Tag: #payments

Revolut launches online checkout feature with one-click payment – Revolut Pay

Revolut, the global financial super app with over 20 million retail customers, today launched Revolut Pay – a new secure online checkout feature which allows EEA and UK merchants to present ‘Revolut Pay’ as a payment method across product, cart, and checkout pages.

Revolut Pay aims to disrupt the payments ecosystem by making shopping online even easier as it facilitates direct payments, while providing best-in-class security for Revolut users: payments will be validated via secure features such as Face ID, or fingerprint unlock, and no account number will be shared. This in turn will help to prevent fraud and keep users’ funds safe while shopping.

Revolut Pay is a fast, frictionless and secure method to checkout online or on mobile. Consumers can pay with just one click and earn cashback on purchases as they spend. Existing Revolut users can use Revolut Pay and pay via saved cards or directly via their Revolut account balance. Non-Revolut users can pay just as easily by using saved Mastercard or Visa cards issued by any other providers.

Revolut Pay will solve problems for vendors as well as shoppers: online merchants lose up to 80% of their sales due to customers abandoning their shopping carts. Shoppers often cite long and confusing online checkout processes and limited choice of payment methods as reasons for leaving a website before they purchase. Revolut Pay will reduce cart abandonment with its fast and frictionless checkout.

Revolut Pay merchants can accept payments with low fees in more than 20 currencies. Revolut Pay follows the launch in July of Revolut Reader, a card reader payment terminal, as well as the launch of Revolut’s payment acceptance platform in 2020 for businesses to accept payments easily.

Since launching Revolut Business in 2017, Revolut has developed 20 products designed to empower businesses looking to increase conversions and more effectively manage finances. Revolut Pay is already being used by merchants including Shopify, Prestashop, WH Smith and Funky Pigeon, and will become available on more vendors in coming months, including DID Electrical, and the flight booking company, FlyGo.

Revolut Pay is powered entirely by Revolut’s payment technology and is a move towards building Revolut’s payments ecosystem, whereby Revolut enables transactions between retail and business customers. Revolut’s new direct payments solution will also deliver lower fees for its business customers.

Nikolay Storonsky, Founder & CEO of Revolut said: “With its speed, convenience, security and low pricing, Revolut Pay gives merchants a competitive advantage in a rapidly growing e-commerce market. At Revolut, we constantly strive to make it faster, easier and cheaper for merchants of all sizes to accept payments, wherever they are, and to make it more convenient and secure for customers to pay. That’s why we’re launching Revolut Pay.” 

Revolut Pay features include:

  • A new way to pay that’s fast and frictionless

  • Best-in-class security, leveraging two-factor authentication when needed

  • Low transaction fees with no hidden or monthly charges

  • With Revolut Pay, funds will be settled directly into a merchant’s Revolut Business account within 24 hours at no extra cost (compared to businesses typically receiving funds settled to their account in up to seven days and having to pay for quicker funds arriving)

  • SMEs can can add Revolut Pay to web and mobile checkout pages and be up-and-running in minutes via our easy-to-install plug-ins

  • For larger businesses and start-ups, Revolut Pay has a set of easy-to-integrate plug-in API and SDKs (Software Development Kits) that allows enterprises to go live in a matter of days

  • Option to incentivise customers with cashback on their purchases

Revolut Business is a borderless financial superapp for businesses – rapidly improving how start-ups, scale-ups, and large-scale businesses accept and make payments, control spending and empower their teams. Our mission is to help companies do business globally, from day one, from anywhere. Launched in 2017, today hundreds of thousands of businesses rely on Revolut Business as their platform for growth. revolut.com/business

How Technology Helps Restaurant Owners Manage Payments More Quickly

Technology impacts almost every aspect of our lives. It has been an important part of the hospitality industry for a long time. Today’s technological advancements are being used in restaurants around the world to great success. These advancements are helping restaurant owners to expand their businesses. Nowadays, creating a website for your restaurant is simple, even if you don’t have any experience building websites. With a restaurant website maker, you can easily create a professional-looking website that showcases your menu, hours, location, and more in just a few minutes.

This article will tell you how technology helps restaurant owners to manage payments more quickly:

Touchscreen POS Terminals

Implementing smart retail technology, such as touchscreen POS terminals, is highly efficient. They are used in most businesses nowadays. Touchscreen terminals are powered by POS software, like the micros restaurant system, which operate with an easy-to-use interface. POS software simplifies the order-taking process, so that staff can take orders at a quicker pace. Most POS systems also have customer-facing screens that allow customers to see their orders being placed in real-time.

Higher-end POS terminals also allow for payments to be made through a reader integrated with the terminal itself.

Pay at the Table

For several years now, businesses have encouraged the use of pay-at-table applications. These applications display a restaurant’s menu and allow customers to order directly from their phone, without having to communicate with staff.

Due to strict COVID-19 regulations introduced to the hospitality sector by governments from around the world, restaurants have made pay-at-table applications mandatory.

Pay-at-table applications give a restaurant’s guests the ability to order and pay for their meal without having to break social distancing guidelines and without having to come into contact with other people. This gives your staff and your guests peace of mind. It also allows your restaurant to run more efficiently. If you need some furniture you should check out what is on offer here for restaurants 

Some restaurants, like Yo! Sushi, for example, have used conveyor belts for many years. Now they use them in combination with pay-at-table applications to further reduce the chances of viral transmission taking place inside their restaurants. Guests order from their phones, and their meal is delivered by conveyor belt.

Contactless Payments

Contactless payment is very important to customers. It is fast, efficient, and easy. They don’t have to bother counting out notes or writing a check, and instead, can tap their card and get back to entertaining their guests.

Contactless also allows customers to avoid physical contact with people, which is very important in the wake of the pandemic.

The only downside to contactless payment machines is that there are often limits to how much people can spend. While this does stop fraud, it also makes them less helpful in preventing the spread of viruses.

Self-Order Kiosks

Self-order kiosks are very popular in large fast-food restaurants like Burger King and McDonald’s. They are also growing in popularity among smaller businesses. They allow guests to pay for their food without having to interact with other people. They also make it easier for guests to review a restaurant’s menu and customise their order.

If self-order kiosks are used correctly, then they can actually increase the amount of money that your customers spend. They can also reduce queue times and help your staff to manage orders more efficiently.

Because multiple people will use a self-order kiosk, it’s important that it is regularly disinfected and cleaned. You should also offer bottles of antibacterial hand gel at tables next to each kiosk.

KDS

KDS or kitchen display systems are another great technological addition to the hospitality sector. They do not process payments but are still very effective. In busy restaurants, screens are used to display orders. This helps kitchen staff to keep on track and get orders out to guests quickly.

They are typically mounted on the wall, which allows all kitchen staff to view open orders on a single screen. These screens display orders in real-time, so staff can begin putting meals together the minute that the order is placed.

Receipt and Kitchen Printers

After payment has been processed, most customers will expect to receive a receipt. A receipt will tell them what they have ordered and, in most cases, give them an order number. Receipt printers are used by the front-of-house staff. In busy restaurants, printers are very important.

Kitchen printers are used as an alternative to the above-mentioned kitchen display systems. They are less common nowadays but are still used in smaller restaurants. Kitchen printers print out orders as they come in. These receipts are then stuck to a board. The kitchen staff will begin preparing orders after the receipts have been stuck to the board.

Cash Drawer

While cash is used less and less, more so in the wake of the pandemic, cash drawers are still important. They are also vulnerable to theft. It’s important that you invest in the highest quality cash drawer that you can.

You can find high quality, modern cash drawers that utilise the latest technology to secure your money. You should make sure that you empty out your cash draw every night, keep it locked, and do not leave it unattended.

Food-Delivery Applications

With the first COVID-19 lockdown came a huge surge in the food-delivery industry. Restaurants that had never previously offered takeout began using applications like Just Eat, Uber Eats, and Deliveroo just to keep their doors open. Most businesses are still relying on food-delivery applications, even after lockdowns have finished. Food-delivery applications are now a must-have for all types of restaurants, especially since the government cannot rule out further lockdowns taking place.

Some restaurants have also designed their own native food-delivery applications. This gives customers the ability to order from a business without using a third-party application and having to pay the fees and costs associated with using these applications.

Prebooking Applications

Prebooking applications have existed for a long time. They allow customers to book tables from the comfort of their homes, without having to worry about walking in and not finding a table or battling through busy phone lines. Some of these applications also allow customers to order drinks and starters to be brought to them after they arrive. This allows them to relax upon arriving and gives them time to collect themselves before they begin looking through the menu and selecting main course meals.

Technology has allowed businesses to streamline their payments. As time goes on, more and more incredible technological innovations will be introduced into the hospitality sector. For restaurants, this is fantastic.

 

 

PayPal Strengthens Links with Cryptocurrencies

PayPal has become an increasingly popular payment at online casinos in recent years. The same can also be said when it comes to the use of cryptocurrencies. It’s good news therefore that PayPal is now strengthening their links with cryptocurrencies.

It was recently announced that PayPal can now be used to receive, transfer and send cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin and Bitcoin Cash. That’s something that has been desired for a while now.

Online casinos have become more willing to accept PayPal as one of their payment methods. You can make deposits using this method and also make withdrawals. As you will read, there are some big advantages when PayPal is used as your payment method. This explains why there are an increasing number of UK online casinos where you can use PayPal.

Why is this the case? The amount of personal information that you need to use when choosing PayPal is just the email address used for your account. If there is a security breach, then that information isn’t going to be of much use to the fraudster. 

PayPal also often requires authentication checks to be carried out before an account can be accessed. If the fraudster doesn’t have the users phone, then that’s again going to restrict access.

Another advantage is the speed of the financial transactions. A deposit goes straight into your online casino account. Withdrawals are swift too, much better than the several days when using a debit or credit card.

Cryptocurrencies have similar characteristics when it comes to financial transactions at online casinos. It is therefore logical for PayPal and cryptocurrencies to be working more closely.

October 2020 saw the beginning of PayPal allowing the use of some types of cryptocurrencies. That showed the growing acceptance of, for example, Bitcoin. There are still of course some concerns over the volatility of these cryptocurrencies when it comes to their value. Recent months haven’t been easy for cryptocurrencies but this news from PayPal is better news for them.

Now fast forward to 7 June 2022 and a major announcement from PayPal. Before that date it was not possible to move the digital assets away from the platform. Since the introduction of cryptocurrencies on PayPal, their users have been keen to see them being able to make cryptocurrency transfers.

This proved to be one of the most popular requests from customers and now PayPal have taken notice of them. US customers will now be able to make the transfers they’ve wanted to be able to do so. You can bet that they will be delighted that the company has listened to them. PayPal were happy too when the news resulted in their share price going up.

US customers will now be able to send cryptocurrencies to their family and friends. The even better news is that the transactions will take place in just a few seconds. The fact that there are not going to be any fees charged is also great news.

Any people who use these payment methods for gambling will be delighted. Cash flow is so important when it comes to gambling. Not just to ensure you have funds in your account but withdrawals return to you as soon as possible. There’s nothing more frustrating than having a big win and then it takes ages for you to be able to have access to it.

PayPal is a company that likes to be the first to do something. That’s one of the reasons they have defied the odds and become one of the most popular businesses in the world.

They have done it again by becoming the first company to hold a conditional Bitlicense and then see it converted into a full one. That took place recently with the full Bitlicense being granted by the New York Department of Financial Services.

They are likely to improve even further how cryptocurrencies can be used at PayPal. Their desire is to create a financial system that is “more inclusive and effective.”

The more acceptance there is of cryptocurrencies, the better news for this payment method. More businesses, including online casinos, are likely to consider using cryptocurrencies as a way for customers to make financial transactions.

PayPal is also introducing an additional identity verification process. Again, this will increase the protection of personal details and that will please many, including users of online casinos.

It’s good to see the recent developments regarding PayPal and cryptocurrencies. Both have had their own battles to gain recognition of their services. Online casinos for example, needed to be convinced that their use is safe and secure. 

It’s perhaps been more of a struggle for cryptocurrencies with not everyone knowing a great deal about them. If the volatility problems can be sorted out, then the future looks rosy for them.

Synch Payments appoints Nexi to provide and operate the tech platform for Ireland’s first instant mobile payment service

Synch Payments, the Irish instant mobile payments provider, today announced that it has entered into an agreement with the European PayTech leader Nexi as its platform and service provider to help bring the Synch proposition to Irish customers and merchants.

Synch recently secured authorization from the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), essentially clearing it to trade and paving the way for the company to move its attention fully toward launch planning for the new app.

The appointment of a technology partner is a key milestone in this regard as the platform and service provider is an essential part of the business proposition. As selected provider, Nexi have already demonstrated their credentials in the mobile payments sector with their highly regarded Jiffy platform powering mobile payments service BANCOMAT Pay in Italy.

Working with Nexi, Synch will offer Irish based banks and authorized financial institutions an innovative service that will enable merchants to receive account to account payments through at point of sale and e-commerce with an effective “mobile-only” user-experience for consumers, reducing the overall costs and contributing to further accelerating the use of digital payments in Ireland.

Speaking today, Inez Cooper, Managing Director of Synch Payments said: “With CCPC approval to trade we are now moving forward and are putting in place the critical elements that will build the foundation of our payments service here in Ireland. Central to this is partnering with a trusted and established PayTech leader who will bring their experience, innovation and proven track record on service to the Irish market for the benefit of Irish consumers and merchants – as well as all payment service providers that are licensed to join the service.

“Since the recent CCPC announcement a week ago we have had a number of enquiries from organisations that want to join the service. It is a really exciting time and we are delighted that we will have Nexi working alongside us – ensuring that we have a trusted partner with world class credentials in digital payments. We look forward to working closely with the team at Nexi in the weeks and months ahead as we work toward our launch.”

Andrea Mencarini, Cards & Digital Payments Director at Nexi stated “We were the first in Italy to develop and launch a P2P and P2B service via smartphone with Jiffy and today we feel really very proud of being selected by Synch and are eager to support the financial institutions and payments service providers that will join Synch, to deliver an instant mobile payment solution for Ireland. This is a further, important recognition of Nexi‘s capabilities to launch innovative initiatives by leveraging our know-how, expertise and people and also contributing to accelerating the development of digital payments in Europe.”

Synch, an independent corporate entity, was established in 2020 by some of Ireland’s leading banks including AIB, Bank of Ireland, Permanent TSB and KBC. The ambition behind the solution is to have an account to account, mobile payment solution for all payment types -to friends, family, retail or e-commerce, with a simple, instant mobile payment experience for all consumers and businesses in Ireland.

Impact of NFT technology on banking and payments!

There has already been a lot of discussion regarding cryptocurrency and Blockchain technology. But, today, the scenario has been changing, and people are shifting toward non-fungible tokens. Yes, the non-fungible token is becoming one of the most critical investment opportunities for many people worldwide. Therefore, they are exploiting it to the highest possible limits. If you are also willing to invest in non-fungible tokens in the coming future, you will perhaps require a lot of knowledge about it from the https://nft-code.io/. But, we should also know about the most critical impact of the non-fungible tokens on the different aspects of our global economy. First of all, we are required to know how it will differentiate the banking and payment infrastructure that we know it as today.

Even though the non-fungible tokens are quite a popular point of discussion nowadays, many people are still unaware of them. It is because of a lack of their knowledge, and also, they are not much of prominent internet users. But, regardless of what others are doing, you are not required to remain under the rock. You should know that cryptocurrencies are as crucial as nonphysical tokens, and therefore, you should know about both these aspects. Here is the most critical knowledge based on this topic. Therefore, we will be enlightening about the direct impact of non-fungible token technology on the banking and payment infrastructure.

Faster settlement

An essential thing that the non-fungible token technology will do with the banking system is faster settlement. Yes, you might be pretty familiar with the traditional technology, but there is a lot of paperwork, which may lead to delays in the payment settlements. This kind of problem will go with the help of non-fungible tokens and technology. It is due to the fact that it is empowered through blockchain technology. The faster transactions have been one of the most crucial features of the blockchain, and therefore, the non-fungible tokens can prove to be one of the most significant turning points in this. So, you should know that the non-fungible tokens will make the first settlement possible in the banking infrastructure.

Proof of payment

Today, people send money from one place to another more open than earlier. So, there is also a requirement to prove every payment we make. However, this is quite difficult for anyone to prove that he has made a specific payment to someone else in the world, and therefore, many scams are taking place. This problem needs to be eliminated as soon as possible, and this is only possible with the help of non-fungible token technology. Proof of ownership is one of the essential characteristics of non-fungible tokens. Therefore, it can ensure that real-time data is accessed to confirm ownership of a particular transaction.

Easy access to information

Easy access to information has also been one of the essential things that the non-fungible token technology will unleash into the banking system. Earlier, when they kept the records on paper, it was pretty difficult for the banking institutions to process transactions and information faster. But now, this needs to be done more than ever before. To do so, the non-fungible token technology can be implemented. If the data is kept in the form of non-fungible tokens, they can be easily accessed as it is available virtually only. Also, the transfer of any data will be faster with non-fungible tokens.

Better infrastructure

The infrastructural changes that non-fungible token technology will bring about in the banking infrastructure can never be overlooked. Earlier, the banking structure was quite outdated, and therefore, there was a requirement for any changes. Well, these changes will be brought with the help of non-fungible tokens. By implementing non-fungible tokens, the technology is going to be highly advanced, and also, and there are going to be reversible transactions. Also, it will be easier for anyone to confirm the ownership of a particular transaction, and things will change a lot. Any data you want to keep in a banking organisation will be done through the Internet and virtual space. It will enhance security and give better control in the hands of the owner. So, things will be beneficial with the help of non-fungible tokens in the banking industry.

MONEY JAR – The First Irish-Owned Digital Current Account Platform, Open an account in 5 mins.

Money Jar is a dynamic and revolutionary new approach to banking that allows customers to open an account when it suits and in just 5 minutes. Opening a traditional bank account in Ireland can be cumbersome, requiring a lengthy approval process and often a long wait time to get an appointment for a meeting in the branch. Money Jar is a digital current account with convenient sign up and, unlike other major fintech platforms, Money Jar customers get an Irish IBAN, can pay bills, and receive wages. Money Jar offers unlimited money jars that can be shared with friends, to help customers stay on top of personal spending and improve long term financial wellbeing through better money management.

Money Jar is an Irish-owned fintech business headquartered in Dublin. All funds are held by a Tier 1 state owned Irish bank, which is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Money Jar can set up digital current accounts quickly using its industry leading facial recognition technology. Money Jar has the best of what traditional banks have to offer, but with the convenience that all things digital can deliver, plus customers can talk to Money Jar’s Irish based customer care team if they need a helping hand.

Money Jar’s technology platform allows quick and safe identity verification to make the entire process straightforward and painless. Partnering with Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Veriff and EML, Money Jar offers a safe and secure platform. When customers open an account with Money Jar, they are given a free virtual Prepaid Mastercard with contactless payments, at no additional cost. For those that prefer a physical card, they can order a Prepaid Mastercard from the app for €5, which will be delivered to their door. Money Jar fees are transparent and competitive. There is a monthly service fee of €2.99, free for the first four months, and pay as you go transaction fees. Money Jar promotes responsible, money management.

John Harkin, the Executive Chairman of Money Jar, said: ‘Consumers in Ireland have always been early adopters of technology, and this is no different in the banking sector. We know that *78% of Irish consumers manage their  money or make payments using mobile devices, and a quarter have a digital bank account. Digital banking in Ireland is growing at an exponential rate. At Money Jar, we have seen this trend first hand with our customer growth rate at 70% month on month. Money Jar is a dynamic new approach for customers to manage their money.’

Money Jar enables consumers on the Money Jar platform to transfer money peer to peer instantly at no cost, as well as enabling users to pay bills, set up standing orders, and direct debits, and transfer money in and out using SEPA, as well as using it for contactless payments. Accounts can only be accessed by using pass codes, biometrics, and a two-step verification, making a Money Jar digital current account a safe choice – no sensitive data is stored in the app or cached on the mobile device. Today, many people use two separate accounts, a primary account for bills and wages, and a secondary account for mobile transactions. Money Jar provides a one stop solution for all of these tasks that is fast, efficient and reliable.

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Starting your own business in Ireland: What you need to know about payments

The idea of starting your own business can emanate a gamut of emotions in a person. These emotions are usually a mix of excitement and nervousness. You are digging deep to think of stellar ideas that can turn your start-up into a goldmine. Next in line, you would want your business model to be different from the crowd. Moreover, that idea should add value to someone’s life, and it should be called productive. Yet one of the most important factors which a business should never overlook is its payment gateway. How well is their payment infrastructure developed? Are credit card machines built with the latest technology integration? 

Why is a coherent payment solution important for businesses? 

If a venture possesses a robust payment gateway, then it would already keep the customers happy. Since a latent payment solution looks like a hustle for customers shopping from a store. 

This ineffective payment settlement system is more time-consuming and stressful for customers. 

 

Thus, they will hunt for stores and restaurants which can provide them with a seamless gateway. Thus, digital transformation should be adopted by merchants extensively to derive an edge against competitors. This transformation in businesses is via the newest technology in their payment solution. 

Building the business foundation 

When starting your own business a rock-solid payment infrastructure withering away customer’s hassles is incumbent. Some of the advancements to be incorporated by a business are:

Mobile Point of Sale  

The point of sale should be supported by mPOS technology. This liberates the stores from accepting in-store payments only. On top of this, payments-on-go will be the most desirable benefit rendered to the customers. Therefore, they will be able to initiate payments because the portability offered is unmatchable. Vendors can easily carry this handy instrument for accepting payments. Along with flexibility, these mPOS offer faster payment processing and faster-enhanced efficiency as well.  

E-wallets is the next big thing   

Exceptional flexibility proffered to the customers during the check-out process will always work in a business’s favor. Since the customers will not crib standing in long queues just to make the payment. This is why the concept of e-wallets is highly preferred because it eases the process of making payments. Our tech-savvy generation would always feel attracted towards efficient technical advancements. Thus, the use of Google and Apple pay has been on a surge. Since it has rendered impeccable convenience to the customer, plus the user interface has been comprehensible. QR code scanning has been another game-changer that eases the payment processing procedure.  

NFC enabled credit card machines

The era of contactless has been skyrocketing, thus card readers should impanel RFID technology. In this way, the effortless Near Field Communications product can be easily optimized by businesses. Therefore card readers used by businesses have to match up to the latest standards prevailing in the market. These card readers should support contactless payment solutions. Moreover, they should have an EMV compliant system i.e., these card readers support Euro, MasterCard, and Visa. NFC-enabled transactions will render more convenience to the clients and ease the workload of merchants too.

What’s next for classic online games like blackjack

Rewind to the beginning of the millennium and video games like Paper Mario, The Legend of Zelda and Counter Strike could be found in many households across Ireland. These games were usually played on a PlayStation, or a computer monitor where the experience was limited by the quality of the tech it was played on.

Back then, no one would have thought that come 2021, we would be able to play online casino games using a Virtual Reality headset to make it seem like the player is standing inside the casino. Gaming has come a long way over the past two decades, yet the digital revolution continues to transform the gaming experience. 

Below, we’ll take a look at how digital technology is transforming online casino games like blackjack.

An increasingly competitive industry

As of 2018, there were over 2,800 active online casino sites operating around the world. Considering the online market is globally accessible, this creates a huge amount of pressure for players to choose which casino to play at, but even more pressure for online casino players to win and retain customers.

As a result, the industry has become highly competitive with online casinos constantly looking for ways to innovate in order to keep players coming back for more. From generous sign-up bonuses to free spins and mini bonus games, each provider is battling it out on the online stage, and online blackjack is no exception to this. 

The innovation of online blackjack and other popular casino games

 

 

Today, it’s no longer enough to offer a standard popular casino game like blackjack or roulette. Instead, providers must come up with new ways to make the gaming experience more interactive and entertaining than other providers. 

Online blackjack is one of those games where technology has transformed the gaming experience to offer some of the following benefits:

 

  • More variety – Some of the best online casinos offer many different varieties of blackjack with differing stakes to cater to every players’ needs. 

 

  • Bonuses – Online casinos often offer generous sign up bonuses or offer free cash to encourage new players to test out a site without having to commit. This is something you wouldn’t find in a brick and mortar casino and is ideal for newer players. 

 

  • Accessibility – Playing blackjack, slots or roulette online means players can access their favourite game from anywhere with a decent Wi-Fi connection, at any time of day or night. There’s no need to plan ahead, simply open the app to play while on the morning commute or simply from the comfort of your sofa one evening at home. 

 

  • Security – As technology has developed, so too have online transactions. It’s now safer than ever to make payment transfers online. What’s more, transfers are usually quick and relatively easy, whether withdrawing money or depositing it. 

The future of online gaming

 

 

While we’ve already seen a dramatic uptake in the number of online casino players in recent years, technology continues to innovate the online gaming experience. Below are some of the technologies we will see emerging over the next few years to come. 

Cloud hosting

Just like the movie industry has transitioned to online streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime, the gaming industry is now doing the same with the likes of Google Stadia, Amazon Luna and Xbox Cloud Gaming services. 

Games hosted on cloud platforms look exactly like a game that has been downloaded to a console, only they’re more easy to access from anywhere in the world and on a variety of different devices, they have a faster streaming speed and they don’t require players to create masses of memory available on their hardware to save the game. 

Social gaming

One thing we’ve learnt from the past year is that people need to be able to connect in different ways. Many games now offer multiplayer modes where players can join live games together and compete with other players from across the world. Games like COD and FIFA are excellent examples of this, even enabling players to chat while they’re playing.

Online games are also becoming better integrated with social media, in which aspects like screenshot or recording mode are becoming more common so that players can live stream or share their game on platforms like YouTube or Twitch. 

More ways to make payments

Not only are online payments becoming safer, but they’re also becoming much more user friendly. Online wallets like PayPal mean that players can make a withdrawal or deposit within seconds, without having to enter lots of payment card details, while options like crypto payments are becoming much more common. 

Crypto payments enable players to pay with crypto currency like Bitcoin. As cryptocurrencies rely on blockchain technology rather than a centralised bank, the payment method is much more anonymous. They’re also much faster compared to traditional payment options that require approval from the bank. 

Overall, the online casino industry has come an incredibly long way since the days of Zelda and Mario Kart. As technologies have become more affordable and accessible to countries around the world, more and more people are opting to play their favourite casino games online. 

These games are continuing to innovate; becoming more interactive for players in the way video games offer entertainment. While we’re already benefiting from the likes of VR technology, social gaming and themes slots, there’s no sign of the innovation slowing down any time soon.

What’s Behind the Surge in Digital Payment Options?

Any successful business will tell you that the customer is king, which means that if you want your business to do well you really need to listen to what they’re telling you. If you look carefully enough, there is a tonne of data to be had from any customer interaction with your company – what products did they buy, which pages on your website did they visit, what led them to your website in the first place? This data helps your company perfect the customer shopping experience, which is essential if you want to have a happy customer base which is most definitely something that you should be striving for. 

The Online Shopping Experience

Customers have a lot of expectations from their online shopping experience and in many cases, much more than if they were visiting a physical store. This is because most people recognise that with a store you’re not able to control all eventualities – maybe there will be a queue for the tills or maybe another customer will ruin their day. However, online is seen as something completely different and as a result, customers expect so much more.

When you’re considering the experience your online customer has, looking at their journey on your website and with your brand is essential. Not only will you want a sales funnel that helps you follow the journey of any potential sales leads, but you should look at the bigger picture. It isn’t just retail stores that should look at the customer journey – online casinos, filing streaming websites and even social media platforms should look at what their customers need and what they can do to cater to as many customers as possible. 

The idea behind a smooth customer experience is to encourage your new (or returning) customer to buy from you. When you get them to this stage, you really want to make this as easy and hassle-free as possible. They’ve already got as far as wanting to purchase from you and as such, if you put them off at this stage you’ve wasted the whole customer journey. Your pay page should be easy to read, effective and of course, reliable. This is why so many digital service providers have opted to offer as many different payment options as possible – to ensure customer demand is met as often as possible. 

Why Are There So Many Options?

As a business, imagine you get your customer through every step of your website – they’ve found you, they like what they see, they’ve chosen products, selected a shipping method, agreed to pay the total shown and then they can’t pay in the way they want. Not only are they going to be really frustrated, the chances are they’ll simply close the page and go somewhere else for their products. To lose the sale at this late stage is extremely frustrating and something that no business really wants to go through. Rather than risk this happening lots of businesses have invested in being able to offer a variety of digital payments to their customers. This helps to ensure that even if the customer’s preferred choice isn’t available, there is likely to be a backup choice that they’re happy with; and therefore they complete the transaction.

The gambling industry, in general, has been particularly forward-thinking when it comes to payment options, with many of them even stepping up their game and working with Cryptocurrency. They understand the instant nature of casino transactions and that their users want their payment to be able to go through immediately and with as little hassle as possible.

What Are Customers Looking For From Digital Payment Options?

Different customers will be looking for different things from companies and their payment options. Mostly they are looking for the same as the rest of their experience with the company – for it to be smooth, effective and hassle-free. A big part of this comes from the customer being able to pay in the currency they want using the method that they want. The internet has opened up internationally shopping massively but customers don’t want to be confused by exchange rates or unsure whether what they’re spending is a good deal. As such, offering payments in a range of currencies is really important. This helps to make the payment process as simple as possible and that is the best way to help encourage them to complete their payment transaction.

Then, depending on the online service they’re using, what they’re looking for may vary. For example, if someone is using an online casino then they’ll be looking for payment processes that allow for a superfast process when it comes to withdrawing funds. Over recent years Processing speeds for withdrawing funds are seemingly getting faster and faster, and customers no longer expect to wait 3 to 5 business days for their money and instead want their winnings immediately. 

What Are Companies Looking For From Digital Payment Options?

When considering what payment options to offer their customers, companies will want to ensure that the ones they offer cater well to their customer’s needs. On top of that, they’ll want to consider transaction fees – after all, if you’re a retailer that is selling thousands of products a day even a small transaction fee can add up.  As such, it will be important for a company to know that not only are their transactions going to be smooth and quick but that it will come at a price that is affordable. They’ll also want to be able to offer their customers a secure payment service, so a company that supports this and allows a company to provide this is essential. 

Realistically the surge in digital payment options come down to both customer demand and the fact that there are now so many options available. Advances in technology means that there are more digital payment options than ever, so it makes sense that e-commerce websites take advantage of as many of these as possible, to help ensure that customers are kept happy.