Category: Banking

Welcome to our specialized banking category, an expertly curated space where we delve into the exciting world of digital transformation sweeping across the banking industry. Our insightful articles explore a multitude of facets that are actively shaping the future of banking, from the disruptive force of cutting-edge technologies to the shifting paradigms of customer expectations.

As the terrain of the sector undergoes continuous evolution, it becomes increasingly crucial for industry professionals, enthusiasts, and observers to keep abreast of the latest developments and trends. Our in-depth articles serve as a resource, providing valuable insights into how traditional banking institutions are navigating the transition to the digital age, and how emerging fintech companies are spearheading innovative solutions that are redefining the industry’s contours.

Our coverage encompasses a wide array of topics, from the convenience and the ubiquity of digital payments to the transformative impact of regulatory technology and the paramount importance of data security. This comprehensive exploration offers our readers a panoramic view of the digital banking ecosystem. Our overarching objective is to equip our readers with a nuanced understanding of the challenges that lie ahead, as well as the opportunities that digital transformation brings to the fore.

So, immerse yourself in our curated content, enrich your knowledge, spark meaningful conversations, and stay ahead of the curve in this digital banking era. Join us in exploring the captivating world of this sector where the only constant is change. Welcome to the future of banking, with us!

Identity Theft in Banking – Things you need to know!

Posted on | by Signzian

30% of consumers said that they had been victims of online identity theft is one of the surveys by Experian in July 2022. 

Identity theft is a serious problem, and with the rapid advancement of technology, it’s only getting worse. Every year, millions of Americans become victims of identity theft and financial fraud.

According to the FTC, identity theft and related fraud increased nationwide in 2021:

  1. More than 5.8 million fraud complaints were filed for the year, an increase of 19%.
  2. The financial losses from fraud increased by 77% from the previous year to more than $6.1 billion.
  3. Consumer identity theft complaints increased by 3.3% to just over 1.43 million.

While there are steps you can take to reduce your risk, it’s important to be aware of the tactics criminals use to gain access to your personal information. In today’s blog post, we will discuss how identity theft works in banking and what measures you can take to detect it. By understanding the methods criminals use and taking the necessary precautions, you can put yourself in a better position to protect yourself from potential identity theft.

What is identity theft?

Identity theft is when someone uses your personal information without permission to commit fraud or other crimes. Your personal information can include your name, Social Security number, date of birth, bank account numbers, credit card numbers, or other sensitive information.

1,434,695 identity theft complaints topped the FTC’s list of fraud complaints in 2021, accounting for about 24 percent of the 5,883,409 fraud, identity theft, and other complaints received. Imposter scams were the second most reported fraud category after identity theft, with 995,789 reports and $2.4 billion in losses—nearly double the $1.2 billion loss caused by the category in 2020.

Identity theft can happen in many ways: Phishing, smishing, spoofing, and vishing are some techniques Fraudsters use.

Phishing:

As a method of identity theft, phishing involves individuals unwittingly providing personal information that can be misused. Fraud is usually carried out by creating fake websites, emails, or texts that appear to be from a legitimate firm. 

On Feb 20th, 2023, a farmer from Rajasthan almost lost more than Rs 8 lakh to a cyber fraudster when his son clicked on a phishing link. In the past few years, cyber fraud cases have witnessed a significant rise. According to the EY report, 53% of respondents in India state that cybercrime and ransomware risk have increased in India in the last 1 year. 

Vishing:

Vishing (voice phishing) is an attempt where fraudsters try to seek personal information like Paytm Bank PIN, Paytm OTP, Card expiry date, CVV, etc. via a phone call. The miscreant acts as an employee from Paytm, the government, or a bank. He/she asks you for your KYC details. They will state various reasons, like reward points, free cashback, reactivation of account, etc., for this. These details are then used for accessing your account without your knowledge.

Smishing:

Smishing (SMS phishing) is when an SMS/Email/WhatsApp message is used to lure you to call back on a fraudulent phone number, visit fraud websites, or download malicious content via your phone. Fraudsters will send you SMS/Facebook Requests/WhatsApp messages to inform you that you’ve won some prize money, a cashback offer, or the like. They’ll ask you to share your Paytm account/Paytm Payments Bank account details. Unaware of what might happen, they will initiate fraudulent transactions using your account details once you do that.

How does identity theft happen?

There are a few ways that identity theft can happen in banking. One way is if someone steals your personal information, such as your Social Security or account number. They can then use this information to open new accounts in your name and rack up debt. 

Another way is if someone gains access to your bank account and makes unauthorized withdrawals. This can happen if your bank account number is stolen or if you have an online account that is not secure. 

Finally, identity theft can also happen if you receive a phishing email that looks like it’s from your bank. This type of email will try to get you to click on a link or download an attachment that will install malware on your computer. If you do this, the cybercriminal will have access to all of the information on your computer, including your banking information.

How can Banks Detect & Prevent Identity Theft?

The process of detecting stolen identities begins at the onboarding stage. Adding new customers can be risky for banks regarding digital onboarding – there is the need to satisfy regulations such as KYC (know your customer) and AML (anti-money laundering). These legal obligations must be obeyed to prevent any kind of financial fraud. Criminals often use false or synthetic IDs to deceive the process and open bank accounts, so confirming identities can be expensive – with costs reaching $35.2 billion in 2020. This is especially daunting for neobanks and challenger banks, who strive to make the customer onboarding experience quick and straightforward. 

With video KYC verification, banks can verify their customers’ identities remotely through a video call, which is quick, convenient, and reliable. As a result, businesses can detect potential fraudsters beforehand and eliminate the need for physical presence. 

Use Cases:

  1. By using video KYC, banks can onboard new users digitally via a video call, making the process more efficient and productive. 
  2. The real-time video call helps banks identify money laundering, identity theft, and terrorist financing while onboarding new users. 
  3. In any country where the Bank operates, they must ensure that their businesses comply with KYC & AML regulations. Signzy’s Video KYC verification helps businesses meet those regulations while avoiding being penalized.

Features: 

  1. Text Match is used to ensure PAN card data corresponds with Aadhaar records. Simultaneously, high-definition snapshots of the ID and video can be taken for comparison. 
  2. Documents no longer need to be stored since recorded videos, and captured documents can easily be retrieved. 
  3. Geo-Location capture and IP check detect Proxy or VPNs while scanning for spam or abuse reports in established blacklists. 
  4. End-to-end encryption is enabled for full data security, applying the most reliable security protocols.

Conclusion

Identifying identity theft and synthetic ID fraud starts with thorough identification verification. While most banks and financial institutions will have a robust KYC process that includes IDV, Signzy’s Video KYC will let risk managers work with real-time alternative intel and in-depth technical data points. 

The following are key advantages.

  1. Real-time enrichment is applied to all data.
  2. To save time and money, you can perform Video KYC checks.
  3. In the digital age, digital footprint analysis is becoming more important than traditional ID checks.
  4. You can catch more fraudsters by combining these with velocity checks and device fingerprinting.

Identity theft can be scary, and banks are one of the main targets for criminals trying to steal your identity. Through liveliness checks, image forensics, face matching, and randomized questions, Signzy utilizes artificial intelligence to perform comprehensive identity verification. The solution offers inherent safety by making the process directly between the bank, and the consumer and is completely paperless and contactless. 

About Signzy

Signzy is a market-leading platform redefining the speed, accuracy, and experience of how financial institutions are onboarding customers and businesses – using the digital medium. The company’s award-winning no-code GO platform delivers seamless, end-to-end, and multi-channel onboarding journeys while offering customizable workflows. In addition, it gives these players access to an aggregated marketplace of 240+ bespoke APIs that can be easily added to any workflow with simple widgets.

Signzy is enabling ten million+ end customer and business onboarding every month at a success rate of 99% while reducing the speed to market from 6 months to 3-4 weeks. It works with over 240+ FIs globally, including the 4 largest banks in India, a Top 3 acquiring Bank in the US, and has a robust global partnership with Mastercard and Microsoft. The company’s product team is based out of Bengaluru and has a strong presence in Mumbai, New York, and Dubai.

Visit www.signzy.com for more information about us.

You can reach out to our team at reachout@signzy.com.

How To Complete reKYC for DEMAT/Trading Accounts?

Posted on | by Signzian

The digital reKYC process adds a new layer of security to financial transactions and trading accounts. It is an essential part of the Know-Your-Customer (KYC) process, to which banks and other financial institutions must comply with regulatory requirements. Re-activating a trading account through the digital reKYC process can be tricky, but it doesn’t have to be. This blog article will discuss how you can successfully navigate the process and easily re-activate your trading account through reKYC. 

Why is reKYC of DEMAT/Trading accounts important?

When you open the DEMAT account, the DP / broker will ask you to fill up a KYC form along with your client agreement form. KYC requires basic paperwork and the submission of essential documents. It also requires originals for complete verification.

KYC norms were put out by the RBI in 2002 and have been adopted by SEBI for all investment-related activities. This includes opening a trading account, DEMAT account, mutual fund investments, etc. The idea was to cut down on corrupt practices. Some examples are money laundering, acting as fronts for entities, trading in cash without audit trails, fraud, and financing of anti-national activities.

The same goes for reKYC process. It is really important to go for reKYC trading accounts for several reasons:

  1. The reKYC process will allow the account holder to continue to trade securities and access their account information smoothly. 
  2. It will help to ensure that the account holder’s personal information and security settings are up to date. 
  3. It will help to keep the account active and in good standing with the broker or exchange.

What is Digital reKYC?

Digital reKYC is verifying a customer’s identity using online methods such as video KYC, facial recognition, or government-issued ID. This process aims to make it easier for customers to get their accounts reinstated after they have been suspended for suspicious activity.

This process has become increasingly popular as it offers many advantages over traditional KYC methods. For one, it is much faster and more convenient for customers. Additionally, it helps to reduce costs associated with account reactivation.

A visit to the bank branch is not needed to update KYC: RBI

In its latest circular, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has said that If customers have already provided the appropriate documents, they are not required to visit a bank branch to update their ‘know your customer’ (KYC) details. In place of submitting KYC information, they can submit a self-declaration by email, registered mobile number, or any other digital channel if there has been no change. Banks should offer customers the ability to self-declare different aspects through various non-contact methods. These can include registered email addresses or mobile numbers, ATMs, digital channels such as web or app banking, and letters. If the address needs updating only, customers should let their bank know via any of these channels, after which it will be verified within two months.

Advantages of Digital reKYC

The advantages of the Digital reKYC process are many and varied, but some of the most notable advantages include the following:

  1. A more efficient and streamlined process: The Digital reKYC process is much more efficient than the traditional KYC process, meaning that it can be completed in a fraction of the time.
  2. More accurate data: Since the Digital reKYC process relies on digital data sources, the data collected is usually more accurate than that collected through traditional methods.
  3. Increased security: The Digital reKYC process is also much more secure than traditional KYC processes due to the increased use of encryption and other security measures.

Key steps in the reKYC documentation process for the DEMAT/Trading account

  1. The first step is filling out the KYC form if you are a new investor and opening your DEMAT account for the first time. The application forms require demographic information. This can be named residential address, office address, joint account holder details, account nomination, etc.
  2. The next step of the investor onboarding process is to present your identity proof. A PAN card is mandatory in this regard. You may also be asked to submit additional government-authorized proof. This can be a passport, driving license, voter ID, Aadhaar, etc.
  3. The third step involves submitting proof of residential address. The document should include the current address in the exact format. You can provide utility bills with link documents. Other documents, like bank statements, company letters, etc., can also be linked.
  4. Finally, you must submit a copy of your canceled Cheque. The account holder’s name must be embossed on the Cheque leaf. This is to verify your IFSC code and account details.

Conclusion

Re-activating a trading account through the Digital reKYC process is simple and efficient. By following these three steps, you’ll be able to get back into trading with minimal fuss quickly. The process takes just a few minutes and is completed from the comfort of your end customer’s home. 

About Signzy

Signzy is a market-leading platform redefining the speed, accuracy, and experience of how financial institutions are onboarding customers and businesses – using the digital medium. The company’s award-winning no-code GO platform delivers seamless, end-to-end, and multi-channel onboarding journeys while offering customizable workflows. In addition, it gives these players access to an aggregated marketplace of 240+ bespoke APIs, easily added to any workflow with simple widgets.

Signzy is enabling ten million+ end customer and business onboarding every month at a success rate of 99% while reducing the speed to market from 6 months to 3-4 weeks. It works with over 240+ FIs globally, including the 4 largest banks in India, a Top 3 acquiring Bank in the US, and has a robust global partnership with Mastercard and Microsoft. The company’s product team is based out of Bengaluru and has a strong presence in Mumbai, New York, and Dubai.

Visit www.signzy.com for more information about us.
You can reach out to our team at reachout@signzy.com

Retail Banking Automation is the key to success!

Posted on | by Signzian

In today’s digital age, banking is changing faster than ever. With the rise of AI and automation, retail banks face some of their biggest challenges. Banks must adjust to keep up with customer expectations while also trying to remain competitive. This blog post will explore major retail banking challenges and how automation can help them overcome them. From increasing customer satisfaction levels to improving efficiency, read on to learn more about how emerging technologies are reshaping the banking industry and what you should do to stay ahead of the curve.

The changing landscape of Retail Banking

In the past decade, the retail banking landscape has changed dramatically. The industry has become more competitive, with new players such as online-only banks and their offering services that traditional banks have not been able to match. At the same time, customers have become more demanding, expecting personalized service and around-the-clock access to their accounts.

To meet these challenges, banks are turning to automation. For example, automated teller machines (ATMs) can provide 24/7 access to cash without the need for human tellers. In addition, automated loan origination and underwriting systems can speed up the loan application process, while fraud detection systems can help protect against losses.

By using automation to improve their operations, banks can keep pace with the changing landscape of retail banking and better serve their customers’ needs.

The challenges Retail Banks face

As the retail banking landscape changes, so do banks’ challenges. With new technologies and regulations constantly introduced, banks can be difficult to keep up. Here are some of the main challenges that retail banks face:

  1. Compliance with new regulations – With new regulations being introduced all the time, it can be difficult for banks to keep up. This is especially true for smaller banks, who may not have the resources to dedicate to compliance.
  2. Managing customer expectations – Customers expect more from their banks than ever in today’s world. They want convenient access to their accounts, fast responses to their inquiries, and personalized service. Meeting these expectations can be challenging for banks, especially as they strive to maintain profitability.
  3. Enhancing customer experience – To compete in today’s market, banks must provide exceptional customer experience. This means offering convenient and user-friendly digital channels and providing personalized service when needed.
  4. Reducing costs – As margins continue to shrink, reducing costs has become a top priority for many banks. This includes both operational costs and regulatory costs. Automation can help in both areas by reducing manual processes and increasing efficiency.
  5. Increasing profits – Despite all the challenges retail banks face, they still need to find ways to increase profits to stay afloat and compete in today’s marketplace.

Automation in Retail Banking – How it helps?

Retail banks are pressured to do more with less in today’s fast-paced world. They must provide excellent customer service, keep up with the latest technology, and ensure compliance with ever-changing regulations. At the same time, they need to control costs and increase profitability. Automation can help retail banks meet these challenges. 

McKinsey estimates that by 2025, approximately 50 billion devices will be connected to the IoT (Internet of Things). In addition, with 3D printing, automation, and robots, retail banks generate approximately 79.4 zettabytes of data each year, improving efficiency and decision-making. During this year, smart automation will continue to support process automation tools in banking, such as digital process automation (DPA) and robotic process automation (RPA).

Achieving an enhanced customer experience requires credit unions and banks to prioritize digital processes, such as digital loan application management, customer onboarding, and new account opening.

By automating routine tasks, banks can free up staff to focus on more value-added activities, such as providing personalized service and developing new products and services. Automation can also help banks improve accuracy and efficiency while reducing costs. Cybercrimes have increased frequently over the past several years to the point where it is thought that they are one of the most significant hazards to the financial sector. 

The acceleration in the digital banking transformation of financial institutions leads to increased cyber threats. As a result, protecting critical infrastructure and customer data is of utmost importance, particularly with the predicted rise in online data transmissions and mobile technology come 2022. Apple Pay and Google Pay have solidified their positions as major players in proximity mobile payments (nearly $247 billion market) with respective market shares of 43.4% and 25.0%.

The benefits of Automation for Retail Banks

In today’s ever-changing and fast-paced business world, it’s more important than ever for retail banks to automate their operations to stay competitive. Automation can help banks improve their efficiency and accuracy, freeing up valuable time and resources that can be better spent on other business areas. In addition, automating repetitive and manual tasks can reduce human error and improve compliance with regulations.

There are several different ways in which retail banks can automate their operations, including using software to automate account opening and closing processes, customer onboarding, loan origination and processing, fraud detection and prevention, and much more. By investing in automation, retail banks can improve their internal operations and provide a better customer experience.

The future of Retail Banking

In the next decade, the retail banking sector will face many challenges. These include improving customer experience, keeping up with digital transformation, and meeting changing regulatory requirements.

Fortunately, automation can help banks overcome these challenges. By automating manual processes and tasks, banks can free up staff to focus on more value-added activities. This will help them improve customer experience, keep up with the digital transformation, and meet changing regulatory requirements.

When considering automation solutions, choosing a partner with a deep understanding of the banking industry is important. It can offer a comprehensive suite of solutions tailored to your needs. FIS is a leading provider of automation solutions for retail banks of all sizes. Our solutions can help you streamline operations, improve customer service, and increase profitability.

About Signzy

Signzy is a market-leading platform redefining the speed, accuracy, and experience of how financial institutions are onboarding customers and businesses – using the digital medium. The company’s award-winning no-code GO platform delivers seamless, end-to-end, and multi-channel onboarding journeys while offering customizable workflows. In addition, it gives these players access to an aggregated marketplace of 240+ bespoke APIs that can be easily added to any workflow with simple widgets.

Signzy is enabling ten million+ end customer and business onboarding every month at a success rate of 99% while reducing the speed to market from 6 months to 3-4 weeks. It works with over 240+ FIs globally, including the 4 largest banks in India, a Top 3 acquiring Bank in the US, and has a robust global partnership with Mastercard and Microsoft. The company’s product team is based out of Bengaluru and has a strong presence in Mumbai, New York, and Dubai.

Visit www.signzy.com for more information about us.
You can reach out to our team at reachout@signzy.com

Written By:

Shraddha is a passionate Digital Marketer and a versatile leader, working as the Director of Marketing at Signzy. She is a goal-driven professional with excellent innovative skills. Having 11+ years of experience across industries including travel, SNV, healthcare, and Fintech, Shraddha considers herself a self-empowered and self-driven individual ready to take on challenges and proactively rise to occasions in crisis. A professional who ardently believes in the right work-life balance, she ensures to spend quality time with her family. This has a positive effect on her professional life and pursuits.

Tokenization of Cards for Payment Security

Posted on | by Signzian

The global online shopping market is growing rapidly, reaching almost 4 trillion in 2020. Unfortunately, customers are relying heavily on online shopping so much that the possibilities of payment fraud and cyberattacks are on the rise. According to research by OpSec Security, 86% of customers were victims of some data breach or credit or debit card fraud in 2020. 

From the statistics, it’s evident that payment security is the need of the hour. As a result, every online business is looking for solutions to safeguard its customers’ data from cybercrimes. 

And this is where the tokenization of cards can help. The fintech industry introduced the tokenization of cards to intensify security against account misuse or data fraud. 

Recently, in India, RBI issued guidelines to secure sensitive information or data for debit and card care transactions through CoF (Card on File) tokenization regulations. 

But what is tokenization? How does it ensure payment security? If you’re new to the term, you’ve come to the right place. This article will help you understand everything you need about tokenization in 2022. 

 

What Is Tokenization?

In the fintech industry, the term tokenization has been buzzing over the last few months. It is the process of replacing or substituting sensitive data with randomly generated, unique symbols, phrases, or keywords known as tokens. 

If you’re a credit or debit card holder, tokens will represent your card’s information like card number, CVV number, and bank details during the payment process. The tokenization process ensures that your payment card details remain secured and don’t get exposed.

The tokenization of payment cards is available in several countries, including the USA, Australia, Europe, and India. This method is also massively used because the PCI DSS ( Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards) has encouraged the adoption of payment tokenization. 

As online data breaches have skyrocketed across the industry, the tokenization method has gained popularity among online merchants. Tokenization provides security against data breaches, reduces red tape, and gains customer confidence. 

The tokenized data is always protected, as hackers can do nothing with the tokens. Also, the merchant doesn’t have to manage their customers’ sensitive data, which results in reduced costs and a low risk of data breaches. 

Paytm, India’s largest payments and financial services company, said they had tokenized over 28 million cards across Mastercard, Visa, and RuPay to secure online payments. 

“Paytm is committed to safe and secure online payments, and in that direction, RBI’s tokenization efforts are a key milestone for the industry. We recognised the need for tokenized cards and implemented the same on Paytm app. We are seeing incredible success, and this will go a long way in bringing India’s payment system online while also making it trustworthy and safe for customers.”– Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Founder, and CEO of Paytm

 

How Does Tokenization Work? 

Before tokenization, you had to enter your credit or debit card details (your name, card’s expiry date, CVV number, and 16-digit card number) each time you made an online payment. Now all these payment details get stored by the payment processor or online merchant’s platform. 

With tokenization, your card details or number will be replaced by a unique token number. Your card network or bank randomly generates this token number. And the card network or the respective bank has API systems to analyze your card and token number, so the payment gets credited or debited to the cardholder’s account without storing any data. 

Here is a step-by-step process that explains the tokenization process of credit cards transaction: 

  1. You make an online purchase with your credit card details. 
  2. The sensitive data of the card is sent to the tokenization service provider. 
  3. The tokenization system tokenizes the card (replaces the sensitive data with a token) and sends it to the acquiring bank. 
  4. The bank uses the token to request authorization from the credit card company. 
  5. The bank secures the original payment information. Once the token supplied by you matches your account number, the transaction will be verified. 
  6. Once your payment is successful, the token will be returned to the merchant. 

In the future, when you’ll again purchase something from the same merchant, there will be different token sequences. This efficient security will boost client satisfaction and conversion rate. 

Source

The popularity of tokenization has increased the use of mobile wallets like Google Pay and Apple Pay. It is predicted that the use of mobile wallets (Apple and Google Pay) in North America is set to increase between 2020 and 2025. 

Wrapping Up 

The tokenization of cards is an example of how technology will impact the fintech industry in the future. That’s why several e-commerce sites and in-app payment apps are adopting this process.

As tokenization of payment cards removes the risk of saving your card details on the merchant site, you can expect enhanced security. 

Even if hackers try to steal the tokenized data, they won’t be able to link the card information with the token. Undoubtedly, it has the potential to lower the risk of data breaches significantly. 

 

About Signzy

Signzy is a market-leading platform redefining the speed, accuracy, and experience of how financial institutions are onboarding customers and businesses – using the digital medium. The company’s award-winning no-code GO platform delivers seamless, end-to-end, and multi-channel onboarding journeys while offering customizable workflows. In addition, it gives these players access to an aggregated marketplace of 240+ bespoke APIs that can be easily added to any workflow with simple widgets.

Signzy is enabling ten million+ end customer and business onboarding every month at a success rate of 99% while reducing the speed to market from 6 months to 3-4 weeks. It works with over 240+ FIs globally, including the 4 largest banks in India, a Top 3 acquiring Bank in the US, and has a robust global partnership with Mastercard and Microsoft. The company’s product team is based out of Bengaluru and has a strong presence in Mumbai, New York, and Dubai.

Visit www.signzy.com for more information about us.

You can reach out to our team at reachout@signzy.com.

 

Written By:

Signzy

Written by an insightful Signzian intent on learning and sharing knowledge.

 

Why Open Banking And Embedded Finance Gives An Edge To Fintech Startups Over Traditional Banks

Posted on | by Signzian

Open banking has offered fintech startups the chance to alter the global finance industry by putting financial services at consumers’ fingertips through user-friendly apps and websites on their smartphones and PCs. Last year alone, 2.5 million people were using services that sat on open banking interfaces. This year it’s expected to be more than four million.

The open banking mandate requires banks to share data via application programming interfaces (APIs), making it one of the most significant disruptions to traditional banking in our era. As a result, fintech startups that have been approved can connect to people’s accounts and provide them with a variety of services. In addition, banks no longer possess exclusive rights to data management.

The European Parliament passed the updated Payment Services Directive (PSD2) to support open banking in October 2015. Open banking, which is already well-established and gaining popularity worldwide, has aided in the growth of embedded finance, but is this a risk-free strategy to improve the customer experience?

 

Embedded finance

Embedded finance can energize marketplaces, increase sales, and simplify consumers’ lives. Financial services and fintech are about quick access, simplicity, transparency, affordability, and being able to please your consumers. But unfortunately, because finance is ingrained in everything we do, it is becoming invisible.

Fundamentally, embedded finance incorporates financial services within a non-financial company’s product, such as lending or payment processing. Embedded finance can come in various shapes, including embedded credit, payment, and insurance.

By 2025, embedded finance, according to Lightyear Capital, could generate $230 billion in net new revenue. According to them, the change will be advantageous to businesses that have a “digital mindset” and can take advantage of chances in other financial innovation-related fields.

All Tesla customers who purchase a Tesla have inbuilt insurance, allowing them to drive their new car out of the dealership fully covered and without any additional paperwork. In addition, Uber provides embedded payment, allowing users to access their bank information (with their permission) so they don’t have to enter their credit card information each time they book a ride.

Embedded financing, often known as embedded credit, enables customers to purchase now and pay later (BNPL). Swedish finance business Klarna is a market leader in offering this type of embedded credit. With its “pay-in-four” plan, available in some regions of Europe and the USA, Klarna offers short-term, point-of-sale loans for purchases across its portfolio of shops. This allows customers to divide their balance into four installments to be paid every two weeks.

 

Risks and benefits

Businesses like Klarna help their registered retailers increase sales by dividing payments over time while easing the financial burden on consumers. With its “pay in four” financing scheme, Klarna doesn’t impose interest. However, late payments cost users money. Some of Klarna’s retailers offer more extended repayment arrangements. Retailer-specific interest rates might be up to 25%. Even more, it is charged by some BNPL service providers.

Fintech startups, dubbed “digital loan sharks” in some regions of the world, have drawn attention for charging high-interest rates and using abusive collection practices, prompting more robust controls.

Although any consumer can go into debt, those most at risk are frequently people who live in developing nations, are in extreme need, and have little access to conventional banks. Users of BNPL services run the same risk of identity fraud as users of any data-sharing program. However, banks and fintech startups have demonstrated they can work together to produce a secure and advantageous retail experience for customers when adequately regulated.

The CEO of venture capital firm Dubai Future District Fund, Sharif El-Badawi, is upbeat about the prospects for fintech startups. When the cooperation is at its best, “banks meeting halfway with these startups is truly delivering us—as consumers and businesses—the most value,” says El-Badawi. As a result, we get the security and safety of a bank. Additionally, we get the user experience, as well as bells and whistles, from the startup. “I think the wonderful moment for us as consumers is the extensibility of those two functions together.”

 

The Bottom line

Fintech startups are not going to topple the titan banks overnight. But their threat can certainly not be ignored. As a matter of fact, it should not be perceived as a threat but as an opportunity. This is a sign for all conventional giants to revamp their processes and evolve.

It is time to adopt the digital evolution. Fintechs understand this. So should banks. For this, you will need reliable resources and dependable service providers. That’s precisely what we at signzy emphasize. Check out Signzy’s API Marketplace for more.

 

About Signzy

Signzy is a market-leading platform redefining the speed, accuracy, and experience of how financial institutions are onboarding customers and businesses – using the digital medium. The company’s award-winning no-code GO platform delivers seamless, end-to-end, and multi-channel onboarding journeys while offering customizable workflows. In addition, it gives these players access to an aggregated marketplace of 240+ bespoke APIs that can be easily added to any workflow with simple widgets.

Signzy is enabling ten million+ end customer and business onboarding every month at a success rate of 99% while reducing the speed to market from 6 months to 3-4 weeks. It works with over 240+ FIs globally, including the 4 largest banks in India, a Top 3 acquiring Bank in the US, and has a robust global partnership with Mastercard and Microsoft. The company’s product team is based out of Bengaluru and has a strong presence in Mumbai, New York, and Dubai.

Visit www.signzy.com for more information about us.

You can reach out to our team at reachout@signzy.com.

 

Written By:

Signzy

Written by an insightful Signzian intent on learning and sharing knowledge.

 

 

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