Cryptocurrencies have seen an increase in the number of users in recent years. The increased adoption of these cards is thanks to their ease to use and remarkable dependability. Unlike most other payment methods, these cards are highly convenient and reliable.

These cards have recently exceeded the popularity of conventional payment options like cheques and cash. According to a 2017 report by Global Economy, over 44% of people worldwide were using payment cards. And there is no doubt that this number has skyrocketed over the few years. 

The use of payment cards has increased recently due to certain events. For instance, the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in increased payment card users. People avoided handling cash during this time, fuelling the explosive usage of payment cards.

In the 1950s is when the development of payment cards began. Financial firms started creating debit and credit cards at this time. These cards have been essential to the banking system up until this point. These cards include convenience and security that make them the preferred payment option.  

Other characteristics of these payment cards are simplicity, reliability, and adaptability. 

Most payment card issuers have partnered with global payment processors like UnionPay, Visa, and MasterCard. This partnership allows unlimited card usage and easy withdrawals from most ATMs worldwide. 

Not only have these processing companies partnered with banks but also crypto card institutions. For example, Club Swan, a crypto membership platform, has partnered with MasterCard. This means you can spend your crypto to purchase either online or in-store worldwide. In addition, you can freely withdraw in most parts of the world.  

Road to a cashless world

Some nations had already begun implementing cashless economies before the Covid-19 outbreak. This entails using only advanced payment methods. China and Australia are the only two nations that have eliminated cash payments.

The majority of nations, however, are far behind, while some are still attempting to catch up with these countries.

According to statistics, most consumers prefer using cashless payment options since they are more practical and secure. The concern about contracting Covid-19 has also aided the promotion of these payment methods. 

As a result, the number of ATM users has also grown immensely. Also, not to mention the number of mobile users. This is no surprise since most institutions issuing payment cards have also started integrating their services with mobile money. 

For instance, popular companies for issuing crypto cards provide the user with a specific app where you can manage all aspects of their card. For example, you can manage your budget and even the security of your card on these apps. And this has marked the transition from physical cards to digital payment cards. 

Most institutions have begun transitioning to digital payment cards after physical payment cards have been in the picture for over 70 years. This shift has boosted the number of debit and credit card users.

So what motivated card issuance corporations to switch from physical to digital payment cards? Although there was a surge in the usage of payment cards during the Covid-19 outbreak, these cards faced severe transmission issues. As a result, most organizations chose to create and distribute digital payment cards.

Additionally, the growth of eCommerce has increased the usage of payment cards to its maximum capacity. This made card issuers realize the necessity for digital virtual cards.   

Virtual cards are a copy of your physical card, but you can only access them with your smartphone or a smart device. Virtual cards have proved beneficial due to their security and availability. 

In short, with a virtual debit card, forget about carrying your physical card around. This prevents loss and even theft of your physical payment card. Also, you can generate multiple virtual cards if you want to assign regular transactions to a specific card. This is a security step to preventing fraud-related cases.  

Evolution of payment cards

The development of credit cards is one of the many fascinating developments in the fintech industry. The evolution of credit and debit cards has led to their integration with mobile technology. Digital wallets are now linked to payment cards, and even virtual cards result from this.

Using your smartphone, you can handle any card function because most payment cards are now mobile-centric. You may control elements such as budgeting, withdrawals, and even the security of your credit or debit card through your phone.

For instance, the Club Swan platform provides you with an app where you can manage different aspects of the card. These aspects include your finances, traveling destinations, lounging, dining, health, and wellness. 

Also, on these apps, you can report a lost card, freeze your payment card, and reset your PIN. In addition to this security feature, certain well-known card issuers have integrated some top-notch security measures. These security features include biometrics, passcodes, passphrases, and two-factor authentication.

Despite their infancy, digital payment cards have gained much popularity since their introduction to the market. It’s safe to conclude that developers will seek to make this technology more friendly as time passes. Our understanding of payment cards may radically shift as these cards develop further. 

For instance, Apple Pay has altered how most people view credit and debit cards. As a result, it has emerged as one of the most coveted types of cashless transactions. To create your Apple Pay account, you must have an Apple ID. Also, thaks to its technology, you enjoy contactless, cardless, and cashless transactions using the app.

There are various types of digital payment cards besides Apple Pay. These cards have been so widely used that it’s accurate to state that they are now the foundation of payment cards.

Although most payment cards are still in use today, there is no denying that digital wallets have increased the efficiency, convenience, and security of payment cards. 

In addition to developments in the payment card industry, we are yet to see the rise of other cashless payment methods. Artificial intelligence (AI) and bots are two possible future payment techniques that people will use to complete transactions.

We already have AI assistants, but not in the fintech space. These AI helpers are Amazon Echo, Google Assistant, and Siri. The marketability of this technology will depend on how quickly it will complete transactions. 

The feel and look factor of payment cards

Despite being tools of convenience and security, fiat and cryptocurrency payment cards still have a long way to go. The security and convenience of these cards are likely to reach a new level with ongoing developments.

This is not to argue that consumers cannot access these features through their payment cards. However, since fraudsters still succeed in tricking cardholders into providing their information, there is still space for improvement.

Over 6000 fraud instances totaling over £34.5 million in losses were reported by the BBC, indicating a considerable increase in the number of fraud cases. It’s a huge time credit card industry to include advanced security elements in its redesign to reduce these scams. 

Additionally, analysts think plastic will have to disappear with the ongoing innovation in the credit card industry. This promotes environmental preservation and sustainability. Plastic simply holds the chip connecting to the POS machines to enable the payment. Payment card companies can replace this plastic with other environmentally friendly and sustainable materials.

The annual production of plastic payment cards is equivalent to the weight of 150 Boeing 747 aircraft. This absurdly large plastic volume hinders the current effort toward sustainability and environmental preservation. Alternatively, experts are exploring recyclable and biodegradable materials to make payment cards.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and contactless chips are grain-sized, meaning crypto card issuers can easily be implanted into watches, rings, and other wearable devices. This also means we’re likely to get a scenario where the contactless chip will remain permanent.

When dashing out of the house for quick shopping, all you need is your keys and ornamentation. This technology allows for near-field communication, which increases convenience and reduces the hassle of pressing buttons. 

Preparation for Change

To handle upcoming changes to debit and credit cards, banks and other payment card providers must quickly adapt their business practices. Payment providers will need to work together to offer personalized customer experiences. This collaboration could result from a new feature or loyalty program that makes shopping safer for cardholders. 

Future payment methods

The fintech landscape is growing at an insane rate. Due to this, we a likely to see complete advancement of payment cards or even replacement by other payment forms. 

Here are some up-and-coming payment forms in the fintech industry. 

1. Digital Wallets

The digital wallet is one of the most recent developments in the fintech industry. They are also referred to as smartphone wallets. These digital wallets include Square Cash, PayPal, and Google Wallet.

You can use these wallets to connect to your crypto debit card or bank account. Thus encouraging easy and contactless transactions. Also, with these digital wallets, its easy to make payments with NFC (Near Field Communication). 

2. Voice Recognition

Voice recognition is not a new idea in technology, but it will likely enter the financial industry.

Developers are leveraging the voice recognition feature to enable voice control of transactions and payments.

This technology will immediately recognize the distinctive feature of your speech using the predetermined algorithm. 

3. Biometric payment

Fingerprint recognition is currently a new security feature on the majority of smartphones. However, developers also attempt to automate transactions and payments using this biometric technology.

They are also considering incorporating pupil scanning in addition to fingerprint scanning. This technique will probably raise the bar for security. 

Conclusion

It’s expected that new and sophisticated payment mechanisms will emerge as fintech technology develops further. New security enhancements that will lessen cyber fraud are also on the horizon.