While the changes in the Fintech Payments industry, brought on by the pandemic, were seen across all markets, Fast-growing and Emerging economies have experienced the biggest shift. Increased use of mobile payments have put them at the forefront of the new payment technologies adoption.
It is now clear that the coronavirus pandemic served as a significant catalyst for growth in the Fintech Payments industry. The changes in consumer behavior the pandemic imposed, alongside the massive expansion of e-commerce, brought new consumers into the market, increased the volume and variety of purchases, and promoted new payment methods. While the changes were felt across all markets, Fast-growing and Emerging economies have had to adapt the most, and seems to be leading the way in the adoption of new payment technologies.
The coronavirus pandemic has had a significant impact on how buyers shop online. In the developed countries, the volume of online purchases increased—amounting to $4.28 trillion —as has their scope. Consumers started shopping online for a wider range of goods, including bulky ones such as furniture and tools alongside groceries.
‘Instant delivery’ services pair with contactless payments
The share of goods traded across borders increased, both regionally and globally. More shopping is now conducted through “instant delivery” services, which deliver goods within minutes rather than days. Contactless payment options became more popular, as cash and card machines were identified as a pandemic risk. With such changes, new user groups have entered the market as well, especially the older generation, which long resisted the shift to Fintech.
Rise of online purchases in Emerging Markets
While generally trends differ from continent to continent, Emerging markets saw some of the same trends as the Mature markets. Online purchases were on the rise, as was the demand for international goods and services. There was also a significant increase in the number of people that purchased online. For example, 68% of South Africans were spending more time shopping online than prior to the pandemic—most common items bought through e-commerce platforms in 2020 were clothing and groceries.
“The pandemic has caused a behavior change that will be difficult to undo,” notes Frank Breuss, co-founder of Nikulipe, a fintech company connecting Fast-Growing and Emerging Markets with the global payments industry. “These changes are not localized or specific for a number of countries, as it usually is. Once people have made the shift to more convenient payment methods, they are unlikely to go back, and we are seeing this happen for more than a year now.”
Mobile payment—key to e-commerce success
The move to new payment methods gave rise to the trend of the increasing popularity in local payment methods (LPMs), such as the various mobile payment systems operated by national telecom companies. Breuss singles out two main reasons why mobile payments are becoming that much more popular: many buyers in Emerging markets, like in Mature economies, still wish to keep the physical contact to a minimum—and will continue to do so; buyers are also without access to credit cards, which makes mobile payments more widely accessible.
Such and similar technologies allow them to deposit money on their account and send it to anyone else on the network, including merchants. That is why LMPs are being called the key to e-commerce success in Emerging markets.
