It’s no secret that transaction banking, particularly in the payments space, is at the forefront of innovation and rapid transformation. To keep pace, banks must act swiftly, remain agile, and prioritise the end customer’s experience.

In the face of considerable competition from other payment options, card issuers have recognised the need for a digital, frictionless, secure and cost-efficient solution.

Corporates may seem to be spoilt for choice when it comes to options for making cross-border payments, but with some schemes in their infancy and others facing challenges around ubiquity and geographical coverage, finding the best solution is not always straightforward.

The success of e-CNY, despite its retail characteristics, could be attributed to a strong government push, effective collaboration with banks and e-platforms, and, most importantly, a win-win mentality that inspired the two-tier channel design.

In an exclusive interview with Euromoney, Mahesh Kini discusses recent changes in the business and increased demand of corporate treasurers for multiple solutions, especially visibility.

Euromoney’s chief research officer Andrei Charniauski took on the most pressing question at Sibos in Beijing: how can the financial services industry reduce cost, increase speed and improve access? Payments data could be the answer, according to a panel of experts.

Balancing growth and risk is a delicate task for banks. By understanding client needs and leverage their technology capabilities, banks can not only maintain this balance but also tap into new opportunities in emerging industries. The partnership between Deutsche Bank and Chinese fintech XTransfer, highlighted by their recent success in Thailand, serves as a prime example of how tailored solutions and innovative processes can drive growth and operational efficiency.

While treasurers see promise in regulatory changes such as ISO 20022 and the digital euro, concerns over compliance pressures and potential disruptions are mounting, according to the Corporate Treasurers on Key Trends in Cash Management report, published by Euromoney earlier this month.

The role of corporate treasurers is evolving into a strategic function, driven by internal and external factors. Internally, treasurers are facing increased demands from the C-suite and business leaders. Externally, they must navigate rapid changes in real-time payments, complex liquidity and cash-management needs.

Proponents of banking-as-a-service will be hoping that UniCredit’s decision to acquire Aion Bank and Vodeno marks a turning point in a sector that has experienced considerable volatility.

Investing in Latin America’s payment fintechs is having a moment – but will the region’s central banks kill off their revenue model by adopting their own version of Brazil’s PIX?

As multinationals navigate the complexities of developing Asian businesses – amid supply-chain reconfigurations, the rise of sustainable financing and the penetration of e-commerce – treasurers are playing a bigger role in strategic decision-making.

Bankruptcies in the buy-now-pay-later market, together with tighter regulation, present an opportunity for banks to steal a march on pure-play providers.

Mamerto Tangonan, the deputy governor and head of the payments and currency management sector at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, tells Euromoney how southeast Asian countries are using advances in digital payments to revolutionize cross-border transactions.

There is pressure on corporate treasurers to maximise the benefits of embedded finance, despite the lack of additional resources.

MBridge, China’s cross-border digital currency initiative, has entered the minimum viable product stage. It is the world’s most advanced cross-border CBDC and stands on the cusp of playing a pivotal role in the de-dollarization process.

Banks and regulators are keen to use instant payments to reduce the influence of Visa and Mastercard on the European payments industry – but replacing these two dominant players will be far from easy.

Chief financial officers and finance directors have much to gain from bundling treasury services if they can convince senior management that such offerings deliver value for money.

As mandated real-time payments loom, Europe’s banks and other payment providers must look at modernising legacy infrastructure.

The EU’s Instant Payments Regulation may have fired the starting gun on real-time payments in Europe, but many banks remain stuck in the blocks.

In a world of higher interest rates, economic uncertainties and data overload, corporate treasurers are turning to cutting-edge tools and strategies to predict and optimize their cash flows.

Many vendors believe corporate treasurers should be doing more to eliminate superfluous accounts, protect payment data and direct resources to improving paper-based processes.

Domestic companies launch banking-as-a-service models as the country's central bank creates space for new entrants.

Collaboration between national banks has seen widespread adoption of mobile payments schemes. The French and German-led approach of focusing on a single European scheme could therefore be seen as a distraction. But is it the only real way of keeping US payment companies at bay?

Implementing real-time payments can have consequences for corporates who underestimate the impact of cash leaving their business more quickly. Even as solutions become cheaper to implement, corporates are being cautious.

Strategic adjustments, such as those resulting from mergers or acquisitions, represent a valuable opportunity for corporates to enhance their payment infrastructure.

Siemens is anchor client for a new rules-based approach to banking.

Thailand wants to give almost every adult in the country money through a digital wallet. It’s an interesting step towards bringing digital finance to the mainstream.

Kenyan authorities have cleared Flutterwave of wrongdoing following an anti-money-laundering case in the East African nation. Nevertheless, industry confidence in the Africa-focused payments company remains mixed.

The overall use of cash will continue to fall, but the decline of bank branch networks means that businesses now face a headache in handling physical takings.