Fintech

<img src="https://m2p-website-file.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/m2p-website-file/marketing-cms/m2p-blog/2022/06/Artboard-1-copy-8-4.webp" alt="M2P Fintech" title="" width="100%" height="529">The past few days, we have been hearing, seeing or reading the word e-RUPI everywhere. And it has ignited a plethora of questions amongst both consumers, corporates and fintech alike. But, while the initial impression was that it was the precursor of Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), it was not so. Launched on August 2nd, 2021, at 4.30 pm, e-RUPI was developed by the National Payments Corporation of India on its UPI platform. It is a contactless and <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/ready-to-sneak-peek-into-global-cashless-societies/">cashless</a> instrument for digital payment. The Department of National Health Authority, Ministry of Health &amp; Family Welfare and the Department of Financial Services have also collaborated with NPCI in formulating and launching this solution.<blockquote class="block-node" id="bta04v1ef">E-RUPI signifies how 21st century India is moving ahead with the help of modern technology and connecting technology with people’s lives,” says prime minister Narendra Modi</blockquote>The primary application of e-RUPI is to disperse welfare payments to the right beneficiaries using a one-time payment mechanism. It eliminates the need for middlemen and connects the program sponsors and beneficiaries directly. It is similar to a digital gift card and requires no bank account, smartphone or <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/the-rise-of-digital-payments/">digital payment</a> app. It is a person and purpose-specific payment initiative.<h2 class="heading-node" id="76de" style="text-align: justify">How e-RUPI works?</h2>e-RUPI is a one-time payment mechanism delivered as a QR code or an SMS string to the beneficiary’s mobile number. It works more like a prepaid gift card that can be redeemed only at specific service provider touchpoints.Also, the system ensures that the service provider is paid only after the beneficiary completes the transaction. Being <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/how-to-implement-the-best-prepaid-payment-instrument-ppi-for-your-business/">a prepaid payment instrument (PPI), t</a>he service provider is also assured of the payment. There is no need to follow any intermediary for payment transfer.It doesn’t require any debit or <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/credit-card-processing-a-definitive-guide/">credit card</a> for its function. In short, e-RUPI is all set to connect beneficiaries and sponsors digitally, minus the need for a physical interface.Built on NPCI’s UPI platform, e-RUPI has onboarded banks as issuing entities. As a result, any corporate or government agency can approach these issuing entities and deploy an e-RUPI program for their target beneficiaries.At present, 11 banks support this initiative, and they are split into two categories:Banks that can issue and accept e-RUPI vouchers:<ul class="list-node" id="bdxkjcpgv"><li>The State Bank of India</li><li>ICICI Bank</li><li>HDFC Bank</li><li>The Punjab National Bank</li><li>Axis Bank</li><li>Bank of Baroda</li></ul>Banks who can only issue e-RUPI:<ul class="list-node" id="15mucjjom"><li>Canara Bank</li><li>IndusInd Bank</li><li>Indian Bank</li><li>Kotak Bank</li><li>Union Bank of India</li></ul><h2 class="heading-node" id="451a" style="text-align: justify">Are e-RUPI and Central Bank Digital Currency one and the same?</h2>Incidentally, e-RUPI’s announcement came a few days after announcing the phased implementation strategy of Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). So, it sparked speculation that e-RUPI might be a trail leading to CBDC.But there exists a rudimentary difference between the two. e-RUPI is an e-voucher based system that disburses money as it is still supported by the existing Indian rupee. Whereas CBDC deals with money creation. Click here to know more about <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/central-bank-digital-currency-cbdc-101-a-primer/">CBDC</a>.<h2 class="heading-node" id="acab" style="text-align: justify">Why the e-RUPI system and its use cases?</h2>For a long time, there have been many instances of people not receiving the subsidies intended for them. Sometimes there also have been instances where the beneficiary in question doesn’t exist at all. And the Indian government had lost many millions in welfare payments alone.But, then, the introduction of Aadhar-linked subsidy let the government transfer directly to the beneficiary’s bank account. This was termed as Direct Benefit Transfer. But this also resulted in a roadblock as there are millions of underbanked and unbanked population in India.However, the percentage of mobile penetration has been impressive, so this voucher-based system will help the government reach the right beneficiary without any deviations in the system.e-RUPI will plug leakages in the welfare delivery system and can be adapted to other welfare schemes such as Mother and Child welfare schemes, drugs and diagnostics under schemes like Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, fertilizer subsidies and so on.Given e-RUPI’s mission to plug in the leakages of the welfare system, the use cases can be expanded to many situations. Also, with the people rapidly adopting digital payments, e-RUPI can help bring financial inclusion even to the unbanked. The future and developments of e-RUPI look bright with many miles to go.<a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/newsletter/">Subscribe</a>&nbsp;to our newsletter and get the latest fintech news, views, and insights, directly to your inbox. Follow us on&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/m2pfintech/mycompany/">LinkedIn</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://twitter.com/m2pfintech">Twitter</a>&nbsp;for insightful fintech tales curated for curious minds like you.

e-RUPI-India’s Digital Upgrade for the Underbanked

<img src="https://m2p-website-file.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/m2p-website-file/marketing-cms/m2p-blog/2022/05/Artboard-1-copy-8-3-2.webp" alt="M2P Fintech" title="" width="100%" height="529">Fintechs worldwide bring innovative ideas, green financial products, and services for their customers to reduce their carbon footprints.Climate change has evolved throughout the earth’s history and is considered a constant threat. Humankind has always wished to put an end to this threat and save their home:&nbsp;The Earth&nbsp;and now the fintech sector has also joined hands in combating climate change with its innovative methods. Even though it is an unusual coalition, but there is a lot to explore.<h2 class="heading-node" id="a277" style="text-align: justify">Climate Fintech — A Prelude</h2>Climate fintech is referred to as&nbsp;the digital financial technology catalyzing decarbonization,&nbsp;which simply means to make the financial sector greener and eco-friendly by reducing the carbon footprint and carbon emission.<blockquote class="block-node" id="v3d0ooa0f">Also known as Green Fintech or Sustainable fintech, a combination of climate, finance, and technology.</blockquote>Green Tech is rapidly growing and has been getting the spotlight as climate activists have been very vocal in advocating a climate-conscious lifestyle with green habits. This has led many fintechs to integrate and build climate-focused products and services in recent years.<h2 class="heading-node" id="f889" style="text-align: justify">Combating climate change in action</h2>Fintech is actively doing its part by providing consumers with paperless and digital financial experiences. They are also driving many innovations and creating opportunities to treat climate-related data and services.Simultaneously, other financial companies are rethinking their strategies to reduce carbon footprint and convince their users to adapt the same. New entrants now focus on financial products that offer value to all stakeholders and achieve zero carbon emission.If you noticed, the years 2020 &amp; 2021 had numerous climatic-based financial investments in decarbonization. Cutting-edge technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data, <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/blockchain-and-fintech-use-cases-and-applications/">Blockchain</a> help fintech provide transparent financial services and bring forth unique use cases for their users.It further helps companies track and offset their climatic impact by reducing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Moreover, by monitoring carbon emissions and energy consumption, fintechs are working towards persuading consumers to combat climate change. As a result, people are now expecting great financial inclusion that covers the banking ecosystem as well.<h2 class="heading-node" id="f33c" style="text-align: justify">How is Climate Fintech taking a step further?</h2>As fintechs are an integral part of combating climate change, several innovations are now being introduced to mitigate the global threat.<h2 class="heading-node" id="a5a7" style="text-align: justify">Climate-focused digital point-of-sale</h2>Fintechs allow consumers and businesses to transfer a part of their proceeds to reduce carbon footprints and focus on clean energy through online investment apps. Consumers are also now given clear visibility on what they spend their money on to lead a climate-conscious lifestyle.<h2 class="heading-node" id="4052" style="text-align: justify">Digital banking</h2>Wooden and plant-based payment cards have entered the market that automatically tracks the carbon footprint based on the transaction data. In addition, many fintechs are now working with <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/top-14-neo-banks-that-reinvent-banking-experience-in-india/">digital banks</a> to create new technology that provides transaction-level analysis and tips to lead a greener life. Based on this tracked data, fintech nudges consumers to follow climate-conscious lifestyles.<h2 class="heading-node" id="cc7d" style="text-align: justify">Emission APIs</h2>Fintechs have now developed <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/api-the-power-that-drives-new-age-banking-ecosystems/">APIs</a> that help businesses launch carbon-neutral products and services that offset carbon emissions with sustainability tracking.<h2 class="heading-node" id="4656" style="text-align: justify">Climate-focused Investments</h2>The wealth and investment platforms offer transparency and optimize their portfolio for greenhouse gas emission reductions, deforestation, fossil fuel divestment, etc.<h2 class="heading-node" id="88b3" style="text-align: justify">Blockchain for carbon markets</h2>Carbon markets bring transparency by offering tokens through blockchain technology to reduce the impact of carbon emissions by purchasing carbon credits.In a nutshell, climate change can be controlled with these technologies driving the financial services to build a sustainable future. Also, the pandemic has further fueled digital inclusion in everyday financial requirements, pushing consumers to continue the same in the future. It is exciting to watch out for a climate-focused lifestyle, and we should turn the tide by prioritizing and making it a green planet for future generations to relish. Also, let us think through and bring more innovative ways to put an end to the ongoing climate threat.<a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/newsletter/">Subscribe</a>&nbsp;to our newsletter and get the latest fintech news, views, and insights, directly to your inbox. Follow us on&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/m2pfintech/mycompany/">LinkedIn</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://twitter.com/m2pfintech">Twitter</a>&nbsp;for insightful fintech tales curated for curious minds like you.

Climate Fintech: Fintech’s leading the Green Tech

Embedded Finance 101: The bridge connecting tech and financial services

<img src="https://m2p-website-file.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/m2p-website-file/marketing-cms/m2p-blog/2022/06/Bring-to-me-Blog_31May21-2.webp" alt="M2P Fintech" title="" width="100%" height="358">Brian was a kid who loved bedtime stories, and every day his mother picked a new book for his bedtime story. One day, his mother read him the Japanese folktale “The Magic Mortar.” In this folktale, the magic mortar gave whatever its owner wished for until he says stop. Brian was mighty impressed and wanted one for him. The very next day, he saw his mother ordering groceries from an app, and he wanted to know how it works. When explained, Brian exclaimed that the app is the magic mortar he was looking for.Pretty interesting, isn’t it?Little did we realize that we all have a magical tool in our pockets to make our lives easier. We can enjoy the comfort of our home and make everything reach our front door.Yes, you are thinking it right. It is called — ‘Bring it to me’ or simply ‘to Me’ economy.<h2 class="heading-node" id="7a46" style="text-align: justify">So, what exactly is the ‘Bring it to me’ economy?</h2>The products and services are right at your doorstep instead of you getting in your car and going to the store every time. Starting right from fertilizers for your garden to vegetables for sumptuous cooking, you get every item online.Furthermore, ‘time’ has become a valuable currency and today’s customers are willing to bear the cost if it reduces their workload. Also, businesses have started realizing that they need to go a step beyond the digital realm to retain customers. So, front door delivery options have become the new normal.<h2 class="heading-node" id="836f" style="text-align: justify">The Role of Technology</h2>On the other hand, silently, our economy is moving ahead with a plethora of advancements and innovations. Technology is the leading player that drives the rapid economic growth of every country, including ours. With the cool trends springing up every day, shoppers expect more like same-day delivery and technology inclusion into their lifestyle.(i) Financial TechnologyFintech’s biggest contribution to this evolution is the digital money transfer services, as economic growth is highly connected with <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/fintech-a-catalyst-for-financial-inclusion/">financial inclusion.</a> Digital wallets were a huge hit to pull many customers to ‘bring it to me’ economy lifestyle. They are widely accepted right from a street vendor to huge shopping centers, which make their transactions quicker. Mobile payment apps and gateways help in hassle-free and secure money flow during transactions. They also assist in tracking and analyzing the customer’s spending habits and preferences to bring matching products and advertisements.<a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/bnpl-the-rising-fintech-star/">BNPL (Buy Now Pay Later)</a> gives the customer the comfort of purchasing their desired products anytime with the ‘pay later’ option. Even Fintechs can now customize loans and insurance for the assistants helping in delivery service. Thus, fintechs helps businesses in building a friendly and personalized approach to the customers.(ii) Artificial Intelligence &amp; Machine Learning TechnologyMany grocers and FMCG companies have started incorporating AI &amp; ML technologies to capture their target segment. The virtual fitting room is the buzz during this pandemic. A customer can virtually try on clothes, accessories, shoes, or watches and check if it fits them in a 360-degree view. Even the shoppers can visualize a 3D furniture model to check if it fits their environment and space before making an order. So, there is a virtual solution to everything using artificial intelligence and augmented reality technologies in today’s digital world.Delivery models like Autonomous ground vehicles (AGVs) with lockers, droids, and drones are state-of-the-art in the regular delivery service with their super-fast and reliable features. AGVs with lockers boost the delivery system even on Sundays and late nights, where human effort is least expected. On the other hand, drones will help in reaching the product (up to 15kg) in the rural areas at a relatively high average speed. Droids are small autonomous vehicles that relatively travel slowly on the sidewalks for doorstep delivery. With these innovations, we are on the way to reduce human intervention in delivery systems.(iii) Blockchain TechnologyBlockchain technology guards the customers’ information involved in the process and avoids any digital breaches and other cyber-attacks due to its centralized nature. It builds the customers’ trust in their privacy and the security of digital assets. It also increases sales and streamlines payment processing with high efficiency.<h2 class="heading-node" id="22e8" style="text-align: justify">What awaits us in the future?</h2>The ‘Bring it to me’ economy has gained its popularity by bringing services home. Be it personal grooming or professional cleaning, or any other service; the customers are ready to avail them.Nowadays, people are redefining their satisfaction based on memorable experiences and interactions. Businesses need to put their heart and soul into providing their best customer experience to reinforce and market their brand digitally.Be it a simple emoji that brings a smile or the level of service offered, businesses are now in a race against themselves to turn their products and customers as their brand ambassadors because the end is not the supermarket shelves but the customer’s doorstep.<a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/newsletter/">Subscribe</a>&nbsp;to our newsletter and get the latest fintech news, views, and insights, directly to your inbox.Follow us on&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/m2pfintech/mycompany/">LinkedIn</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://twitter.com/m2pfintech">Twitter</a>&nbsp;for insightful fintech tales curated for curious minds like you.

‘Bring It To Me’ Economy: A Touch of Digital Magic

<blockquote class="block-node" id="l59nir9cq">How Covid-19 Pandemic shaped the Remittance sector in the year 2020?</blockquote><img src="https://m2p-website-file.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com//m2p-website-file/marekting-cms/m2p-blog/2025/05/Upward-spiral.webp" alt="Upward Spiral" title="" id="agehfg19l" width="100%" height="358">When the ongoing Pandemic hit in 2020, the World Bank and other agencies predicted a substantial fall in the <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/remittance-with-upi-a-giant-leap-for-cross-border-payments/">global remittance</a>. This fall would have done sufficient damages to the domestic finances of South Asian nations like India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal. The first four countries observe maximum outward remittance from the GCC region, and as we were present in the region (HQ at Abu Dhabi), we thought of doing an analysis.We collected data from various sources and what we found was an extraordinary Story of the Upward Spiral in Remittance in the year 2020. The facts and figures we collected, pointed towards growth in outward remittance from the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Further, as brick-and-mortar stores saw closure due to the pandemic, growing remittance gave a level playing field for the rising Fintechs in the region. Read on to know more.<img src="https://m2p-website-file.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/m2p-website-file/marketing-cms/m2p-blog/2022/05/Artboard-1-copy-3.webp" alt="M2P Fintech" title="" id="t2yql5oox" width="100%" height="1466"><img src="https://m2p-website-file.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/m2p-website-file/marketing-cms/m2p-blog/2022/05/Artboard-1.webp" alt="M2P Fintech" title="" id="hc3yiy8pk" width="100%" height="1212"><img src="https://m2p-website-file.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/m2p-website-file/marketing-cms/m2p-blog/2022/05/Artboard-1-copy-2.webp" alt="M2P Fintech" title="" id="kszqc4ge3" width="100%" height="2066"><a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/newsletter/">Subscribe</a>&nbsp;to our newsletter and get the latest fintech news, views, and insights, directly to your inbox.Follow us on&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/m2pfintech/mycompany/">LinkedIn</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://twitter.com/m2pfintech">Twitter</a>&nbsp;for insightful fintech tales curated for curious minds like you.

Upward Spiral In Remittance - 2020

<img src="https://m2p-website-file.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/m2p-website-file/marketing-cms/m2p-blog/2022/05/banner-2.webp" alt="M2P Fintech" title="" width="100%" height="383">The word <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/remittance-with-upi-a-giant-leap-for-cross-border-payments/">“Remittance”</a> means money sent to an individual in another place. The Latin origin of the word means “To let go or to send.” As the human civilization evolved, so did remittances. It was earlier a bill payment done via mail or a cheque sent for an appliance purchase. But, today, remittances are a much more complex phenomenon. It is hard-earned money of the immigrants sent back home to their families.Until the last decade, immigrants were heavily reliant on banks or FOREX brokers to relay their earnings back home. It came associated with a hefty fee and a longer waiting time of a week or more. It involved multiple players, the differences in conversion fees, processing fees, and so on.But, then again, over the years, Fintech’s intervention has changed the remittance landscape for the better. The primary advantage is the time taken to send the funds across the border. What takes weeks to complete, Fintech does it in seconds. They have turned the tables by providing competitive exchange rates, which were almost close to existing market rates.They have enabled multiple ways of currency transfers where the remitter can send money via:<ul class="list-node" id="2w6efqopb"><li>Enabling customers to see multiple exchanges fees at one place and then make money transfer within the platform — TransferWise (now Wise)</li><li>Doing remittances in bulk and passing on the savings to the Customers.</li><li>Internet-enabled smartphones</li></ul>The advent of account-linked mobile wallets like Google Pay, Apple Pay, Venmo has brought down the transactional fees to a bare minimum or no fees at all. Meaning all the international transfers happen through an app. They have provided the option for the customer to choose their preferred method of payment, right from the comfort of their homes.In fact, India holds first place in the remittance industry. It has averaged US$76 billion in 2020, despite the general decline in remittance across the globe as per World Bank. The main reason why India is the leading country in the remittance index is because of its large diaspora of expatriate population. It is closely followed by China and Mexico in the second and third places, respectively.Additionally, Fintech has unlocked vast amounts of user data, helping to better understand user behavior. The data provides utmost detail right down to the kind of phone used, frequency of transfers, locations, etc.<h2 class="heading-node" id="57f8">What are Fintechs doing?</h2>From extending reach of their in-app payment and transfer solutions, Fintechs are evolving how the age-old Exchanges have been working. While tying up with Banks and Exchanges in regions like GCC and executing remittances on their own in regions like the USA &amp; Europe.<ul class="list-node" id="fq5idmmwt"><li>Extending Banking to the Unbanked:</li></ul>The Fintech catering to low-income-income migrant workers, primarily in the GCC, provides them with solutions like debit cards, bill, payment, and mobile top-up facilities in-app. These fintech players are extending banking to the unbanked, giving them proper accounts, shopping online, and building their credit histories. Such customers’ data will further help them roll out services like Insurance and Credit (loans). — NOW Money<ul class="list-node" id="8v0gg4syi"><li>Blockchain-Powered Digi-wallet:</li></ul>Fintech players are taking remittance to another level where cash is converted as <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/central-bank-digital-currency-cbdc-101-a-primer/">digital currency</a> using blockchain-powered Digi-wallet. The money can be transferred to anyone having the wallet app installed (more like Intra-app transfer) using this wallet. They further create an ecosystem where the App’s user can do transactions anywhere, without even considering converting the digital currency to actual currency. — MenaPayWith <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/the-rise-of-digital-payments/" target="">digital payments</a> shrinking the world, transferring money across borders is now the new normal. New-age Fintech is constantly innovating the best practices to offer enhanced transparency while maintaining high-level security.<a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/newsletter/">Subscribe</a>&nbsp;to our newsletter and get the latest fintech news, views, and insights, directly to your inbox.Follow us on&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/m2pfintech/mycompany/">LinkedIn</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://twitter.com/m2pfintech">Twitter</a>&nbsp;for insightful fintech tales curated for curious minds like you.

How is Fintech revolutionizing Remittances?

<img src="https://m2p-website-file.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/m2p-website-file/marketing-cms/m2p-blog/2022/05/Artboard-1-copy-7-1-3.webp" alt="M2P Fintech" title="" id="1rpwrq7ge" width="100%" height="447">Like every other English, the term over-banked has its share of meanings:<ul class="list-node" id="23k37tfcl"><li>It denotes a place with an excessive number of banks.</li><li>It also indicates people with too many bank accounts.</li></ul>But the true meaning of the word is that your watch is malfunctioning, and you need to get it repaired.Coming back to the people’s perspective of the overbanked, they are the ones who are financially literate with efficient money management skills. They get the most out of their bank accounts as banks operate on a minimum balance model with numerous benefits for every account category.In countries like the USA, the overbanked often rely on sites like Mint.com, Personal Capital, or LearnVest to manage all their accounts in one platform. They can oversee and make decisions while having a 360° view of their financial activities.In fact, one of our customers, Finin, a Bengaluru-based startup and India’s first-ever neo-banking platform, offers the functionality of viewing different bank accounts aboard their platform. They offer account aggregation, bill and subscription management, smart budgeting, and goal-based saving.With all bank accounts in one place, the app would understand the bill, subscription, and EMI cycle of the consumer and tell you what your future expenses will be. The initiative is to build a savings first consumer-focused <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/neo-banking-101-all-you-need-to-know/">neo bank</a> that will collate the many concepts related to wealth management into today’s Fintech scenario.Such apps would take what is known as a&nbsp;“Nudge approach,”&nbsp;where it will alert you about your spending behavior. With Artificial Intelligence and Machine Language, an individual’s saving and spending behavior is also understood, thereby providing a hyper-personalized service.The Overbanked tend to make decisions based on how much they gain; thus, the “relationship” with an institution is usually dismissed. This is where FinTech's use hyper-personalization as a hook to reel in today’s millennials. They aim to create an incredible user experience for the overbanked with financial literacy and freedom at its core.<a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/newsletter/">Subscribe</a>&nbsp;to our newsletter and get the latest fintech news, views, and insights, directly to your inbox. Follow us on&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/m2pfintech/mycompany/">LinkedIn</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://twitter.com/m2pfintech">Twitter</a>&nbsp;for insightful fintech tales curated for curious minds like you.

Why do the overbanked need Fintech?

<img src="https://m2p-website-file.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/m2p-website-file/marketing-cms/m2p-blog/2022/05/gametech-2.webp" alt="M2P Fintech" title="" width="100%" height="383">It’s quarantine, and Sam is busy playing Among Us with his friends. As he progressed through levels, Sam wanted to upgrade his avatar to match his friends. That’s when he came across the in-app buy button. As he had linked his cards to Google, Sam immediately purchased the avatar and continued his gaming journey.Now you might be wondering, why is gaming featured in a fintech newsletter? Well, here is our unique angle to it:GameTech is a fresh vertical that combines <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/fintech-101-discover-the-3ws-of-fintech/">financial technology</a> and the gaming industry into one.With the onset of the pandemic, Gamification has integrated itself with our lives. Paradoxically, this lockdown also saw increased connections with the family through heritage games like Ludo. However, many had also turned to mobile gaming as part of their lockdown activities.While most online games offer in-app purchases that enhance a player’s gaming experience, like upgrade their avatar or unlocking bonus features that help them advance in the game. This means that thousands of gamers are now opening their <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/the-rise-of-digital-payments/" target="">digital wallets</a> to take advantage of the slashed prices and limited offers that are often irresistible to pass up.This is why online gaming is now a part of the fintech ecosystem.According to Newzoo, the games market will account for $174.9 billion by the end of this year. This figure is a $15.6 billion increase from a forecast done in the beginning stages of COVID.On a global scale, online gaming was once dependent on <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/credit-card-processing-a-definitive-guide/">credit cards</a> and ATMs for purchases. But since then, the gaming industry had rolled out a robust payment structure to streamline gamers’ transactions.India’s gaming market is projected to be $1 billion by 2021, a significant increase from $260 million in 2016. Indian gamers view it as a competing platform to bond with their friends. This mindset has run deep in India’s Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, where the adoption of apps and in-app purchases is the highest. A result of this consumer behavior has led to revenue generated from customizable avatars and virtual coin packs arising from the apps. Revenue was also generated from ads that gamers needed to watch to receive extra features in the game.This response has prompted e-gaming businesses to change their models from download volumes to one engineered on consumer engagement and experience. With more than 400 gaming start-ups trying to make online games interactive for India’s 500 million smartphone users, the game tech industry looks at two-folding investments within a few years.Gametech in India is a market worth tapping into for its immense potential. With the current scenario, we hope to see India become a key player in online gaming in the coming years.<a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/newsletter/">Subscribe</a>&nbsp;to our newsletter and get the latest fintech news, views, and insights, directly to your inbox.Follow us on&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/m2pfintech/mycompany/">LinkedIn</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://twitter.com/m2pfintech">Twitter</a>&nbsp;for insightful fintech tales curated for curious minds like you.

Gametech- A rising star in the fintech world

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<a href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/pci-dss-the-payments-armour/">PCI DSS stands for Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard</a>. A collaboration between top reputed <a href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/credit-card-processing-a-definitive-guide/">credit card</a> brands such as American Express, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, and Visa in 2004 resulted in PCI-DSS launch. Organizations who store or process, or transmit the cardholder data either as clear or in an encrypted manner should comply with PCI regulations.

A short survey showed that most people give the above description when quizzed about PCI-DSS. When we further probed them about the levels present in this compliance, we came up short. So, we came up with a quick read of the PCI-DSS compliance levels.
<h2 id="6c0f" class="rz sa ps bn ds sb sc sd fr se sf sg fv sh si sj fz sk sl sm gd sn so sp gh sq dr">PCI DSS Compliance levels</h2>
Divided into four levels, the PCI Compliance levels are based on the number of credit or debit card transactions processed by a business annually. These levels determine what needs to be done by an enterprise to remain compliant.
Level 1:
Applies to merchants who process more than six million real-world credit or debit card transactions annually. An authorized PCI Qualified Security Assessor will conduct an annual internal audit and an on-site evaluation of the organization to:
· Authenticate the assessment’s scope;
· Evaluate technical information and documentation;
· See whether the PCI-DSS standards are being met;
· Assist and guide the compliance process and
· Also, evaluate the compensating controls
On successful evaluation, the QSA will present an RoC (Report on Compliance) to the organization’s acquiring bank, thereby demonstrating its compliance.
Level 2:
Applies to merchants who process between one and six million real-world credit or debit card transactions. Security testing reports on network hosts and applications should be completed on a defined frequency. The RoC is also applicable for level 2 organizations.
Level 3:
Applies to merchants who process annually between 20,000 and one million e-commerce transactions. A yearly assessment must be done using the relevant SAQ (Self-Assessment Questionnaire)along with a quarterly PCI scan.
Level 4:
Applies to merchants who process annually fewer than 20,000 e-commerce transactions or those who process up to one million real-world transactions. They must complete a yearly assessment using the SAQ and a quarterly PCI scan.

<h2 id="7604" class="rz sa ps bn ds sb aed sd fr se aee sg fv sh aef sj fz sk aeg sm gd sn aeh sp gh sq dr">What is this Self-assessment questionnaire?</h2>
PCI-DSS lists several kinds of SAQs for every level, and it is also based on how the merchant processes card information. Given below are some of the types of SAQs applicable to levels 2–4:
SAQ A: Merchants who outsource their entire card data processing to certified third parties. The transactions also include e-commerce transactions.
SAQ A-EP: Applies to E-commerce merchants who outsource their payment processing but not the site’s administration.
SAQ B: Applies to E-commerce merchants who don’t receive cardholder data, but they have control over the process through which data is redirected to a third-party payment processor.
SAQ B-IP: It applies to merchants who don’t store cardholder data in electronic form but will use IP-connected point-of-interaction devices. These merchants may handle either card-present or card-not-present transactions.
SAQ C-VT: Applies to merchants who process cardholder data via a virtual payment terminal.
You must select the right SAQ because every level has compliance requirements based on how payment card data is processed.

<h2 class="rz sa ps bn ds sb aed sd fr se aee sg fv sh aef sj fz sk aeg sm gd sn aeh sp gh sq dr">How to become a PCI DSS compliant</h2>
The PCI DSS specifies six control objectives for an organization to achieve compliance:
1. Build and maintain a secure network
2. Protect cardholder data
3. Maintaining a vulnerability management program
4. Implementing strong access control measures
5. Regular monitoring and testing of networks
6. Maintaining an information security policy

<h2 id="2e3a" class="rz sa ps bn ds sb aed sd fr se aee sg fv sh aef sj fz sk aeg sm gd sn aeh sp gh sq dr">The penalties of non-compliance</h2>
As cardholder data is considered personal data, a PCI DSS breach can also be regarded as equal to a <a href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/gdpr-in-a-nutshell/">GDPR</a> breach. If PCI regulations are not adhered to, organizations will face severe financial penalties or even lose their facility to accept card payments.
In short, PCI-DSS is a standard that ensures trust, business continuity, and safety of the cardholder data.
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