The impact of Brexit on card acceptance costs

Since 2007 the EU has had a single payments market, with common rules and limits on card fees. As a result of Brexit, the UK no longer comes under EU regulations, and both card schemes and card issuers are free to increase the fees they charge on card transactions between the European Economic Area (EEA) and the UK, and on domestic transactions in the UK. Higher charges could represent a significant burden for merchants at a time when the retail sector is facing unprecedented pressure.    

Europe sets the course for the retail payments of tomorrow

In September 2020, the European Commission identified its priorities for retail payments in Europe for the next four years. Analysis by Mélina Le Sauze, Director – Treasury Advisory.

Virtual Accounts: The Good, the Bad, and the Fuzzy

Virtual bank accounts (VBAs), or rather the idea of virtual bank accounts, has been trending for many years now, with major global banks heavily investing and preaching to convert their customers. But are virtual bank accounts really the miracle solution that treasurers across the world have been waiting for? And if so, why is the current adoption rate still so low?

LIBOR rates: transition has begun

Simon Berta details the different impacts of the LIBOR’s replacement in credit facilities, whether they are existing credit facilities with maturities spanning over 2021 and beyond, or new facilities to be implemented this year.

The NEU CP market: the place to be, but what’s the best way to access it?

If you use the NEU CP market, you can stop drawing on your bank lines, keep them as backstop lines, and issue commercial paper at a zero or even a negative rate and at very low cost in terms of legal documentation, writes Muriel Nahmias, senior director at Redbridge.

Factoring: a market driven by deconsolidation / “true sales” transactions of trade receivables

Biggest companies using deconsolidation transactions under established and recurring factoring programs or end-of-year or half-year “spot” transactions earn an average of at least 0.3x leverage, according to our experts Hugo Thomas and Olivier Talvard.

More mobile, more digital: an outline of the future of payments

The pandemic has demonstrated the value of mobile payment solutions in helping mitigate the risk of virus transmission at points of sale. For Mélina Le Sauze, Director at Redbridge, the challenge for every retailer is no longer whether or not to accept mobile payment solutions, but to determine without delay which ones are best suited to their business and the needs of their customers.

“We are ready to implement the 3DS V2 standard in early 2021,” Olivier Brou – SMCP

At the end of 2015, the SMCP group – Sandro, Maje, Claudie Pierlot and De Fursac – decided to migrate its e-commerce platforms to a full-service PSP solution. Olivier Brou, SMCP’s Global Head of Treasury Financing and Digital Payments, outlines the foundations of the group’s unified digital payment strategy and the challenges it’s likely to face in the future.

“The COVID-19 crisis validated our payment strategy”, Michel Yvon – Decathlon International

Michel Yvon, head of payments at Decathlon International, presents the innovative payment strategy of Europe’s N°1 sports retailer.

“We want to connect the various real-time payment systems around the world”, Isabelle Olivier – SWIFT

For SWIFT’s head of payment initiatives, connecting the various real-time payment systems is a way to achieve greater transparency in cross-border transfers. Interview with Isabelle Olivier.

Does the Syndicated Lending Market Provide Effective Credit Facilities for Corporate Borrowers?

Transaction Banking: A Misunderstood Advantage of Corporate Treasurers

E-commerce: a strategy to maximize sales while limiting fraud

Card payment fraud on online transactions generates significant hidden costs, so merchants need to define a clear strategy to maximize sales while keeping fraud under control, says Gabriel Lucas, associate director at Redbridge.

Webinar – Is 2020 the year when you revisit how you finance and hedge your commodities?

4 Things Treasurers Should Be Thinking About If They Accept Payment Cards

The pandemic has forced many businesses to drastically adapt how they do business to survive. Here are 4 steps you can take today to safeguard your payments environment during the pandemic and beyond.