Payments

Arkwright traces its roots to the Nordics, renowned as the home of the world’s first cashless society. We have helped to shape the development of digital payments strategies and products, such as mobile payments and new acceptance solutions. Today, we are shaping business and operating models along the entire payment value chain worldwide, and all payment channels including cash collection.

With excellent industry experience, our partners offer comprehensive expertise in retail and corporate payments, open banking and digital convergence. They accompany our clients on their ongoing evolutionary journey through the payment and FinTech ecosystem, commercial business, government payments, financial inclusion and digital ID.

In addition to a fresh, cross-industry and global perspective on innovative developments, we have earned a reputation for improving performance based on tailored problem-solving as well as focused tools and frameworks, such as Scheme-Fee Management Optimisation, ATM Business Model Optimisation, Pre-delinquency Management and Digital ID Model Design.

Our clients include large international and medium-sized regional organisations right down to industry, institutional and start-up investors:                                                      

  • Banks and mono line issuers, account interfaces and third-party payment providers (AISPs / PISPs)
  • Payment schemes and account-to-account payments infrastructure
  • Merchant acquirers, aggregators, network service and online-payment service providers
  • Payment processors
  • Retailers and loyalty-scheme providers Governments and NGOs
  • Digital identity service providers (DISP)
  • Private equity and institutional investors
  • Suppliers to the payments and banking industries

Examples of typical projects:                                                

  • Growth and market entry, product and corporate strategies
  • Restructuring of payments businesses such as issuing, acquiring and processing
  • Conceptual preparation and management of complex migration projects
  • Efficiency improvement and digitalisation of core processes
  • Vendor selection for providers of identity services, aggregators, processors, service providers
  • Due diligence, business valuation and transaction support

Latest Industry Insights

Payments
April 1, 2024

AI in Retail Banking and Payments - Opportunities and Practical Use Cases

Artificial Intelligence (AI) provides enormous potential to the banking and payments industry, as evidenced by numerous studies. Notably, NVIDIA’s research indicates that more than 80% of financial services professionals report that AI contributes to cost reductions and revenue increases. A study by the European Investment Bank anticipates that the adoption of AI could lead to a 30% increase in revenue and a 25% decrease in costs. The financial services value chain presents a wide array of potential AI applications that can enhance both the back and front office operations, aiming to achieve growth and efficiency goals. Key areas of impact include customer engagement (such as improved customer service), forecasting and predictions (for example, predicting loan defaults), and advanced data and risk management. However, many companies are still in the early stages of AI adoption, facing challenges in navigating its possibilities and translating them into actionable strategies. A systematic approach is essential for evaluating, prioritizing, planning, and executing AI initiatives. Establishing an “AI playground” for iterative testing of selected use cases represents a crucial initial step towards leveraging AI. This should encompass both technical infrastructure and a robust compliance framework. This paper presents a robust framework and hands-on use cases to capture the value of AI, developed from extensive technical and managerial experience and offering a practical starting point for exploring AI’s potential.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) provides enormous potential to the banking and payments industry, as evidenced by numerous studies. Notably, NVIDIA’s research indicates that more than 80% of financial services professionals report that AI contributes to cost reductions and revenue increases. A study by the European Investment Bank anticipates that the adoption of AI could lead to a 30% increase in revenue and a 25% decrease in costs. The financial services value chain presents a wide array of potential AI applications that can enhance both the back and front office operations, aiming to achieve growth and efficiency goals. Key areas of impact include customer engagement (such as improved customer service), forecasting and predictions (for example, predicting loan defaults), and advanced data and risk management. However, many companies are still in the early stages of AI adoption, facing challenges in navigating its possibilities and translating them into actionable strategies. A systematic approach is essential for evaluating, prioritizing, planning, and executing AI initiatives. Establishing an “AI playground” for iterative testing of selected use cases represents a crucial initial step towards leveraging AI. This should encompass both technical infrastructure and a robust compliance framework. This paper presents a robust framework and hands-on use cases to capture the value of AI, developed from extensive technical and managerial experience and offering a practical starting point for exploring AI’s potential.

Read more
Payments
March 1, 2024

Digital Onboarding - A Benchmarking Assessment of Untapped Value Potential for European Retail Banks

Sales conversion and cart abandonment are a challenge across all channels and industries, including financial services. Abandonment at different stages in the banking sales funnel, for example, is estimated to range between 67% and 80%, which highlights the potential value destroyed by clients leaving the onboarding journey. Getting the onboarding journey right is critical, as onboarding is often the first touchpoint that shapes a customer’s initial impressions of a bank. As such, it might influence their long-term satisfaction and loyalty, as well as impact future cross-selling opportunities. Based on this understanding, Arkwright and Arkwright Digital completed a study of nearly 200 onboarding journeys of retail current account openings and credit card applications at European banks, evaluating current performance as well as identifying trends and potential optimization, highlighting best practices and room for improvement in the field.

Sales conversion and cart abandonment are a challenge across all channels and industries, including financial services. Abandonment at different stages in the banking sales funnel, for example, is estimated to range between 67% and 80%, which highlights the potential value destroyed by clients leaving the onboarding journey. Getting the onboarding journey right is critical, as onboarding is often the first touchpoint that shapes a customer’s initial impressions of a bank. As such, it might influence their long-term satisfaction and loyalty, as well as impact future cross-selling opportunities. Based on this understanding, Arkwright and Arkwright Digital completed a study of nearly 200 onboarding journeys of retail current account openings and credit card applications at European banks, evaluating current performance as well as identifying trends and potential optimization, highlighting best practices and room for improvement in the field.

Read more
Payments
March 12, 2024

Acquiring Report

Ahead of MPE 2024, the premier European merchant acquiring and payments acceptance conference, we have had the privilege to partner, once again, with Merchant Payments Ecosystem (MPE) on a joint research project. Overall, the success of the payments industry is closely intertwined with the success of the retail community it serves. During Q4 2023, MPE invited 1,711 merchants within its community to participate in the survey, with research completed through online questionnaires and a sample of deep-dive interviews. Not only does the survey provide a snapshot of the European retailing industry, but it also points to potential focus areas for the improvement of merchant acquiring and acceptance value propositions alike.

Ahead of MPE 2024, the premier European merchant acquiring and payments acceptance conference, we have had the privilege to partner, once again, with Merchant Payments Ecosystem (MPE) on a joint research project. Overall, the success of the payments industry is closely intertwined with the success of the retail community it serves. During Q4 2023, MPE invited 1,711 merchants within its community to participate in the survey, with research completed through online questionnaires and a sample of deep-dive interviews. Not only does the survey provide a snapshot of the European retailing industry, but it also points to potential focus areas for the improvement of merchant acquiring and acceptance value propositions alike.

Read more

Industry Professionals

Claes Green

Partner

Stockholm

Francesco Burelli

Partner

Hamburg

Frank Wunderlich

Partner

Hamburg

Malte Wolf

Partner

Hamburg

Steven Jacob

Partner

Hamburg