Oct 3, 2023

Oct 4, 2023 – 9.13am Share How Australians pay for goods and services has transformed over the past 20 years. Cheques are all but gone, and the federal government says they will be phased out by the end of the decade. Contactless payments now make up 95 per cent of all in-person card payments – up by 10 per cent over the last three years – and the Reserve Bank of Australia reports that use of debit cards has soared, while credit card use is slowly increasing. Mark Nagy, founder and chief executive of DataMesh, whose 100-strong team drew on their banking and payments sector expertise to create a SaaS platform that can be used by banks. At the same time, there has been a significant change in how merchants operate. Digital transformation has replaced cash-based systems with sophisticated point-of-sale systems that integrate with inventory and accounting systems as well as online sales. At the intersection of these applications and banks sit payment systems. The Australian Payments Network (AusPayNet), which oversees the systems that support much of Australia’s payments infrastructure, is consulting on changes to the way payments are handled, suggesting further changes may be coming, such as stronger security measures and other reforms. Andy White, the CEO of AusPayNet, says the payments industry needs to manage new risks, as cybercrime and digital fraud become more prevalent. He says that all Payment Service Providers “should be licensed, regardless of whether there is a direct consumer relationship or not”. Advertisement Rising fintechs threaten established players For banks, this transformation has created new challenges. Processes that were built at a time when most transactions were carried out with physical currency and on paper-based systems have had to adapt to the evolution of payment methods and the changing demands of merchants. With over three decades of experience working in the banking and payments industry, Mark Nagy has seen the challenges banks face. “Banks have had to extend their core platforms to handle electronic processing,” says Nagy, founder and chief executive of DataMesh. “However, with dozens of systems built around their core payments platform, it is challenging to meet changing merchant requirements. For merchants, this is essential as they want to ensure they offer the smoothest payments experience for their customers.” The scale of this problem is significant. There are tens of thousands of retail banks globally witnessing the threat of new, nimble payments providers that risk relegating banks to little more than financial plumbing. They offer higher value services such as integration with other systems and business intelligence tools that enable merchants to identify new business opportunities. “Australians have returned to bricks and mortar shopping. That means the in-store experience is still important. When banks get their payments platforms right, they are good for merchants and that is good for customers.” — Mark Nagy, founder and chief executive, DataMesh Nagy says that, ultimately, every business has a relationship with a bank. However, merchants also want to simplify operations. Having payments integrated with point-of-sale systems offers them a level of simplification and efficiency they are prepared to pay for. They want to also bring their online and in-store worlds together under one view. While new providers in the payments industry offer benefits, they can come at a higher transactional cost. “Rather than pushing the cost of those higher-level services directly to merchants, we partner with banks. DataMesh’s service is delivered directly to the banks and integrates with their systems,” explains Nagy. When Nagy started DataMesh, bootstrapping the business after a successful career in banking, he worked to build a platform that could integrate directly with the systems banks already had. “During the pandemic, there was a marked shift to online retail,” says Nagy. “But Australians have returned to bricks and mortar shopping. That means the in-store experience is still important. When banks get their payments platforms right, they are good for merchants and that is good for customers.” Unifying complex processes For merchants, accepting payments is just part of the challenge. Connecting payment systems to internal enterprise solutions including point-of-sale, finance and customer management is critical to ensuring everything is tied together. Many retailers now offer omni-channel experiences including in-store and online payments, accepting everything from physical cards to contactless systems like Apple Pay and Google Pay, which are essential. But one of the most important services DataMesh enables is data analytics so stores can understand what works and where they can improve their operations and customer service. Banking systems have had to adapt to an increasingly diverse set of payment systems. Nagy says that, by creating a platform that can integrate with existing platforms, banks can continue to focus on delivering services. They can also compete with emerging services and leverage their existing business relationships with merchants. As consumer demands change, merchants must continue to adapt. This means banks must continue to meet merchants along their journey and support them as their needs change. To learn more, visit datameshgroup.com Sponsored by DataMesh