Navigating the Payment Landscape – Choosing Wisely

By  //  November 27, 2023

An important element of the financial and banking system of any country is payment systems that allow non-cash transfers of funds between various business entities.

The payment system (PS) is an extensive infrastructure that ensures the completion of any financial transactions without the use of cash. Thanks to the presence of PS, bank cards and electronic wallets work. We can receive salaries into our accounts, make online purchases, and transfer money to friends and family. This is necessary not only for people but also for businesses – to accept payments, generate checks, and report transactions to the tax office.

In this article, we will get acquainted with the most popular modern payment systems and find out what their advantages and features are.

Digital Wallets – Convenience at Your Fingertips

E-wallets are digital wallets that store a user’s financial information, such as their credit card or bank account information. They are usually tied to the user’s mobile phone number or email address and can be accessed through a mobile app or website. 

Electronic wallets are used for a wide range of financial transactions, including online shopping, bill payments, and person-to-person (P2P) transfers. Let’s look at the most popular applications for electronic wallets:

  • PayPal – the oldest digital payments company.
  • Apple Pay (AAPL) is a digital wallet application designed for users of Apple technology, such as the iPhone or Apple Watch. Pay in-store, online – anywhere.
  • Skrill – the main purpose of this wallet is convenient purchases, transfers, and receipt of funds. 

Users have access to a convenient mobile application and an excellent bonus program. For transfer, you only need an email address. This wallet is an excellent option for working with cryptocurrency and participating in casinos. With Skrill casino NZ you can easily receive your winnings.

Credit and Debit Cards – Swiping into the Future

Credit and debit cards are virtually identical in appearance. However, in terms of registration conditions and purpose, these banking products differ. The main thing is that both cards are payment instruments. This means that with their help you can pay for goods, and services, and work in those trade and service enterprises that have terminals for accepting plastic cards, as well as in online stores. You can also use any of these cards at an ATM or terminal.

The main difference between debit and credit cards is that the funds on the first belong to the holder, that is, you, and on the second – to the bank. To use a debit card, your account balance must be positive: you can deposit money yourself, and receive it as a salary or even as a gift. With credit, everything is the same, but there are already reserve funds that can be used as debt.

Bank Transfers – Seamless Financial Transactions

Bank transfer is a sequence of operations to execute a payment instruction from the sender (payer) or recipient (beneficiary), according to which one bank (sender bank) sends another bank (recipient bank) to transfer an amount of funds in favor of the specified recipient.

Internal money transfers in Ukrainian banks are one of the most relevant and popular banking services. They involve sending and receiving money within the state through various money transfer systems, including with the participation of resident banks of the country. Such transfers can be carried out by both individuals and legal entities. International money transfers allow you to transfer funds anywhere in the world in a fast and secure way.

Cryptocurrency – The Rise of Digital Assets

Cryptocurrencies and other digital instruments are a relatively new phenomenon in the financial market, but they have managed to gain popularity in many countries around the world. Cryptocurrency is built on the blockchain system – a chain of information blocks. They are used to transfer digital money from person to person without an intermediary.

The most popular cryptocurrencies on the market today are:

  • Bitcoin (BTC), the most popular cryptocurrency, is also one of the first cryptocurrencies to initially have a specific issue limit.
  • Ethereum (ETH) is not only a cryptocurrency, but also a platform for creating decentralized online services, as well as digital objects, such as NFT tokens.
  • Litecoin is a peer-to-peer currency and global payment gateway similar to Bitcoin.

Cryptocurrency is currently in vogue, but the cryptocurrency market is still in its infancy, and the currency itself is considered highly speculative.

Contactless Payments – Tapping into the Future

Paying for any purchase without using cash is easier than ever today. You don’t even have to take your credit card out of your wallet to do this. The NFC system allows you to do this without touching the terminal, but simply by bringing a card, smartphone, watch or other device to a certain distance from it. This unique method is rapidly gaining popularity all over the world, as it takes purchasing goods to a completely new level of convenience.

If earlier a transaction was accompanied by inserting funds into the terminal or transferring it through a magnetic stripe, now it is enough to keep it at a close distance from banking equipment.

The technology has many advantages:

  • possibility of fast operations;
  • no need to give your card into the hands of a stranger;
  • high technology;
  • convenience and comfort when shopping.

Prompt payment without contact allows you to work quickly, efficiently and safely, and most importantly, as conveniently as possible.

Considerations for Businesses – Merchant Services

The popularity of online shopping is growing rapidly. The entrepreneur is faced with the task of choosing and using a service for accepting payments that will ensure convenience and safety of purchases through the website for customers, and at the same time, its use will not be too costly for the business itself. Conventionally, all types of payment services can be divided into two categories:

  • Internet banking acquiring

Only bank cards can be used for payment, which creates certain inconveniences when the user does not have a card.

  • Payment aggregators

These business solutions are characterized by versatility; they allow you to make payments in different ways: by bank card, electronic money, funds from mobile phones, cryptocurrency, etc.

Point-of-sale (POS) systems are evolving to give businesses more flexibility, control, and intelligence than ever before. Businesses have moved from traditional cash registers and fixed credit card readers to tablet and cloud-based POS systems. This shift in technology not only provides businesses with additional functionality but also allows them to store all reports and transactions in one place.