Insights Podcast

Hosted by The Payments Association

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Latest episode

Jul 2026

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EN-GB

About the show

The world of payments and corporate finance is changing at a pace unexperienced before, with new technology, regulations, innovation and threats emerging every day. Join The Payments Association and special guests each month as they discuss topics which impact corporate financial payments. Each episode includes a panel of experts in the world of payments and corporate finance giving personal insights into how these topics are likely to impact the wider industry and individuals alike. If you’re a payment professional, budding financial guru or just interested in the world of corporate payments, join us each month and keep on top of the key insights that you need to know.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

July 14, 202615 min

Combating AI-driven fraud at the telecom network level

This episode of The Payments Association's Insights Podcast examines how artificial intelligence has reshaped fraud, and what that means for the way firms verify who they are dealing with. As AI makes it cheap to forge documents, clone voices and fake video, the data a customer presents can no longer be trusted on its own. The conversation explores a shift towards lower-level signals drawn from the mobile network, the operator-held identity checks and SIM-swap data that are far harder for a fraudster to manipulate. It sets out what payments and fraud leaders can do to rebuild trust at the network layer. Find out more about The Payments Association via our website www.thepaymentsassociation.org or follow us on social media. LinkedIn Twitter

July 14, 202626 min

The global payments report 2026: Six trends defining payments

The Global Payments Report 2026 tracks how consumers pay across 42 markets, drawing on a survey of more than 63,000 respondents and transaction data from central banks and card networks. Now in its 11th edition, the report is one of the industry’s most widely cited sources on the state of global payments - relevant to merchants, payment providers, product developers and policy makers alike. This episode explores the report’s headline findings across six themes: the methodology behind the data; the rise of payment apps at the point of sale and what it means for payments infrastructure; wallet fragmentation across global markets; the expansion of domestic payment systems and what that means for established card scheme infrastructure; the competitive dynamics reshaping buy now, pay later; and stablecoins as an emerging layer of B2B and cross-border payments infrastructure. Find out more about The Payments Association via our website www.thepaymentsassociation.org or follow us on social media. LinkedIn Twitter

June 9, 202611 min

After the scam: The human cost of global fraud

What does fraud do to a person after the money is gone? In this Insights Podcast, Jack Robertson speaks with Dalbir Sahota, global director of trusted payments at LSEG Risk Intelligence, about the human cost behind LSEG's new global fraud research. The conversation moves past loss values to the anger, anxiety and shame that reshape how victims live online. Dal explores why digital-native younger consumers are losing money more often than older generations, how AI has shifted fraud into a different gear, and where responsibility should sit. Find out more about The Payments Association via our website www.thepaymentsassociation.org or follow us on social media. LinkedIn Twitter

May 7, 202630 min

The gaming payments problem: Rethinking risk in a regulated industry

In this episode of the Insights Podcast, Tony Craddock speaks with Kamran Hedjri and Oliver Steely about why regulated gaming operators are still treated as “high risk” by the payments industry. They explore how outdated payment models, lower authorisation rates, and legacy merchant category codes are increasing costs and hurting customer experience, despite regulated operators often showing lower fraud and chargeback rates than other sectors. They also look at the practical steps schemes, issuers, and operators can take now to modernise the system and better distinguish regulated businesses from grey-market operators. Find out more about The Payments Association via our website www.thepaymentsassociation.org or follow us on social media. LinkedIn Twitter

April 28, 202631 min

Trustless money? The hidden risks behind stablecoins and DeFi

Host Jack Robertson, Data Journalist at The Payments Association, speaks with Gary Palmer, Founder and CEO of payall, and Ruth Wandhöfer, Founder and CEO of Leximar Advisory, about whether “trustless” money is really possible. They explore whether blockchain removes or simply redistributes trust, and discuss the legal, operational, and cyber risks that emerge as stablecoins and DeFi move into mainstream finance. Find out more about The Payments Association via our website www.thepaymentsassociation.org or follow us on social media. LinkedIn Twitter

April 7, 202614 min

Money market funds: A practical solution for safeguarding client funds

As payments firms and fintechs scale, managing client funds efficiently has become increasingly complex. Money market funds are emerging as a practical solution that balances regulatory compliance with operational efficiency. In this episode, we explore how these funds work, why they're gaining traction among electronic money institutions and payment service providers, and what the future holds for safeguarding strategies in the payments sector. Joining Jack Robertson are Tara Dougherty, director of business development for the UK and Ireland at Federated Hermes Limited, and Teresa Cameron, CEO at Clear Junction. For professional investors only. Capital at risk. This is a marketing communication. Issued and approved by Hermes Investment Management Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. In the European Economic Area (“EEA”), this document is distributed by Hermes Fund Managers Ireland Limited. Find out more about The Payments Association via our website www.thepaymentsassociation.org or follow us on social media. LinkedIn Twitter

March 18, 202627 min

Transforming payments: Innovation, infrastructure, and the road ahead

The Payments Association sits down with ACI Worldwide’s Jeremy McDougall and Somya Patnaik to explore how the UK and global payments landscape is being reshaped by real-time technology, regulatory reform, digital currencies, and a rapidly converging ecosystem of new payment forms. With real-time payments accelerating worldwide, open banking adoption hitting record highs, and the UK embarking on a once‑in‑a‑generation modernisation of its payments infrastructure, our guests unpack where the biggest opportunities lie, and what the next decade of payments could look like. Find out more about The Payments Association via our website www.thepaymentsassociation.org or follow us on social media. LinkedIn Twitter

March 16, 202625 min

Stablecoins in the UK: Navigating the new regulatory landscape

In this episode of the Insights Podcast, Jack Robertson speaks with Gabriel Lakeman and Christian McDermott of Latham & Watkins about the emerging regulatory framework for stablecoins in the UK. They discuss how stablecoins differ from other cryptoassets, the Bank of England's consultation on sterling-denominated systemic stablecoins, and what key regulatory developments firms should be watching for in 2026. They also explore the practical steps companies should be taking now to prepare as UK and EU regulatory expectations around backing requirements, holding limits, and authorisation become clearer. Find out more about The Payments Association via our website www.thepaymentsassociation.org or follow us on social media. LinkedIn Twitter

February 2, 202618 min

Raising the floor: The real state of cross-border payments

Cross-border payments are no longer as slow or opaque as their reputation suggests. But progress has been uneven. In this episode of Insights Podcast, Heather Lee, global head of payment strategy at Swift, Damian Richardson, head of payments, product and schemes at NatWest, and Michelle Cowan, cash market manager for the UK and Europe at Standard Chartered Bank, explore the evolving cross-border payments landscape. They discuss how initiatives like ISO 20022, GPI tracking, and instant payment schemes are improving speed and transparency, and why challenges around last-mile processing, regulatory fragmentation, and data quality continue to create friction. The conversation also looks ahead to how greater interoperability, richer data, and emerging digital models could help deliver faster, more predictable payments for consumers and businesses alike. Find out more about The Payments Association via our website www.thepaymentsassociation.org or follow us on social media. LinkedIn Twitter

December 16, 202519 min

Digital accessibility: What payments firms need to know in 2026

With an estimated one in five people in the UK living with a disability, providing digital services that are accessible to all is an increasingly important consideration for businesses. And with the 'purple pound' now estimated to be worth £274 billion, firms that prioritise accessibility also stand to gain a huge competitive advantage. Join our speakers Kerry Berchem from Burges Salmon, Peter Bricknell of Hassell Inclusion, Emily Carlson from KPMG UK and Miranda McLean of Ecommpay as they explore digital accessibility in payments - from relevant regulations and commercial opportunities to innovative implementations of accessible technology. Find out more about The Payments Association via our website www.thepaymentsassociation.org or follow us on social media. LinkedIn Twitter