Fintech has come into its own

Fintech has come into its own

Fintech has come into its own



Rupert Shaw is the chief commercial officer at Ireland-based Ding, a mobile top-up transfer company

As we adjust to a new-normal - in limbo between full lockdowns and a post-pandemic future - we find ourselves living our lives increasingly online - everything from food ordering and delivery, to sourcing news and sourcing financial products and services. On this International Day of Family Remittance, while it is certainly being spent under unprecedented conditions, it is hard not to think how the world has changed and that many of these changes may be here to stay - not least of which is the digitisation of payments.

While the shift into digital-first pre-dates the pandemic for many of us, the remainder are now flocking to this medium out of necessity to live, work and support families through money remittance or other forms of micro-value transfer such as mobile top-up via an app or online medium. The pandemic, as it closed bricks and mortar stores around the world, made the traditional way of sending and receiving money more difficult - pushing remitters online in greater numbers.

While remittances remain the lifeblood of communities around the world - the UN reports