Retail Reinvented: Payments at the Heart of Customer Experience

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Hosted on the Innovation Stage at Pay360 by Fintech Fringe, this panel explored how payment technology is driving more personalised, seamless, and loyalty-enhancing customer experiences in retail.

Retailers are no longer treating payments as a back-end function, but as a strategic layer that influences engagement and growth.

Moderated by Gina Carke, The Fintech Times, the panel featured:

  • Samina Hussain Letch, Executive Director, Square UK

  • Kamjar Hajabdolahi, CEO, Kustom

  • Divya Bhardwaj, COO, Uber Payments UK

Payments as a Brand Experience

Samina Hussain Letch opened the session with a clear statement:

“Payments should feel effortless for the customer and the seller.”

Samina explained how Square aims to deliver the same sleek, omnichannel experience for micro-merchants that big retailers offer, helping small businesses compete with the same level of professionalism and ease.

Retail Personalisation and Preference

Divya highlighted Uber’s approach:

“We have 137 million users globally and they all have different preferences. We can’t afford to be rigid about payment methods.”

Divya noted Uber now offers over 70 local payment methods globally, including UPI, digital wallets, and even cash in select markets, all while keeping the experience consistent and seamless.

Kamjar added that payments are increasingly being integrated into broader brand strategies:

“It’s not just about payments working, it’s about them reinforcing your brand promise.”


Simplifying for the Seller and the Shopper

Samina explained how Square’s integrated ecosystem gives sellers a single platform for payments, inventory, marketing, and customer engagement:

“Our goal is to reduce complexity so that sellers can focus on running their business, not running between systems”

Data, Trust and Choice

Divya explained that payment preferences are about more than UX, they’re about trust:

“Some users in emerging markets feel safer using cash or a local wallet. If you ignore that, you lose them.”

Divya added that Uber sees payment data not just as a risk signal, but as a source of user insight:

“We can understand preferences and tailor services accordingly.”

Future-Proofing the Checkout

The panel agreed that the future of retail payments lies in optionality and relevance:

“If I can’t pay the way I want, I’m not buying.”

Kamjar Hajabdolahi, CEO, Kustom

Kamjar urged retailers to meet customers where they are, not where the retailer is most comfortable.

Samina closed with a reminder that payments are more than just transactions:

“The checkout is your last impression,it should be as good as the first.”

Practical Takeaways

  • Treat payments as a key part of brand experience, not just a utility.

  • Offer payment options that reflect local needs and customer trust, especially in global markets.

  • Integrated platforms reduce complexity for sellers and improve customer journeys.

  • Payment data can power personalisation and deeper customer understanding.

  • The checkout experience should leave a lasting, positive impression - every time.