This editorial was first published in our Online Payments and Ecommerce Market Guide launched on 1 November 2017. The guide features several important thought leadership editorials from ecommerce and payments industry professionals, which makes it a top-reference source for anyone involved in the payments ecosystem.
The payments market has greatly evolved in the last few years. The banking sector, who was the driving force behind the transition to card-based electronic payments, is now partnering with fintechs. Behind this major change there are the enhanced complexity of the technology and processing systems, payment terminals management, and the advent of online payments, smartphones and contactless payment. Payment services from players such as Apple, Google or Samsung are a clear depiction of these changes.
A new transition to non-card payments is taking place
These are strategic challenges for merchants as they need to be able to accept all payment methods and all types of customer paths. Merchants with both a physical and digital presence have to provide their customers with a seamless and unified user experience, regardless of the interaction channel.
Physical PoS (Point-of-Sales) can accept a limited number of payment methods. On the other hand, online merchants can choose to accept up to 30 different payment methods from all over the world. Therefore, digital is playing a crucial role in the rise of new payment methods, the transformation of transactions and the renewal of the customer experience. In this context, new industry players, on the payment acquisition side of the industry, have appeared in order to help merchants reconcile their different payment flows, among others.
New regulations back the rise of new payment methods
These changes, backed by new regulations such as the PSD2, have impacted merchants, both technically and financially. On one hand, merchants have gained better transaction costs but, on the other hand, they have to update their processes in order to be compliant, as well as adapted to their customer journeys.
Different needs for merchants with different sizes
Looking into the future, merchants’ needs vary depending on their size. For example, the biggest upcoming challenge for Tier 1 retailers is the standardisation into one central global system of their payment solutions across all their geographies. Tier 2 retailers will need cross-channel solutions to build their business in physical stores, as well as online, giving them the ability to serve their customers anywhere at any time, a need shared also by Tier 1 retailers. On the other end of the spectrum, Tier 3 merchants will need to make the move from standard to vertical solutions that will be adapted to their market segments.
The most efficient way for merchants to meet today’s requirements and tomorrow’s trends is to partner up with the right company. This means that it can navigate the complexity of new technologies and regulations, while delivering a seamless, easy and secured end-user experience. This kind of company brings revenue-creating innovation, combined with a forward-looking vision.
Worldline is this kind of technological partner. Our strength is our presence in all the different stages of the payment value chain, our expertise and capability to deliver customised solutions that fit the different needs of our clients, regardless of their size and market segment.
About Vincent Roland
With more than 18 years of experience in the payment industry, working for companies like Banksys (prior to their acquisition by Atos Worldline), First Data and Verifone, now member of Worldline Group executive committee, Vincent Roland is responsible for leading Worldline’s Merchant Services Global Business Line in its goal to become the market leader in Europe.
About Worldline
Worldline, an Atos company, is the European leader in the payments and transactional services industry. Worldline employs more than 9,100 people worldwide, with estimated pro forma revenue of more than EUR 1.5 billion on a yearly basis. In 2017, Digital River World Payments joined Worldline, increasing Worldline’s internet payment capabilities and global reach to support international merchants.
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