Q&A: Thunes on Why Infrastructure Shapes Financial Inclusion

Cross-border payments are often framed as a question of speed or cost, but for millions of people they are far more fundamental: a financial lifeline that underpins everyday survival. 

From migrant workers sending money home to gig economy earners paid across borders, the reliability of these transfers can determine whether rent is paid on time or bills go unmet. 

However, despite their importance, the infrastructure powering global payments remains fragmented, opaque and frequently overlooked in conversations around financial inclusion.

That gap has real-world consequences. Delays, hidden fees and inconsistent delivery mechanisms continue to disproportionately affect those who rely most on international transfers, amplifying financial stress and limiting economic participation.

As expectations shift towards real-time, transparent payments, the disconnect between domestic and cross-border experiences is becoming harder to ignore.

Chloé Mayenobe, Deputy CEO of Thunes, has a primary focus on scaling the company globally and ensures Thunes delivers absolute excellence for its customers. 

Thunes provides the infrastructure that helps money move more efficiently across borders. 

Chloe says the challenge today is that payments are still “highly fragmented”.

“Sending money domestically can often feel instant and seamless, but once that payment moves internationally, the experience can change completely,” she says.

“We’re solving that gap at Thunes. We connect payment systems across more than 140 countries, helping value to move between banks, mobile wallets and digital assets wallets. 

“For businesses and consumers, that connectivity is what makes payments feel more consistent, regardless of where money is being sent or received.”

In this interview with FinTech Magazine, Chloé argues that payment infrastructure should be treated as a central pillar of financial inclusion rather than a background concern. 

Why is payment infrastructure still overlooked in financial inclusion debates?

Payment infrastructure tends to be overlooked because it operates in the background, but it is fundamental to financial inclusion. 

Without interoperability, systems remain fragmented which creates barriers to moving money across borders, making transfers more expensive and less accessible overall.

We still see this clearly today. The global average cost of remittances remains at 6.36%, more than double the UN’s 3% target.

Financial inclusion is not just about access to accounts – it’s also about usability. 

If systems don’t connect, people and businesses cannot fully participate in the economy. That’s why infrastructure is such a critical, and often under-recognised, enabler.

What are the biggest barriers to seamless cross-border payments today?

The biggest barrier is a lack of interoperability across systems, between banks, mobile wallets, real-time payment networks and emerging digital assets. 

There’s a clear need to connect these ecosystems which were never designed to speak to one another.

A big part of this is legacy infrastructure, as most systems weren’t designed to connect with modern technologies, which leads to inefficiencies and delays.

The last-mile delivery also remains a challenge – ensuring funds reach the end user quickly and reliably across the local payment methods they use every day.

What is the real-world cost of payment delays for vulnerable communities?

The impact is both significant and measurable. 

Research we carried out with Juniper Research this year shows that 61% of people receiving international payments have experienced issues such as missed bills, financial strain or the need to borrow money over the past few years due to delays in receiving funds. 

For the most vulnerable, remittance-dependent users, this rises to 83%.

The consequences go beyond short-term disruption: one in three people struggle to cover essential expenses like food or rent when payments are delayed, while 42% report stress or anxiety linked to those disruptions.

That’s where the real impact lies. Delays are not just an inconvenience – they can directly affect financial stability and wellbeing.

How are expectations around cross-border payment speed and transparency changing?

Expectations are shifting quickly toward real-time, fully transparent payments. 

Speed has become the primary driver with 56% of users ranking instant transfers as the most important feature, surpassing cost or security. 

Transparency also remains a challenge. Our recent research shows that 41% of users are not always shown the final amount upfront, which creates uncertainty and undermines trust.

As real-time payment systems expand globally, users increasingly expect cross-border payments to match domestic experience, and they have growing expectations around predictability and transparency.

What role should fintechs play in advancing financial inclusion?

Fintechs play a critical role in expanding access to financial systems. By simplifying cross-border payments and enabling real-time transactions, they can smoothen financial processes for people or businesses who would traditionally be left behind.

For underserved groups like gig-workers this is especially pertinent. Our research shows that gig workers are more than twice as likely to rely on cross-border payments and often face higher fees, with 41% paying over 3% per transaction.

This is where fintechs can truly drive change. By collaborating with banks and established networks like Swift, we can bridge the gap between traditional and emerging payment ecosystems to reduce friction and maximise transactional fluidity. 

Crucially, by enabling connections to mobile wallets which now surpass traditional financial networks in money flows across many regions, we help banks to directly reach unbanked communities and make it easier, faster and cheaper to send and receive money across borders.

What policy changes would most improve cross-border payment access?

The most impactful policy changes would focus on increasing interoperability across jurisdictions. This matters because fragmentation often starts at the regulatory level. Better alignment across frameworks, alongside more consistent technical standards, would make it much easier for systems to connect across borders. 

We can look to initiatives such as SEPA – which has been very impactful in improving cross-border money movement across Europe with faster, more cost effective access – or mandating standard data formats like ISO 20022, which has been a massive step forward in giving banks and fintechs a shared language. 

Progress will depend on continued collaboration between regulators, financial institutions and fintechs to build more connected global payment systems.

What payment infrastructure innovation will have the biggest impact looking ahead?

New innovations in interoperability will no doubt have the biggest impact across the payments space over the next few years. 

It’s something I’m personally deeply invested in because it underpins how easily money can move across borders.

As the connection between banks, mobile wallets and the digital asset ecosystem continue to improve, we’ll start to see consistency across markets. 

Although interoperability is not only a fiat problem. As more fintechs, financial institutions and even non-financial brands issue their own tokens or operate on separate chains, fragmentation risks expanding faster than anything seen in traditional payments.  

Ultimately, it’s about removing friction at scale and making it easier for businesses to operate seamlessly while delivering a more consistent and inclusive experience for consumers.