4 minute read
Executive insights: 6 top takeaways from the 2025 trend report
Friday, January 24, 2025
4 minute read
The rise of AI and digital wallets. Evolving point of sale systems. The growing importance of embedded payments for a new generation of online shoppers. These developments and others are rewriting the rules of commerce in real time, and our 2025 trends report dives deep into the key takeaways for businesses.
There’s a lot to learn, and lots that might surprise — even for the experts. To help unpack the insights and what they might mean for businesses, we’ve gathered five Global Payments executives to share what stands out to them, and why.
Read on to discover what caught their attention, then dive into the full report. It’s packed with critical information to guide your decision-making in the year ahead.
REPORT HIGHLIGHT
Gen Zers are constantly scrolling on Instagram and TikTok, so they're going to search and buy there, versus going to a search engine.
Why it matters
"It’s a small anecdote, but a good reminder. Shopping is fundamentally changing. It really underscores the shift we're seeing in consumer behavior, especially among younger generations. A great website isn’t enough — and if you can only take payments on your site, you’re missing consumers. It's key to be where your customers shop, and to enable seamless transactions on those platforms.
That means embedded payments are increasingly essential. The goal is to remove any friction between intent — which can strike in a moment on social media — and purchase. Plus, it’s interesting to see the “hidden” back end operations become an area of real focus and importance as businesses seek out opportunities for efficiency and value from every point in the purchase process."
Gilbert Bailey
President of Retail POS
REPORT HIGHLIGHT
In our survey, 100% of respondents in North America said embedded payments have improved operational efficiency. Businesses clearly are seeking these improvements as nearly half (48%) expect to lower overall costs by using and accepting faster/instant payments, according to the U.S. Federal Reserve.
Why it matters
"We’ve seen the massive extent to which embedded payments have penetrated the Latin American — and now European — markets. And the trends that make pay-by-bank and in-app payments so popular will only continue to accelerate, including in the U.S. Consumers are increasingly demanding seamless and instant payment options, and if businesses want to minimize cart abandonment and lost sales, they’ll need to provide this experience.
Next up is B2B payments. It’s no surprise that companies ultimately want the same level of ease, data, and visibility that an embedded consumer payments experience provides. But I think it may be surprising how quickly it becomes the new status quo."
Theresa Gongora
EVP, Merchant Solutions
REPORT HIGHLIGHT
AI can streamline payment processing. When an invoice comes in, an AI tool can analyze it, match it with the budget, approve it, set the payment date, and determine the best way to make the payment.
Why it matters
"This is a great reminder of how quickly AI is being integrated into operations, and the big productivity lift it provides. And it highlights the pace of change — who knows what AI will be capable of in two more years? The potential efficiency gains are enormous, and it will be exciting to see how quickly AI will transform manual processes. It’s not just about saving time — automating these processes also reduces errors and frees up resources for more strategic tasks.
The impacts here will be especially key for smaller businesses. Imagine how quickly you can get off the ground when operations are handled by AI? It allows them to hit the ground running and compete with the big guys right out of the gate."
Brian Greehan
Head of B2B Solutions
REPORT HIGHLIGHT
The combination of tokens and cryptograms may be particularly helpful in reducing friction for cross-border payments. Some $290 trillion worth of transnational transactions are expected by 2030, but right now, much of that activity remains mired in inefficiencies, high fees and delays.
Why it matters
"A lot of us in the payments industry have been following the development of token and cryptogram technologies with intense interest — because they could truly transform international commerce. And now this tech is coming into its own, offering new levels of speed, ease, and utility in a way that’s moving it closer to mass adoption.
Dramatically faster and cheaper cross-border transactions could be transformative in so many ways, including by taking some of the biggest pain points out of international commerce. I expect this will ramp up in 2025 and beyond."
Andrew Mathieson
Chief Enterprise Initiatives Officer
REPORT HIGHLIGHT
The benefits of payment orchestration, according to nearly all businesses (89%) are comprehensive and systemic. They cite improved operational efficiency, customer experience, accessibility, security and fraud prevention. With the emergence of new AI tools, these outcomes are expected to improve even more, the survey showed.
Why it matters
"Payment orchestration is the unsung hero of the seamless payment experiences we’ve come to take for granted. So it’s interesting to think about how this fundamental technology might evolve, and what benefits we’ll see, especially when GenAI enters the picture. Consumers have shown that they’ll rapidly adapt new payment methods, whether biometric, tap-to-pay, in-app, or beyond.
What’s coming next, and how will these systems weave together? What opportunities will they unlock for businesses and customers? We might see the arrival of hyper-personalized payment plans and financing — along with more secure transactions."
Laura Wallace
EVP and Head of Client Experience and Enablement
