Payments Insights
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#payments insights. opinions. Volume 17 Payments innovation supercharges FinTech adoption Driven by vertiginous One in three digitally active individuals globally are now regular users of FinTech according to the EY FinTech Adoption Index 2017. We now define mobile and online » 1 this as an “early majority” and in our thinking about the future of the penetration rates that sector, FinTech in the mainstream is no longer a speculative scenario. In are redefining the “normal” fact, the figures show a doubling of adoption in the past 18 months; curve of technology moreover, the countries and segments that were leading the pack in our adoption, markets such 2015 study have only accelerated. as India and China are Undoubtedly, the service that supports the fastest rate of adoption is at the forefront of FinTech money transfer and payments, with our detailed survey of more than adoption. 22,000 people in 20 markets showing that half of those surveyed use these services and 88% anticipate doing so in the future. Continued on page 3 1 Everett M. Rogers, Diffusion of Innovations (Free Press, 5th edition, 2003). Editorial Payments innovation 3 supercharges FinTech adoption Payments-related innovation is driving FinTech towards mainstream adoption — with China at the forefront. Will biometrics finally replace 6 passwords? Biometric authentication is becoming mainstream for mobile devices — we analyze its future potential for the world of payments. Dear readers, As an American payments professional, one of my favorite Considerations for a real-time 10 payments strategy questions about the US payment system is, “Why doesn’t the US Real-time payments: the need for payment system behave like all the others?” This question is a holistic strategy. instructive because it highlights how fundamentally localized payment system innovations can be, even in a global economy. Today, as the payments world faces global trends, including real- time payments, new business models and new technologies, it is Understanding Open Banking 12 Hamish Thomas, EY EMEIA Payments more important than ever to combine analysis of global trends Leader, provides us with his insights with “on the ground” knowledge of national and regional payment into what Payment Services Directive infrastructure. This edition of our #payments quarterly provides 2 (PSD2) and Open Banking means for financial services providers and insights from around the world about payments transformation consumers. initiatives. We at EY welcome the global dialogue these articles will generate. Ultimately, it is the combination of global insight M&A roundup 16 Deal activity in the payment industry and localized implementation that will help EY and our clients slowed down in the second quarter develop practical payment services that work in local markets. of 2017, following a positive start in the first quarter. Best, Venture Capital roundup 18 Q2 2017 saw a 10% increase in the number of deals, with more than half Margaret Weichert of them around payment acceptance Head of Payments, EY Americas and alternative payment systems. Transaction overview 21 M&A and Venture Capital Payments innovation supercharges FinTech adoption Continued from page 1 As China continues to demonstrate its The rise of the digital native the industry, itself showing an increase position as global leader in consumer FinTech In the EY FinTech Adoption Index 2017, we from 18% to 50%. There was also a innovation and adoption, it is perhaps no evaluated five broad vertical sectors under significant rise in the adoption of insurance surprise that payments innovation is at the the FinTech stable: money transfer and services as another fast-developing sector. forefront. Supported by a huge consumer payments, financial planning, savings and base and well-developed e-commerce investments, borrowing, and insurance. At this point of industry maturity, there is capabilities, the total volume of China’s a clear driver in terms of sector; however, mobile payments via non-traditional Comparing the studies from 2015 to 2017, the study also revealed a clear picture platforms, primarily Alipay and Tenpay, hit it is money transfer and payments that of those digitally active users embracing US$8.6 trillion in 2016.2 remains the most adopted segment within FinTech. Adoption has been faster Figure 1: Comparison of FinTech categories ranked by adoption rate in 2015 and 2017 2015 2017 1 Money transfer and payments: 18% 1 Money transfer and payments: 50% 2 Savings and investments: 17% 2 Insurance: 24% 3 Financial planning: 8% 3 Savings and investments: 20% 4 Insurance: 8% 4 Financial planning: 10% 5 Borrowing: 6% 5 Borrowing: 10% Note: The figures show the average percentage of respondents who reported using one or more FinTech services in that category. among the under-45s globally who are don’t have particularly strong relationships What is driving the importance of payments- increasingly looking to manage as much with incumbent financial service providers, related solutions, and why is this sector of their life as possible online, becoming creating opportunities beyond the making such advances at this point of digitally native. Moreover, individuals traditional players. industry development? in emerging markets are leading the adoption charge. Driven by vertiginous The Payments play First and foremost, the sheer scale of mobile and online penetration rates It is no coincidence that the top five unmet needs provides considerable that are redefining the “normal” curve countries for overall adoption of FinTech opportunity for non-traditional players. of technology adoption, markets such (namely, China, India, UK, Brazil and In many developing markets, a large as India and China are at the forefront of Australia) are also the top five for money proportion of consumers and small and FinTech adoption. A common connection transfer and payments, emphasizing the medium entities (SMEs) have been between these adopters is that they often importance of this sector. historically underserved when it comes to payments and related products; 2 www.iresearchchina.com (accessed on 14 July 2017) Payments Volume 17 3 How hands-on a person is with managing FinTech adoption their overall finances is a personal choice, Payments driving FinTech but payments are an inescapable daily adoption necessity. Figure 2: Comparison of the top five markets with the highest FinTech adaption for each FinTech category Money transfer Financial Savings and Borrowing Insurance and payments planning investments 1 China 83% China 22% China 58% China 46% India 47% 2 India 72% Brazil 21% India 39% India 20% UK 43% 3 Brazil 60% India 20% Brazil 29% Brazil 15% China 38% 4 Australia 59% US 15% US 27% US 13% South Africa 32% 5 UK 57% Hong Kong SAR 13% Hong Kong SAR 25% Germany 12% Germany 31% Note: The figures show the average percentage of respondents in each market who reported using one or more FinTech service in that catecory. the “white space” opportunity is immense. Asia-Pacific FinTech Leader at EY, has at the nexus of a whole range of financial Related to this, facilitative government suggested, “How hands-on a person and non-financial services — using this to and regulatory supports have clearly played is with managing their overall finances is connect to many areas of users’ lifestyles. a role. In traditionally cash-dominated a personal choice, but payments are an markets, for example, initiatives such as inescapable daily necessity.” China rising demonetization in India and support for As previously noted, emerging markets are third-party payment providers in China have In addition, payments is often a more generally ahead of the curve in FinTech helped drive the ever-increasing penetration accessible market for new entrants than adoption. There are many reasons for this of e-money. In many instances, such some of the other sectors in financial — not least of which is the scale of unmet markets are bypassing (or “leapfrogging”) services — in terms of regulatory compliance needs and opportunity for technology developed market payment mechanisms, and other potential barriers to entry. This leapfrog. Facilitative regulation can also such as credit and debit cards, and moving provides a more fertile ground for new play a key role. straight to new forms of digital payments FinTech firms, as well as a growing secondary and stored value solutions. As Eric Jing, market where the business model of firms is In China, a generally permissive regulatory CEO of Ant Financial (operator of Alipay), to consolidate the services of other FinTech approach has enabled non-traditional details in our report, more than 60% of (including payment) providers. players (the largest of which had existing Ant Credit Pay (or Huabei) users do not and sector-leading technology businesses) own a traditional credit card.3 This is but Traditional and non-traditional players to innovate across the spectrum of financial one example of the rise of non-traditional increasingly view payments as a platform — services products. As we wrote in a 2016 payments. a base upon which to build additional report on China FinTech: “While London, financial and non-financial services. One of New York and Silicon Valley compete to Another reason is that making and the most successful examples of this has position themselves as the world’s ‘FinTech receiving payments is the area of financial been China’s Ant Financial (a case study in hub,’ China has leapfrogged ahead to services that consumers have the most our EY FinTech Adoption Index 2017), become the undoubted center of global ongoing interaction with. As James Lloyd, where the Alipay payment functionality lies FinTech innovation and adoption.”4 3 EY FinTech Adoption Index 2017 4 The Rise of FinTech in China Redefining Financial Services, A Collaborative Report by DBS and EY, November 2016 Payments Volume 17 4 Money transfer and payments are proving to FinTech adoption be a bedrock for development of other Payments driving FinTech bundled services, and are adding value to the adoption ecosystem and driving sustainable growth.