Fuel cards have evolved into essential credit instruments, providing SMEs with working capital, VAT recovery, and toll management. By integrating financing into daily workflows, transport operators can bypass traditional bank loans to manage leased assets and cash flow gaps.

Telematics and real-time data are now central to fleet strategy. Providers use vehicle patterns to predict credit risks and insolvency before they happen. These insights also fuel dashboards that help drivers optimize routes and manage costs per kilometer through predictive planning.

The industry faces a regulatory and green transition mismatch. Current ID laws struggle with vehicle-based users, while the shift to EVs creates tension between seamless charging and in-store retail sales. The future points toward virtual, interoperable systems that replace physical cards entirely.

This is what the latest UNCHAIN White Paper – “Fintech in Fleet & Fuel – Between Regulation, Data and Daily Operations” explores. Based on insights from the Fleet & Fuel roundtable at the 4th UNCHAIN Fintech Festival powered by VISA, it gives a front-row view of how financial institutions are adapting to change.

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Unlock the full perspective after download—dive deeper into detailed analyses, actionable insights, and the strategies driving how the Central and Eastern Europe’s fintech in fleet & fuel is evolving in real time.

Retailers are evolving into fintech ecosystems, embedding payments, credit, and digital wallets directly into the shopping journey to boost retention. This blur between commerce and finance prioritizes long-term customer value over one-off sales.

Traditional points and cashback are giving way to gamification and “invisible” rewards. Modern shoppers, especially younger cohorts, value seamless digital experiences and emotional engagement over simple transactional incentives.

Despite moving toward a “two-tap” checkout, retailers must navigate regulatory hurdles, like mandatory physical receipts, that disrupt digital flows. Ultimately, the industry is prioritizing frictionless speed to meet modern consumer demands despite these legacy barriers.

This is what the latest UNCHAIN White Paper – “Beyond Transactions – Rethinking Loyalty, Credit, and Embedded Finance in Retail” explores. Based on insights from the Retail roundtable at the 4th UNCHAIN Fintech Festival powered by VISA, it gives a front-row view of how financial institutions are adapting to change.

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Unlock the full perspective after download—dive deeper into detailed analyses, actionable insights, and the strategies driving how the Central and Eastern Europe’s retail banking is evolving in real time.

Banks are changing, but not all at the same pace — and not always in the same direction. Some are rebuilding core systems from scratch, while others are layering new tools onto decades-old infrastructure. Meanwhile, fintechs are no longer just challengers: they’re partners, competitors, and sometimes even acquisition targets.

At the heart of it all is the customer. People expect speed, transparency, and flexibility — whether it comes from a bank, a fintech, or a collaboration between the two. Delivering that experience, however, often means navigating messy trade-offs behind the scenes.

This is what the latest UNCHAIN White Paper – “Between Legacy and Leap: Rethinking Infrastructure, AI, and Partnerships in Banking & Payments” explores. Based on insights from the Banking & Payments roundtable at the 4th UNCHAIN Fintech Festival powered by Payten, it gives a front-row view of how financial institutions are adapting to change.

‘Merchants want to integrate as many payment methods in their acceptance system so it’s a seamless experience for the customer and then they want everything to be error-free, stable and these are the three things we most often hear. They are changing a little bit their perception, their attitude, we can say that there is a small disruption and this is coming from the desire to challenge the existing status quo, merchants are looking more in how they can improve their system, how they can make sure that they have the latest innovations on board, how they can outcompete their direct competitors. So, all in all, I think innovation will drive adoption but as long as it comes with direct benefits for the merchants.’

Ciprian Pîrv
Country Managing Director 
Payten

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At UNCHAIN, the fortress is just the setting. The real story is the people. In this edition of Finance Legends, two sides of the same transaction meet.

Ciprian Pîrv, Country Managing Director at Payten Romania, has spent years on the infrastructure side of payments, making sure the systems that move money work seamlessly. 

Dorin Branza Danciu, Team Lead for POS Systems at Auchan Romania, lives on the other side of the counter, where technology meets real customers, queues, and expectations.

Together, they map the frontier between fintech and retail, between what’s possible and what’s practical. Their perspectives are different, but the challenges and roadmap are the same. Ultimately, both aim to make every checkout invisible, every payment instant, and every failure virtually impossible.

When it comes to payments, retailers are juggling speed, volume, and reliability all at once. What does that pressure look like from your side?

Dorin Branza Danciu → Auchan Romania
For large retailers managing high-volume checkout systems, everything starts with keeping the flow uninterrupted. Orchestration must prioritise a fast and frictionless checkout process: minimising transaction and wait times, ensuring reliability, and adapting to the growing diversity of payment methods. Mobile wallets, contactless cards, and wearable devices all need to work seamlessly.

This doesn’t stop at technology. It’s also about throughput. Investing in efficient POS hardware and well-trained staff keeps lines moving and satisfaction high. The goal is always the same: a quick, reliable, secure payment that customers barely notice.

Ciprian Pîrv → Payten Romania
From our side, two things keep retailers up at night: lost revenue and operational drag. Fragmented in-store setups (multiple terminals, uneven acceptance) create friction and unnecessary cost. That’s why we built POS Sharing, a single-terminal model that consolidates checkout operations across the network.

In Romania, that means one device covering covering close to 90 percent of locally issued cards, integrated with RoPay instant payments, and leaning on hardware maintenance. The result is fewer points of failure, faster queues, and predictable costs. When the checkout works as it should, everything else follows.

How has the consumer demand for digital and contactless payments changed your approach to POS orchestration?

Dorin Branza Danciu → Auchan Romania
Modern payments are continuously evolving, and for this reason, we have to consider several points of view.

The rise in consumer demand for digital and contactless payments has compelled large retailers to redesign their Point of Sale (POS) orchestration to prioritise speed, convenience, and security. Contactless payments allow transactions to be completed within seconds without physical contact, eliminating the need for cash or manual PIN entry. This results in faster checkouts and reduced in-store queues, thus enhancing customer satisfaction and throughput.

At the same time, large retailers now implement POS systems capable of handling a broad range of digital payment options, including mobile wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay), RoPay, contactless cards, and wearable devices. POS orchestration embraces near-field communication (NFC), QR codes, and tokenisation technologies to ensure compatibility and security across platforms. This multi-modal support accommodates diverse consumer preferences and future-proofs payment infrastructure.

Another key point is security and compliance. Heightened consumer and regulatory focus on data protection has shifted POS orchestration toward end-to-end encryption, tokenisation, and real-time fraud detection. Retailers invest in robust cybersecurity frameworks within their POS ecosystems to maintain trust, comply with PCI DSS standards, and mitigate fraud risks inherent in digital payments.

Beyond these technical and operational layers, Auchan’s approach to payments is also about scale and coordination. The digital shift is forcing retailers to think omni-channel by design: connecting in-store and online payments so that customers get a consistent experience across every touchpoint. 

It also drives efficiency on the back end. Automation reduces cash-handling costs, eliminates manual errors, and accelerates reconciliation, giving large retailers clearer visibility over daily operations and cash flow.

Orchestration promises flexibility across channels. What benefit matters most: reliability, cost, data, or something else?

Ciprian Pîrv → Payten Romania
Reliability first, then acceptance uplift. If the terminal is down or the flow is slow, nothing else matters. POS Sharing is built on Payten’s rails that handle 2 billion-plus EFT transactions per year across around 1.7 million terminals in 14 countries, with 24/7 monitoring and real-time dashboards, so uptime and speed are bank-grade. Once reliability is assured, retailers see higher approvals (broad card coverage, installments), cost discipline (one device, shared infrastructure), and better data (standardised reconciliation from a single source).

After reliability comes scale, and with scale comes complexity. If the checkout works flawlessly in one store, the next challenge is making it work the same way across hundreds of locations, apps, and online touchpoints. That’s where orchestration stops being about hardware and starts being about data.

Integration across e-commerce, app, in-store, and loyalty systems is complex. What’s been the biggest orchestration challenge for you recently?

The primary and biggest challenge is ensuring real-time, seamless, and scalable data synchronisation across highly disparate systems while maintaining system compatibility and security.

The integration often involves legacy POS systems, modern e-commerce platforms, mobile apps, and loyalty programs, each with different data formats, APIs, and architectures. This heterogeneity creates barriers in communication and data exchange, making seamless orchestration very complex. Legacy systems with outdated tech or customisations resist easy integration and slow down real-time synchronisation efforts.

Unified commerce also demands real-time updates of inventory, orders, customer profiles, and loyalty points across all channels (online, app, and physical stores) to avoid issues like overselling, inconsistent pricing, or delayed rewards. Failure to synchronise accurately leads to poor customer experience and operational inefficiencies.

Beyond these core technical challenges, the hardest work often happens behind the scenes. As volumes grow, integration must scale without performance bottlenecks while keeping data secure under strict GDPR and PCI-DSS requirements. 

The human side adds another layer. Teams need shared ownership, integration know-how, and constant coordination to keep systems aligned. Middleware plays a crucial role here too: diverse APIs, rate limits, and platform updates demand automation, error handling, and continuous monitoring to keep everything stable.

On Payten’s side, the same complexity looks different. Where retailers fight to keep systems aligned, providers must build infrastructure sturdy enough to absorb change, constantly adding new features without breaking what already works.

Payten supports online, in-store, ATM, tokenisation, and mobile. How do you balance innovation with stability?

Ciprian Pîrv → Payten Romania
We ship features on top of a proven, certified acquiring stack. For POS Sharing, that means: versioned software updates, remote device management, PCI-compliant kernels, canary releases/instant rollback, and SLOs on latency and success rates. Innovation (like RoPay instant at the POS, installments, and tokenisation for repeat customers) is introduced without disrupting live operations.

Innovation at the infrastructure level only matters if customers can feel it. Once the system is stable, the next frontier is experience, and that’s making payments not just reliable, but personal.

What’s one customer-centric capability few merchants offer, but should?

Ciprian Pîrv → Payten Romania
Portable shopper identity across channels—linking a network/tokenized profile so a customer recognized online gets the same one-tap experience in store (saved payment credentials, account-to-account via RoPay, easy exchanges/returns). POS Sharing makes this practical: one device, one flow, consistent consent and receipts—so loyalty isn’t trapped in a single channel.

If Payten’s view highlights the invisible layer connecting a shopper’s identity across every touchpoint, Auchan’s perspective looks toward the ways identity itself may soon evolve.

As coordination across systems tightens, what emerging trend in in-store payments are you keeping a close eye on?

Dorin Branza Danciu → Auchan Romania
The emerging trend in in-store payments to watch as coordination across systems tightens is the rapid expansion of biometric payments. This includes technologies such as palm scanning and facial recognition, moving beyond the familiar phone tap methods at checkout. 

Major companies like JPMorgan Chase and Amazon are already conducting tests indicating a swift adoption curve for these biometric payment methods in retail environments. This trend reflects a push towards more seamless, secure, and convenient payment experiences that integrate tightly with evolving payment infrastructures and customer verification systems.

After exploring the layers of technology and customer experience, the conversation naturally circles back to perspective: what each side of the ecosystem takes away from moments of exchange. 

What did you take with you from UNCHAIN 2025?

Dorin Branza Danciu → Auchan Romania
My experience at Unchain 2025 enriched my understanding of the fintech landscape’s dynamic growth, strengthened valuable industry connections, and equipped me to bring back practical innovation strategies.

For Payten, the same event was less about discovery and more about validation. The conversations confirmed that retailers are asking the same questions they’ve been building toward: resilience, simplicity, and usable data.

Ciprian Pîrv → Payten Romania
Merchants want resilient checkouts, lower total cost, and usable data, and they’re open to mixing card and instant rails to get there. POS Sharing aligns directly: it reduces hardware/OPEX, adds instant payments alongside cards, and normalises data for faster reconciliation. In short, fewer moving parts at the till, more approvals, and clearer insight into what actually converts.

What connects Payten and Auchan is a shared obsession with what happens in the split second between intent and transaction. One builds the rails that make payments work everywhere, while the other turns them into moments that customers barely notice.

Both see the same future coming: payments that are faster, more intelligent, and increasingly invisible. Whether it’s through shared terminals, instant payments, or biometric recognition, the goal remains the same.

In that sense, fintechs and retailers are no longer on opposite sides of the counter. They’re part of the same ecosystem, moving toward a version of commerce where experience and infrastructure finally run at the same speed.

Living in the 21st century has its perks, especially when it comes to paying for stuff. Remember when you had to carry cash or, heaven forbid, a checkbook? Thankfully, those are becoming distant memories. Today, we’re living the good life.

But the thing is, all this seamless convenience doesn’t happen by accident. Behind every effortless tap and swipe, there’s somebody who, at some point, had a brilliant idea, and then a bunch of talented people went ahead and implemented it. 

Lucky for us (and you), we peeked behind the curtain and chatted with one company that’s making payment processing faster than a teenager swiping on TikTok.

At this year’s edition of UNCHAIN, we had the pleasure of talking with Ciprian Pirv, Country Managing Director at Payten Romania. We’ve found out more about Payten’s impact on the CEE ecosystem and how it contributes to the world of digital transactions. 

Because if there’s one thing we can all appreciate, it’s a payment process that just gets out of the way and lets us live our lives.

The Dual Demands of Banks and Merchants

In fintech, one size does not fit all. Payten understands this better than most, balancing the often competing needs of their two main customer segments: banks and merchants. Ciprian shared some candid insights on how the company navigates deals with it:

For the banks, they are usually looking for solutions that can provide them with an efficient way to deal with their merchants and with their end customers in a reliable, user-friendly, and secure manner.

Ciprian Pirv

To keep things running smoothly, Payten is collaborating with big hardware vendors like Diebold Nixdorf for ATMs and Ingenico, Sunmi, and Newland for POS systems. This means that banks have access to reliable technology that meets stringent security standards, such as PCI DSS compliance and GDPR regulations.

Merchants, on the other hand, have a different set of priorities.

Merchants are more focused on cost, reliability, and efficiency.

Ciprian Pirv

And who can blame them? Merchants are on the front lines, dealing with us, impatient customers who just want to pay and go. But the company’s got their back. 

By giving them more control over their payment setups, they’re not just streamlining processes—they’re giving merchants the power to connect with multiple banks and even switch up transactions if one bank’s having a bad day. More options mean fewer headaches, and who doesn’t want that?

This flexibility is important, especially for merchants in regions like Romania and Croatia, where owning their payment infrastructure rather than relying entirely on banks is becoming a trend.

So, while most companies are still trying to figure out which side to play for, Payten’s catering to both banks and merchants without breaking a sweat. 

Even though banks are our main customers, the merchant space is the new growth engine.

Ciprian Pirv

The Future of Payments – More Options, Greater Flexibility

As the payments industry evolves, Payten’s strategy evolves, too. With new payment methods popping up left and right, the company is giving people more ways to pay.

We are preoccupied with increasing the accessibility of payments, giving users as many options as possible to exercise their rights to buy products in any channel and environment.

Ciprian Pirv

This approach includes methods like instant payments and account-to-account transfers, which are gaining traction across Europe.

At the European level, there is more interest towards instant payment and account-to-account payment. We are seeing this being implemented in Romania, but not only.

Ciprian Pirv

Pirv also hinted that Payten is already ahead of the curve, setting up to be the first to bring these options to the merchant POS systems in their markets.

When it comes to AI (a favorite trend among fintech companies), Payten’s not biting—at least, not yet. 

AI is a hot topic, but we are more testing and understanding where AI can fit in our payments ecosystem.

Ciprian Pirv

They’re cautious, and rightfully so—new tech can be exciting, but you don’t want to rush into anything unproven. Instead, Payten’s sticking to what they know best—solid, reliable, and efficient technology that works.

When it comes to the future, Payten does more than just react to changes in the payment landscape.

We are ready from a technological point of view to accept whatever the customer is inclined to pay with, to make purchases in any channel as open and as accessible as possible.

Ciprian Pirv

They’re not waiting for the next big thing—they’re ready for it, whatever it may be. And in a world where payment preferences can change faster than the weather, that’s exactly the kind of flexibility that keeps them ahead..

Okay, just kidding – I’m a millennial, so I definitely remember, but it feels like a lifetime ago. And, as someone who’s pretty much reliant on my phone to pay for things, I can confirm that today, we’re all about quick, easy, and secure transactions. 

That being said, one of the biggest companies that makes our shopping experience (and more) a breeze is VISA –  a name practically synonymous with payments at this point. 

They’ve been around since the days of BankAmericard back in 1958, and they’ve made it their mission to keep up with—and even ahead of—the way we pay. 

Whether it’s their name on your credit card or their technology powering your mobile wallet, Visa’s been a big part of making easy payments the norm.

How VISA Stays on Top

VISA has never been one to sit still. From their early days as BankAmericard in 1958, they’ve constantly worked to improve the payment sector. Today, they’re a global leader, and their mission is the same as ever before: connect the world through secure and innovative payment solutions.

Big words, right? Well, VISA actually stands by them. Take their VISA Flexible Credential, for example. It’s an interesting new feature that lets you switch between payment options at checkout with ease. Or their Tap to Everything service, which turns your mobile device into a payment terminal, making transactions more seamless than ever.

But VISA isn’t just about flashy new tech—they’re dominating the market, too. They held a whopping 52.22% of the U.S. credit card purchase volume in the first three quarters of 2022 and processed over 212 billion transactions in 2023. That’s no small feat. 

VisaNet, its vast and secure network, handles credit, debit, and prepaid card transactions globally, cementing its place as a market leader. And there’s no doubt that more is on the horizon.

What’s Next For The Payment Giant?

At the UNCHAIN Festival, Catalin Cretu, General Manager at Visa, highlighted the company’s role in transforming financial services in CEE. Reflecting on Visa’s journey in the region, Catalin spoke of how Visa has shifted from being just a “cards organization” to a broader “money movement organization.” 

We’re in the business of moving money—domestically, cross-border, card-to-account, and even account-to-wallets.

Catalin Cretu

He emphasized how Visa adapts to serve everyone from banking institutions to a growing base of migrant workers without traditional bank cards.

Catalin also recalled Visa’s early days in CEE, when the company pioneered card services and trained future leaders in the region’s banking industry. 

He shared a recent conversation with a senior banking executive who credited Visa’s early training with shaping their career. 

It’s not organizations you talk to…it’s the people who really help you.

Catalin Cretu

He reflected on that statement, stressing that Visa’s success has been built on personal relationships and a commitment to local support.

Impact In Central Eastern Europe

VISA wants to stay ahead – something that is pretty clear when you look at how they’re making moves in different markets. In Central Eastern Europe (CEE), their strategy is about keeping up with the times and adapting to trends that shape the region.

At the UNCHAIN Festival, Martin Bakardzhiev, Senior Manager at VISA Bulgaria, didn’t shy away from talking about the importance of collaboration and the challenges AI is bringing to the fintech world. He made it clear that while AI can be a powerful tool, it also has a dark side when it comes to security.

We work with a lot of data and in the era of AI and Gen AI, this data can be used by fraudsters to create negative consequences for clients.

Martin Bakardzhiev

It’s a reminder that VISA isn’t just focused on adopting the latest technologies—they’re also working hard to protect it from being misused. Martin also talked about the dual nature of AI: yes, it can improve productivity, but it can also introduce new risks.

AI can be used for bad, not only for good.

Martin Bakardzhiev

He added that VISA is working hard to stay “one step ahead” in combating these challenges.  

With AI becoming more prevalent in most ecosystems, the company’s proactive approach means it remains stronger than the threats posed by bad actors. It’s all about keeping their customers safe, and they’re not messing around when it comes to protecting what matters most.

And just when I’m about to have a fit while scrambling for the cash I usually don’t have, it hits me: I definitely take digital payments for granted. Like most of us, I want to swipe, tap, and click my way out of every purchase without thinking too much about it. 

However, a lot is happening behind every transaction so that our payments don’t crash and burn. Suddenly, that one time when things didn’t work was no big deal because you made thousands of other purchases that went smoothly. 

That’s where companies like SIBS come into play, keeping the chaos at bay so we can keep pretending that payments just happen like they’re no big deal.

Innovating in the Acquiring Space

In the fintech world, SIBS has a history and rock-solid credibility – especially when it comes to payment solutions. Financial institutions and businesses trust them because, well, they actually know what they’re doing.

At this year’s edition of the UNCHAIN Festival, Disruption Banking got the chance to talk with Anda Kaftanoglu, the Sales Director at SIBS Romania. She gave us a sneak peek at what the company is up to these days – making payments more accessible for everyone, from small businesses to major players in the mobility sector. 

One of the most interesting features they’re pushing is turning your regular smartphone into a full-fledged payment terminal. No more clunky hardware or complicated setups. Just a phone that lets you accept payments anywhere, anytime. 

This is a breakthrough in the acquiring business. It’s cost-efficient, and it offers banks the ability to expand their footprint in markets that were previously considered too risky or not worth the investment.

Anda Kaftanoglu

In other words, it’s opening up new opportunities, especially in regions where traditional payment infrastructure has been lacking.

And while you might think this tech is mainly for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), you’d be surprised. 

It was actually a very nice surprise when we realized that, yes, this was our approach, but the adoption was huge among big mobility companies too.

Anda Kaftanoglu

Think couriers, insurance providers, and other large-scale operations that are now streamlining their payment processes with this simple yet powerful solution.

SIBS Romania’s Global Footprint

But SIBS Romania isn’t just about local innovations—they’re playing on a global stage, too. Over the years, they’ve taken their expertise beyond Romania’s borders, reaching into markets across Europe, South Africa, and even Asia. 

Anda highlighted how SIBS Romania became part of the larger SIBS Group a few years ago, which has only accelerated their growth and ability to innovate. 

Three years ago, we became visible for SIBS Portugal, which then acquired our companies in Romania. It was a good match since we had a similar approach to the market.

Anda Kaftanoglu

This acquisition allowed them to exchange ideas and best practices across markets, leading to the introduction of new services like the ATM Multibanco network in Romania.

With 2024 well underway, SIBS Romania is focused on rolling out even more innovative solutions. By the end of the year, they plan to have 200 new terminals live in Romania, further cementing their reputation as a key player in the payments industry. And as Anda puts it, they’re just getting started: 

We’re building our CV for the Romanian market, showing what we can do. The future is bright, and we’re excited to see where this journey takes us.

Anda Kaftanoglu

Looking back now, I can’t help but think how much easier things would’ve been if companies like Fipto had been around. That whole ordeal feels almost absurd when you look at what Fipto is doing. They’ve created a platform that streamlines international payments for businesses, making them instant, transparent, and cost-efficient—all thanks to blockchain technology. 

Fipto takes what used to be a frustrating, drawn-out process and makes it as simple as sending an email. For companies managing cross-border payments, it’s nothing short of a game-changer. 

At this year’s edition of UNCHAIN, The Connector had the opportunity to talk with Patrick Mollard, CEO of Fipto, where he shared how his company is tackling the inefficiencies of cross-border payments.

A Shift from Traditional Banking to Entrepreneurship

Patrick Mollard didn’t start out with dreams of entrepreneurship. He admits: 

During my studies, like a lot of people, maybe you don’t really know what you want to do, so you make non-decisions. You go for the options that close the least options and leave the most options open. So that’s basically what I’ve done for quite some time.

This approach eventually led him into M&A advisory at ABN AMRO, but it wasn’t long before he realized that his desire for impact wasn’t being fulfilled in that environment.

In 2015, Patrick took the leap into fintech by joining a Belgian startup, Ivan First. 

I had a great run there for six years, and that’s when I really realized that I wanted to create something with a group. 

This realization, combined with his drive to make a tangible impact, led him to co-found Fipto alongside Greg and Bertrand.

For Patrick, it wasn’t just about building a company but building it with the right team. 

I’m not someone that is able or would like to do it on my own.

The collaborative environment at Fipto, much like his previous experience at Ivan First, is something he values deeply.

Building The Right Team – Key to Success

When asked about the most significant lesson he learned from his time at Ivan First, Patrick didn’t hesitate: the team. This focus on talent is something Patrick has carried over to Fipto.

We are still quite small. We’re 30 people now, two-thirds of them in product and tech.

They focus on hiring the best experts in their fields and giving them the autonomy to operate efficiently. 

Everyone has to do their job, and that’s how we will get there.

Patrick described his management style as trusting his team to operate independently but staying aligned on the company’s goals. 

We use this OKR technology—objective key results. We try to define them every quarter in order to make sure that everyone has in mind where we want to be.

This structure helps keep the team focused despite being spread across several countries, including France, Belgium, Portugal, and Tel Aviv.

The Problem with Traditional Cross-Border Payments

Fipto was founded to solve a very specific problem: the inefficiency of cross-border payments. Patrick was frustrated with how outdated technology was holding back corporate payments. 

It’s strange to realize that in a world where you can order something from Amazon before 6 p.m. and have it the next morning, sending money from Belgium to Japan can still take several days. 

The technology hasn’t kept pace with the global economy’s demand for faster and cheaper transactions. For instance, Patrick mentioned that sending dollars from one continent to another can still be slow and expensive due to the intermediaries and outdated technology involved. 

The correspondent banking networks are performing well in some corridors but not everywhere.

Blockchain technology, which Fipto leverages, cuts out the middlemen and allows for instant, transparent, and cost-effective transactions. 

We saw the potential for blockchain to do for payments what email did for postal services.

The Future of Payments – Instant, Transparent, and Global

Fipto’s mission goes beyond just speeding up payments. The company is also focused on making payments programmable and automated. Patrick sees a future where blockchain doesn’t just improve the speed of transactions but also simplifies the process through automation. 

For us, payment technology will go to the next level. I think the idea of taking the hassle out of executing payments and putting it out of the hands of accountants is an interesting one for the future.

He emphasized that Fipto’s approach is about blending the best of both worlds: the reliability of traditional payment systems and the efficiency of blockchain. 

We’re combining the best practices of traditional payments with the best of this new technology, which is blockchain.

Regulatory Challenges and Global Expansion

Operating in the fintech space means navigating a complex regulatory landscape, something Fipto takes very seriously. 

We have registered as a VASP in France since March 2023. And we are also going for the payment institution license.

This regulatory structure is vital not just for compliance but also for building trust with clients. 

The regulation part is very important in acquiring clients because it means that we take things seriously. We have the right resources and minimum equity in place.

Fipto’s global ambitions are also clear. They’re already operating in several countries, with partners in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. 

But despite this global reach, Fipto remains committed to maintaining its regulatory standards and compliance across all regions.

Bringing the Future of Payments into Focus

As Patrick Mollard and his team at Fipto continue to expand their innovative platform, it’s clear they’re not just making cross-border payments faster and cheaper—they’re changing how businesses think about payments altogether. Patrick said, summing up the company’s mission:

Blockchain enables transparency, speed, and cost efficiency.

With a talented team, the latest technology, and a global vision, Fipto is set to be part of the next wave of innovation in cross-border payments. Things are definitely changing for companies that are still dealing with the problems my dad once faced.

What used to take days now takes minutes. What used to be a murky process is now transparent. And what used to cost a fortune is now much more affordable. For businesses dealing with international payments, Fipto is the upgrade they’ve been waiting for.

That was me yesterday when my phone decided to play tricks on me, and I couldn’t pay.  “Huh?” I thought while the people behind me started sighing dramatically. Tried again. Still no luck. I was now holding up the line like the person we all dread being, fishing out cash or trying a card you hope won’t betray you.

That frustrating moment really made me think about how payments have become such a crucial part of everyday life. And yet, when something goes wrong, it reminds you just how fragile the system can feel (sometimes).

But as I ponder the fragility of an otherwise solid technology, I see that there are companies out there focused on making these exact problems a thing of the past. This brings me to the subject of my article – Paynovate, a company that makes payments reliable and practically invisible to the user.

Companies like these are the reason we can usually take payments for granted. When things don’t go as planned, you start appreciating the technology that keeps things running smoothly.

At this year’s edition of UNCHAIN, The Connector got to sit down with Robert Masse, CEO of Paynovate. Robert shared what Paynovate has been up to, from their growing role as a one-stop shop for financial services to their plans for global expansion.

The Man Behind Paynovate

Before we go into what Paynovate is all about, let’s talk about the man steering the ship: Robert Masse. A father of two, Robert has a passion for programming that’s followed him since his days at the Brussels Free University, where he studied business management and law. This combination of business, tech, and legal expertise naturally set him up for the fintech space. 

Fintech was kind of a natural playing field for me.

Robert built Paynovate from scratch. In the early days, he wore multiple hats: coder, manager, legal expert—you name it. 

I started it from scratch; I was the very first person working for it.

Over time, he’s shifted more into a management role, but his understanding of the tech and legal side of things remains a cornerstone of Paynovate’s growth.

Payments Simplified

In Robert’s words, Paynovate is a one-stop shop for financial services. They offer a full suite of payment options, from IBAN accounts and wire transfers to card issuing and acquiring.

Besides cash, I think that we provide all the payment means that can be provided.

But Paynovate isn’t just about being another payment provider. Their unique positioning is catering to those often overlooked by traditional banks. 

We provide financial services to more or less everyone, especially those who struggle a bit to get good financial services from traditional players.

Whether it’s the gaming industry, non-profits, or fintech companies needing card issuing services, Paynovate has carved out a niche. They focus on specific sectors where their expertise and specialization add real value. 

We have people dedicated to those business sectors, which makes it profitable for us to serve those specific customers. That’s the difference.

A Focus on Expansion

Paynovate is growing fast, and its sights are set beyond Europe. With regulatory approval from the National Bank of Belgium and the FCA in the UK, Paynovate is now applying for licenses in the Middle East. 

Our business model is valid in Europe, but it’s also valid abroad.

Expansion is a key part of their strategy in the next few years. But this isn’t just about getting bigger—it’s about doing so thoughtfully. 

Robert highlights the importance of adapting and remaining flexible in a fast-changing industry. 

In the beginning, the best service you can give to your customers is flexibility. That means that you find the customer first, and then you adapt to their needs.

At the Heart of Paynovate

For Paynovate, the core of their business is technology. The company is always evolving, whether it’s its IT infrastructure or finding innovative ways to improve customer experiences. 

We’re not totally up to the level yet, but it’s something that will make more of a difference in the future than what it was in the past.

He’s also clear that innovation isn’t just about the tech. It’s about improving processes:

It’s not always IT. Sometimes, innovation is about how we build our processes for KYC, compliance, and also business methods.

In the highly regulated world of fintech, Paynovate’s specialization allows them to thrive where traditional banks struggle. Robert explains that big banks often can’t afford to cater to niche sectors like gaming or non-profits because the compliance work is too costly. 

For a bank, it’s not profitable to assess this particular customer. The difference is that for us, we focus on some specific sectors.

As compliance burdens increase globally, Robert sees this as a growth opportunity. 

The more regulations are coming in, the more potential customers we have.

What Lies Ahead

Looking ahead, Paynovate focuses on refining its processes and expanding into new markets. While they continue to innovate, Robert emphasizes that their key strength lies in specialization. They know their customers, they know the industries they serve, and they build solutions tailored to those needs.

In the beginning, you adapt to your customer’s needs. But as you grow, you evolve to become more product-focused and organized.

It’s this balance between flexibility and structure that will keep Paynovate moving forward.

So the next time I am back in that checkout line and payment goes through, I’ll probably think about how companies like Paynovate are helping me avoid the awkward waiting and decline messages. 

After all, payments don’t need to be a headache. We’re lucky we have great innovators who are turning payments from a point of stress into something you don’t even have to think about. You just pay and move on with your day, which is how it should be.

Details of the Agreement

• Instant Payments: The agreement enables Banque Raiffeisen to send and receive instant payments as required by the EU’s Instant Payments Regulation.
• Services: Worldline will provide TIPS connectivity, transaction sanctions screening, and stand-in account verifications.
• Enhanced Capabilities: Worldline offers end-to-end solutions for instant payments, improving API connectivity and minimizing integration complexities, ensuring banks can serve clients 24/7/365.

We have signed this agreement with Worldline, a valued partner for the clearing and settlement of Sepa payments for over 15 years, because we are confident that this allows us to smoothly implement instant payments in line with the regulatory requirements and deadlines. With instant payments we intend to complete the range of payment services we offer to our clients and be prepared for the future developments in peer-to-peer and point-of-sale payments.

 Eric Peyer, exco member at Banque Raiffeisen

This initiative aligns with the European Council’s regulatory requirements, which aim to ensure credit transfers are processed within 10 seconds, thereby promoting instant credit transfers and reducing the risk of fraud. This regulatory push underscores the importance of adopting advanced payment technologies to meet evolving customer expectations and regulatory standards.

This announcement represents our first cloud-based instant payments client in Luxembourg. Through our offering, Banque Raiffeisen will benefit from a comprehensive instant payments solution and a fast time to market that provides added value.

Sheri Brandon, CMO of financial services at Worldline