The payments ecosystem is changing rapidly, and there will be winners and losers as a new industry begins to take shape. The winners will be those that embrace and develop a passion for change. Being a “fast follower,” rather than a leader, has become a risky strategy. Here are some closing thoughts on Day 4 of Money20/20:
1. Mobile Momentum
Day 4 of Money20/20 kicked off with Keynotes from mobile payments retail consortium MCX and Samsung Pay. Brian Mooney, MCX CEO, spoke of the momentum gained from MCX’s new partnership with Chase in which Chase Pay will be accepted at every CurrentC location, rolling out in mid-2016, as well as the success of the CurrentC pilot in Columbus, Ohio, where the mobile payments solution is being tested with 12 partners in 200 locations. Thomas Ko, Global Co-GM of Samsung Pay, shared some early success metrics from South Korea, where Samsung Pay is currently tracking at 1 million transactions per day, and the positive signs from the recent US launch where approximately 90% of users are recommending Samsung Pay to their friends. Apple Pay executives were notably absent from Money20/20 (Google was a Keynote on Day 2).
Money20/20 Message: We are seeing some serious momentum behind mobile payments with the recent launches of Samsung Pay, Android Pay and now Chase Pay. Many thought MCX was going away but, with Chase Pay, CurrentC has been resuscitated. Despite mixed results, in terms of adoption and merchant acceptance, all of the various mobile payments solutions available will benefit from the current momentum in the marketplace.
2. Catalyst for Social Change
A recurring theme throughout the conference was that payments and financial services could be a catalyst for social change both in the US and around the globe. This was apparent, not only from Day 1’s inspiring track on financial inclusion but also from the impressive range of start up’s who presented at Day Two’s FinLab such as Supportpay, an app that helps divorced parents with difficult child support issues or Propel who have developed Easyfoodstamps.com to make it easier for struggling consumers to apply for financial support. Even Google was in on the action with its campaign to drive Android Pay adoption by donating a dollar to charity for each transaction, and of course, on Day 3 we heard PayPal’s message on how the industry has a moral obligation to make a difference.
Money20/20 Message: As payments become faster, simpler, more secure and more global billions of consumers across the planet will be able to gain access to financial services, a key factor in driving down poverty. In the US, there is an opportunity to help millions of Americans to re-gain control over their lives by focusing on financial health. Payments has become less about the mechanics of a transaction but more about empowering consumers, whether that is through financial inclusion, financial health, mobile payments or providing a transformative customer experience.
3. FinTech is Raising the Bar
At Money20/20’s LaunchPad360 sessions and around the conference we heard some great ideas from dozens of fledgling FinTech startups. Two of my favorites were Affirm and Benefit. Affirm, founded by CEO Max Levchin (former PayPal CTO and co-founder), targets the 7 out of 10 US Millennials who don’t have a credit card by providing instant financing online at the checkout and at the point of sale. Benefit, on the other hand, is a pre-paid mobile wallet with a mission to “replace points with passion and purpose.” When the Benefit mobile app is used at participating retailers a contribution of 3-20% of the transaction goes to something of the user’s choice such as a school, non-profit or personal life expense such as a mortgage or healthcare premium.
Money20/20 Message: The growth of FinTech is raising the bar in payments by driving innovation and an influx of new entrants. At the same time, established industry leaders are being pushed to innovate themselves and provide a better experience for the customer in order to stay relevant. The focus on innovation is a much-needed shot in the arm for the financial services industry and, ultimately, consumers will benefit.
Andrew Davidson is SVP Comperemedia at Mintel. He is a multi-channel marketing and payments expert with over 20 years of marketing research experience. Andrew is regularly called upon to provide analysis for leading media publications worldwide and is also a key speaker at Card Forum and other high profile international industry events.
