[Payments Unleashed] Video interview with Ron Shultz, ACI Worldwide

Ron Shultz, EVP and General Manager, ACI Speedpay®, shares compelling insights on the future of bill payments and highlights key findings from the 2025 ACI Speedpay Pulse Report.

The bill payment industry is finally catching up after years of lagging behind the seamless experiences consumers expect from eCommerce. At Payments Unleashed in New York, Ron Shultz, EVP and General Manager, ACI Speedpay, shared insights from the 2025 ACI Speedpay Pulse Report, highlighting the urgent need to modernise how people pay their bills.

A payment experience time warp

Ron described the stark contrast between smooth online shopping and the outdated bill payment process, which often feels like stepping back two decades. For many utilities and lenders, bill payment is the only digital interaction with customers, making it crucial to deliver an intuitive, reliable experience.

AI and the human touch

While younger consumers are more open to AI-driven self-service, the report reveals that about 90% of users across all age groups still want human help when payment issues arise. This shows that despite growing interest in AI, trust in personal support remains essential–especially when money is involved.

Bringing bill pay in line with eCommerce

Consumers now expect the same flexibility in bill payments as in online shopping, including options like digital wallets and strong fraud protection. Bill pay providers are expanding payment methods to include Apple Pay, Google Pay, real-time payments, and even cryptocurrencies, reflecting a shift toward more versatile payment experiences.

Looking ahead to 2026

Ron sees 2026 as a transformative year, focusing on two key priorities: building resilient systems that operate 24/7 for customers who often pay bills outside regular hours, and embracing new payment technologies like stablecoins and real-time payments to meet evolving consumer needs.

The bill payment industry is at a turning point, finally embracing the modernisation consumers deserve. As Ron puts it, “Life is hard, let’s make bill pay easy.” With improved resiliency, broader payment choices, and a balanced human-AI approach, the future of bill payment promises to be seamless, secure, and customer-friendly.

About Ron Shultz

Ron Shultz is the General Manager of ACI Speedpay, the largest biller direct business in the U.S. Mr. Shultz leads all aspects of the ACI Speedpay business including sales, customer success, product management, operations and marketing. Mr. Shultz has more than two decades of experience in bill pay and the broader payments industry. He most recently served as Executive Vice President of Global Bill Pay at Mastercard. The role included serving as CEO of two acquired bill pay companies. While at Mastercard, he also led the New Payment Flows business in North America, which included bill pay, cross-border payments, real-time payments and commercial payments. He sits on the Advisory Boards of ActiveWorx and CREW. He holds a Master of Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Michigan.

 

About ACI Worldwide

ACI Worldwide, an original innovator in global payments technology, delivers transformative software solutions that power intelligent payments orchestration in real-time so banks, billers, and merchants can drive growth, while continuously modernising their payment infrastructures, simply and securely. With 50 years of trusted payments expertise, we combine our global footprint with a local presence to offer enhanced payment experiences to stay ahead of constantly changing payment challenges and opportunities.