Slider_Titelbild_HP_AT_Payments_2024_1920x1080

Payments

Challenges

The European payment landscape is following a two-fold development: concentration of payment processing with few and a dispersion of the payment customer interface with a number financial and non-financial industry players. Both groups need to address efficiency and innovation simultaneously in order to stay afloat in a market driven by:  

  • Ever more demanding customers 

Customers want the convenience to pay in real time wherever they are. 

  • Reduced readiness to pay 

With payments having become a commodity regardless of method, the fee pool of account and transaction fees have become smaller.

  • Shorter tech cycles and tech native competition

Implementation of new technical possibilities create added costs for incumbents. At the same time, bigtechs and fintechs are using this to enter the landscape as wallets and enablers. 

  • Simultaneous introduction of international standards

Ongoing regulatory demands require massive investments in the renewal of payment infrastructure.

  • Manual exception handling incompatible with growth of transaction numbers 

Outdated transaction-monitoring systems and manual processes result in rising costs—without reducing risks.

“Europe’s payment landscape will continue to be shaped by industry-wide initiatives – PSD3, Digital Euro, EPI are opportunities for incumbents and new entrants alike.“

Nikola Jelicic, Senior Manager

Insights

European payment providers need to innovate to stay competitive. Our experience and research shows that: 

  • Incumbents have to start tapping into alternative revenue pools in payment transactions 
  • Opportunities lie in new business models with financial and non-financial industry partners 
  • Customer experience is the ultimate driver of innovation 
  • Europeans can differentiate themselves further offering more control to the customer 
  • Efficient transaction monitoring can only be set up with advanced data analytics
  • Fast (and efficient) implementation of technical standards is a differentiating characteristic 
     

"Customers expect payments to be secure, smooth and free of fees. The real-time factor is increasingly being added to expectations. It is these factors in particular that determine the innovation boost in payment transactions.” "

Erwin Meichenitsch, Partner

Solutions

We have helped European incumbents and challengers as well as regulators and investors shape their strategic payment agenda. Our team has a deep knowledge of the payment industry on a strategy, process and technology level enabling us to provide turnkey solutions. 

 

Engage customers

We use CX and product expertise to develop innovative use cases

Empower people and organization

We provide hands-on support and train our clients’ teams

Evolve products and sales

We define growth strategies and calculate their benefits

Optimize operations and IT

We work towards zero ops and select the right tech platforms

Manage finance, risk and compliance

We help clients obtain licenses and use AI/ML to optimize processes

Impulses for change

zeb.market flash issue 42
220419_Market_Flash_No_40_1920x1080.jpg
Cover_Core_European_Payment_Market_1920x1080.jpg