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First Gradually, Then All of a Sudden – Innovation in SME/Corporate Banking
In corporate banking, the battle lines are shifting – but the banks don’t seem to see it. If they want to remain relevant in the future, they must open themselves up to new challenges and discard the old self-image. In his masterpiece “The Sun Also Rises,” Ernest Hemingway records a brief business conversation between two…
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Rares (only) for cash?
The motto “cash is king” seems to be becoming popular again. Especially for “business transactions”, cash can obscure payment flows. Investments in digital payment infrastructures must therefore all the more not be a trivial matter. Bares für Rares is the title of a ZDF flea market show hosted by Horst Lichter. Anyone who accidentally zaps…
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German retailers feel the pressure of inflation while card costs rise
After months of dizzying consumer price increases, inflation in Germany reached 8.2% in June.[1] The market is caught between the ongoing energy crisis and widespread supply chain disruption, with economic growth forecasts cut from 3.1% to 2.5%.[2] But while German retailers’ margins are being squeezed in all directions, is the same true for their payment…
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The 4 trends in couponing and the digitalization gap in the process
Couponing is a trend that originated in the USA. There it was already used in the 1950s as a means of customer loyalty and is still very popular today. In Germany, the marketing measure started with a rather inglorious name: The discount brand. It grants customers various monetary benefits, such as discounts on products or…
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Embedded finance: brands and financial institutions must take action
The hype surrounding embedded finance continues unabated: According to a recent study by private equity firm Lightyear Capital, the embedded finance industry will be worth $7.2 trillion by 2030. This corresponds to twice the total value of the world’s 30 largest banks. Integrated payment services will have particularly great potential in the e-commerce and healthcare…
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The Convergence of API and Token Economy – A Breeding Ground for Innovation
The effects of digital structural change remain fundamental and unstoppable. It is changing the way corporate and commercial structures develop, how value is generated in the future and how we interact with each other. Much of what we could only guess at yesterday is already part of routine everyday life today and may become obsolete…
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The transformation: e-commerce, payment and banking are moving closer together
Guest article by Cihan Duezguen, Strategic Sales Director at Worldpay from FIS Companies such as PEG (Otto Payment), Zalando Payments, Paymenttools (Rewe) or C24 are discovering the possibilities of the payment industry. The value chains are being solved more and more “in-house” and enriched with Big Data. E-commerce, payment and banking are moving closer together.…
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Bitcoin as digital gold: what makes the crypto asset interesting as an inflation hedge?
A guest commentary by Sebastian Warnke, Managing Director of Boerse Stuttgart Digital Exchange GmbH Loose monetary policy to combat the Corona pandemic is leading to rising inflation rates in many countries. In order to hedge against this, investors have in the past primarily relied on hard assets such as gold. Meanwhile, however, the digital asset…
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Are local map systems in Europe under threat?
A guest contribution by Maximilian Fuchs For many German merchants, the girocard as a low-cost, domestically accepted debit card system was and is a lifeline in the face of rising card acceptance costs. However, recent reports suggest that it is under increasing threat from mono-badge card issuing. With some of Europe’s national card schemes in…
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Turning money laundering compliance into business advantage
Artificial intelligence and machine learning essential in the fight against fraud A guest contribution by Anders la Cour , co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Banking Circle Digitization has picked up considerable speed in recent years. During the pandemic, this change in the financial industry accelerated dramatically. At the same time, the increased digital exchange…
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Money magnet fintech – is the attraction weakening?
For years, money just poured into fintechs. Only recently did investor enthusiasm seem to wane somewhat. An inventory of not only the unicorn herd. To be the next Uber, that would be something. This, or something similar, is probably the more or less silent dream of startups when it comes to finance. And so is…
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All for a rip-off? The future of residual debt insurance
Should loans be hedged? For many consumers, this is a relevant question, especially in times of economic uncertainty. However, many customers have a negative memory of residual debt insurance. Nevertheless, it has a future! With individual services and financial service providers who are advisors and partners to their customers. A guest contribution by Alexander Hoffmann…
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Why the next generation of neobanks must be niche banks
A guest article by Leif Wienecke, Managing Director Digital Banking & Cards at Solarisbank When the first neobanks hit the market in the early 2010s, their core customer promise was a radically improved user experience. Where traditional banks were cumbersome, inflexible and frustratingly bureaucratic, Monzo, Revolut and N26 were a breath of fresh air: faster,…
