Swift has published the results of a global survey of 7,000 consumers and small businesses on attitudes to low-value cross-border payments, finding that security and transparency are the most important factors when sending money internationally.
Security was named as the key driver in the selection of a payments provider by both consumers and SMEs, closely followed by trust (for consumers) and transparency of fees (for SMEs).
Transparency was deemed very important to both groups and around 70% of consumers and SMEs said they would not use a payment provider again if they experienced hidden fees. In fact, hidden fees evoked a stronger reaction among both groups than a payment not arriving at all.
Swift’s research found that customers overwhelmingly look to banks first when making an international payment – confirmed by 87% of SMEs and 81% of consumers – but also reinforced how competitive the market has become. Three-quarters of those surveyed said they would consider using a different provider if they matched the offer they get from a bank, fintech or other provider today.
While customers value speed, it is not at the expense of security and transparency. The study found that 79% of consumers and 76% of SMEs expect an international payment to be completed within one hour or less. Only 24% of consumers and 15% of SMEs expect payments to be instant but expectations for speed are likely to increase as more domestic market infrastructures move to instant payments.
Thierry Chilosi, Chief Strategy Officer at Swift, said: “Whether it’s someone sending money to family abroad or a small business trading with a partner in another country, low-value cross-border payments have very real, everyday implications for people around the world. Our research confirms there is a real opportunity for financial institutions to offer compelling solutions that combine simple and transparent digital front-end experiences with secure, reliable, and fast back-end processing.”
Swift’s study also found notable variations in responses from customers in different countries. Consumers in Saudi Arabia and Australia are more concerned with the impact of FX conversion when making international payments than those in other nations, while SMEs in Germany place particular importance on the integration of payment processes into other tools, such as accounting software.
