Consumer Finance

Hospitality companies have experimented with many new types of loyalty schemes since the pandemic began. In the Americas, subscriptions have become an especially popular option. Subscriptions is a fast-growing segment for hospitality loyalty, with…

Evolving customer loyalty triggers businesses to redefine their strategies and business models and deliver authenticity, flexibility and a seamless customer journey. Building a deeper, more emotional connection with the individual customer through a…

Although UnionPay is the largest card operator globally by card payment value, it is still far behind Visa and Mastercard outside China across all card segments. Besides commercial cards, its mobile app and QR, in which it has been expanding,…

American Express is a diverse financial services provider and is one of the largest card issuers and card networks globally. In financial products, the company is best known for its charge and commercial card products. American Express is one of the…

Benefiting from growing smartphone penetration, supportive regulations and so on, a growing number of digital banks have been launched, challenging the incumbents. However, among all digital banks, less than a quarter are known to be profitable. Key…

Visa is the second largest network operator globally after UnionPay. The company is known for its long-term stability and global reach, enabling secure payments for consumers in all of the world’s regions. 2022 has been a successful year for Visa, as…

Early digital banks in East and South Asia have generated profits. Their success in both developed and emerging markets is a good reference for new digital banks, especially in Southeast Asia. However, a few digital banks in Australia have failed.…

Besides building ecosystem partnerships, banks have to balance between convenience and data privacy and risk control, on alternative data usage. Also, BNPL poses a threat to banks’ growth, if banks do not undertake concrete actions on partnerships…

Global consumers are struggling with the cost of living crisis, as inflation remains high while household income growth lags. Consumers are adopting recessionary habits, such as trading down and being more selective in their spending. Rather than…

The Asian consumer is changing. Traditional values that served the collective in terms of both society and the family are on the wane, with COVID-19 lockdowns accelerating a new focus on individualism and the self. This report explores how Asian…

This report examines inflation levels and drivers globally and in key countries. Global inflation is moderating, although volatility in the energy markets and faster consumption growth in China are among the key risks that could increase inflation.…

“Fintech’s next phase” refers to the greater integration of fintech with commerce. Fintech companies are innovating to increase access to financial products and services, improve the security of payments, increase funding, and enhance the merchant…

Customer loyalty in Latin America is evolving amid the evolving consumer preferences and needs. Players must embrace regional macroeconomic, social and consumer specifics to be able to withstand the increasing competition. Embracing technological…

Customer loyalty is transforming due to changing consumer preferences, technological advances and the e-commerce boom. Reinvigorating loyalty programmes in this new digital and experience-led economy requires brands to be equipped with the right…

This report examines inflation levels and drivers globally and in key countries. Global inflation is moderating, although divergence among the key economies increases. Higher volatility in the energy markets and disruption of agricultural commodities…

Embedded finance has been rapidly evolving from non-digital to digital. If finance is the fuel for the economy, then digital embedded finance is the invisible aviation grade fuel powering jets of digital businesses. Supportive regulations, improving…

In the upcoming years, consumers and businesses face an array of challenges, with income inequality, mass migration and rising uncertainty about another crisis being among the major ones. Nevertheless, within this lie untapped opportunities. This…

Consumer Types can be a powerful tool to help companies better understand and appeal to their target markets. Consumers are grouped based on shared traits and preferences, companies can better develop products and marketing campaigns that resonate…

Asia Pacific is a region characterised by diverse economies, cultures and demographics. In such an environment, loyalty programmes need to be crafted to meet local consumers’ preferences. Asia Pacific is facing a turning point where it can no longer…

From a product perspective, embedded payment market competition has been intensified with digital players, which are challenging the card operators. For deposit and lending, leading banks such as Goldman Sachs and CIMB have made their names in the…

Businesses globally face challenges in consumer markets in the short to medium term, owing to the rising cost of living and increasingly financially cautious consumers. Amidst uncertainty arise opportunities. Income and expenditure insights are…

In the upcoming years, consumers and businesses face an array of challenges, with rising income inequality being among the key ones. Nevertheless, addressing the income inequality through catering to the Bottom of the Pyramid and the Middle Class…

The world market for consumer finance continues to see card and electronic payment value grow for consumers around the world as consumer confidence strengthens. Card payment value growth over the forecast period is expected to be driven by credit…

Rising costs of living pose challenges globally, but companies can find opportunities in several categories, essential and discretionary, especially in underpenetrated fast-growing markets. By considering category adjacencies and focusing on value,…

With low levels of penetration in the country, charge cards continues to grow in 2023 as it recovers from its sharp drop in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, boosted by inflation and by the recovery of business, transaction value is…

Charge cards are the second-most-favoured option of local consumers when it comes to payment cards, after debit cards but ahead of credit cards. This is partly down to inertia—charge cards have a longer tradition than credit cards in Spain.

Consumer lending in Portugal maintains its positive growth trend in 2023. Demand for loans both for last-minute expenses and for current expenses is rising as consumers lose purchasing power and as savings stashed during the pandemic diminish. In…

Buy now pay later (BNPL) continues to grow in popularity, particularly among young adults, and there is a notable shift to BNPL loans. A significant number of financial services providers have launched their own BNPL programmes, including Banco…

Consumer lending in Portugal is expanding in 2023 amid rising interest rates and decline in households’ disposable incomes. Demand for mortgages is slowing down with card lending posting the most dynamic growth. BNPL, although representing a small…

The costs of households have continued to rise across the board in 2023 due to the change in tone of the monetary policy of the European Central Bank, which increased interest rates four times during 2022 and 2023, resulting in rising interest rates…

After a robust rise in 2022, credit cards continues to enjoy positive growth in 2023, boosted by local consumers’ increasing expenditure and higher levels of penetration. However, and in contrast to 2022, in 2023 credit cards is seeing slower growth…

The buy now, pay later (BNPL) trend has taken hold in Spain, particularly among younger consumers, and is rapidly gaining share in Spain. Consumers choose BNPL for a variety of reasons, including the lower APR (in most cases 0%, as opposed to 18% for…

Debit cards is on the rise in 2023, boosted by growing expenditure levels. Despite downward pressure on consumer purchasing power, Portuguese people have continued to increase their expenditure levels in 2023 as a result of rising inflation rates and…

Banks in Spain are changing their business strategy, resulting in a decline in the number of debit cards issued in 2023. Whilst customers previously had access to a free debit card if they had other banking products and services, including mortgages…

Global cross-border transaction market is projected to exceed USD40 trillion in 2028, largely driven by trading. Fast, low cost and secure became the three key service requirements of embedded cross-border transaction solutions, while local…

Portuguese consumers continue to shift towards electronic payment instruments (payment cards, electronic direct or ACH transactions), with cards being the most used electronic payment instrument in everyday life. The trend of replacing cash with card…

The Spanish economy has performed better than anticipated in 2023, despite the challenges posed by high energy costs and the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, with consumption continuing to recover to 2019 levels, boosted by the recovery of travel…

Boosted by the recovery of transportation cards, which had suffered severely during the COVID-19 pandemic, closed loop cards is seeing double-digit growth in 2023. Otlis, Lisbon’s transportation system cards, leads in terms of number of cards in…

Closed loop pre-paid cards remain dominant in Spain, accounting for around four-fifths of transactions by value. Indeed, closed loop pre-paid cards issued by the public transportation systems in Madrid and Bilbao (Consorcio Transporte Madrid and…

With the economy reopened post pandemic and consumers returning to store-based outlets, store cards is again enjoying positive growth. In 2023, the category’s growth is boosted by rising consumers’ expenditure levels and high inflation rates.…

Store cards account for a relatively small share of card payment transactions in Spain compared to credit, charge and particularly debit cards, as many local consumers are not well informed about the rewards and credit possibilities that store cards…

Demand for consumer credit gross lending is set to continue to increase in 2023, despite the South African Reserve Bank’s consecutive rises in interest rates to stabilise inflationary pressures. This trend has been driven mainly by declining…

The South African economy has continued to struggle in 2023, as reflected by 0.4% real GDP growth, the unemployment rate stagnating beyond 32%, and the South African rand depreciating further against major currencies. Economic growth has also been…

Following the significant decline in transaction value and volumes experienced in 2020 due to extended restrictions imposed in the South African travel and hospitality industries in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the complete lifting of the state…

As more middle-income households are struggling to reach month-end, due to the combined effects of rising interest rates, which have put pressure on existing vehicle and mortgage loans, as well as inflationary pressures, which have affected…

The prices of essential goods and services such as food and electricity have continued to rise in 2023, despite the relatively lower level of inflation, which moved from 7.0% in 2022 to 5.7% in 2023. Debit card value transactions benefited from this…

The number of financial cards in circulation is set to continue to increase in 2023, supported by a steady rise in the banked population and the intensified competition between issuers. Meanwhile, value transactions across categories such as debit…

As mobility has normalised in 2023, following restrictions imposed during the pandemic, demand for pre-paid cards for the Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) system has benefited from households resuming activities such as work and school. Growth in…

Store cards is set to witness growth in volume and value transactions in 2023, supported by cash-strapped consumers, notably lower- to middle-income consumers. This trend has been consolidated by the rising cost of living, which continues to affect…

Charge cards is expected to continue to see double-digit declines in 2023 in terms of cards in circulation, and volume and value transactions. Historically, charge cards were primarily associated with business use, as the majority of transactions,…