5 Digital Payments Innovations that Transform the Way We Use (and Spend) Money

Lately, a change has been happening in the financial sector. There has been a rise in disruptors to the traditional establishment. Consumers are moving away from conventional payment methods and switching to safer, more convenient digital alternatives. Here are five digital payment innovations that are transforming the way we use (and spend) money:

1. Apple Pay and Paypal

New payment methods, like Apple Pay and PayPal, are transforming transaction processes. Their frictionless experiences have raised the bar in security and user experience. Through the cooperation of the traditional banks and the new payment innovators, they have produced solutions that add value to the shifting consumer demand and the banks' value chain. A core focus of payment innovation is security. Banks and payment executives must focus on this, in tandem with customer convenience, to make any design succeed.

2. Global Storefront

Software and services turn almost any locale or device into a potential POS.

Today, the Line between face-to-face and remote payment environments has become so blurred in some markets that it nearly no longer exists.

The era of single-purpose transaction terminals is coming to a close. Software turns any locale, any device, into a point of sale. A transaction can now occur at any point in a shop-and-buy timeline, whether physical or digital. This means that the end of purchase needs to do more than process transactions.

Retailers worldwide also demand more POS to support their daily business operations beyond single-purpose payment capabilities. New form factors—like multifunction devices running on open platforms—present new opportunities to displace cash.

The new POS is more than just a place for checkout—it's a launchpad for offers that can build relationships and reward customer loyalty.

3. QR Payments

Applications such as mVisa have significantly allowed the growth of QR code payments worldwide. The innovative mobile payment solution will enable consumers to pay for goods and services by scanning a QR code on a smartphone or entering a merchant number into their feature phones. In Belgium, we have experienced the rise of Payconiq, a system allowing small businesses to accept digital payments without integrating a card machine. The merchant doesn't need to put a minimum amount on the transaction, unlike previously with the card machine, due to the extra charges.

4. Paying in Messaging Applications

With messaging platforms like WeChat, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Line reaching billions of people, they create a new commercial ecosystem. The e-commerce industry now benefits from peer-to-peer transactions and much more. Such as allowing consumers to purchase without leaving the application they are in. Messaging applications blend perfectly with e-commerce as they are personalized and have your contact details. By leveraging social data, it can provide rich context and recommendations. Additionally, they run on a broad spectrum of hardware, creating a shallow barrier for entry.

With interest growing in peer-to-peer (P2P) payments, messaging apps offer an easy way to meet demand. Benefits for merchants include using the messaging platforms to display inventory, manage shopping experiences and engage with consumers by providing augmented support. For a brand, these tolls might be just as necessary as the actual sale of the product.

5. Sending Your Money Everywhere

Distributed ledgers can ease the transformation to low-friction, virtual coin bills.

A shared, networked virtual ledger, also called a "blockchain," can report transactions as they occur. The transaction data is transferred; however, it is no longer copied, making it a useful platform for brand-spanking new currencies and payment methods.

First applied to assist Bitcoin and different cryptocurrencies, blockchain technology might be accelerated if clients accept it and if it can generate traction on a bigger scale. The use cases for blockchain can span endlessly.

The dispensed ledger protocol provides a secure, borderless mechanism for building complex transactions and price exchanges. With vital banks poised to begin issuing digital currencies, distributed ledgers will assist in accelerating the shift to a cashless future.