E-payment methods threaten retail banks: experts

Smart payment systems pose increasing challenges to customer retention and profit margins of retail banks globally, financial experts said on Monday.

The mobile internet subscription is expected to globally rise from around 2 billion to 4 billion by 2018, according to a study presented at the fifth Middle East Banking Innovation Summit 2015 held in Dubai.

"This will lead to disruptive developments for many retail banks," the study, conducted by consultancy McKinsey, showed.

Paul McCrea, head of products for Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa with credit card provider Visa, told Xinhua that the digital banking is just at the start with smart phones being only one channel of ordering and paying.

Cars are also moving into the digital payment scene, McCrea added.

"By 2020, we expect 250 million vehicles worldwide will include some form of embedded connectivity. This will enable consumers more payment channels," he said.

"For example, the driver can pre-order pizza when he gets into his car and his navigation system shows him or her the way to the next drive-in restaurant," he explained.

However, he warned of new risks coming with the new digital payment.

"Data security is an increasing financial and brand threat," said McCrea.

Marcello Baricordi, general manager of Visa United Arab Emirates (UAE), said third party solutions like PayPal, Square or Apple's own digital payment system Apple Pay and Google's Android Pay have started to rival traditional ways of money transfer systems provided by retail banks.

"They connect consumers via their smart phones and social media, giving the consumer the power to place an immediate feedback about his experience on the Internet immediately," Baricordi said.

Naveed Minhas, partner at IBM Middle East in Dubai, said he expects a wave of mergers and acquisitions in the banking industry and that the pace will be more dynamic in the next three years. Endit