The Future of Payments and Remittances: Innovations, Real-Time Payments, and Global Financial Inclusion | IPR Global 2024 

The payments and remittance industry stands on the brink of remarkable transformation, driven by innovative technologies, evolving consumer expectations, and a pursuit of frictionless digital transactions. This evolution raises essential questions about global economic inclusivity and whether security and compliance frameworks can keep pace with rapid advancements.  

Leading voices in the industry share insights into the trends shaping this landscape, focusing on real-time payments, digital wallets, and groundbreaking technologies that are redefining global remittance. 

Panellists:  

  • Michael Bermingham, Co-Founder & Chief Business Officer, Nium 
  • Anastasia Serikova, VP, Head of Revenue and Growth, Visa Direct at Visa 
  • Kunal Choudhary, Money Transfers Strategy Lead, Worldpay 
  • Mitchell Fordham, Chief Revenue Officer & Co-founder, eSIM Go 

Moderator: 

  • Oussama Kseibati, Business Development Officer, RemitONE  
  1. Key Trends Shaping the Payments and Remittance Landscape  

Michael emphasised the rise of real-time payments and the profound impact of payment platforms like Pix in Brazil and UPI in India. He explained that real-time payments are no longer optional for financial institutions or payment service providers but are becoming essential for driving global business growth. Organisations must not only build connections to these networks but also invest in specialised teams to navigate and harness these systems effectively. Nium has dedicated teams to establish these vital connections, which, in turn, enable seamless cross-border payments.  

Remittances are projected to continue rising, potentially reaching $800 billion by 2024, Anastasia shared. Digital-first providers are surpassing traditional channels, capturing an increasingly large portion of this growing market. This shift is driven by the demand for digital transactions and the push to simplify the payment ecosystem. Visa Direct is aiming to reduce intermediaries in the transaction process, enabling faster foreign exchange (FX) transactions, greater transparency, and ultimately, quicker payments—a key objective for G20 countries. She emphasised that promoting digital literacy is vital, empowering consumers to confidently navigate these streamlined digital systems. 

A unique trend Oussama pointed out among Money Transfer Operators (MTOs) is the shift beyond traditional remittances, with services designed to deepen client engagement and retention. Now, instead of simply sending funds, customers can choose options like paying for subscription services (think Netflix) or providing vouchers for specific goods—a particularly popular option in markets like Africa, where recipients can redeem vouchers at designated locations. This shift, highlights the increasing personalisation of remittance services, giving recipients more versatile and meaningful ways to benefit from transfers beyond standard monetary transactions. 

  1. Industry Growth and Data Highlights 

Some eye-opening stats shared by Kunal illustrate the rapid rise and evolution of payments and remittances, largely driven by digital transformation. According to Worldpay projections, global transaction volumes are set to soar, reaching an astounding $25 trillion by 2027—a growth trajectory powered by the steady shift toward digital and mobile-first solutions.  

For instance, in 2023, digital wallets were used for half of all e-commerce transactions, with 30% of being point-of-sale (POS) transactions. It’s not just about online shopping; these trends are equally transformative in the remittance market, which is expected to hit $1 trillion in value soon, driven by technology and mobile innovation. 

One standout example is Brazil’s Pix network, a real-time, low-cost account-to-account payment system that serves 160 million people, allowing for immediate transfers without hefty fees—an essential service for people who need to maximise the value of their transactions. According to a Worldpay’s recent Payments Performance Report, 88% of respondents expressed interest in adopting a similar system to Pix, signalling a broad appeal for efficient, direct payment solutions. 

Mobile wallets are particularly significant for financial inclusion. In regions like Sub-Saharan Africa, where remittances play a critical economic role, mobile wallet usage has been growing at an impressive 20% annually. This growth, Kunal explained, stems from the accessibility, affordability, and transparency of mobile wallets, which provide a seamless option for people without traditional banking services to manage their finances and participate in the digital economy. 

  1. Innovative Technologies Revolutionising the Sector 

eSIMs—short for embedded SIMs—are a digital alternative to traditional SIM cards, offering seamless, flexible mobile connectivity without the need for a physical SIM swap. While they’ve become especially popular in the travel space, eSIMs are also making waves in the remittance industry. Mitchell expressed how this technology is a game-changer for the unbanked and digitally underserved populations, enabling secure mobile access to financial services, regardless of physical location or device. EsimGO is empowering financial businesses to offer fully digital services to consumers, which not only boosts transaction volumes but also gives companies a competitive edge. As an example, esimGO’s partnerships with Western Union and various neobanks help create resilient, inclusive financial solutions that are built on accessible mobile technology. 

Anastasia also delved into several recent innovations from Visa that highlight the evolving landscape of global payments. One standout feature allows users to send money internationally using just a mobile phone number—an ideal solution for those who prefer not to share sensitive account details, providing an added layer of security and peace of mind. Another innovation is Visa’s unified API for multi-currency payments, known as “cash pulling.” This allows customers to convert and hold multiple currencies, manage FX rates, and access a wide range of payout options—all through a single, streamlined API. Whether it’s bank accounts or digital wallets, this unified approach creates a smooth, predictable cross-border experience for both businesses and consumers. 

Further enhancing the digital wallet ecosystem, Visa Direct has partnered with Thunes and TerraPay to expand Visa Direct’s reach, adding over 1.5 billion new digital wallet endpoints, connecting even more users to the financial system. 

What next? 

At RemitONE, our commitment is to provide you with cutting-edge technology, compliance solutions, an expansive network, and expert guidance to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of remittances. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to scale your business, we’ve got you covered. 

Want to see how RemitONE can elevate your business? Book a free consultation to discover how we can supercharge your business 

Innovation in Payments and Remittances (IPR) Global 2024 Award Winners!

Earlier in the month, we gathered the top global companies in the Remittance and Payments space in our annual IPR Global 2024 event. On day two, we hosted our award ceremony to honour the game-changers and trailblazers who are pushing the industry forward in exciting new ways.

The RemitONE team is excited to unveil the winners who took home the trophy, along with the honourable mentions — those who came close and deserve recognition for their impressive efforts:

Company of the Year 2024

Winner: Flutterwave

Honourable mention: Jamuna Bank PLC. Bangladesh

Social Impact Award 2024

Winner: Ding

Honourable mention: United Bank Limited

Exceptional Customer Experience Award 2024

Winner: Cauridor

Honourable mention: Neo Money Transfer

Start-up of the Year Award 2024

Winner: Sikoia

Honourable mention: WeWire

Innovation Award 2024

Winner: Uniteller Financial Services

Honourable mention: Tiketi Rafiki

All entries were thoroughly evaluated by our esteemed judges comprised of global senior experts in the payments and remittance industry:  

  • Leon Isaacs, CEO & Founder, DMA Global
  • Kathryn Tomasofsky, Executive Director, MSBA
  • Osama Al Rahma, Advisor, Board of Foreign Exchange & Remittance Group (FERG)
  • Veronica Studsgaard, Founder & Chairman, IAMTN

After the initial assessment, the award finalists were unveiled in August 2024. This was followed by the second stage, during which the judging panel reviewed all the finalist entries and selected the winners in each category through an anonymous scoring method. 

From left to right pictured: (Top left) Alpha Diallo, Marta Pillon and Rob Ayers, (Top middle) Lindsay Lehr, Bob Dowd and Olivia Biviano, (Top right) Alberta Guerra and Lindsay Lehr, (Bottom left) Leon Isaacs, Sid Gautam, Shikesha Panton, Noel Ozoemena and Sadat Choudhury, (Bottom right) Bob Dowd, Olivia Biviano, Alpha Diallo, Marta Pillon, Albert Guerra, Noel Ozoemena and Shikesha Panton.

About Innovation in Payments and Remittances (IPR)  

In 2018, RemitONE launched Innovation in Payments and Remittances (IPR) to bring together various industry supply chain members to drive positive change. Through events and research reports, IPR unites senior business leaders dedicated to enhancing the industry, enabling them to think big, share best practices, engage, learn, discover, create opportunities and shape change. With the power of collective insight, we can push innovation and industry growth boundaries and benefit from better outcomes. 

The IPR events are organised throughout the year to help industry stakeholders, visionaries and business leaders make informed decisions that ultimately benefit the consumers. 

About RemitONE  

RemitONE is the leading provider of end-to-end money transfer solutions for banks, money transfer operators (MTOs) and fintech start-ups worldwide. Our award-winning money transfer, compliance software products and consulting services – including MSB licensing, bank account provisioning and connections to our clients and partners – are tailored for the global money transfer market.  

Organisations of all sizes use our platforms to run their remittance operations with ease and efficiency by reaching out to their customers via multiple channels, including agent, online and mobile.  

For more information, or to access all the photos from the IPR Awards ceremony, please contact marketing@remitone.com