All articles by EPI editorial

EPI editorial

Bahrain cards market at all time high

Card penetration in Bahrain is relatively high by regional standards, and card use is rising as a result of initiatives by the government and local issuers. Sharia-compliant banking and products are also gaining popularity, leading to increased levels of competition. Global Data’s research team takes a closer look

Luxembourg a hotbed of innovative payment solutions and growth

Luxembourg’s well-developed and growing payments market means card penetration is high, with the country’s large wealthy population is high on issuers’ target lists. E-commerce has recorded robust growth in line with online and mobile uptake, while alternatives are also growing in prominence in the Grand Duchy

Lebanon- fertile ground for payments growth

Cash is the dominant instrument in Lebanon, with card penetration lower than in many of the country’s regional peers. Banking penetration is relatively low but rising, while contactless is also slowly gaining consumer attention – although high fees and poor infrastructure remain obstacles to widespread growth

UK leads online commerce market by spending per household

The average UK household spent $5,900 over the year, or 9% of the average household final consumption expenditure (HFCE) for the UK in 2015 and the most on average through all online channels in 2015. Sam Murrant, Consumer Payments senior analyst, Verdict, writes

2017 outlook: Addressing fraud in Asia

The rise of payments on digital and mobile channels has led to more sophisticated fraud across the Asia-Pacific region. This is evident even in countries with mature digital payment infrastructures, writes Samantha Humphrey, senior fraud solutions consultant at ACI Worldwide

A look to the future, continued

Payments industry experts share their outlook on the year ahead. Fintech, AI, mobile payments, P2P, AML, blockchain, all amid some hefty shifts in the global political and economic climate..

Kenyan cards and payments market is a sleeping lion

Kenyan society is largely dependent on cash, but with its large rural area mobile payments have gained a notable level of acceptance, particularly through the M-Pesa system. Agency banking to build the banked population is gaining ground, while Islamic financial products are also increasingly popular

A look to the future

With new technology entering the mainstream, regulatory upheavals, and a hefty slice of political uncertainty to add to the shocks of 2016, the new year promises to be anything but tranquil. Eight leading industry figures gave EPI their views

Proposed payment rules will scupper online commerce in UK and Europe

New European regulations will undermine the progress the payments industry has made towards convenient online payments and consumers are not going to like it one iota. The rules come in under the new European Payment Services Directive, brought about by the European Banking Authority (EBA). Sam Murrant, consumer payments senior analyst at Verdict Financial, writes

Swiss cards and payments on a roll

With a large wealthy population and numerous high-value corporations, the Swiss payment card market is more mature than most. As a result, banks are looking to other segments for growth, while alternatives such as Apple Pay and Paypal are also gaining ground. Timetric’s researchers took a closer look