The Final Hurdle to Overcome in Achieving Payments Modernisation
Swift is rolling out ISO 20022‑enabled Case Management to automate the still‑manual exception and investigation (E&I) process that currently takes five to ten days and costs the industry about $1.6 billion annually. The new framework replaces unstructured MT messages with structured ISO 20022 case messages, introduces a real‑time reference number, and adds a Stop‑and‑Recall service required by November 2026, with full ISO 2022 compliance due by the end of 2027. Early adopters report up to an 80% reduction in resolution time, translating to $600 million in annual savings and 3‑5% revenue growth. Banks that act now can turn compliance into a competitive advantage while avoiding regulatory penalties.
Future-Proofing UK Payments
The UK’s payments ecosystem is undergoing a strategic overhaul under the National Payments Vision and the Payments Vision Delivery Committee (PVDC) strategy. Central to the transformation is the shift to ISO 20022 messaging, which promises richer data and aligns with G20...
Maximising Liquidity and Cash Visibility: Strategies for Banks and NBFIs
Bottomline and Strategic Treasurer hosted a session on liquidity and cash visibility, revealing that only 34% of banks and NBFIs have a single consolidated cash view. While 45% have introduced some automation, it falls short of enabling real‑time decision making,...
RTGS CHAPS Industry Forum
The Bank of England has opened nominations for a new RTGS CHAPS Industry Forum, seeking about 15 senior external members from banks, fintechs, large corporates and other stakeholders. The advisory body will help shape the design, development and operation of...
Mastercard Explores Sale of Nets Real-Time Payments Business
Mastercard has engaged investment bankers to explore selling the real‑time payments business it bought from Denmark’s Nets in 2019 for $3.2 billion. The unit, which produces roughly $370 million in revenue and $100 million EBITDA, is expected to fetch a price below its...
Maximising Collections to Deliver Business Value: A Modern Direct Debit Imperative
Mark Bish’s blog highlights Pay.UK’s Direct Debit rule 5.8, which now lets businesses challenge indemnity claims under reason code 4, curbing fraudulent disputes. The update tightens onboarding standards, demanding stronger validation and verification to avoid sanctions. He also stresses that automation,...
Payments Forward Plan
The Payments Vision Delivery Committee released the Payments Forward Plan, a three‑year roadmap outlining the future of payments. The plan targets faster, more secure, and interoperable transaction infrastructure, bringing together banks, fintechs, and regulators. It highlights real‑time settlement, digital identity,...
On Fire or In Freefall?
Pay.UK’s latest Direct Debit sector data shows a mixed performance across categories. Business‑to‑business collections surged 35% over two years, with business rates jumping 63%, while life insurance subscriptions rose 52% and breakdown cover grew 15% annually. Conversely, charity donations, mobile...
How Do You Measure Up?
The Fifth‑Year Future of Competitive Advantage in Banking and Payments Global Report uses a peer‑based, real‑time benchmarking survey to evaluate how banks and payments firms are meeting corporate customer expectations. It covers real‑time and cross‑border payments, ISO 20022, SaaS migration, compliance,...
Friday Focus with Payments:Unpacked
In this unannounced Friday Focus live session, the host reviews the rapid decline of paper checks in the UK and globally, the Bank of England's plan to extend CHAPS settlement hours, and the Swedish central bank's advice to keep cash...
Unlocking the Benefits of Account Switching
The Current Account Switch Service (CASS) recorded a record 350,114 account switches in Q4 2025, bringing its 2025 total to 1.05 million and 12.4 million since launch. Speed remains a hallmark, with 99.2% of moves completed within the guaranteed seven‑day window. Customer sentiment...
Major Settlement Overhaul for CHAPS
The Bank of England will extend CHAPS operating hours, introducing a voluntary early‑morning settlement window that begins at 01:30 GMT instead of the current 06:00 start. The change takes effect in September 2027 and is designed to enable earlier sterling...
Understanding Certainty of Fate in Faster Payments
The episode explains Certainty of Fate (CoF) – the need for clear, timely confirmation of success or failure for UK account‑to‑account (A2A) payments – and why it’s vital for merchants, consumers and payment providers. It outlines key challenges, including legacy...
Falling in Love with a Safer Way to Pay
The episode commemorates the 20‑year anniversary of mandatory CHIP and PIN in the UK, explaining how the shift from signature to chip‑and‑PIN cards dramatically cut fraud and set a global benchmark for secure payments. It highlights the liability shift that...
The First Banking Disruptor?
The episode examines Midland Bank's 1984 decision to eliminate fees for cheques, statements, and standing orders, effectively making personal banking free in the UK. It explores how this bold move reshaped the competitive landscape, prompting other banks to adopt similar...