Hamish Blythe - Trilo - Paris Fintech Forum

Why It Matters

By removing transaction fees and simplifying checkout, Trillo gives small retailers a competitive edge, potentially reshaping high‑street commerce and challenging entrenched card networks.

Key Takeaways

• Trillo offers fee‑free, instant payments for SMBs via open banking.
• QR‑code checkout requires no app or hardware, simplifying adoption.
• Flat £50 monthly fee replaces costly POS and transaction fees.
• Personalized rewards enhance customer loyalty beyond generic discounts.
• European fintechs like Lydia inspire Trillo’s cross‑border product evolution.

Summary

Hamish Blythe, founder of Trillo, used the Paris Fintech Forum stage to unveil a payments‑and‑rewards network aimed at revitalising Europe’s high‑street SMBs. Trillo leverages open‑banking APIs to deliver instant, fee‑free transfers, charging merchants a flat £50 per month instead of traditional per‑transaction charges.

The platform’s core proposition is simplicity: merchants generate a QR code that customers scan, completing a payment without downloading an app or installing expensive POS hardware. By eliminating card‑network fees and hardware rentals, a typical corner café can cut monthly payment‑related costs from £600 to £50, while still offering tailored rewards—such as a free cookie or a discounted class—based on individual purchasing habits.

Blythe highlighted real‑world examples, noting that a small shop owner previously spent £350 on transaction fees alone. He contrasted Trillo’s direct bank‑to‑bank transfers with the convoluted card‑issuer‑acquirer chain, describing the experience as “handing a ten‑pound note directly to the bartender.” He also referenced European rivals like Lydia, suggesting cross‑border learnings will shape future features.

If adopted widely, Trillo could shift consumer payment behaviour away from card dominance, empower independent retailers with data‑driven loyalty tools, and attract investment into open‑banking‑based fintechs. Its low‑cost, high‑touch model promises to breathe new life into struggling high‑street locations across Europe.

Original Description

Hamish Bylthe, CEO of Trilo, tells us all about their no hardware payment platform, built on Open Banking, allowing unlimited transactions with no transaction fees, while rewarding customers and merchants for their loyalty.

"Here in Paris the high street is diverse, but in the UK so much of it is copy / paste. For me, it's about going to those high street businesses and giving them the tools that Starbucks and Tescos have to stand up and thrive."

"Because we use Open Banking in the background for our payments, we're able to make the onboarding experience really fast so they can get on and start using Trilo quickly, there's no apps to install, no big long explanations of what to do, making it blazingly simple and fast"

"It's all QR based, a merchant can go on to their phone, tap charge, QR code comes up to scan, no one need's to download any apps... no hardware, no headaches"