Marqeta: Real-Time Payments Transform Global Finance

Real-time payment systems are fundamentally reshaping the global financial landscape. The transformation began with pioneering systems like the UK's Faster Payments, launched in 2008.

“The creation of the Faster Payments system in 2008 revolutionised the way we transfer money, enabling real-time transfers of money, available 24/7, 365 days of the year, unlike BACS, which can take a few days,” explains Marcin Glogowski, SVP and Managing Director of Europe & UK CEO at Marqeta.

Marqeta is a leading payment card platform provider that processes billions of transactions annually for businesses ranging from gig economy platforms to enterprise clients.

The adoption has been swift and comprehensive. “Today, over 70 countries in the world have successfully introduced a form of real-time payments technology,” Marcin reveals.

This rapid global expansion creates opportunities for knowledge sharing between established and emerging markets. Countries developing their own systems can benefit from lessons learned by early adopters.

"As more countries adopt a version of RTP, there is plenty that can be learned from the UK's successful rollout," Marcin says. His experience implementing payment solutions across European markets provides valuable insights.

Three key lessons emerge from successful implementations. “Firstly, the need for strong collaboration between public bodies and private organisations, minimising friction between the two, is essential for rapid adoption and regulatory clarity,” he explains.

User experience design forms the second crucial element. “Increasing accessibility to financial solutions should be at the core of the implementation of real-time payment infrastructure,” Marcin continues.

“I believe there needs to be more attention paid to the interoperability of the service. In the financial ecosystem, there are a variety of different payment systems, and ensuring these can communicate seamlessly and quickly is important,” he adds.

These foundational principles guide successful real-time payment implementations, yet they also highlight the complexity of balancing multiple competing priorities.

Security challenges in an instant world

The speed that makes real-time payments attractive also creates new vulnerabilities. Instant settlement finality means fraudulent transactions cannot be easily reversed once completed.

“At the heart of Marqeta's proposition is a commitment to keeping customers’ details safe and secure in an environment that faces increasing fraud risks,” Marcin states.

Payment companies must embed sophisticated risk controls without compromising transaction speed. This technological challenge requires innovative approaches to fraud detection and prevention.

“At Marqeta, we have embedded intelligent risk controls within our platform, enabling real-time processing that protects customer data and secures transactions,” he explains.

The company's approach centres on proactive intervention rather than reactive measures. 

“Through our Real-Time Decisioning solution, we empower card issuers to have oversight of each transaction, helping organisations get ahead of the curve of fraudulent transactions and safeguard against them,” Marcin reveals.

This dual focus reflects a fundamental tension in modern payment systems. “Being able to move money quickly is of paramount importance; however, making sure this is done safely and securely is crucial,” he emphasises.

The stakes extend beyond individual transactions to broader business relationships. Such comprehensive fraud prevention systems serve to “protect revenue and establish customer trust,” Marcin adds.

Corporate transformation opportunities

While consumer retail applications dominate public attention, corporate and institutional clients represent the next major growth frontier for real-time payments.

“In competitive B2B environments, real-time payments can serve as a key differentiator, helping organisations to stand out from the competition,” Marcin explains.

Certain sectors face particularly acute pressure from payment delays. “Over the next 18-24 months, I anticipate real-time payments will be particularly transformative for sectors that find themselves directly impacted by operational efficiency in payments,” he predicts.

“B2B platforms, expense management, HR and payroll and logistics are examples of this,” Marcin continues. These industries share common characteristics that make instant payments especially valuable.

The rise of alternative work arrangements amplifies this need. “Payment companies that can provide seamless, instant access to funds can gain lasting loyalty from their customers, particularly as contractor and gig work services are so prevalent in these industries,” he explains.

The benefits extend beyond customer-facing improvements to internal operational efficiency. 

“Moving beyond customer-facing benefits, corporate and institutional clients can also reduce internal complexities,” Marcin says.

Process streamlining delivers measurable business outcomes. “Eliminating frictions in disbursement processes and improving cash flows for end users helps institutions foster trust and reduce churn,” he adds.

Navigating global regulatory complexity

As real-time payment systems become increasingly interconnected internationally, regulatory compliance presents mounting challenges. Different jurisdictions maintain distinct frameworks that payment providers must navigate simultaneously.

“The core challenge lies in aligning fragmented regulatory frameworks across jurisdictions,” Marcin explains. This fragmentation creates significant operational complexity for international payment providers.

The technical capability to move money rapidly across borders contrasts sharply with regulatory frameworks designed for slower, traditional payment systems. 

“While technology supercharges the flow of money, navigating GDPR and Anti-Money Laundering procedures and the spread of different data requires constant vigilance,” he reveals.

Payment companies must develop adaptive compliance infrastructure capable of accommodating diverse regulatory environments. 

“To combat these challenges, organisations need to focus on building systems that can adapt to varied regulatory environments and promote consistency in the user experience with compliance infrastructure embedded throughout,” Marcin says.

This regulatory complexity influences fundamental architectural decisions about how payment systems are designed and deployed across multiple markets.

Evolving beyond speed alone

Consumer expectations have shifted decisively towards instant access to financial services. However, speed alone no longer provides sufficient competitive differentiation in mature markets.

“Instant access to financial products remains foundational and is now seen as the norm for consumers and businesses alike,” Marcin states. This expectation shift requires payment providers to identify new sources of competitive advantage.

Modern payment companies are responding by focusing on integration quality and user journey design. “At Marqeta, we're going beyond speed by embedding payments directly into the platform experience for our customers,” he explains.

“We are delivering real-time disbursements through branded, seamless user journeys without the need to be redirected to third-party products, which makes payments feel like a natural extension of the product.”

Consistent quality across all customer touchpoints builds a sustainable competitive advantage. 

“By embedding consistent, high-quality touchpoints throughout, we are enabling our customers to build innovative products that encourage long-lasting loyalty from their cardholders,” he explains.

“Marqeta is continuing to invest and champion user empowerment alongside operational efficiency.”

Specific features demonstrate this dual focus in practice. “Features like earned wage access and instant expense reimbursement give users more control over their cash flow while reducing friction in the process, in turn building trust with customers,” he reveals.

Automation supports this enhanced user experience whilst reducing operational overhead. “Marqeta's automated infrastructure lightens support demand and ensures consistency, freeing payment teams to focus on growth and innovation,” Marcin concludes.

To read the full article in the magazine, click HERE.