All articles by EPI editorial
EPI editorial
The great leap forward- payments 2017
Brexit, Trump, and what seemed like a new celebrity obituary on a near-daily basis: if 2016 taught us anything it was that predicting the future is not for the faint of heart. Undeterred, four brave industry figures took the plunge and gave EPI their forecasts on what 2017 has in store for the payments space
Biometric authentication- not quite secure yet
If you work in the payments space you would need to have been behaving like an ostrich with its head in the sand to have missed the increasing barrage of persuasive arguments from supposed experts in the field who endorse the new wave of biometric authentication. David Parker takes a closer look
UAE financial inclusion beats back cash
By volume nearly 90% of payments in the UAE are made in cash, which is seen as safe, quick and easy to manage. Card use is relatively low, but banks and the government are looking to promote financial inclusion and cashless transactions. The large expatriate population is also driving demand for prepaid
Kuwaits the state for paying late
A safe environment and low levels of street crime mean cash remains a popular payment instrument in Kuwait, but the emergence of contactless and growth in Islamic banking are changing consumer attitudes and preferences. Recent Timetric research provides an overview of the payment scene in the Gulf state
What you need to know about cryptocurrencies
They may have to wait to crack the high street completely, but cryptocurrencies already offer substantial advantages for people making international payments, which can be processed simply and instantly and often without costly handling fees. Greenlight Digitals Malika Isles explains all
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Prepaid no weapon for terrorists
The EU Commission, the Federal Government and the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF), a working group on combating money laundering, have all been focusing on terrorism financing. All parties see an increased risk of terrorist financing through prepaid cards. Panagiotis Karasavvoglou, German country head for SIX Payment Services, explains why prepaid cards are not at risk of abuse by terrorists, due to industry-wide effective measures to prevent money laundering and misuse
Pakistani payments proliferation
For an economy of its size the prevalence of cash in Pakistan is particularly striking, as it dominates both retail and business transactions. With banks slow to promote payment cards and merchants reluctant to accept them, is there any immediate hope for issuers? Timetrics researchers found some answers
Omani payments market- scorchio!!
Use of payment cards in Oman is low but rising, following the launch of a number of Sharia-compliant products. The payment infrastructure is also improving, and various other initiatives are slowly leading consumers to abandon cash in favour of cards. Demand for premium cards is another key driver
How to combat professional fraud
With some unwanted recent findings regarding fraud, as well as major breaches in cybersecurity, a stronger strategy towards security is needed now more than ever. John Marsden, head of ID and fraud at Equifax, gives an overview of the problem and offers critical advice for individuals and businesses
Electronic payment volumes over and above down under
Few payment card markets are more developed than Australias: The average number of monthly card transactions, and the average annual spend per card are higher in Australia than in the US, the UK, Canada and Germany. Timetrics analysts took a closer look at payments in the Great Southern Land