This Week’s Top 5 Stories in FinTech

Payit by NatWest Survey Flags Payment Friction in Telcos

Payit by NatWest Survey Flags Payment Friction in Telcos

Delivering a strong customer experience goes beyond simply providing fast connectivity.

New research from Payit by NatWest highlights an emerging issue for UK telecom and utility providers: payment systems are becoming a growing point of friction.

Legacy infrastructure, fragmented data, and payment disruptions are impacting both operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Around 23% of respondents report that payment processing challenges are actively deteriorating the customer experience, while nearly all organisations surveyed (99%) say they have encountered payment disruptions.

The findings indicate that billing and payments are fast becoming a critical area for telco providers to address.

Payit's latest survey found that 99% of UK telco and utility professionals have experienced payment disruptions. Credit: Getty

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. 

What BoE AI Risk Warnings Mean for the Financial Sector

Traditional financial institutions have historically approached disruptive technological innovations with a degree of healthy scepticism, prioritising systemic safety over rapid adoption. 

This cautious stance aligns with a warning from the Bank of England (BoE) where it warns that AI poses a growing threat to financial stability as investors bet heavily that the technology will prove a success.

However, this simultaneously increases banks’ vulnerability to cyberattacks.

In a half-yearly assessment of risks to Britain’s financial system, the central bank says previous dangers it had identified have not gone away.

These include stretched share price valuations, high public debt and risky private credit lending to businesses.

However, the BoE highlights additional dangers that have escalated since its last review.

These include a potential stock market bubble, heightened cybersecurity vulnerabilities and AI companies’ increasingly complex and opaque debt.

The central bank notes that the likelihood of multiple vulnerabilities crystallising at the same time has increased.

According to the report, this overlapping pressure is potentially amplifying its combined impacts on financial stability.

Soaring share prices at firms like chipmaker NVIDIA prompt regulatory concerns over highly concentrated global stock market indices. Credit: NVIDIA

FIS on Why Payments Orchestration is Now Mission Critical

Real-time payments are gaining momentum globally.

In light of this shift, financial institutions are under a growing amount of pressure to modernise infrastructure, manage fraud risk and deliver seamless, multi-rail payment experiences. 

This move is about orchestration as well as speed – integrating multiple payment rails, optimising routing and ensuring operational readiness at scale.

Elaine Duff, SVP and Head of Money Movement at FIS, leads efforts to help banks and fintechs navigate the complexities of real-time payments, advising on product strategy, fraud prevention and the systems required to support always-on, digital-first payment ecosystems. 

At FIS, a global provider of financial technology and services, she works across infrastructure, digital channels, and settlement to enable institutions to modernise and compete in an increasingly real-time financial landscape.

In this Q&A, Elaine shares her perspective on what it takes to scale real-time payments successfully, the growing importance of orchestration and how financial institutions can balance innovation with operational resilience and fraud management.

Deloitte: How Fintech Flips AI Pilots to Enterprise Scale

The narrative around AI is shifting profusely – and in no sector is that more prevalent than in finance.

Deloitte’s State of AI in the Enterprise report shows just how much AI is now recognised as a primary engine for securing a sustainable competitive advantage. 

However, it also shows that financial institutions stand at what it calls an “untapped edge”. 

While technological availability has surged – with corporate access to sanctioned AI tools jumping from under 40% to roughly 60% of the workforce in a single year – the gap between access and meaningful activation continues to be a significant barrier to value.