Pay360 | Highlights from the Innovation Stage

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March 2025: Insights from Pay360 by Calypso Harland, Founder, Fintech Fringe

The Innovation Stage at Pay360, hosted and curated by Fintech Fringe, was a high-energy journey through the cutting edge of payments, fintech innovation, and the future of financial services.

Maintaining our "No Fluff, No BS" mantra we ensured that each session delivered practical insights, fresh perspectives, and actionable takeaways that left attendees better equipped to tackle the industry’s biggest challenges.

Key Highlights

The Brand & Build session spotlighted the crucial intersection of brand identity and customer experience in driving fintech growth. This session, featuring industry leaders from Klarna and Kustom, explored how payments are becoming the backbone of brand loyalty. As fintechs scale, creating seamless, trust-building payment experiences will play a pivotal role in their success.

Key takeaways from this session included the evolution of retail experiences, from TikTok shops to content-driven commerce, and how embedded payments, design for conversion, and frictionless experiences fuel brand loyalty. As Klarna’s team highlighted, in today’s competitive landscape, payments are no longer just about completing a transaction; they’re about building lasting relationships with customers.

Great payments disappear into the background, but they power brand love and repeat usage. Design for conversion - not friction.

Embedded Payments was a full house, exploring how they’re transforming customer experiences, moving beyond buzzwords to demonstrate real, scalable implementations. Speakers from OpenPayd, CCGroup, NatWest Boxed, and Griffin shared lessons on navigating the operational challenges of embedding finance into platforms.

Breakfast Brainfood: The Breakfast Brainfood sessions hosted by Simon Taylor from Sardine brought together fintech media insiders from SkyParlour, The Fintech Times, Payments, Cards & Mobile, and FF News for a rapid-fire, engaging review of what’s breaking, what’s changing, and what’s worth paying attention to in fintech. Key themes included the rise of AI in fintech, the need for smarter fraud prevention, and the fast-evolving media narratives.

But the buzz didn't stop there. The Innovation Challenge with Project Nemo was one of the event's standout moments, spotlighting practical, high-impact solutions for financial inclusion. Companies like Cleva Card, Hope Macy, Money Carer, Vouchsafe and Sibstar presented innovative products that are directly addressing the needs of underserved communities, while Project Nemo led the charge in advocating for more inclusive financial services.

And then there was Unplugged with 11:FS - two days of open, candid conversation that pulled no punches aided with a few espresso martinis to oil the wheels. The session tackled the realities of scaling fintech, the importance of operational excellence, and the need for fintechs to focus on solving real problems, not just chasing hype.

Sessions that Delivered

Generative AI and the Future of Payments: In a session on generative AI, companies like Alipay UK, Google, and Nvidia explored how AI is going beyond automation. They discussed its potential to predict and prevent fraud, optimise payment flows, and create personalised, seamless payment experiences at scale.

Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) Evolution: The BNPL model is expanding across both online and in-store transactions. Companies like Lloyd’s Bank Group, The Payments Association, and SkyParlour discussed how AI-driven solutions are changing the BNPL landscape, transforming it into an embedded feature in various payment systems.

Tokens and Stablecoins Rule: Payments Without Borders: The session on tokenisation and stablecoins reshaping cross-border payments highlighted how fintechs are driving the future of treasury and trade finance. Companies like Travers Smith, Coinbase, and Agant explored the potential of blockchain to enable faster, cheaper, and more secure transactions.

Fraud Prevention and the Scamdemic: Fraud is no longer just a back-office concern; it’s a customer experience, revenue, and regulatory issue. Companies like Barclays, Salv, fscom, and Pay.UK discussed how to tackle fraud through smarter designs, real-time visibility, and greater collaboration across the industry.

Innovation in Open Banking and Embedded Finance: Leaders from Mastercard, SWIFT, EY, and Finnovation UK tackled how the UK’s regulatory landscape is evolving to support innovation. They reinforced that compliance is not a roadblock but a launchpad for the future of open banking and embedded finance.

What’s Next?

The success of the Innovation Stage is just the beginning. Fintech Fringe is committed to continuing to shape the future of fintech through events that drive real-world impact and foster collaboration. Our tagline, “No Fluff, No BS”, resonates not just in our sessions but also in the relationships we’re building across the ecosystem.

We’re already looking forward to our next event and will be working hard to ensure that we continue to bring you the most relevant, actionable content.

The future of fintech is now, and we’ll be there, pushing boundaries and driving innovation every step of the way.

Stay tuned for more!