Introduction to Digital Payments

This course is worth 1.9 AAP and APRP Continuing Education Credits

Digital payments, which did not exist 30 years ago, have grown to a volume of $4.1 TRILLION in 2019 and are predicted to grow to $6.7 trillion by 2023 (source: Statista). Driven by the proliferation of robust technology, ubiquitous connectivity, and a consumer thirst for convenience, the number of ways in which payments can be made has exploded. And the innovation shows no sign of slowing down.

The structure of a payment – a simple moving of value from one party to another – has not actually changed that much. But the manner in which these payments can be made – from the user interface to the payment networks themselves – have taken on many different forms. The plentiful ways in which payments can be made are supported by a variety of technologies, each of which have experienced their own evolution.

In this course, we will look the technology that underlies payments. Those new to payments – and even some who have been in payments for decades! – can be overwhelmed by the technobabble which inevitably infiltrates conversations about digital payments. The course will look at many of the technologies that emerge in these conversations. We will explain the function of the technologies and place them within the context of a payment transaction.

Students will be exposed to many of the technologies they might experience in buzzwords and acronyms. The course will present a common structure for payments, and help the students understand where in that structure each technology has a place. This is not a deep dive on the technical or operational characteristics of these technologies, but rather an orientation of their purpose and how they can support a payment process. The course will be provided at a level that a business professional with limited technology background can understand.

Questions answered by this session:

• Recognize technologies and acronyms and understand where they fit in a payment life cycle
• Understand the role of many technologies in digital payments
• Discuss risk considerations for various digital payment approaches
• Separate the core processing of a payment from the user experience related to the payment
• Understand various ways to innovate payment experiences

Prerequisites (if any): None 

Level: Beginner

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand how payments evolved into “digital payments”
• Discuss different payment types
• Discuss different payment modalities
• Understand how various technologies fit into the flow of a payment
• Be able to identify different risk factors for digital payments

Skills Covered in this Course: Digital Payments, Mobile Payments

Instructors:

Peter Tapling, APRP, PTap Advisory

Keyword(s): AAP/APRP