Headlines

Account to account - Institutions want to push instant transfer

• FRANCE - When the Banque de France supports the instant transfer
• FRANCE - La Banque Postale makes instant transfers free
• FRANCE - Suravenir compensates policyholders via instant transfer

While the EPI project has been cut back by a large part of its initial scope, and Bizum continues to record exceptional growth in Spain (to the point of becoming the second preferred payment method in e-commerce), French financial institutions are launching a seduction operation to encourage the development of instant payment.

The Banque de France and the CNPS are reminding people of the advantages of instant payment and launching a communication campaign to make up for the lack of awareness of this payment method. They also encourage French banks to communicate more on the Paylib solution.

In the wake of these announcements, La Banque Postale has decided to offer instant payment free of charge, whereas most traditional banks continue to charge for its use. The bank is thus in line with the wishes of the ECB.

BNPL - Fragmented payments now targeted at professionals

• SPAIN – With "MyCard", CaixaBank offers a fractional payment option to professionals
• EUROPE – Ritmo raises funds to conquer Europe and Latin America with its cash advances

Fragmented payments is a market that has grown very rapidly among individuals, but the needs of professionals have yet to be largely covered, for a market that is proving to be much more profitable. According to Alma, the French BtoB fragmented payment market is four times larger than the BtoC segment. Hence the renewed interest in BtoB financing needs, particularly among professionals and e-retailers.
In view of the success of its debit card, which allows users to split or defer expenses (6 million cards issued in less than a year), CaixaBank is offering a version for professionals, with services specifically designed for this target.
Ritmo, for its part, has experienced very strong growth in France, Spain, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom by offering a cash advance solution for e-commerce players. This success has enabled it to close a €200 million fundraising round to finance its growth.