Payments:Unpacked Podcast

Payments:Unpacked
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Don't just follow payments. Understand them. Payments:Unpacked delivers independent analysis you won't find in a press release — straight to your podcast feed. northeypoint.substack.com

  1. Aug 30

    Payments Are Changing Fast - But What Can the Industry Prove?

    Payments are becoming almost invisible to consumers - but behind the tap of a phone or the press of a button sits an increasingly complex payments infrastructure. In this Payments:Unpacked podcast, we round up the biggest stories from the last ten days and explore what they tell us about where UK payments are heading. We look at the rise of a generation that may rarely need a PIN, Open Banking passing one billion payments and 100 billion API calls, the latest Swift security requirements, and why the conversation ahead of Sibos is shifting from “what’s next?” to “what can you prove now?” We also unpack Vocalink’s return to profitability and its continuing role at the heart of UK payment infrastructure, before turning to two important Bank of England developments: its proposed new payments innovation objective and the decision to delay the November 2026 RTGS standards release. Together, the stories point to a payments industry entering a new phase — one where innovation, resilience, interoperability and measurable delivery matter more than promises. Share this episode with someone working in payments, banking or fintech, and subscribe to Payments at payments-unpacked.com. Don’t just follow payments. Understand them. This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit northeypoint.substack.com/subscribe

  2. Aug 18

    UK bank switching hits a record high and switchers are loving it

    UK current account switching just had an impressive start to 2026 up 39% year-on-year, with over 600,000 switches completed in H1 2026. In this episode, we break down the latest CASS dashboard: which banks are winning customers, why challengers like Monzo are going toe-to-toe with the high street giants, and why 74% of switchers say their new account beats their old one. If you’ve ever wondered whether switching banks is worth the hassle, the numbers have an answer. This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit northeypoint.substack.com/subscribe

  3. Jul 27

    Agentic AI Is Rewriting the Rules of Business Payments

    Most finance teams have been held back by siloed systems—until now. Richard Ransom from Bottomline reveals how agentic AI is transforming business payments, turning complex processes into seamless, intelligent workflows. In this episode, we dive into the innovative concept of the office of the CFO and how it unites accounts payable, receivables, treasury, and fraud management under a single, data-connected vision. Richard shares how the new CFO Suite of tools is enabling organisations to break down traditional silos and harness the full power of their financial data, driving smarter, faster decision-making. You’ll discover how agentic AI differs radically from traditional AI by understanding objectives, orchestrating workflows, escalating exceptions, and acting autonomously - all while keeping humans firmly in control. Richard breaks down practical applications, like automating invoice approval or inventory-based purchasing, with guardrails to minimize risk and optimize cash flow. Most importantly, you’ll learn why this shift is inevitable. As boards and CFOs increasingly prioritise automation and strategic insights, agentic AI isn’t just a future trend - it’s a game changer for finance and beyond. If you’re ready to cut costs, reduce errors, and empower your team to focus on growth, this episode is essential listening. Perfect for finance leaders, CFOs, and tech innovators eager to understand the transformative potential of agentic AI in payments. Whether you’re just starting or already experimenting with automation, you’ll leave with actionable insights to stay ahead. And if you want to explore how to implement agentic AI in your own organisation, Richard points to valuable resources on Bottomline’s website. The future of finance is here - don’t get left behind. This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit northeypoint.substack.com/subscribe

  4. Jul 24

    £747Billion Before Breakfast

    Every day, £747 billion moves through the UK’s payment systems—but almost all of it flows through just two invisible pieces of financial infrastructure. In this episode, Mike Chambers unpacks the surprising reality behind the UK’s payments ecosystem. Discover why CHAPS and CREST account for 98.5% of all value settled, why the payment systems most of us use every day represent just 1.5% of the total, and why the way we visualise payments can completely change our understanding of the industry. Featuring insights from Bank of England settlement data, this episode reveals the hidden scale of the UK’s financial plumbing—and explains why every payments statistic depends on which chart you’re looking at. Based on the Payments:Unpacked article: “Where Britain’s Money Actually Moves.” Chart 1: Chart 2: Your summer 2026 payments strategy - all in one place Everything you need to know about payments, without the usual noise. Even on holiday, payments don’t slow down. ISO 20022 deadlines, real‑time expansion, rising fraud, and regulatory pressure are all accelerating into 2026. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit northeypoint.substack.com/subscribe

  5. Jul 20

    Return to Sender: WH Smith’s, Cheques, and the Slow Fade to Beige

    WH Smith’s collapse from railway-station pioneer to beige, unfocused high street fixture offers an unlikely lesson for the Bank of England’s new payments infrastructure. With cheques now making up just 0.4% of daily UK settlement volume, this episode argues that bolting a dying legacy channel onto tomorrow’s payments rails — “just in case” — doesn’t preserve it, it just drags the whole system down. A case for letting cheques wind down on their own terms, rather than building the financial equivalent of TGJones. This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit northeypoint.substack.com/subscribe

  6. May 1

    Podcast: Digital Inclusion Insights

    Join Faith Reynolds from Devon Fields Consulting and Jemma Waters from the Connection Project as they reveal a wealth of digital inclusion insights. Both Faith and Jemma mention a number of assets in their discussion - here’s the links to the items they mention: * Hidden Heroes - Understanding the UK’s 11 million financial helpers * ConsumerDigital Index * If I Needed Someone - Money and Mental Health Policy Institute * Project Nemo - Learning Disabilities Report * The Connection Project - Rethinking digital inclusion * Misconnected Report Payments:Unpacked | On A (Slight) Tangent - Unscripted and unedited This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit northeypoint.substack.com/subscribe

  7. Apr 17

    Gadgetbahn: Clever or just too clever?

    Payments:Unpacked | On A (Slight) Tangent - Unscripted and unedited Gadgetbahn: Clever or just too clever? This week’s podcast came from an idea surfaced by Jago Hazard on YouTube You’ll find the GadgetBahn story here. And you’ll find all the stories referenced in this podcast at either: Payments:Unpacked - www.payments-unpacked.com or New Retail Payments Infrastructure - www.newrpi.uk This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit northeypoint.substack.com/subscribe

  8. Apr 10

    Payments, Punchlines & Progress

    Payments, Punchlines & Progress This week’s podcast came from the beach - three stories - having a laugh about payments, hidden heroes bridging the digital divide and learning from Faster Payments. You’ll find all the stories referenced in this podcast at either: Payments:Unpacked - www.payments-unpacked.com or New Retail Payments Infrastructure - www.newrpi.uk Payments:Unpacked is now fully open - all content is now available to every reader. To support our independent perspective on the payments ecosystem we navigate, we invite readers to contribute £4.35 per month — the price of a flat white. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit northeypoint.substack.com/subscribe

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About

Don't just follow payments. Understand them. Payments:Unpacked delivers independent analysis you won't find in a press release — straight to your podcast feed. northeypoint.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Payments:Unpacked
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    72
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Northey Point Limited
  • Show Website
    Payments:Unpacked Podcast