The PAYTECH Book

The Perspective of a Passionate Payments CEO

By Andrea Dunlop

Chairwomen of the Emerging Payments Association, Angel Investor and Non-Executive Director; formerly CEO, Merchant Acquiring (part of the Paysafe Group),

Change Seen from Inside a Payments Company

As the Divisional CEO of a global payments business, I see payments as a highly creative sector and it is this creativity that is driving rapid change. I see new FinTech players emerging to deploy technology that reduces friction, adds convenience, resolves pain points and creates great consumer experiences. I see intermediaries disappearing or getting marginalized, unless they discover new ways of adding value. And I am seeing how scale and network effects in this brave new world can be a source of competitive advantage and sustainable growth.

Meanwhile, new business models are emerging that come from technology-driven innovation and profit-driven entrepreneurs, blurring the lines between banks and FinTechs, PayTechs and RegTechs, challenger banks and bank challengers. Companies providing new digital banking solutions – such as Monzo, Starling and Revolut – are being built with a mobile-first approach, while some traditional players are struggling to keep up with these new consumer-led propositions.

Growth and Failure

Hundreds of new companies have entered the payments market in the last decade. Many have business models dependent on continuous investment to support consumer acquisition in what has become a very highly ...