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Insights and Expertise

                                                How embedded payments


                                                are changing the


                                                financial landscape





        By Vijay Sondhi                                         used an embedded payment solution.
        NMI                                                     The shift towards digital, embedded payments solutions
                  igital payments are everywhere. Whether it's   is driving industry innovation by:
                  hailing a ride, ordering food from an app,       • Offering more choice and flexibility
                  paying with a smartwatch at a self-checkout
        D or buying tickets on the computer, online and            • Incorporating payment technology into software
                                                                     applications
        in-app payments are the new normal.
                                                                   • Facilitating real-time transactions
        Last year, more than 90 percent of consumers made a        • Collecting deep, omnichannel data (including
        digital payment (see  https://bit.ly/3YHJYje), representing   consumer insights and business intelligence)
        a massive shift in consumer preferences. This new type
        of payment has been saturating the landscape for years,    • Combating fraud with built-in, AI safeguards
        slowly replacing traditional cash and checks.
                                                                These solutions make payments more convenient,
        Now, as Gen Z and millennial consumers gain market      accessible and seamless. They make it easier for customers
        share and move away from older payment methods in       to pay, for businesses to get paid, and for software platforms
        favor  of  fast, convenient  virtual  solutions,  the need for   and payment providers to generate new revenue streams.
        seamless payment experiences will continue to grow.
                                                                The four strategic benefits of embedded payments
        This is where embedded payments come into play (see
        https://bit.ly/4cmSXcR).                                Embedded payments offer everyone in the payments
                                                                chain—from small businesses to software platforms to
        Embedded payments make it easier to compete by enabling   payment providers—a strategic leg up. They make it easier
        businesses to streamline the payment process. With this   to meet evolving customer expectations while positioning
        technology, payment professionals can offer merchants   businesses at the forefront of innovation.
        more choice and flexibility over how they take payments,   1. Competitive advantage
        from in-app purchases to recurring subscriptions to SaaS   Expanding payment options with embedded solutions
        platform payments and beyond.
                                                                   helps brands stand out in an increasingly saturated
                                                                   market. As younger, tech-savvy generations gain
        Over time, this will not only help merchants stand out from   buying power, digital payments will become table
        the competition, but it will also solidify your business as a   stakes. After all, why would consumers carry cash if
        payment provider they can turn to for leading-edge digital   they could simply tap their watch or phone to pay?
        payment solutions.
                                                                   Offering digital-first payment options enables
        No matter what the digital payments trend looks like for   businesses to capture a greater share of wallet while
        you, one thing is certain—almost everyone you know will    ensuring long-term growth and profitability. The
        make a digital payment this year. Are your merchants       market will only become more digitized; now is the
        ready?
                                                                   best time for businesses to reevaluate how they take
        Heads up: embedded payments                                payments to set themselves up for future success.
        are changing finance                                       2. Higher sales
        Embedded  payments  and,  by  extension,  embedded         Providing more ways to pay makes it easier for
        finance refer to payment solutions integrated into digital   customers to buy what they want, no matter where
        platforms. That includes buying dinner through an app,     or how they choose to shop. Do your customers want
        paying an invoice via SMS, sending money to a friend       to use digital wallets? Pay over time with buy now,
        with Venmo or paying a medical bill through a hospital's   pay later (BNPL)? Eliminate the hassle of recurring
        SaaS platform.                                             payments by opting in to subscription services?

        If you've ever paid for something digitally (including     Embedded payments give businesses the tools to
        through a self-checkout kiosk at the supermarket), you've   capture sales in more places while reducing the risk of
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