Future of payments at hand

Abstract

Payments are a basic function in society, the lifeblood of economic activity; if disrupted, this could bring society to a total standstill. It matters how payment services and the systems executing these services are designed, how they are managed and what costs are involved. New types of services enabled by technological progress, increasing competition as a result of deregulation and risks related to the digital environment have an impact on both payment services and the underlying arrangements. The coronavirus pandemic has irreversibly changed how we live during the past year and has accelerated many long-brewing developments. The future of payments may arrive sooner than anticipated just one year ago.