More innovation, more integration - the future of payment

Unzer is a leading European fintech that offers payment and software solutions. As part of our series “3 Questions to”, our founder Corinna Egerer (CE) spoke to the company CEO, Robert Bueninck (RB).

CE: 2023 has brought challenges for many fintechs. How has Unzer coped with these turbulent times and what strategies and steps did you take?

RB: Indeed, 2022 and 2023 have been demanding years. Covid and its aftermath and the war in Ukraine had dramatic effects on the economy and consumer spending. We as a service provider to 85k merchants perform according to their performance. Also, the fintech world has seen a big change in valuation levels and the metrics which they are valued upon. And as a result, the market is moving. We've created a comprehensive package for our retailers, covering everything from point-of-sale to e-commerce solutions, including our white-label "Buy Now, Pay Later" service, along with debt collection and software services. Our latest tool streamlines sales and onboarding, ensuring easy integration for merchants on our UnzerOne platform. We've enhanced our payment methods offering, supported seamless product integration through a single API, and simplified contracts to offer all Unzer services in one place. From a financial perspective, we have fine-tuned our operations, systems, and processes, reduced our costs and become more efficient.

The result is a significant increase in our profitability – we are even outperforming many of our peers. This in line with the market demands. All of the above helped us grow our network to over 85,000 merchants, forming many valuable new collaborations. So we are in a significantly improved position heading into 2024, where we expect to continue our strong growth trajectory.

CE: If we take a look into the future, what strategic plans and goals does Unzer have planned for 2024?

RB: We believe that customers want to enjoy a seamless shopping experience no matter where they shop. The market is inherently moving to a more and more integrated on- and offline world and merchants need solutions to solve for this need. We believe that merchants want to delight their customers and not think about how to technically connect their online store and brick-and-mortar store in one system. That's why we provide the software and hardware to ensure that all their systems communicate with each other in real time.

Looking ahead, we see a landscape brimming with potential. Notably, the DACH region is playing catch-up with counterparts like the USA and Scandinavia in payment transactions. We will see customers continue to transition from cash to card and embrace novel payment methods. Key trends like open banking, tokenization, and the digital euro are poised to propel innovation within the industry. So, what does the future hold? More innovation, more integration and further investment in our technological infrastructure and the further development of our products.

CE: Frankfurt Digital Finance is connecting the European Digital Finance Ecosystem – what are you expecting from the event?

RB: We're really looking forward to engaging in meaningful discussions, building new connections, and possibly discovering opportunities for fresh partnerships. Ultimately, it all comes down to the people you collaborate with – we are in a people's business and great partnerships are key to success. Frankfurt Digital Finance brings together many smart and dedicated experts from the finance world, and we’re excited to discuss the trends that will shape the future of finance and payment.

CE: Thank you, Robert. We are very much looking forward to seeing you in Frankfurt and, of course, to your speech as part of our session on “The Future of Payment in Europe”.

If you wish to see the complete agenda of Frankfurt Digital Finance ital Finance 2024, visit www.frankfurt-digital-finance.de.