A new contender enters the African payments industry

Payments:Unpacked reader Hamish Houston has launched a new contender in the African payments industry - here's an introduction to enza A team of highly-experienced payments industry professionals have today launched the enza group (enza), a payments company focused on servicing the growing needs of banks, fintechs, and MNOs across the African continent. The African consumer... Continue Reading →

ATM Tracker

Weekly ATM value and volume figures 25 December 2022. Key observations for the week ending 25 December 2022: The volume of ATM Transactions decreased by 23% when compared to the final week before the first COVID lockdown. The volume of ATM transactions increased by 10% when compared to the previous week in 2022. The volume... Continue Reading →

Enhance your payments knowledge in 2023

Having published over 400 editions of Payments:Unpacked I am astounded by the ever growing number of active subscribers (‘free’ and ‘paid for’), the lack of unsubscribes and for the numerous compliments and encouragements I receive from a wide range of people across the payments niche that we inhabit. Indeed what better accolade can there be... Continue Reading →

Payments Tracker

In this final round up of retail payments in 2022, we see how the UK's bulk clearing scheme is holding is own, compare double digit growth in instant payments with double dight decline in the last bastion of paper clearing and, we are grateful, that the UK's real time gross settlement system remains a mystery... Continue Reading →

ATM Tracker

Weekly ATM value and volume figures 18 December 2022. Key observations for the week ending 18 December 2022: The volume of ATM Transactions decreased by 30% when compared to the final week before the first COVID lockdown. The volume of ATM transactions decreased by 2% when compared to the previous week in 2022. The volume... Continue Reading →

Growing concern on cash acceptance 

New research published today by LINK, the UK’s cash access and ATM network, shows nearly half (45%) of people have been somewhere where cash has not been accepted, or has been discouraged. In the past eight weeks, the locations where cash acceptance has been the most limited has been car parks, cafes and restaurants as... Continue Reading →

ATM Tracker

Weekly ATM value and volume figures 11 December 2022. Key observations for the week ending 11 December 2022: The volume of ATM Transactions decreased by 29% when compared to the final week before the first COVID lockdown. The volume of ATM transactions decreased by 6% when compared to the previous week in 2022. The volume... Continue Reading →

Wherever and whenever with Pix

As a reader of Payments:Unpacked you will know that payment systems are vital to a country’s economy and play a remarkable role in ensuring that payment for the goods and services consumed are efficient, safe, resilient and friction-free. Given the popularity of last week’s “Don’t worry about it, I’ll Tikkie you” briefing we will now take a... Continue Reading →

ATM Tracker

Weekly ATM value and volume figures 04 December 2022. Key observations for the week ending 04 December 2022: The volume of ATM Transactions decreased by 25% when compared to the final week before the first COVID lockdown. The volume of ATM transactions increased by 6% when compared to the previous week in 2022. The volume... Continue Reading →

Don’t worry about it, I’ll Tikkie you

As a reader of Payments:Unpacked you will know that payment systems are vital to the UK economy and play a remarkable role in ensuring that payment for the goods and services we all consume are efficient, safe, resilient and friction-free. One remaining area of payment friction is actually asking someone for some money to settle up for... Continue Reading →

Confirmation of Payee

Confirmation of Payee Group 1 & 2: it pays to get started now! It was a privilege to join the SurePay webinar and talk about the announcement of the PSR. Group 1 needs to have implemented Confirmation of Payee before end of Oct 2023. Group 2 and all other PSP’s, before 31 October 2024. Watch... Continue Reading →

New Payments Architecture

It was my privilege to host a webinar series for ACI Worldwide on the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for New Payments Architecture (NPA). I was joined by payment experts from ACI Worldwide, Santander, Pay.UK, UK Finance and more in four mini webinars to answer your NPA questions, including: How will banks leverage NPA?... Continue Reading →

ATM Tracker

Weekly ATM value and volume figures 27 November 2022. Key observations for the week ending 27 November 2022: The volume of ATM Transactions decreased by 29% when compared to the final week before the first COVID lockdown. The volume of ATM transactions increased by 0.3% when compared to the previous week in 2022. The volume... Continue Reading →

Payments Tracker

In this eleventh round up of retail payments in 2022, we see the impact on the volume and value of payments processed in the UK as we now 'live with Covid' with similar conditions in the equivalent months in 2021 following the lifting of restrictions at the end of Lockdown 3.0. Note: All data is... Continue Reading →

Beat the bots this Black Friday

This blog originally featured on Vyne's website. Bad bots, bad bots, whatcha you gonna do? Whatcha you gonna do when they come for you? This year, Brits plan to spend an estimated £3.95 billion on Black Friday and Cyber Monday purchases according to Finder. Although only taking-off in the UK in 2010, Black Friday and Cyber... Continue Reading →

ATM Tracker

Weekly ATM value and volume figures 20 November 2022. Key observations for the week ending 20 November 2022: The volume of ATM Transactions decreased by 29% when compared to the final week before the first COVID lockdown. The volume of ATM transactions decreased by 8% when compared to the previous week in 2022. The volume... Continue Reading →

Making a POSitive difference

Making a POSitive difference Ciaran Savage from Card Industry Professionals joins us for our latest Payments:Unpacked video podcast. Using customer use cases Ciaran explores: - The role of an ISO (yes, another TLA). - How Card Industry Professionals can make a real difference for a business that is already card payment enabled. - How Card Industry Professionals can... Continue Reading →

Who are Pay.UK and what do they do?

As a reader of Payments:Unpacked you will know that payment systems are vital to the UK economy and play a remarkable role in ensuring that payment for the goods and services we all consume are efficient, safe, resilient and friction-free. On its website home page the UK’s payment system regulator states: Every time anyone uses a cash... Continue Reading →

ATM Tracker

Weekly ATM value and volume figures 13 November 2022. Key observations for the week ending 13 November 2022: The volume of ATM Transactions decreased by 23% when compared to the final week before the first COVID lockdown. The volume of ATM transactions increased by 7% when compared to the previous week in 2022. The volume... Continue Reading →

It pays to get started now!

With the recent mandate from the Payment Systems Regulator a number of banks, building societies and PSPs are considering how to implement a Confirmation of Payee (CoP) solution in the most efficient and effective way, how they can protect their customers from fraud and errors and, as a payment provider, protect themselves from reimbursements and... Continue Reading →

ATM Tracker

Weekly ATM value and volume figures 06 November 2022. Key observations for the week ending 06 November 2022: The volume of ATM Transactions decreased by 28% when compared to the final week before the first COVID lockdown. The volume of ATM transactions decreased by 2% when compared to the previous week in 2022. The volume... Continue Reading →

Payments Tracker

In this tenth round up of retail payments in 2022, we see the impact on the volume and value of payments processed in the UK as we 'live with Covid' with similar conditions in the equivalent months in 2021 following the lifting of restrictions at the end of Lockdown 3.0. Note: All data is publicly... Continue Reading →

ATM Tracker

Weekly ATM value and volume figures 30 October 2022. Key observations for the week ending 30 October 2022: The volume of ATM Transactions decreased by 27% when compared to the final week before the first COVID lockdown. The volume of ATM transactions increased by 6.5% when compared to the previous week in 2022. The volume... Continue Reading →

ATM Tracker

Weekly ATM value and volume figures 23 October 2022. Key observations for the week ending 23 October 2022: The volume of ATM Transactions decreased by 31% when compared to the final week before the first COVID lockdown. The volume of ATM transactions decreased by 3% when compared to the previous week in 2022. The volume... Continue Reading →

Responding to a super complaint

Celebrating 10 years of the Cash ISA Transfer Service Most of us will know that a cash ISA – standing for Individual Savings Account – is similar to a regular savings account, but there is no tax to pay on any of the interest you earn. In the UK you can put away up to £20,000 in... Continue Reading →

Safer payments need service ubiquity

Safer payments need service ubiquity The Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) is directing around 400 payment service providers (PSPs) to implement a system to offer the Confirmation of Payee (CoP) name checking service to their customers (both as payers and payees). This will help to reduce authorised push payment (APP) fraud and accidentally misdirected payments.  This direction is another big... Continue Reading →

Reaching across the Irish sea

Card payment company marks fifth anniversary by entering Irish market Card Industry Professionals (CIP) has extended its reach across the Irish Sea to offer its services to merchants in the Republic of Ireland. Earlier this year CIP celebrated five years in business and this latest development in its growth plans is a true indication of... Continue Reading →

ATM Tracker

Weekly ATM value and volume figures 16 October 2022. Key observations for the week ending 16 October 2022: The volume of ATM Transactions decreased by 29% when compared to the final week before the first COVID lockdown. The volume of ATM transactions decreased by 2% when compared to the previous week in 2022. The volume... Continue Reading →

ATM Tracker

Weekly ATM value and volume figures 09 October 2022. Key observations for the week ending 09 October 2022: The volume of ATM Transactions decreased by 28% when compared to the final week before the first COVID lockdown. The volume of ATM transactions decreased by 5% when compared to the previous week in 2022. The volume... Continue Reading →

Railsr selects SurePay as its Confirmation of Payee vendor as fraud rises in the UK

Fintech pioneer Railsr increases fraud protection for customers who make bank transfers using UK Faster Payments (UKFP) by selecting leading CoP provider SurePay as its Confirmation of Payee vendor. Railsr, the leading global embedded finance experience platform, has selected SurePay as its UK Faster Payments (UKFP) Confirmation of Payee (CoP) vendor to help its customers... Continue Reading →

ATM Tracker

Weekly ATM value and volume figures 02 October 2022. Key observations for the week ending 02 October 2022: The volume of ATM Transactions decreased by 24% when compared to the final week before the first COVID lockdown. The volume of ATM transactions increased by 10% when compared to the previous week in 2022. The volume... Continue Reading →

Answer Pay and Partner Hub join forces to improve cash flow in Europe’s €1.2Bn e-invoicing market

As the cost of living crisis increasingly bites many businesses are struggling to collect payments from their customers.  Subscription numbers are declining and consumers are cancelling direct debits in favour of alternative payment methods that give them more control.  However, these alternatives such as cash, cards and cheques can cost more and introduce friction with... Continue Reading →

ATM Tracker

Weekly ATM value and volume figures 25 September 2022. Key observations for the week ending 25 September 2022: The volume of ATM Transactions decreased by 31% when compared to the final week before the first COVID lockdown. The volume of ATM transactions decreased by 6% when compared to the previous week in 2022. The volume... Continue Reading →

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