Bitesize Payments

Paul Thomalla

Payments are one of things that we do every day  - they just happen, really they are just like magic!!!!  But we don't wake up and think today I want to make a payment - we  just want to pay a bill or buy a coffee but payments make them happen.Paradoxically we both know more about them than we think and yet at the same time very little about what they are and how they work. I have spent a lot of time in our industry doing education and training sessions on Payments and I kinda thought it would be useful to record it.  So, here we go.... In Bitesize Payments I try and explain the History of Payments, how they work and who does what.  Also who get paid for what....that might surprise you!Anyway hopefully in less than 20 mins,  week after week you can become a payment experts....... or at the very least someone who can ask the tough questions :-)Please let me have your feedback, input or question at bitesizepayments@gmail.comThanks for listening.......

  1. 2 DAYS AGO

    The Physical-to-Digital Break

    There is also an expanded read here on my Substack channel here Remember the Gringotts scene in Harry Potter? Those carts racing through underground tunnels, goblins moving gold from one vault to another, the physical reality of value stored in specific locations, transported through space, guarded by dragons. That's still how we think about payments. In 2025. You tap your phone at the coffee shop. The payment happens instantly. Money moves from your account to the merchant's account. Digital, right? Not really. What you experienced was a beautifully designed illusion. Behind that instant confirmation, your payment entered a system that would make a Victorian banker feel right at home. It got batched with other transactions. It waited for a clearing cycle. It went through settlement windows. It moved through correspondent banks. All concepts designed for a world where payments were physical objects—gold in carts—that needed to be sorted, transported, and reconciled. Your shiny iPhone? It's just a very nice entrance to tunnels full of carts. Send us Fan Mail Payments Industry Insights History of Payments Payment System Explained Corporate Payments Strategy Payment Regulations Impact ISO20022 Standard Digital Payments Evolution CBDC Advancements Cryptocurrency in Payments Financial Technology Education

    23 min
  2. Introduction to Bitesize Payments: Digital

    22 MAR

    Introduction to Bitesize Payments: Digital

    There is an extended version of this on my substack channel here  https://bitesizepayments.substack.com/publish/post/191148138?r=5zpu1m&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true In 1995, I picked up Nicholas Negroponte's Being Digital. The premise was simple but profound: the world was shifting from atoms to bits. Physical things were becoming digital information, and that transformation was going to change everything about how we live, work, and interact. I was entering the payments industry around that time, and I genuinely believed I was joining that transformation. That payments were making the leap from atoms to bits right alongside everything else. That was thirty years ago. And here's what I've learned: we never made that leap. Not really. Now, the payments industry will tell you we're digital. We've got mobile wallets, instant payments, ISO20022, cloud infrastructure, APIs everywhere. We tap our phones instead of swiping cards. We process billions of transactions in seconds. We think we're sophisticated. Advanced. Digital. But here's the truth: once you get past that thin layer of shiny technology, we're running on systems that were designed seventy years ago.  This series is about getting to digital Payments and what we need to think and worry about.  Send us Fan Mail Payments Industry Insights History of Payments Payment System Explained Corporate Payments Strategy Payment Regulations Impact ISO20022 Standard Digital Payments Evolution CBDC Advancements Cryptocurrency in Payments Financial Technology Education

    12 min
  3. Wrapping Up Series 1: Why I Started Bitesize Payments — and What Comes Next

    01/09/2025

    Wrapping Up Series 1: Why I Started Bitesize Payments — and What Comes Next

    After more than 30 episodes, I wanted to take a moment to reflect. This isn’t a deep dive into real-time payments, standards, or compliance. This episode is about why Bitesize Paymentsexists in the first place — and what I’ve learned from doing it. I started the series to give back. To share what I’ve learned from years in payments — and from the many brilliant people I’ve worked alongside. The goal was always to make complex topics clearer, more human, and a little easier to navigate. In this final episode of Series 1, I talk about: Why I launched Bitesize PaymentsWhat the industry sometimes misses when it doesn’t share or mentorWhat we’ve covered so far — from cheques to CBDCs, from compliance to sovereigntyWho the key players really are — banks, merchants, citizens, regulatorsAnd what Series 2 might explore as we move into a truly digital eraWhether you listened to one episode or the whole series, thank you. This podcast has been a joy to create — and I hope it’s helped connect a few dots along the way. Send us Fan Mail Payments Industry Insights History of Payments Payment System Explained Corporate Payments Strategy Payment Regulations Impact ISO20022 Standard Digital Payments Evolution CBDC Advancements Cryptocurrency in Payments Financial Technology Education

    20 min
  4. Sovereignty (and Payments)

    04/07/2025

    Sovereignty (and Payments)

    In this episode of Bitesize Payments, we zoom out from the usual rails and rules of payments to explore a much bigger force shaping the industry: sovereignty. From the ancient control of coinage by kings to today’s battles over digital currencies, data, and cross-border standards, sovereignty has always been about power — who has it, who wants it, and what happens when that power is challenged. We unpack the history, the players (from governments and central banks to Big Tech and crypto), and the growing tension between national control and global commerce. As digital ecosystems evolve, what does sovereignty mean for the future of payments — and who gets to decide? This one’s about more than your pound, dollar, or euro….. Here we go.... Send us Fan Mail Payments Industry Insights History of Payments Payment System Explained Corporate Payments Strategy Payment Regulations Impact ISO20022 Standard Digital Payments Evolution CBDC Advancements Cryptocurrency in Payments Financial Technology Education

    25 min

  5. 10/03/2025

    Compliance, KYC, and All That Stuff

    Welcome back to Bite-Size Payments, where we dive into their history, how they work, and, of course, who does what.     Today, we’re tackling compliance—yes, that lovely, complex topic that often seems like it gets in the way. But it’s essential, and we’ll explain why. Yes, it’s complex, but it’s also the backbone of a secure financial system.  Today, I am joined by the rock star that is Susan Hall to walk you through it......    Here we go…       Send us Fan Mail Payments Industry Insights History of Payments Payment System Explained Corporate Payments Strategy Payment Regulations Impact ISO20022 Standard Digital Payments Evolution CBDC Advancements Cryptocurrency in Payments Financial Technology Education

    28 min
  6. Cross border Payments

    06/01/2025

    Cross border Payments

    Welcome to Bitesize Payments where we discuss their history how they work and of course who does what.  In today’s episode, we’ll unravel the fascinating world of Cross-Border Payments. With so many payment terms, brand names, and confusing jargon out there, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. But at its core, cross-border payments are actually a straightforward concept—and we’re here to simplify it for you. Let’s start with the history of cross-border payments, which stretches all the way back to the time of the Silk Road. Back then, trade flourished across vast distances, and the challenge was figuring out how to exchange value between parties who didn’t know—or necessarily trust—each other. This led to the creation of what we now call correspondent banking, a system built on a network of trust. Here’s an example: If I wanted to trade with someone in China but didn’t know or trust them, I’d have a problem. But what if I trusted someone in France, who in turn trusted someone in Prussia, and they trusted the trader in China? This chain of trust created a secure way for value to flow between distant and unfamiliar parties—one of the earliest examples of how cross-border payments worked. Fast forward to today, and cross-border payments are a cornerstone of global trade and commerce. Yet, the principles of trust and intermediaries remain at their heart. To help us break this all down, I’m thrilled to be joined by my good friend Susan Hall, a seasoned expert in the field of cross-border payments. Susan has dedicated much of her career to understanding and explaining how these payments work, and I can’t wait to dive into her insights.   Send us Fan Mail Payments Industry Insights History of Payments Payment System Explained Corporate Payments Strategy Payment Regulations Impact ISO20022 Standard Digital Payments Evolution CBDC Advancements Cryptocurrency in Payments Financial Technology Education

    38 min
  7. Fintechs - the disruptors

    07/10/2024

    Fintechs - the disruptors

    Welcome back to Bitesize Payments where we discuss their history, how they work and of course who does what….  Today we are looking at key stakeholder in payments, fintech's… The new young things of the industry or are they… ?  So today we are discussing Fintech’s, and I am super pleased to be joined by Caleb, CEO of Tilled. It was not long ago that the industry was the Fintech's were all tech and no fin….. not so sure that is true any longer … anyway we shall see …..  Hold on,  here we go…… Send us Fan Mail Payments Industry Insights History of Payments Payment System Explained Corporate Payments Strategy Payment Regulations Impact ISO20022 Standard Digital Payments Evolution CBDC Advancements Cryptocurrency in Payments Financial Technology Education

    35 min
  8. The rise of Mobile Payments

    01/09/2024

    The rise of Mobile Payments

    Welcome to Bitesize Payments, where we discuss their history, how they work and of course who does what… Today we are going to discuss mobile payments….  Remember when losing your wallet was the ultimate nightmare? These days, losing your phone feels like losing your entire life—and your wallet’s just a passenger on that ride! Let’s take a quick journey through time. Once upon a time, cash was king. Coins and notes ruled the economy for centuries. Then came the 20th century, bringing us credit and debit cards—plastic that allowed us to leave cash at home. But now, in the 21st century, we’re witnessing another major shift. This time, it’s digital, and it’s happening right in the palm of your hand—through your smartphone. So grab your phone, because it’s not just playing this podcast—it might just be the future of how you pay for everything!   Send us Fan Mail Payments Industry Insights History of Payments Payment System Explained Corporate Payments Strategy Payment Regulations Impact ISO20022 Standard Digital Payments Evolution CBDC Advancements Cryptocurrency in Payments Financial Technology Education

    21 min
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About

Payments are one of things that we do every day  - they just happen, really they are just like magic!!!!  But we don't wake up and think today I want to make a payment - we  just want to pay a bill or buy a coffee but payments make them happen.Paradoxically we both know more about them than we think and yet at the same time very little about what they are and how they work. I have spent a lot of time in our industry doing education and training sessions on Payments and I kinda thought it would be useful to record it.  So, here we go.... In Bitesize Payments I try and explain the History of Payments, how they work and who does what.  Also who get paid for what....that might surprise you!Anyway hopefully in less than 20 mins,  week after week you can become a payment experts....... or at the very least someone who can ask the tough questions :-)Please let me have your feedback, input or question at bitesizepayments@gmail.comThanks for listening.......

Information

  • Creator
    Paul Thomalla
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    35
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Bitesize Payments
  • Show Website
    Bitesize Payments