Despite slowing growth, EVs are still expected to become more widespread as governments promote sustainable mobility, but this requires financial development throughout the customer journey.
Since its launch in Southeast Asia in 2018, Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) has experienced a notable surge in popularity, providing consumers with a convenient and accessible alternative to traditional financial services. This service enables consumers to defer payment for their purchases, typically opting for instalment-based repayment options instead of immediate full payment.
After the pandemic, despite players' expectations that circulation restrictions imposed during the crisis would stimulate consumers' desire to seek more out-of-home experiences, foodservice on-premises consumption (global value in USD current terms) has not yet returned to the levels seen in 2019 (pre-pandemic).
In April 2024, ByteDance was reported to acquire Union Mobile Pay (UMP) for CNY1.4 billion (USD200 million), pending regulatory approval. ByteDance operates popular social media and commerce platforms (TikTok and Douyin). This article analyses its strategic objectives of financial expansion, and the key threats and opportunities in relation to financial industries. UMP is considered to be a key chess piece of the game.
In the first article about inbound travel payment experience, insights in Japan and Taiwan China as well as key partnership developments were discussed. In this second article, the analysis focuses on mainland China and Hongkong SAR (special administration region) China, as well as the key opportunities for travel payment development.
The automotive industry is shifting to an electric future with an estimated 21% of new passenger car registrations projected to be electric in 2024. With an increasingly competitive and maturing industry, companies are looking to seize their customer base through engaging, targeted and unique loyalty provisions.