<img src="https://m2p-website-file.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/m2p-website-file/marketing-cms/m2p-blog/2022/08/MicrosoftTeams-image-6.webp" alt="M2P Fintech" title="" width="100%" height="383">Disbursing salaries to the unbanked and underbanked is a crucial challenge for businesses. Direct debit, paychecks, and demand drafts are clearly not suitable options as their bank accounts are either inactive or non-existent. Though paying in cash sounds easier, it involves immense effort in calculating, withdrawing, distributing, and bookkeeping.&nbsp;Businesses worldwide grapple with the responsibility to pay their underbanked employees on time with utmost security. They leverage digitized payroll cards to optimize salary disbursal and deliver secure and seamless payouts.&nbsp;So, what is a payroll card? What are its pros and cons?&nbsp;Keep reading to know.&nbsp;<h2 class="heading-node" id="5ckwb8qg3">What is a payroll card?&nbsp;</h2>A payroll card is a prepaid card that employers use to pay their employees. The employer (business) loads the card with wage or salary via the respective routing/account number. These cards are reloadable and can be issued both in virtual and physical forms. Businesses are adopting customized payroll card programs to embrace sustainability, optimize their financial and human resources, augment bottom line performance, and extend value to employees.&nbsp;Payroll cards are a secure alternative to direct deposits (bank accounts), cash payments, and paychecks. They are ideal for traditional recurrent disbursals, daily wages, fees, just-in-time allotments, and other customized payments and reimbursements. They function like regular debit cards and can be used to make cash withdrawals, POS payments, utility payments, money transfers, and balance inquiries.&nbsp;Payroll cards help the unbanked segments receive salaries in a structured way while helping them save and track their spending. It eliminates the need for a bank account or physically going to a bank to cash a paycheck.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2 class="heading-node" id="uqt09bdni">Types of payroll cards</h2>Payroll cards can be customized according to business requirements. They are broadly classified into four categories.<ul class="list-node" id="89x3ltnvt"><li>Branded payroll cards - The branded cards carry the card network logo and can be used for domestic and international transactions.&nbsp;</li><li>Personalized payroll cards - These cards have the respective card holder (employee) name printed on the card.&nbsp;</li><li>Instant issue payroll cards -&nbsp; As the name suggests, these payroll cards are issued on the spot. So they do not carry the name of the cardholder.&nbsp;</li><li>Portable payroll cards -&nbsp; If the cardholder holds multiple jobs or has cash flowing in from several sources, then portable payroll cards come in handy.&nbsp; These cards can accept government benefits, tax returns, and salaries from consecutive employers.&nbsp;</li></ul>The above-mentioned card types are not mutually exclusive. They can be mixed, matched, and customized as per the need.Now, let's check out the pros and cons of payroll cards for businesses and employees.&nbsp;<h2 class="heading-node" id="ehevreuu7">How payroll cards benefit businesses?</h2>For employers who intend to take full advantage of electronic fund transfer, <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/prepaid-cards-101-a-definitive-guide-for-growth-and-profitability/">prepaid</a> payroll cards are a befitting option. The payroll cards program streamlines the payroll process while creating a win-win situation for unbanked employees and their employers. It is also deemed as an economical alternative to issuing paychecks.&nbsp;Here are some of the benefits:&nbsp;<ul class="list-node" id="bshphz1p0"><li>Reduces cost, effort, and time - The payroll card program reduces the costs and time associated with accounting and administration. It cuts down production effort involved in handling manual paychecks and issues associated with lost or stolen checks, stop payment orders, fraudulent cashing of duplicate checks, and more. It minimizes charges related to bank transactions and eliminates escheat issues.&nbsp;</li><li>Increases efficiency - Payroll cards use <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/why-should-apis-be-your-holy-grail-for-prepaid-card-issuance/">API-based tech stacks</a> that leverage financial technologies to increase the efficiency, pace, and accuracy of payroll processing. Payrolls can be processed in no time, and disbursals can be optimized to their fullest potential.</li><li>Boosts sustainability - The rise of paperless, digitized payroll in the form of virtual and physical cards helps businesses embrace sustainable finance and operations. Payroll cards eliminate the need to cut trees for the paper required to produce physical cash, cheques, account stationery, and more. When the cards are metallic, plastic hazards too get out of the picture. Thus payments and salary disbursals can be made in a green and eco-friendly manner.</li><li>Builds trust and reliability - As salaries get credited to the card on time without the hassle of check bounces or bank strikes, the reliability factor of the employer increases. Employees trust their payroll cards will be ready to use without any security issues.</li><li>Drives employee loyalty - All employees who have payroll cards are eligible for real-time payments regardless of their relationship with the banks. This ensures that salaries are credited to all cardholders instantly without any bias or hassle. Irrespective of being banked or unbanked, employees can use this cashless payment instrument to spend, save and track their expenses safely. These inclusive processes and initiatives drive employee satisfaction and loyalty.&nbsp;</li></ul>Employee welfare is an integral part of any organization. Therefore, it is imperative to recognize and evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of employee payroll cards. It helps you make informed and better decisions that nurture the overall growth of the employees and the business.&nbsp;<h2 class="heading-node" id="fcvsqq9kv">How payroll cards benefit employees?</h2>For employees, payroll cards provide a convenient way to access wages/salaries without physically going into a bank or opening a bank account. Employees can use payroll cards at any merchant that accepts debit cards. They can also help employees avoid check-cashing fees and other charges associated with traditional banking products.&nbsp;Payroll cards offer many other advantages to employees.&nbsp;<ul class="list-node" id="je5f3uu4t"><li>Instantaneous, easy to use, transparent, and secure.&nbsp;</li><li>Provides a convenient way to receive salary/wages without a bank account.&nbsp;</li><li>Eliminates the hassle of cashing the paycheck.&nbsp;</li><li>Promotes financial wellness as cardholders can track their spending and budget more efficiently with a payroll card.&nbsp;</li><li>Helps employees stay without debt. as the spending can be monitored and controlled.&nbsp;</li><li>If the card is lost or stolen, it can be blocked to reduce fraud and loss of funds.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>Can be used to incentivize employees through reward points, cash backs, and discounts on transactions.&nbsp;</li></ul><h2 class="heading-node" id="ckfgbv29e">Downsides of payroll cards</h2>Like any other good thing in life, payroll cards also come with their own downsides. &nbsp;<ul class="list-node" id="m1sbxu2gv"><li>First off, most cards come with monthly maintenance charges and may apply additional fees for certain transactions like balance inquiries, ATM withdrawals, and similar activities. &nbsp;</li><li>The second major downside may happen when there is a card “freeze.” Some service companies place a temporary hold or “freeze” on a card for several days or sometimes even weeks. Employees who do not have a bank account will be unable to make any payments until the freeze is relaxed. &nbsp;</li><li>Further, if the card is lost/stolen, the employee will not have access to the funds until a new card is replaced.&nbsp;</li></ul><h2 class="heading-node" id="cfeambdgp">Are payroll cards a right fit for your business?&nbsp;</h2>Payroll cards serve as a multi-functional tool for employees to create a robust everyday financial system that works for their specific lifestyles. According to surveys, consumers worldwide are actively choosing payroll cards over other forms of payment. In fact, even though most cardholders have access to a bank account, they prefer payroll cards because of the seamless functionality, cross-functional potential, and ability to control income by distinguishing it from other finances.&nbsp;Now you know why payroll cards are a right fit for your business!When you make your employees' financial lives easier, their productivity and loyalty increase multifold. Turnover rates reduce and efficiency improves.&nbsp;Businesses employing the payroll card program have ascertained that it saves time and money, enhances security, improves payment infrastructure, and eliminates issues concerning cash disbursements.&nbsp; Most importantly, they bridge the financial inclusion gap for employees without easy access to traditional banking services. When implemented correctly, payroll cards can be an efficient tool for managing employee expenses and compensation.&nbsp;<h2 class="heading-node" id="q53px9969">How modern card issuance helps?</h2>The advantages of payroll cards are synchronous to the agility and scalability of a <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/prepaid-cards/" target="_blank">modern card issuance platform</a> catering to the gig economy and flexible working environments across the globe. The platform enables various features like seamless onboarding with an integrated identity verification solution, building multiple use cases like single-use cards, virtual cards, early salary, meal cards, shopping cards, etc., for the card users. The modern mobile-first cards offering instant limits and controls across different payment modes and transaction amounts ensure security and risk management for both employees and employers.&nbsp;Now, still wondering if payroll cards are right for you? Or are you looking for a robust payroll card program? &nbsp;You can get in touch with us at <a class="link" href="mailto:business@m2pfintech.com">business@m2pfintech.com</a>.&nbsp; We'll be happy to help.&nbsp;Looking for more nuggets of fintech wisdom?<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.

Pros and Cons of Payroll Cards

<img src="https://m2p-website-file.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/m2p-website-file/marketing-cms/m2p-blog/2022/07/MicrosoftTeams-image-9.webp" alt="M2P Fintech" title="" width="100%" height="253">The ecommerce market in India is growing at a dynamic pace. Estimated to reach $188 billion by 2025, the sector received $15 billion in investments from private equity and venture capital firms in 2021. At this rate, the Indian ecommerce industry will surpass the US to become the second largest online commerce market by 2034. Xpressbees, Amazon, Flipkart, and Cars 24 are some of the leading ecommerce firms that are making big waves with their investment and expansion plans.Rising smartphone penetration, evolving customer expectations, and convenient digital payments play a major role in the ecommerce boom. Online transactions in the Indian ecommerce ecosystem are estimated to grow by 96% to touch USD 120 billion by 2025. The growth of digital payment options such as credit cards, debit cards, prepaid cards, UPI, and BNPL added impetus to online shopping transactions.In this article, let’s decode the anatomy of payment card transactions in an ecommerce setup.Payment processing is how businesses complete credit and debit card payments. It includes authorization, funding, and settling of a transaction. For a consumer, an online card transaction is a pretty straightforward process that happens within a few seconds. All they need to do is enter the card details, and authorize the transaction with an OTP.And voila! The transaction is successful.<h2 class="heading-node" id="zpom3032i">Key Players in Ecommerce Payments</h2>While the entire transaction may only take seconds, it involves a complex network with multiple steps and players behind the scenes. Here are the players involved in carrying out a transaction.· Cardholder (customer with the payment card)· Merchant (ecommerce website)· Payment Gateway· Payment Processor· Card Network· Issuing Bank· Acquiring BankNow, we are sure you know who a cardholder and a merchant is. So, let’s take a deep look at other players and their role in card transactions.<h2 class="heading-node" id="wpqhfks61">Payment Gateway</h2>A payment gateway (PG) is a service that authorizes transactions between online businesses and their customers in a secure and convenient way. In simple terms, it acts as a secure tunnel between the merchant’s payment portal and the payment processor.<h2 class="heading-node" id="ifw2nj4oj">Role of Payment&nbsp;Gateway</h2>A payment gateway is a central cog in the transaction processing ecosystem for both online and in-store purchases. In a transaction process, PG is the front-end mechanism that collects, authenticates cardholder information, and transfers the details to the merchant’s bank in real-time. Then, the transaction is processed in the merchant’s bank. All payment gateways are PCI-DSS compliant and SSL-certified.For example, imagine you go to an online store, pile up your cart, and click on check-out for billing. When you enter your payment method and details on the website, a payment gateway helps you transfer money to the merchant.<h2 class="heading-node" id="y8i3jrc7z">Payment Processor</h2>A payment processor is a vendor service that acts as a conciliator between the financial institutions and the merchant involved. It facilitates authorization of the transactions and relays the data to clear and settle the transactions for the merchant. Some payment processing services include card acceptance, PCI compliance assistance, security solutions, and customer support.<h2 class="heading-node" id="l1mstpbl2">Role of a Payment Processor</h2>In a transaction, the payment processor acts as a tunnel between the merchant and the customer banks. It takes the information from the payment gateway and connects with the issuer through the card network to authenticate and approve the transaction. The role of the payment processor is summarized below:· Seek authorization for a transaction· Connect with the cardholder’s issuing bank· Transfer funds into a merchant account<h2 class="heading-node" id="5l1rujvkp">Card Network</h2>A card network is a card infrastructure provider that facilitates payment card transactions between the issuer and the merchant. Conventionally, the network validates, processes, and sets the terms for the card transactions. The major card networks in India are MasterCard, Visa, RuPay, Discover, and American Express.<h2 class="heading-node" id="0cnrfhxyg">Role of a Card&nbsp;Network</h2>The card network acts as a communicator between the merchant’s acquiring bank and the customer’s issuing bank. It is responsible for transmitting the transaction information to the correct issuing bank, verifying the issuer’s authentication results, and delivering responses to acquirers.<h2 class="heading-node" id="1pkqmuofu">Issuing Bank</h2>An issuing bank is a financial institution or a bank that issues and distributes (credit/debit) cards to customers. It operates as an essential intermediary between the cardholders and the card networks. Despite the common misconception, card networks do not directly issue cards to customers because of the fundamental risks involved in issuing credit to customers. Only issuing banks do.For instance, if a credit card holder does not pay off his or her debts, the issuing bank will write them off. In addition, the issuer will become responsible for recouping the costs. It is important to note that specific card networks like Discover and American Express serve as their own issuing banks.An issuing bank is typically a commercial consumer bank, commonly known as the issuers. It provides the framework to facilitate reliable and regulated transactions and the rules and standards for payments performed on its system.<h2 class="heading-node" id="2esexjmnq">Role of an Issuing&nbsp;Bank</h2>A card issuing bank is one of the key players in the card transaction and payment processes. Each time a cardholder makes a purchase/payment using a card, the transaction moves through multiple financial institutions and systems before the amount is credited to the merchant’s bank account. The issuing bank assents the transaction based on the customer’s available credit or funds in the account. Upon receiving the authentication request, the issuer’s Access Control Server (ACS) reviews the information, verifies the cardholder using their form of authentication, and responds to the merchant. It also subjects the transaction to its defined set of fraud and risk regulations.In the case of a credit card issuance, an issuing bank generally manages everything on the customer front, such as payment portals, rewards programs, payments, collections, etc. It plays a crucial role in evaluating and determining the credibility of a chargeback. For example, when a cardholder notices a counterfeit or invalid charge made to their credit or debit card, they immediately contact their issuer to file a dispute, kick-starting the chargeback process. The issuer validates the complaint and communicates the chargeback to the acquirer. The acquirer then notifies the merchant to either accept or challenge the chargeback.The issuer is responsible for authenticating the cardholders’ financial information and account data to determine their creditworthiness. Based on the assessment, it extends the line of credit to the cardholders and offers financial support for transactions/payments made with its cards. In addition, the issuing bank also renders essential services such as card activation, setting the purchase limit, suspensions, and card renewals.<h2 class="heading-node" id="p8c1kk2db">Acquiring Bank</h2>An acquiring bank is a financial institution or a bank that offers merchant accounts to businesses. These accounts enable merchants to accept direct debit/credit card payments. An acquiring bank, otherwise known as an acquirer or a merchant’s bank, is a licensed member of a card brand and is responsible for creating and maintaining the merchant’s account. It also manages the communications between card networks and businesses.Usually, the acquirer acts as a payment processor or an Independent Sales Organization (ISO) and processes credit/debit payments on behalf of a merchant. It provides merchants with unique IDs to manage card payments. In turn, the merchants pay a significant fee to the acquirer for their services in the transaction process.Transaction processes are prone to various financial frauds, that include breach of sensitive customer information. As a significant player in the payment process, an acquiring bank ensures transaction security and strictly complies with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). In the event of a fraud or data breach, the acquiring bank stands liable for the compromised transaction(s).<h2 class="heading-node" id="xswoi0hlp">Role of an Acquiring Bank</h2>As the merchant’s bank, acquirers are responsible for routing the payment card transactions to the appropriate issuing banks. Once the issuing bank disperses the amount from the cardholder’s account, the acquirer accepts the payment and credits the money to the merchant’s account. Furthermore, the acquiring bank exchanges fund with various issuers each time a consumer makes a purchase, returns for a refund, or raises a chargeback. It then issues a net balance (gross sales deducting the fees and reversals) to the merchant for transactions during the given period.When a cardholder uses a card in a purchase, the acquiring bank will either accept or decline the transaction based on the card holder’s account information available on the issuing bank and card network’s database. This process entails two steps.Step 1: Authorization — Request the issuer to validate the card details. If sufficient funds are available in the account, the transaction will be completed.Step 2: Authentication — Verify cardholders’ identity based on the card details entered during the purchase. The authentication process is typically carried out using 3D Secure (3DS).<h2 class="heading-node" id="rdmedr6bw">Payment Processing Workflow&nbsp;</h2>All the parties delved upon above are integral players in the card transaction ecosystem. Transactions would not be viable without any one of them.Curious to know how payment card transaction flow works?Let’s take the example of a credit card payment for instance.Here you go!<ol class="list-node" id="nuiohlbzx"><li>The customer initiates a purchase. The purchase can be made in person, online, or over the phone.</li><li>The merchant evaluates the credit card details entered during the purchase and routes the information to the payment gateway.</li><li>The payment gateway routes information to the payment processor.</li><li>The payment processor communicates the authorization request to the appropriate card network.</li><li>The credit card network routes the request to the cardholder’s issuer.</li><li>The issuer validates the received information and approves/declines the transaction.</li><li>The card network sends the issuer’s response to the acquiring bank.</li><li>The acquiring bank redirects the authorization response to the merchant.</li><li>Based on the response, the merchant accepts or declines the transaction. It deposits all the authorized transactions with the acquiring bank.</li><li>The acquirer credits the merchant’s account and submits the transactions to the credit card network for payment.</li><li>The credit card network pays the acquirer and charges the issuing bank.</li><li>The issuer posts the transaction to the cardholder’s account.</li><li>The cardholder receives the monthly statement and makes payment.</li></ol><img src="https://m2p-website-file.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/m2p-website-file/marketing-cms/m2p-blog/2022/07/Banner-for-Issuing-and-Acquiring-Banks-blog_2.webp" alt="M2P Fintech" title="" id="lpb5e7uta" width="100%" height="253">Payment processing is an indispensable part of any business, both online and offline. In the stride toward a digital economy, ecommerce payment processing is a modish necessity.Intrigued? To know more about payment processing, write to us at <a class="link markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" href="mailto:business@m2pfintech.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">business@m2pfintech.com</a>.<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.

Anatomy of Payment Card Transactions in Ecommerce

<img src="https://m2p-website-file.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/m2p-website-file/marketing-cms/m2p-blog/2022/07/Creative-AePS-Blog-03.webp" alt="M2P Fintech" title="" width="100%" height="253">Over 85% of bank accounts in India are inactive.Research shows that the inactive accounts can be attributed to the issues faced by the underserved populace across remote corners of the country.<blockquote class="block-node" id="vrcfnudss">Bringing the underbanked and unbanked population into mainstream financial services is crucial for&nbsp;<a class="link au lm" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/fintech-a-catalyst-for-financial-inclusion/" target="_blank" rel="noopener ugc nofollow">financial inclusion</a>, the foundation of economic growth.</blockquote>Digital payment modes such as mobile wallets,&nbsp;<a class="link au lm" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/upi-the-driver-of-economic-growth-and-inclusion/" target="_blank" rel="noopener ugc nofollow">UPI</a>, contactless, payment cards, and QR codes have enabled universal access to financial services. But they still leave a gap for senior citizens, underprivileged, and inerudite sections of the society. These sections find it challenging to buy a smartphone or a payment card or even remember a passcode or PIN. Thus it becomes harder for them to join the digital Indian ecosystem.To resolve these challenges and to enable people from all walks of life to benefit from digital financial services, Aadhaar enabled Payment System (AePS) was brought into existence.Before diving in to know more about AePS, let’s have a quick look at what Aadhaar is and how it helps financial inclusion.<h2 class="heading-node" id="0c61">Aadhaar, driving inclusivity, and benefits</h2>Aadhaar is a 12-digit individual identification number issued by the UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India) on behalf of the Indian Government. In India, the Aadhaar number serves as a proof of identity and address. Any citizen of India is eligible to apply for Aadhaar Card. They can receive it via India Post, and as an e-Aadhaar downloaded from the UIDAI website.Aadhaar, the world’s largest biometric ID system, has been a crucial enabler of inclusive financial services in India. It captures fingerprints, retinal scans, and facial identification as chief authentication factors for transactions. So, the bank customer need not carry a smartphone or a payment card, or remember PINs and passwords.<blockquote class="block-node" id="vqdwnw2pm">More than 131 crore adults registered with Aadhaar have seamless access to banking services, insurance, and direct benefit transfers from over 700 financial inclusion schemes announced by the central and state governments.India’s financial inclusion index stands at 53.9, which is an impressive display of inclusivity brought about by Aadhaar.</blockquote>Aadhaar leverages advanced technology for transparent and targeted delivery of financial services, benefits, and subsidies without the hassle of intermediaries. Aadhaar saved the Indian government ₹2.25 lakh crores in Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT) by getting rid of fake beneficiaries and routing benefits to deserving people.<h2 class="heading-node" id="aab1">What is AePS?</h2>Aadhaar enabled Payment System (AePS) is a payment system that facilitates interoperable digital financial transactions through Aadhaar card-based verification (quick eKYC). It uses a Unique Identification Number or the Aadhaar number to make transactions effortlessly. Serving as a simple, secure, and user-friendly platform, AePS helps blue-collared workers, senior citizens, and the underprivileged to benefit from cashless transactions.AePS is a bank-led model, and any Indian resident can utilize the service just with their Aadhaar number that is linked to their bank account — Aadhaar Enabled Bank Account (AEBA). The Aadhaar enabled Payment System allows online transactions to take place at PoS (Micro ATM)/Kiosk/mobile devices through the Business Correspondent (BC) of any bank using Aadhaar authentication.Leveraging AePS, banks can empower all segments of society by increasing user-friendly access to cash deposits, payments, money transfers, and withdrawals. AePS use cases are accessible at any biometric-enabled touchpoint, viz., all-in-one integrated devices, mobiles/PCs/tablets, or any accessories that meet the technical specifications defined by UIDAI. By enabling AePS solutions, banks can enable seed status checks for direct benefit transfers, social security pensions and government subsidies.<h2 class="heading-node" id="f55b">What are the requirements for AePS transactions?</h2>AePS does not need a smartphone, document, or payment card. It only requires the customer to link the Aadhaar card to the bank account to capture the following info.<ul class="list-node" id="3lglglm5z"><li>Aadhaar Number</li><li>Biometrics-fingerprint identification</li><li>Name or Bank Issuer Identification Number (IIN)</li></ul>If not, just remembering the last four digits of the Aadhaar number will do. The Business Correspondent with an AePS machine or Micro ATM on assisted mode should be able to do any transaction for the customer.<h2 class="heading-node" id="ab00">Key objectives</h2>The main objective of AePS is to use Aadhaar number/ Virtual Identity to access AEBA for banking transactions through Business Correspondents (BC).It also aims to:<ul class="list-node" id="n7aofhjeh"><li>Securely facilitate&nbsp;<a class="link au lm" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/why-payments-interoperability-is-a-must-for-todays-generation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener ugc nofollow">interoperability</a></li><li>Enable quick eKYC services</li><li>Electronify retail payments as per RBI regulations</li><li>Build a full range of Aadhaar enabled Banking Services</li><li>Improve financial inclusion in India (According to the goals of GoI and RBI)</li><li>Enable intrabank and interbank transactions through a central switching &amp; clearing agency</li><li>Empower bank customers to use Aadhaar for banking transactions</li></ul>In addition, AePS helps deliver Government disbursements like NREGA, social security pension, and handicapped old age pension.<h2 class="heading-node" id="8be7">AEBA services</h2>With the help of AEBA (Aadhaar Enabled Bank Account), banks can offer the following services.<ul class="list-node" id="hakcr4xsc"><li>Cash Deposit</li><li>Balance Enquiry</li><li>Purchase</li><li>Cash Withdrawal</li><li>Mini Statement</li><li>Aadhaar to Aadhaar Fund Transfer</li><li>eKYC</li><li>Best Finger Detection</li><li>Demographic Authentication</li><li>Aadhaar Seeding Status</li><li>Self-Help Group (SHG) Transaction</li><li>BHIM Aadhaar Pay</li><li>Authentication</li></ul><h2 class="heading-node" id="7a75">How can customers use AePS?</h2>Customers can make AePS transactions in two ways.<ul class="list-node" id="uxpw6ofk8"><li>Through Business Correspondents&nbsp;— who usually represent the banks or entities. They are equipped with Micro ATM devices for facilitating customer transactions.</li><li>Through BHIM Aadhaar Pay at merchant locations&nbsp;— where the customer can make payments just by using Aadhaar number/VID and verify their identity using biometrics.</li></ul><h2 class="heading-node" id="614d">5 steps to perform an AePS transaction</h2>The steps below will guide customers to perform an AePS transaction easily.<ol class="list-node" id="9kqme9bxs"><li>Visit an ATM or contact a banking representative</li><li>Enter the 12-digit Aadhaar number and bank account number in the PoS machine</li><li>Choose a transaction type from the list- cash deposit, mini statement, withdrawal, balance enquiry, or fund transfer</li><li>Enter the transaction amount</li><li>Verify identity using biometrics (iris scan, fingerprint, or face recognition)</li></ol>Once all this is done properly, the transaction will be completed, and you can collect your receipt.<h2 class="heading-node" id="f14e">Why and how can banks and merchants offer AePS?</h2>For BanksBanks can reap the following benefits by offering AePS to their customers.<ul class="list-node" id="63zbggip1"><li>Reach more customers by engaging with Business Correspondent</li><li>Cut costs by leveraging digitization and reducing the printing of cheques and payment cards</li><li>Save time and money using a Business Correspondent instead of brick and mortar branches</li><li>Enable smooth interoperability among banks</li><li>Establish a quick and easy paperless KYC</li></ul>When banks wish to offer AePS to their customers, they just have to apply with NPCI / UIDAI. Then, they will be permitted to deliver AePS after the vetting and application process is completed.For MerchantsMerchants can accept AePS for cost-effective and inclusive payments. This will help them widen their customer base. Merchants can offer AePS by just applying to an authorized bank. After this, they can then receive digital payments for goods and services that are delivered from their customers.<h2 class="heading-node" id="1574">Greater security, trust, and inclusion</h2>When banks and merchants offer AePS, their customers can easily transact just with biometric authentication, either a face recognition, iris scan, or fingerprint identification. All these three aspects can never be forged, ensuring secure transactions.Banks and merchants can gain more customers through AePS as transactions can happen without the need of a physical card, passbook, smartphone or any other document. This will improve customer trust and confidence to make transactions in rural areas, especially among the underbanked segments. Banks across India are attributing enhanced revenue and cost-cutting to AePS offering.Want to add AePS to your payment ecosystem? Write to us at&nbsp;<a class="link au lm" href="mailto:business@m2pfintech.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener ugc nofollow">business@m2pfintech.com</a><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.

Revolutionizing Financial Inclusion- Aadhaar enabled Payment System (AePS)

<img src="https://m2p-website-file.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/m2p-website-file/marketing-cms/m2p-blog/2022/07/Creatives-for-Debit-Cards-blog_1M-1.webp" alt="M2P Fintech" title="" width="100%" height="284">Debit cards are a very critical part of the payment ecosystem. As of January 2022, there were over 940 million active debit cards in India. Averaging a transaction value of 3.5 trillion Indian Rupees per month, the volume is much higher than that of credit cards.Highly secure, debit cards are super easy and convenient to use. All you need to do is enter the PIN (Personal Identification Number) or tap the debit card for quick cashless transactions. As the debit cards are linked to bank accounts, they use existing account balances, so there is no question of falling into debt or paying interest charges. In fact, you can also keep track of spending and maintain a record of all your expenditures.<h2 class="heading-node" id="b7bd">What are debit cards?</h2>Debit cards are payment cards that are linked to bank accounts. They are issued by banks and NBFCs to individuals and corporate entities. And can be used for in-store and online payments, fund transfers, and cash withdrawals. The amount required for transactions must be in the cardholder’s bank account at the time of the transaction and will be transferred directly from that account to the recipient’s account in real-time.Here are the key components of a debit card.<img src="https://m2p-website-file.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/m2p-website-file/marketing-cms/m2p-blog/2022/07/Creatives-for-Debit-Cards-blog_3M.webp" alt="M2P Fintech" title="" id="5csx15muw" width="100%" height="284"><h2 class="heading-node" id="da17">Types of debit cards</h2>Banks and NBFCs issue different types of debit cards. They are classified based on payment platform, technology, and usage.<img src="https://m2p-website-file.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/m2p-website-file/marketing-cms/m2p-blog/2022/07/Creatives-for-Debit-Cards-blog_2M.webp" alt="M2P Fintech" title="" id="tae1ugzin" width="100%" height="284"><h3 class="heading-node" id="9d76">Payment platform</h3>·&nbsp;Visa Debit Card-Debit cards that use the VISA card network·&nbsp;MasterCard Debit Card-Debit cards that use MasterCard network·&nbsp;RuPay Debit Card-Debit cards that use the RuPay network established by the NPCI (National Payments Corporation of India)<h3 class="heading-node" id="4bba">Technology</h3>·&nbsp;Contactless Debit Card&nbsp;-Debit cards that are encrypted with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) or&nbsp;<a class="link au mn" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/nfc-payments-simplifying-payment-space/" rel="noopener">Near-field communication (NFC)</a>&nbsp;technology are contactless debit cards. There is no need to hand over the card at the POS terminal physically. Just a wave or tap will do.·&nbsp;Chip &amp; Pin Debit Card- Debit cards inbuilt with a chip that helps store and transact data in an encrypted format are called Chip &amp; Pin debit cards. Transactions happen here with the help of a PIN (Personal Identification Number).·&nbsp;Magnetic Stripe Debit Card- Debit cards that come with a magnetic band that is swiped past its reading head while a transaction takes place is a magnetic stripe card.<h3 class="heading-node" id="7b59">Usage</h3>·&nbsp;Prepaid Debit Card-&nbsp;Prepaid debit card is pre-equipped with a fixed amount of money to spend and can be reloaded if required.·&nbsp;Virtual Debit Card-&nbsp;This is a digital debit card that helps pay for online purchases. They can be used through mobile banking applications.·&nbsp;Disposable Debit Card- This is a virtual debit card that can be created instantly. They are most suited for one-time online transactions.·&nbsp;International Debit Card-&nbsp;This debit card is used to make payments and cash withdrawals overseas.·&nbsp;Business Debit Card- Corporate entities can provide debit cards to their employees to make business purchases and cash withdrawals.<h2 class="heading-node" id="f613">RBI directive on debit cards</h2>Effective 1 July 2022, RBI brought in the following regulations for debit card issuance. Banks and NBFCs must strictly adhere to the directives.· Non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) can issue debit cards virtually or physically after obtaining approval from the RBI.· Banks shall only issue debit cards to customers holding savings/current accounts. Issuance of debit cards to cash credit/loan account holders is prohibited.· Banks shall not force customers to avail the debit cards. However, if a customer does not want a debit card, they cannot be denied other services from the bank.· Banks should develop a comprehensive debit card issuance policy and get approval from their boards and RBI. Subsequently, banks must roll out debit cards per this policy.· Banks must provide options for disabling/blocking the form factor via internet/mobile banking, IVR, SMS, and/or other modes.· In place of plastic debit cards, Scheduled Commercial Banks can issue other form factors after obtaining explicit consent from the customer.In addition to the above regulations, RBI stated, “It will not preclude the banks from linking the overdraft facility provided along with Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana accounts with a debit card.”<h2 class="heading-node" id="1f7e">Why banks and NBFCs issue debit cards?</h2>Issuing debit cards provides several benefits to banks and NBFCs. Key advantages are listed below.· Improve customer retention and engagement· Increase review through— Higher cross-selling opportunities— Contextual conversion of transactions into pay later loans· Removes NPA issues, as no interest or repayment charges are levied· Promotes digital transactions and&nbsp;<a class="link au mn" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/fintech-a-catalyst-for-financial-inclusion/" target="_blank" rel="noopener ugc nofollow">financial inclusion</a>· Holds a moral compass on enabling accountability, budgeting, and spending within means<h2 class="heading-node" id="8bec">Issues in legacy card issuance platforms</h2>Gone are the days when banks issued debit cards using legacy infrastructure platforms. While the issuer’s focus is on catering to the needs of a versatile demographic with quick and customized card programs, legacy platforms are a huge hurdle. The legacy systems limit the agility and flexibility required to scale up multiple use cases, customize personalized card experiences, and quick go-to-market speed.It takes several months or even a year to set up a card program, which causes a lag in launching the product. Thus, businesses suffer from increased cost and effort and grapple with the ability to offer consumers the best digital card experience.<h2 class="heading-node" id="6462">Modern APIs to simplify debit card issuance</h2>An&nbsp;<a class="link au mn" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/api-the-power-that-drives-new-age-banking-ecosystems/" target="_blank" rel="noopener ugc nofollow">API</a>-first card issuing platform helps issuers develop unique debit card solutions customized to consumer expectations and business needs. The platform is hosted on a cloud infrastructure that accommodates scaling, as the Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) are amenable to changes in business logic and new use cases.<h2 class="heading-node" id="97ab">Boost GTM with our debit card ecosystem</h2>Using our API-based card platforms, issuers can go to market(GTM) with a full-fledged debit card program within weeks. We provide a holistic debit card ecosystem that encompasses everything right from applying for&nbsp;<a class="link au mn" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/the-bin-migrationpreparing-for-8-digit-bins/" target="_blank" rel="noopener ugc nofollow">BIN</a>, card issuer processing, identifying a card printer and fulfillment supplier, mobile wallet&nbsp;<a class="link au mn" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/how-does-payment-tokenization-work/" target="_blank" rel="noopener ugc nofollow">tokenization</a>, and a payment scheme contract. We also possess our own card switch on the issuer side (for routing transactions) and&nbsp;<a class="link au mn" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/why-is-risk-based-authentication-rba-critical-for-banks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener ugc nofollow">ACS</a>&nbsp;system (authentication gateway), which are features most other API providers do not have.Issuers can build a unique customer experience using custom controls, unique data-based transaction authorization, and issue virtual and disposable cards. APIs also help drive actionable, real-time transaction data to drive insights and program improvements.We power comprehensive program management that cuts across core issuing, processing, technology with mobile-first API-based infrastructure, and back office operations that include recon and chargeback processing. We also provide support for marketing and customer service via a chatbot interface. All these programs are quite flexible, so issuers may opt-in based on their level of readiness and level of complexity in card processing, technology, operation, risk management, and customer service.Want to know more about debit card issuance?Write to us at&nbsp;<a class="link au mn" href="mailto:business@m2pfintech.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener ugc nofollow">business@m2pfintech.com</a><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.

Debit Card Issuance 101 - All You Need To Know

<img src="https://m2p-website-file.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/m2p-website-file/marketing-cms/m2p-blog/2022/07/6-Reasons-Cards-Issuers-Need-Modern-API-based-Issuance_Word-press.webp" alt="M2P Fintech" title="" id="rccc3brjk" width="100%" height="356">Payment cards are a necessity today. The benefits they deliver are immense not just to consumers. But also to issuers such as banks, NBFCs, and businesses.To businesses and financial institutions, cards are deal-breakers. Accessible in physical and virtual form factors, they hold the power to drive customer loyalty, enhance experiences, control business spending, and generate revenue. That’s why despite competition from other digital payment modes, card transactions are projected to grow at 12.9% reaching $39.7 trillion by 2025.<h2 class="heading-node" id="69f0">Shortcomings of Legacy Card Issuance Platforms</h2>Conventionally cards were designed and issued using legacy platforms. Though it simplified card issuance to a certain extent, the rigid&nbsp;<a class="link au lo" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/the-world-of-apis-how-they-power-fintech/" rel="noopener">APIs&nbsp;</a>had limited scope for innovation, speed, and multiple use-case support. Configuration flexibility, customizations, and security compliance also took a hit. This resulted in slow go-to-market speed, complex configurations, compliance,&nbsp;<a class="link au lo" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/how-does-payment-tokenization-work/" rel="noopener">tokenization&nbsp;</a>issues, and fragmented reporting. In short, legacy infrastructure left no potential to cater to modern customers with evolving needs and priorities.<h2 class="heading-node" id="4109">Why API-based Card Issuance is the Way to Go</h2>In an era where speed of card issuance, ease of onboarding, personalization, security, and tangible reward redemption are key differentiators, modern card issuance is the need of the hour. Right from launching a card program, to managing the program lifecycle, meeting regulatory compliance, to scaling the card program, modern&nbsp;<a class="link au lo" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/why-should-apis-be-your-holy-grail-for-prepaid-card-issuance/" rel="noopener">API-based card issuance</a>&nbsp;is the way to go.Card issuers worldwide are choosing modern card issuance over legacy for the following reasons.<h2 class="heading-node" id="l929s1bfo">1. Versatile Personalization</h2>A recent McKinsey report suggests that businesses can achieve a 15% revenue growth through personalization. Modern card platforms have flexible APIs that are amenable to innovation and customization, making them best suited to cater to modern consumer needs. The card can be customized for integration into a digital wallet for payments across in-store and online POS, and ATMs with varied limit management options for cardholders.The versatility of modern cards is so enormous that they can support multiple use cases on the go. They can double as general-purpose prepaid cards, single-use, and multi-purpose travel cards, gift cards, subscription cards, loyalty cards, and transit cards, among many others.<h2 class="heading-node" id="a0c8">2. Agile Wallet Integrations and Tokenization</h2>Cards can offer the advantage of physical as well as virtual form factors to issuers and customers. Though physical cards may take time to be shipped, virtual cards can be activated and used instantly, thus establishing consumer engagement right from day one.Modern card issuance platforms enable you to scale up and integrate virtual cards and physical cards into digital wallets. They lower development efforts by replacing numeric codes with natural language labels and creating actionable data. They also facilitate encrypted and tokenized virtual card data that can ease the integration of cards.<h2 class="heading-node" id="eebd">3. Access to PCI Widgets</h2>The PCI Security Standards Council provides a Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (<a class="link au lo" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/pci-dss-the-payments-armour/" rel="noopener">PCI DSS</a>) framework to protect card transactions and card holders’ data from breaches. PCI DSS certification is mandatory for fintechs or any company accepting card payments, storing, and displaying consumer card data on their website &amp; apps. The compliance process is cumbersome and time-consuming for issuers and merchants who want to manage card payments.Modern card issuance platforms provide access to PCI widgets that enable instant PIN activation and access to mobile apps without the hassle of going through a lengthy compliance process. This enables issuers to focus on their core business and customer experiences while leaving issuance, compliance, data security, privacy, and program management to certified modern issuance platforms.<h2 class="heading-node" id="a2f0">4. Dynamic Authorization</h2>In legacy infrastructure, spend controls are mostly preset and are not dynamically validated against live data and changing business rules. But modern card issuance opens up the payment flow and authorizes card transactions against live criteria such as card-present and Card Not Present (CNP) scenarios, spend amount, time, date, and frequency of transactions. It also customizes card spending authorization based on customer risk profile, merchant listing, currencies, and geolocation.<h2 class="heading-node" id="1c5d">5. Profitability</h2>Building a card program from scratch requires resources in terms of capital and time. Even though card issuers identify a problem they wish to address, the time and cost required to test the hypothesis are not feasible or profitable.Modern card issuance enables issuers to run and manage card programs while reducing cost of ownership and accelerating profitability through increased customer acquisition, retention, and satisfaction. The card program managers do not have to do the heavy lifting in obtaining the regulatory and compliance standards. With the help of modern card issuance, they can earn revenue through interchange charges and Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) by addressing the identified segment from the start. The margins can be shared between card issuers, card program managers, card networks, and processors.<h2 class="heading-node" id="c606">6. Global Scale-ups</h2>Modern card infrastructure can help scale up businesses for global payments and expansion. Leveraging their region-agnostic cloud infrastructure and scalable resources, issuers can automatically scale as and when traffic and transaction volume grows, without any manual intervention.Card issuers get the option to expand and test new business models and card use cases while launching card programs with the help of API-based card issuance stacks. This saves time spent on launching a new program by integrating with existing infrastructure and databases seamlessly. Equipped with backups and disaster recovery, these systems can be compatible with multi-currency payments, thus making them an ideal choice for expense management and travel payments management.Now remember, the six reasons delved upon above are just the beginning.Want to know more about how modern card issuance can benefit your business?Write to us at&nbsp;<a class="link au lo" href="mailto:business@m2pfintech.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener ugc nofollow">business@m2pfintech.com</a><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> for insightful fintech bytes curated for curious minds like you.

6 Reasons Cards Issuers Need Modern API-based Platform

<img src="https://m2p-website-file.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/m2p-website-file/marketing-cms/m2p-blog/2022/06/MicrosoftTeams-image-109.webp" alt="M2P Fintech" title="" width="100%" height="317">Wallet limit breaches and data duplications are crucial problems for <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/prepaid-cards-101-a-definitive-guide-for-growth-and-profitability/">prepaid card</a> issuers. They hold the risk of consumers overriding the loading and spending limit.That’s why <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/rbis-new-guidelines-for-ppis-how-will-it-impact-the-fintech-industry/">RBI</a> mandated that all prepaid programs deploy a centralized System of Records (SOR) in&nbsp;October’17. All prepaid program partners must mandatorily connect to the issuer’s SOR system.<h2 class="heading-node" id="7x11l5ome" style="text-align: justify">What is a System of Record?</h2>A System Of Record (SOR) or Source System of Record (SSoR) is a single source of truth or data source that stores important information about a system or process within the organization. It serves as a shared reference point that protects prepaid card issuers against data repetitions that arise when individual data is created, handled, and processed by multiple individuals or business units. As a result, SOR provides a single source of truth for operations.The System of Records monitors the consolidated prepaid balance of all wallets issued to the end customer by the same issuer, independent of the prepaid program partner. It is a central ledger that tracks every registered customer’s overall balance in real-time based on their <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/know-your-customer-kyc-the-need-for-authentication/">KYC</a> status. In addition to holding centralized data on the consolidated balance of a customer’s prepaid wallet, it also carries issuer-specific information. This is in cases where the balance of multiple partner wallets is integrated under a single <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/how-to-implement-the-best-prepaid-payment-instrument-ppi-for-your-business/">PPI</a> issuer.<h2 class="heading-node" id="20csbnfpl" style="text-align: justify">How SOR works for prepaid cards?</h2>Say an individual holds two prepaid wallets with the same issuer. His personal information is captured in the issuer database for profile creation and <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/crack-the-kyc-jigsaw-ease-onboarding-compliance/">KYC verification</a>. &nbsp;Issuers who partner with Token Service Providers for SOR will have all data automatically transferred to a centralized database. &nbsp;Then KYC-based wallet limit, dedupe check, and customer profile creation will need to be managed.<h2 class="heading-node" id="7g22xdrk5" style="text-align: justify">Why SOR is critical?</h2>SOR is critical for prepaid issuers who deal with huge volumes of data from multiple source systems. This system of truth helps secure the integrity and validity of any data set as it remains the only source of truth. If there is any other agreed system of record, the data element must be either linked to or extracted from it. In other situations, the provenance and estimated data quality should be documented.&nbsp;Here are some key benefits SOR offers to users.<ul class="list-node" id="niw8n6t1l"><li>Provides the most complete, accurate, and timely data</li><li>Best structural conformance to the data model</li><li>Nearest to the point of operational entry</li><li>Can be used to feed other systems</li></ul><h2 class="heading-node" id="vwxcavknq" style="text-align: justify">How can M2P facilitate SOR implementation?</h2>We help banks and prepaid card issuers build a SOR, which will serve as a final source of truth for all customer data. Our robust <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/api-the-power-that-drives-new-age-banking-ecosystems/">API</a>-led infrastructure offers a centralized database to track and monitor the data in real-time.&nbsp; The built-in checks and balances comprise AML, negative listing, and real-time watch listing capabilities to ensure compliance and zero limit breaches across programs.Looking to implement SOR for prepaid cards?We would like to help. Write to us at business@m2pfintech.com.&nbsp;&nbsp;<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 System Of Records (SOR) is Critical for Prepaid Card Issuers?

<img src="https://m2p-website-file.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/m2p-website-file/marketing-cms/m2p-blog/2022/06/Blog-Banner_Wearable-in-Banking-payment.webp" alt="M2P Fintech" title="" width="100%" height="383">The global wearable market size is projected to reach USD 931.31 Billion by the end of 2030, and wearables are here to stay.Not just in healthcare, retail, and telecom, but also in banking and payments. Changing customer priorities and fintech advancements accelerated the market for wearables in the pandemic era. With millennials, gen X, and gen Z consumers wanting secure, convenient, instantaneous transactions, contactless wearables are the way to go.Projected to grow at a CAGR of 11.5%, the future of wearables is likely to evolve further as consumers and financial institutions transition into the cashless, digital universe. Some wearable payment devices have the potential to become a “one-stop-shop” for several services.Disney’s Magic Band for instance is a wearable that Disney Land provides its visitors. Designed in the form of a funky wristband, the magic band functions as an access key, a payment device, and a personalized tracker. And it is also compatible with diverse smartphones and technologies.<h2 class="heading-node" id="7ff3" style="text-align: justify">What are wearable payment devices?</h2>Wearable payment devices are apparel, gadgets, and accessories we use to make contactless payments. The most common types are smartwatches, belts, jackets, fitness trackers, and even rings. They use services like Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and Google Pay to connect the device with the consumer’s bank account.<h2 class="heading-node" id="0774" style="text-align: justify">Top wearable payment devices in the market</h2><h4 class="heading-node" id="peflro9so" style="text-align: justify">Apple Watch</h4>The Apple Watch is one of the most popular smartwatches on the market, and it features NFC (Near Field Communication) technology. This technology allows the watch to communicate with other NFC-enabled devices, such as smartphones, to exchange data, make mobile payments, and do other contactless transactions.<h4 class="heading-node" id="zefu7xngv" style="text-align: justify">Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic</h4>Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic offers contactless payment services through Samsung Wallet. This smartwatch enables users to make contactless payments at stores that accept NFC-enabled transactions.<h4 class="heading-node" id="7zin33oqj" style="text-align: justify">7 Ring</h4><a class="link" href="https://seven.ooo/">7 Ring</a> is India's most advanced form of making contactless payments, utilizing Near-Field Communication (NFC) technology. Co-certified by EMV, 7 Ring has the same security standards as the payment instruments used worldwide by leading banking networks.7 Ring uses <a class="link" href="https://www.livquik.com/">LivQuik</a>&nbsp;(powered by M2P)&nbsp;as their wallet provider, which works seamlessly with a tap at the PoS terminal, enabling convenient payments without the need for a phone or Bluetooth connection.<h4 class="heading-node" id="vknjub99i" style="text-align: justify">Ringly</h4>Ringly offers rings and bracelets that connects to your phone via Bluetooth. Partnering with MasterCard, they allow you to make contactless payments apart from tracking your activities. They allow you to make contactless payments with just a wave of your hand.Now we’ve seen only a sample of wearable devices. Belts, jackets, and even shoes are used as wearable payment devices today.<h2 class="heading-node" id="f558" style="text-align: justify">How do wearable payment devices work?</h2>To use a wearable payment device, say a smartwatch, the user needs to link the device to a credit card or bank account. Once the device is linked, the user can make payments by simply tapping the device against a payment terminal. The payment is then processed through the credit card or bank account that is linked to the device.<h2 class="heading-node" id="cb0d" style="text-align: justify">Wearable payment technologies</h2>Wearable payment systems are quite commonly used in e-banking and payment platforms. They operate on technologies such as HCE, Barcode, Contactless Point of Sale, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), and Near-field Communication (NFC) to enable payments and cash transfers.<h4 class="heading-node" id="8264" style="text-align: justify">Host Card Emulation (HCE)</h4>Host Card Emulation (HCE) enables payments that are activated by NFC technology. ​​It allows a device to emulate the functionality of a smart card to provide contactless payment capabilities using the ISO/IEC 7816–4 APDU command set. It communicates with a reader and stores data in the same way that a smart card would. A key benefit of using HCE is that it does not require a physical smart card or a built-in NFC reader. And it can be used for loyalty programs and access control too.<h4 class="heading-node" id="387a" style="text-align: justify">Barcodes</h4>Some wearables are encoded with scan-and-go application barcode scanners for payments. It allows the customer to check out quickly without conventional processes. Barcode technology offers several advantages in wearable devices. They are secure, can be read quickly and easily, and can store a large amount of data. Newer barcode standards, such as QR codes can be deeply encrypted to prevent unauthorized access.<h4 class="heading-node" id="aae0" style="text-align: justify">Contactless Point of Sale (CPOS)</h4>The contactless point of sale (CPOS) is a new technology that uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to communicate with the POS terminal and make payments. The CPOS system is fast, convenient, and secure. You just hold your card near the POS terminal, and the payment will be processed automatically. It uses the latest encryption technology to protect personal information.<h4 class="heading-node" id="e897" style="text-align: justify">Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)</h4>RFID wearables such as rings, wristbands, and dongles comprise an embedded chip with an RFID tag. The tag is a unique identifier that an RFID reader can read. The reader can track the tag’s location or access wearer information. RFID-enabled wearables offer many advantages over traditional ID payment devices. They are more difficult to lose or misplace and can be read from a distance, making them ideal for tracking assets or people.<h4 class="heading-node" id="4a4c" style="text-align: justify">Near-field Communication (NFC)</h4>NFC ​​ is a short-range wireless technology that enables two devices to communicate when they are near each other, typically no more than a few centimeters. It is a convenient way to share small amounts of data between devices and works great in wearable payment devices, such as smartwatches, fitness trackers, and clothing.<h2 class="heading-node" id="4re67ozcs" style="text-align: justify">Wearables, IoT, and Fintech</h2>As with many things to do with digital transformation, the pandemic pushed businesses to explore and invest in Point-of-Sale (POS) technology, making wearables more than just useful tools. Readily available and user-friendly in usage and navigation, payment apps such as Google Pay and Apple Wallets, have made it easy for all demographics to transition smoothly into wearable technology.In the current mobile climate, using the Internet of Things (IoT) in banking is the way to attract new customers and retain existing ones. Wearable payment devices and IoT helps the financial sector to gain deep customer insight and improve user experience. Banks implementing IoT have seen benefits in cost savings, higher efficiency in business processes, and better customer experience. They have also been able to build new revenue models.There is no doubt that fintech needs wearables, as it opens up new opportunities to transform their businesses and remain strong contenders in the market. We see the increasing use of wearables and in a way, they may even replace mobile phones in the future.<h2 class="heading-node" id="51ef" style="text-align: justify">How wearables benefit banks and fintechs</h2><h4 class="heading-node" id="2062" style="text-align: justify">Access to data</h4>Wearables provide banks access to voluminous data as they are worn by customers most of the time. Customer intelligence gained can be used to enhance experiences and personalize products and services. Wearables are critical to data extraction and analytics.<h4 class="heading-node" id="f3b5" style="text-align: justify">Personalization of customer service</h4>Financial institutions and fintechs today recognize the need to be customer centric. And data extracted from wearables have proven to personalize and optimize customer interactions. Wearables can help predict customer behavior through real-time data and target them with recommendations and personalized offers.<h4 class="heading-node" id="135f" style="text-align: justify">Omnichannel user experience</h4>A combination of IoT and wearables can make all the difference in omnichannel customer experience. Fintech and banks can gain a competitive edge with wearables, for example, using smartwatches to make ATM withdrawals and biometric-enabled transactions.<h4 class="heading-node" id="072a" style="text-align: justify">Risk assessment</h4>Banks and fintechs need to mitigate risk by assessing potential factors. Analyzing customer data extracted from wearables can help enhance risk management decisions on lending, or insurance, among many others.<h2 class="heading-node" id="661d" style="text-align: justify">Banking Wearables in India</h2>India is fast catching up in the wearables market, especially after RBI increased the limit for contactless transactions to Rs. 5000. Both SBI and Axis Bank have launched their wearables Titan Pay and Wear n’ Pay, respectively.<h4 class="heading-node" id="92aa" style="text-align: justify">Titan Pay</h4>Titan Pay is a wearable collaboration between Titan and SBI that offers watches to enable contactless payments. It comprises a mobile app that allows users to send and receive money instantly. Using the watch and the app, users can transact in multiple currencies, track spending, and even set up a budget.<h4 class="heading-node" id="8fae" style="text-align: justify">Wear n’ Pay</h4>Wear n’ Pay devices include accessories like key chains and watch loops from AXIS Bank. It allows you to pay for purchases by just swiping your wrist. The system uses a special wristband that you can wear while you shop. You simply swipe your wristband across the payment terminal to pay for your purchase.<h4 class="heading-node" id="94vghp82w" style="text-align: justify">Indus PayWear</h4>By enabling consumers to easily tokenize their IndusInd Bank credit or debit card onto a chip-enabled wearable device, Indus PayWear is poised to completely change the payment experience. This will do away with the requirement for a physical card or even a payment app for purchases and enable quick and safe tap-and-pay transactions at any contactless Point-of-Sale (PoS) terminal worldwide.<h2 class="heading-node" id="9h5ne3vh6" style="text-align: justify">Real-time adoption of Wearables</h2>During the 2024 IPL, the <a class="link" href="https://www.npci.org.in/PDF/npci/press-releases/2024/NPCI-Press-Release-RuPay-Launches-Exclusive-On-The-Go-Contactless-Payment-Collectible-for-2024-TATA-IPL-Playoffs-and-Final.pdf">NPCI launched an NFC-enabled wristband</a> for payments and access to the playoffs and finals. As a part of the “RuPay On-the-Go” series, the wristband provides seamless access management during events and functions as a versatile contactless payment device post-event.This first-of-its-kind initiative links access management for live events and payments into one exclusive collectible for select attendees of the playoffs and finals.<h2 class="heading-node" id="6f11" style="text-align: justify">Conclusion</h2>The integration of wearable &amp; contactless payments is an emerging trend in the modern payment system. While <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/the-rise-of-digital-payments/" target="">digital payment</a> trends keep on changing, the need to provide the best consumer experience across the platform is always constant for Financial Institutions and Payment Service providers.At M2P, we provide the best customizable payment experiences for businesses. Using our end-to-end API stack, we ensure that modern innovations and technology are seamlessly integrated into your ecosystem. Our APIs enable channel management and limit management across PoS, contactless payments, ecommerce, and withdrawals on your payments platform.Want to know more about integrating contactless payments and other customizable features on your payments platform?Write to us at&nbsp;<a class="link au lo" href="mailto:business@m2pfintech.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener ugc nofollow">business@m2pfintech.com</a>.<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.

Rise of Wearables in Payments and Banking

<img src="https://m2p-website-file.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/m2p-website-file/marketing-cms/m2p-blog/2022/06/Remittance-with-UPI-_Blog-Banner-.webp" alt="M2P Fintech" title="" width="100%" height="284">India has the world’s largest diaspora. More than 30 million Indians reside outside the country. The Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs) from the US, UK, and the Middle East make India the world’s largest recipient of remittances. Despite the pandemic and its economic impact, India received $87 billion* remittance in 2021. (Source: World Bank 2021 report)The MENA region is home to a significant expatriate population. And more than half of its outbound remittances are sent to India. India-UAE is the world’s second-largest remittance corridor clocking more than $20 billion in transaction value. It makes up 33% of India’s total inward remittance volume. According to the Central Bank of the UAE’s (CBUAE) report, the outward remittances of the UAE increased by 9.2% in the third quarter of 2021. India retained its position as the top recipient by accounting for 26% of the outward remittance.<h2 class="heading-node" id="3sb73vqzx">India and the Middle&nbsp;East</h2>Now, remittances from the Middle East are not a recent phenomenon in India. They go way back to the 1900s when Indians moved to the Persian Gulf, searching for better opportunities. Since then, India’s trade relationship with the UAE and the rest of the countries in the Middle East has flourished. Today, over 7.6 million Indians live in the Middle East.During 2021–2022, India chalked up a total trade of $154 billion with countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), accounting for 18.3% of its collective imports and exports value. The bilateral trade between India and the UAE is valued at $72.9 billion. The UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq are India’s third, fourth, and fifth-biggest trading partners, and the trade sector is expected to expand over the upcoming years.The recent Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) is a significant milestone for bilateral trade relations between India and the UAE. Effective from 1 May 2022, CEPA offers an open and equitable ecosystem for businesses and accentuates new frontiers in cross-border payments and remittances.<h2 class="heading-node" id="fwofl48gd">Tale of Money Transfer to&nbsp;India</h2>In the early eighties and nineties, expats physically visited money transfer operators and agents to send money to their families back home, while businesses and Governmental agencies depended on conventional modes of <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/cross-border-payments-a-swift-money-flow-across-borders/">cross-border payments</a>. However, these traditional methods were fraught with challenges such as security, time delay, high costs, and currency conversion fees.For example, Demand Draft (D/D) was one of the earliest forms of remittance. D/D is traceable at any given time and hence, was considered the safest and niftiest money transfer method. However, it was an exceptionally tedious and time-consuming process. But slowly, things changed. Remittances started to evolve, from drafts to personal cheques and wire transfers to the online and mobile transfers of today.<h2 class="heading-node" id="ko5i3w91c">Key Challenges in Remittances</h2>Differences in the time zones, currency conversion, multiple compliance checks, unforeseen delays, charges, and the uncertainty of receipt of payment were challenges that payers and payees faced in international remittance. As customer preferences and technologies evolved, cost, compliance, speed, and interoperability emerged as factors that affected convenience, security, and seamlessness.CostThe charges associated with the remittances vary across markets and services providers. Key factors include the transaction amount, transfer destination, payment channel, and exchange rates. In addition, the cost of a service provider is subject to the complexity involved in managing settlements in multiple currencies and the time and effort required to maintain compliance with the <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/know-your-customer-kyc-the-need-for-authentication/">KYC</a>/AMC guidelines and partnerships. This calls for innovative technologies and digitization to minimize the cost, in turn reducing the overall transaction cost for the customers.Compliance and SpeedThe most common reasons for the delay in remittances are the fragmented remittance information coupled with the extensive checks for anti-money laundering and fraud activities. Financial institutions ought to carry out an overarching list of compliance checks to mitigate risks. A central hub to share cross-national information can aid in speeding the payment process.Interoperability<a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/why-payments-interoperability-is-a-must-for-todays-generation/">Interoperability</a> plays a crucial role in improving the speed and time of remittances. Cross-border payments are time-intensive — lesser the compatibility between the systems, the higher the transaction risks. A standardized global messaging format reduces the time, effort, and error that arises with the translation.<h2 class="heading-node" id="xfzjj9vvg">UPI — Resolving the Challenges in Inward Remittance</h2>The introduction of <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/upi-the-driver-of-economic-growth-and-inclusion/">UPI</a> has changed the course of remittances. This ground-breaking financial innovation has the potential to help the payer and payee overcome remittance challenges and has made international transfers quick, simple, cost-efficient, and transparent. Money transfer institutions are tapping the potential of fintechs to develop a UPI-based cross-border payment ecosystem that leverages global networks to make overseas transfers more reliable and secure.As one of the largest markets for inward remittances, India is adopting UPI as a fundamental mode of remittance through its strategic collaboration with several nations. National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) set up a payments wing (NIPL) to internationalize UPI and Rupay, and enable real-time bank account payouts.NIPL has inked agreements with several countries in the Middle East and the Asia Pacific, including United Arab Emirates, Nepal, Bhutan, Singapore, and Japan, to deploy the UPI payment rails in their jurisdictions. In the last two years, companies like LuLu Financial and Al Ansari Exchange have benefitted from real-time UPI–based remittances.<h2 class="heading-node" id="gfll6t4lh">Benefits of Integrating UPI and Remittance</h2>Mobile-first InteroperabilityUPI offers a mobile-first, interoperable open payment infrastructure. This allows Payment Service Providers (PSPs) operating on diverse payment systems to undertake, clear, and settle payment transactions through a common interface with common identifier/security standards. This minimizes the challenges of integration and interoperability.Anywhere Anytime AvailabilityUsually, cross-border payments are restricted to banking hours/days. But UPI is a 24x7, 365 days service. With UPI, remittances can be done at any time via more than one digital channel from anywhere without worrying about the banking hours, bank/public holidays, or even bank strike.Real-time TransactionsUPI is a real-time payment system that instantly completes and settles the transactions. It eliminates the need for registering the payee and the waiting time to activate the payee as a beneficiary. The interface allows the users to transfer money by simply keying in the virtual address or UPI ID to make the requisite payment. This will drastically reduce the transaction time and associated risks.Curtails ErrorA lot of things can go wrong when customers transfer money by entering the details of the beneficiary’s bank account. For example, they can provide an incorrect account number or a wrong IFSC code leading to a transaction failure. UPI remittance can curtail such errors as the customer can disregard the bank account details and remember only the Virtual Payment Address (VPA) or the UPI ID to complete a transaction successfully.Prevents FraudUPI uses proxy identifiers like a mobile number and a user-specific Unique Identifier (UPI ID or VPA) to make payments. This is the main advantage of UPI as it addresses security and privacy concerns. Additionally, the UPI ecosystem has single-click two factor authentication to protect users from financial fraud during digital transactions.Reduces Waiting Time and FrictionAs established earlier, the remittance process entails filling up the beneficiary’s bank account details and waiting several hours to transfer the funds to their friends/family. In the meantime, the senders and receivers are both left in the dark over the state of a transfer. Implementing UPI in remittance systems helps address such frictions as it enables instant transactions and lets the customers know the status of the money transfer.Increases Cost-EfficiencyBanks charge a competitive fee for each international transaction. Since the interface has the potential to simplify the correspondence between global banks, it would reduce the time and effort involved in each transaction. This allows banks to lower the transaction fee.UPI’s real-time, round-the-clock, and simple interface radically enhances the cross-border remittance experience as customers benefit from superior efficiency, speed, accessibility, and transparency.<h2 class="heading-node" id="gzqqd1ipr">M2P — UAE’s first UPI-enabled Remittance Service Provider</h2>As UAE’s first UPI-enabled remittance service provider, we enable banks and foreign exchange operators to facilitate end-to-end settlements inclusive of conversion facility. Our deep domain expertise, innovation, and technology know-how render a hassle-free/frictionless remittance experience for both the payer and payee.Most importantly, our intermediary banks are certified by NPCI, and we are compliant with the remittance directives issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Our full-fledged, mobile-first, customizable API stack simplifies UPI transactions and enables real-time international transfer.To know more about using UPIs for cross-border remittances, write to us at business@m2pfintech.com.<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.

Remittance with UPI - A Giant Leap for Cross-Border Payments

<img src="https://m2p-website-file.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/m2p-website-file/marketing-cms/m2p-blog/2022/06/Blog-Banner_02_WordPress-1.webp" alt="M2P Fintech" title="" width="100%" height="661">Imagine you own a digital wallet. Its primary function is to let you spend viz., shop with partner merchants, make payments, and transfer money to other wallets and bank accounts. Then the same wallet offers a card (any authorized card network Visa, MasterCard, RuPay) to facilitate card-based in-store and online payments. Further, the wallet also comes with a UPI virtual ID to allow payments via QR codes and <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/upi-the-driver-of-economic-growth-and-inclusion/">UPI</a>.This is payments interoperability making life easy for you.<h2 class="heading-node" id="abd3">What is Payments Interoperability?</h2>Now, there are several definitions for interoperability. But at its core, it is the basic ability of multiple digital systems, applications, and databases to connect and communicate with each other.Payment platforms leverage financial technology to connect and share data among ecosystem partners, viz., banks, payment gateways, payment processors, merchants, and consumers. This integration helps carry out transactions between payment service providers, third-party processors, and other networks without hassles. The interoperability occurs at the origination point, at the network level, or through an intermediary, both in national and international payment systems.Here are a few common attributes of interoperability.<img src="https://m2p-website-file.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/m2p-website-file/marketing-cms/m2p-blog/2022/06/Interoperability_BlogBanner_02_wordpress.webp" alt="M2P Fintech" title="" id="7ruk1ov0f" width="100%" height="661">Payment system interoperability can be at domestic (national) and international levels.<h2 class="heading-node" id="558a">National Payments Interoperability</h2>National payment interoperability is limited to payment systems within a single country. National interoperability usually involves the same type of accounts. It happens between:<ul class="list-node" id="sk8vndtl8"><li>Deposit accounts issued by various banks</li><li>e-money transaction accounts offered by mobile network operators</li></ul>National interoperability is ensured through bilateral agreements between Payment Service Providers (PSP) and Payment Systems Infrastructures (PSIs). Or through a centralized interoperability solution, with standardized regulatory measures stipulated by the central bank.<h2 class="heading-node" id="2998">RBI’s Mandate for Domestic PPI Interoperability</h2>Governments and Central Banks are giving interoperability a significant push to accelerate cashless ecosystems. <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/rbis-new-guidelines-for-ppis-how-will-it-impact-the-fintech-industry/">RBI</a> aims to make interoperability mandatory for all full-<a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/know-your-customer-kyc-the-need-for-authentication/">KYC</a> <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/how-to-implement-the-best-prepaid-payment-instrument-ppi-for-your-business/">Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs</a>) and acceptance infrastructure by 31 June 2022. The move is to drive inclusion in <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/ready-to-sneak-peek-into-global-cashless-societies/">cashless payments</a>, and optimally utilize payment instruments like cards and wallets, given the constraint of scarce acceptance infrastructures like point-of-sale (POS) devices, ATMs, QR codes, and bill-payment touch points. Any user who signs up for a wallet, <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/prepaid-cards-101-a-definitive-guide-for-growth-and-profitability/">prepaid card</a>, or UPI on PPI rails should be able to make digital payments via any network.LivQuik is the first PPI issuer in India to achieve full interoperability as mandated by the RBI. This feat enables customers to enjoy optimized card and UPI payments across wallets. Similarly, initiatives like <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/central-bank-digital-currency-cbdc-101-a-primer/">Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC)</a> will further drive interoperability, inclusion, and innovation.<h2 class="heading-node" id="d3b9">Need for Interoperable Cross-Border Payments</h2>Interoperability in <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/cross-border-payments-a-swift-money-flow-across-borders/">cross-border payments</a> is critical to making financial services accessible, affordable, and reliable. It involves coordination between multiple stakeholders, including central banks and regulators. It encompasses technical, regulatory, and usage interoperability to enable quick, convenient, secure, and seamless transactions regardless of the Financial Services Provider (FSP) network.According to a recent Visa survey, only 50% of merchants have a cross-border trade-compatible payment processing infrastructure. Without globally interoperable payment systems, small and medium-sized merchants cannot tap into international trade and markets. Interoperability levels the playing field and eliminates the inefficiencies of a closed-loop payment systems, i.e., payments between users of only one payment provider.An end-to-end interoperable platform delivers access to cross-border payment services through an integrated gateway. It enhances the user experience through its ease-of-use customer onboarding and <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/crack-the-kyc-jigsaw-ease-onboarding-compliance/">digital KYC.</a>A centralized interoperability platform calls for stringent global regulatory compliance and data security standards for utmost security. It enables faster reconciliations with real-time reporting and data-driven insights into payment patterns and customer behavior. Moreover, an automated platform saves time, reduces human error, and cuts costs. It enables infrastructure and data sharing which helps tech-driven payment ecosystems reach economies of scale.While international interoperability comes with a few challenges, it can be overcome with the support of the regulators, the global schemes, and a compatible business model across international borders and technology.<h2 class="heading-node" id="9178">Global Partnerships with Payment Networks</h2>A clear example of an interoperable <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/cross-border-payments-a-swift-money-flow-across-borders/">cross-border payments</a> partnership is that between India’s <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/upi-the-driver-of-economic-growth-and-inclusion/">UPI</a> and Singapore’s PayNow. The need for faster cross-border payments and <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/fintech-a-catalyst-for-financial-inclusion/">financial inclusion</a> has been a catalyst in establishing the link between India and Singapore. The interoperable link between UPI and PayNow, enables instantaneous, cost-effective, and transparent payments across borders.Now for those new to UPI, it is India’s real-time payment system with a Virtual Payment Address (VPA). It is completely mobile-based and supports person-to-person (P2P) and person-to-merchant (P2M) payments and funds transfers.And PayNow is Singapore’s real-time payment system available to all participating banks and non-bank financial institutions. It is also a mobile-based system and enables peer-to-peer funds transfer using mobile numbers, VPA, or Singapore NRIC/ FIN. The UPI-PayNow partnership is only the beginning and is established to foster faster and smoother transactions between India and Singapore.India also holds strategic partnerships with the following payments networks and banks to enable seamless, interoperable transactions on our payments rails.<ul class="list-node" id="tpyzch3q0"><li>Discover Financial Services (DFS), US</li><li>Japan Credit Bureau (JCB), Japan</li><li>Union Pay International (UPI), China</li><li>Royal Monetary Authority (RMA), Bhutan</li><li>Mashreq Bank, UAE</li><li>Lycra Network, France (in the pipeline)</li></ul><h2 class="heading-node" id="1f35">Benefits of Payments Interoperability</h2>Interoperability benefits the entire payment ecosystem, including customers, merchants, end-users, and businesses. In addition to enhancing user experience and helping mitigate security risks, it delivers the advantages below.<ul class="list-node" id="ol9tnl3en"><li>Payment flexibility:&nbsp;The ability to accept all forms of payments is a game-changer. Universal payment acceptance helps customer retention and increases customer reach. Though there are several digital payment systems and digital offerings from payment system providers, customers are not required to sign into multiple systems and complete their <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/know-your-customer-kyc-the-need-for-authentication/">KYC</a> many times. Interoperability brings issuers and acquirers together to undertake, clear, and settle payment transactions across payment systems, ensuring universal payments and consumer retention.</li><li>Faster payment system: Electronic transactions are the key to reconciling and collecting payments, unlike cash-based systems. Advanced technology and fast internet connectivity make it easier to increase the speed of transactions.</li><li>Secure payment and POS integration: Integration pushes the transaction directly to the payment terminal and eliminates manual entries, thereby enhancing security.</li><li>Low operational costs:&nbsp;Integrated payment platforms reduce operating costs and seamlessly communicate with multiple devices across different financial service providers. It helps save money on adding new payment terminals.</li></ul><h2 class="heading-node" id="0b67">Addressing Challenges — Getting it Right</h2>Getting interoperability right through open <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/api-the-power-that-drives-new-age-banking-ecosystems/">API</a>-based platforms is a start toward harnessing and expanding the payments ecosystem. Interoperability can be tricky when dealing with legacy systems. Technical challenges usually comprise systems that use different technical standards, communication protocols, and related software and hardware infrastructure. Another common challenge relates to data and semantics. Payment systems may use different languages and need to be translated. Inadequate translation leads to corrupted or lost data.It is crucial to address the regulatory, technical, and business challenges of interoperability to make cross-border payments affordable, faster, transparent, and inclusive. Strategic partnerships with fintech firms, banks, exchange houses, and Money Transfer Operators (MTOs) with a focus on regulatory compliance and technology innovation will pave the way to overcome challenges and enable frictionless international transactions.<h2 class="heading-node" id="99d4">Need of the Hour for Today’s Generation</h2>Payments interoperability is the linchpin of today’s digitized economy. When done right, it can lead to greater convenience, speed, reliability, security, and seamlessness. It is the need of the hour today, as it enables people from all walks of life to benefit from the convenience that the cashless economy offers. It can increase service offerings, reduce costs, empower the end-user and help improve payment systems. Thus, interoperability is a strong facilitator for financial inclusion.By leveraging <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/api-the-power-that-drives-new-age-banking-ecosystems/">API</a>-based <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/cross-border-payments-a-swift-money-flow-across-borders/">cross-border payment platforms</a> with simple integrations across domestic switches, bank accounts, mobile wallets/e-wallets, MTO transfers, and forex card solutions, we can enable financial inclusion and seamless payments across APAC and MENA regions. With India to start with and then extended globally.Along these lines, M2P is proud to partner with LivQuik for <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/upi-the-driver-of-economic-growth-and-inclusion/">UPI</a> services on exiting <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/how-to-implement-the-best-prepaid-payment-instrument-ppi-for-your-business/">PPI</a> offerings like cards, wallets, gift certificates, and other products. Thereby enabling interoperable payments on the LivQuik platform.Want to know more about building interoperable payment systems?Write to us at business@m2pfintech.com.<a class="link au ly" href="https://forms.gle/kJgVoD29t2vcxtbp9" target="_blank" rel="noopener ugc nofollow">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 au ly" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/m2pfintech/mycompany/" target="_blank" rel="noopener ugc nofollow">LinkedIn</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a class="link au ly" href="https://twitter.com/m2pfintech" target="_blank" rel="noopener ugc nofollow">Twitter</a>&nbsp;for insightful fintech tales curated for curious minds like you.

Tag: "Digital Payments (63)"

M2P Fintech