What is changing in payments area and the role of innovation

SmartPayments Congress is traditionally one of the key events in payment methods and security in Portugal. This year, at its 22nd edition, Asseco PST participated as a Platinum partner in an initiative that featured a hall full of professionals and an intense day of activities.

The organization of this congress was handled by Abilways Portugal, the company that owns “Distribuição Hoje,” and it brought together two hundred specialists around themes such as innovation, efficiency, and security in financial services. As usual, in a networking environment, the day was dedicated to learning and sharing best practices on the main trends in the financial sector and payment methods.

In the morning, Gonçalo Duque, Director of the Payments & Consumer Credit area at Asseco PST, took the stage for a presentation on “Innovation in Payments and Loyalty Programs.”

Our representative began by recalling that the needs of companies have changed, largely due to the pandemic, leading to the provision of new sales methods and payment options: “The volume of cashless transactions is expected to triple by 2030,” emphasized Gonçalo Duque. Another relevant fact: in 2021, seven out of 10 banking transactions were already conducted online and via mobile phones.

In this context, Asseco PST has been innovating with its ACM suite. Initially created as a card management system, it has evolved into an advanced payment methods suite, including the management of loyalty and customer retention programs. Currently, it is used in financial institutions across six regions, including Portugal, Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Poland, and Namibia.

In a field where consumers are seeking more flexible, efficient, and agile payment methods and trends are accelerating – such as contactless payments, development of omnichannel payment solutions, tokenization, social networks as a means for purchasing – Asseco PST remains committed to ensuring an appropriate response to its banking clients.