depth discussion of specific situations to give a clear image of how people pay.
Under the title Paying Attention: Relationship Advice for European B2C Companies, AcceptEasy explains what an ideal solution for relationship payments in Europe looks like, by presenting what it means to minimise the payments hassle for B2C customers.
Whether you are a payment service provider, a merchant or an industry related reader, the Payment Methods Report 2018 is a must read in this complex ecosystem that is constantly evolving.
