For all forms of e-commerce, access to competitive payment solutions is a critical facilitator.
Payment systems are rapidly evolving, expending the possibilities for consumers as well as corporate buyers to pay for goods and services bought online. At the same time, in many developing countries, cash-on-delivery remains the preferred option for domestic B2C and C2C e-commerce.
The realm of payments is linked to the broader financial services and banking context. E-Commerce and its users would greatly benefit from an environment where payments can be made easily and confidently, using effective solutions involving both bank and non-bank players that are applicable to all regions and countries, and universal connectivity and interoperability.
Important features of an ideal payments environment would include fair and non-trade-distorting interchange fees and consistent, flexible, tailored and proportional "know-your-customer" (KYC) requirements that recognize different socioeconomic contexts and relative levels of development.
The session will explore the current situation of the payment systems for e-commerce, emphasize what it is currently done today to address the barriers and challenges and what should be done in order to achieve significant progress in the next years.
Moderator: Mr. Nick Ashton-Hart, Advisor in Digital Trade Policy, UNCTAD
Speakers:
- Mr Harish Natarajan, Senior Payment Systems Specialist, World Bank (remotely)
- Mr. Sven Callebaut, Lead Consultant, eTrade Ready Assessments, UNCTAD
- Mr. Usman Ahmed, Head, Global Public Policy, PayPal
- Mr. Gustavo Bako, Senior Manager, Payments and Fraud, GoEuro
- Mr. Francesco Pasti, Senior Services Analyst for the Mobile Money Programme
- Mr. John Mbindyo, CEO, ImpalaPay, Kenya
- Mr. Dulith Herath, Founder, Kapruka
- Mr. Fred Baumhardt, Chief Executive Officer, Curve Group
