Consumer Finance

This regional briefing encompasses the trends and drivers behind the performance of consumer payments in Latin America, with focus on card payments and cash transactions. The growth of debit and pre-paid transactions at the expense of cash ...

PayPal is one of the largest online payment networks, with 267 million active accounts in more than 200 global markets. PayPal split from eBay in 2015 and became an independent publicly traded company. In recent years, PayPal has grown its business ...

A truly global card issuer, with a presence in seven regions and a focus on debit and credit products, HSBC is exploring digital payments and banking. Uncertain economic conditions and trade tensions will likely affect HSBC, but the company is ...

Discover Financial Services, the ninth largest card operator in the world by value, is a US-based provider of card payment, banking and lending services. In the US, Discover offers a variety of banking services, is a major provider of student loans, ...

UnionPay is the largest card network globally by card payment value and number of total cards in circulation. The card network has been able to benefit from the transition of consumer payments to cards in China due to a monopoly of domestic ...

The Middle East and Africa is one of the fastest growing regions for consumer and card payments globally. With a growing middle class, consumer payment policy and expanding population, the region is likely to continue to be a focus for international ...

The usability of Bitcoin as a currency or commodity continues to be a hotly debatable topic. However, it is becoming increasingly apparent the technology underpinning this digital cryptocurrency – most commonly known as ‘Blockchain’ – has the ...

Extending financial services in emerging markets often faces a complex web of hurdles. Questions of trust and financial literacy are often significant factors. In the Middle East and Africa, overcoming challenges associated with underdeveloped rural ...

Consumer payment policy in the Middle East and Africa has developed rapidly over the past decade, with various successful examples as well as setbacks across the region. The benefits of cash alternatives are more well known to policy makers than ever...

Eastern Europe is still lagging behind many regions of the world in terms of per capita financial card transaction value. Eastern European countries are, however, adopting innovation on both the consumer and business sides. Debit cards are ...

Personal credit cards are a fast-growing component of the global payment landscape. Loyalty and rewards programmes have proven to be a crucial differentiation point for card issuers, and it is important for payment players to understand what ...

Asia Pacific’s global leadership in card payments by value is driven by the Chinese market, where domestic card networks have become dominant. In other emerging Asian markets, better payment infrastructure and increasing card penetration are driving ...

Western Europe is the world’s third-largest region for both consumer payment and card payment transactions. Payment preferences vary considerably across countries. While Southern Europe is still strongly rooted in cash, Nordic countries are ...

The card network competitive landscape has evolved with the entry of non-traditional payment players, the development of active consumer payment regulation and with mobile device innovation for digital payments. Consumer payments can become an ...

Mastercard is the second-largest card operator in the world in every region but Asia Pacific. The company has established an effective and recognisable brand. Through acquisitions, investment, and partnerships, Mastercard is building out its ...

JCB is one of the largest card networks in the world, and the only international one headquartered in Japan. While much of the company’s operations are focused on Asia Pacific, JCB has greatly expanded its merchant acceptance worldwide. JCB has built...

Card payment value increased in every market researched by Euromonitor in 2018, and is projected to see continued steady growth over the next five years. The global transition away from cash and towards greater financial inclusion has been assisted ...

Cultivating trust in financial services can be a daunting task. Alleviating concerns is likely to require a combination of education and technology. Leaning on consumer familiarity with mobile phones is an important avenue for fostering both trust ...

Extending financial services in emerging markets often faces a complex web of hurdles. Questions of trust and financial literacy are often significant factors. In the Middle East and Africa, overcoming challenges associated with underdeveloped rural ...

The Egyptian economy has been showing signs of recovery after a prolonged recessionary period, led by high inflation rates. Whilst the inflation rate eased during 2018 and a slight improvement in the foreign exchange rate has helped restore ...