Understand the intersection between e-commerce and Fintech
The main differences between e-commerce and conventional commerce are market access and scalability. Although fintech can be seen across both brick and mortar as well as online businesses, it is more popular in the digital world. This is due to the fact that fintech helps to eliminate the traditional limitations that hindered e-commerce development in the past.
In addition, fintech can help organizations simplify processes, cut costs and improve customer service. Let’s explore how this synergy works in more detail.
What does Fintech mean for e-commerce companies?
Fintech, a derivation of “financial technology,” refers to companies that use modern technology to challenge conventional financial processes in the financial sector. The “ABCD” of fintech includes artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud computing, as well as big data.
Fintech has revolutionized the payment processing sector in recent years (especially during the pandemic), making it easier and faster than ever for e-commerce companies to receive payments from consumers around the world.
Fintech not only makes it easier for e-commerce firms to handle payments, but also enables them to better manage their money. For example, it can help organizations monitor expenses, budget more effectively and invest intelligently. In addition, it can facilitate the expansion of e-commerce businesses to other areas and the acquisition of more customers.
Another important area where fintech and e-commerce overlap is access to capital. Here’s a closer look at these fintech eCommerce use cases.
Top Fintech Applications in the E-Commerce Sector
e-commerce refers to small businesses, large retailers and aggregator marketplaces such as Amazon, which conduct their sales transactions online. Customers can choose from an online catalog and have the product(s) delivered to a location of their choice. Companies operating in this model can use e-commerce to:
1. Digital payments and easy cash flow
Digital payments are a boon for e-commerce merchants. The payment procedure has become simpler and more transparent. With digital payments, consumers are not required to be present to make a purchase. Digital transactions have streamlined the process. And as e-commerce businesses await payment from marketplaces, they often face cash flow problems. These procedures are facilitated by online payments, which also provide quick access to cash.
2. Partial payment, also known as “buy now, pay later” (BNPL)
“buy now, pay later” (BNPL) services, exemplified by organizations such as Affirm, Klarna and Afterpay, are another type of fintech solution that is also changing consumer behaviour. Using these methods, loan finance providers can now offer 0% interest on online loans instantly at checkout, allowing customers to buy large products at once. This has increased e-commerce significantly, especially for pet products and Christmas shopping.
3. Easy, problem-free access to credit
It is no surprise that banks are losing popularity among small business owners, who have been particularly attracted to the native digital solutions offered by fintech companies.
Instant Advance from Payability is a solution of this type. Instant Advance allows you to get up to $250,000 in as little as 24 hours. It is not a loan, but a reduced purchase of your future receivables, therefore no credit check or compounding of interest is required. Payability analyzes your sales history across all channels, such as Amazon, Walmart, Shopify, Newegg, eBay and others. Online retailers can be authorized and funded within one business day.
4. International market expansion
Fintech has transformed the global e-commerce industry into a booming one. Geographical restrictions no longer prevent buyers from buying from other nations. Payment systems and e-wallets have revolutionized e-commerce, enabling users to purchase products and services from around the world without leaving their homes. This increases the market reach of e-commerce sellers and targets the ideal customer wherever they are.
4. Customer incentive
As more fintech competitors enter the market and compete with conventional firms, e-commerce companies and customers will benefit from this intense rivalry. By partnering with well-known brands, fintech companies often provide customers with attractive offers and discounts. Digital payment providers are always fighting for market share by offering discounts, fixed discounts on purchases and sometimes even free movie tickets. In turn, this has increased the amount individuals spend online, thus improving online sales and e-commerce in general.
5. Financial data analyses
Finally, analytics is one of the most essential financial applications in e-commerce. Through a variety of applications and services, fintech firms can collect data on countless users. They then process this data via analytics as well as AI algorithms to discover individuals’ buying habits, thereby targeting them with ads. Fintech companies can also offer such data-rich analytics and reports to e-commerce businesses, which can use valuable customer insights to deliver more targeted services and products.
Advantages of Fintech in e-commerce
By embracing fintech in the myriad ways we discussed, e-commerce companies and small businesses can:
1. Make operations more efficient
Thanks to fintech, transactions can now be carried out in a more secure and convenient way. The use of online banking and payment processors enables e-commerce businesses to offer a more streamlined and hassle-free payment experience for their customers.
2. Prevent fraudulent transactions
Fintech helps to cut down on fraud by making security measures stronger. Most legacy ways of making digital payments focus on one main task: checking login activity. In contrast, fintech asks for credentials, displays CAPTCHAs, and uses multi-factor authentication (MFA) when possible to ensure the correct credentials are used.
3. Scale faster
Another important benefit of financial technology is that it enables businesses to communicate with a larger number of people. E-commerce retailers can offer their products to customers worldwide if they accept a variety of payment methods and currencies. This scalability paves the way for new prospects for businesses of all sizes and contributes to the expansion of the e-commerce industry.
4. Transform B2B experiences
Today’s B2B customers need B2C-like payment experiences; thus, e-commerce companies must have multiple payment options that provide the same immediate gratification as a contactless B2C purchase. Fintech solutions play an important role in achieving this.
5. Speed up the checkout process and therefore increase purchase volumes
There are additional benefits to using fintech for e-commerce, including reducing the amount of time spent checking out. This benefit can be realized in the form of time savings by using previously stored payment and shipping information, using automated checkout or making purchases with a single click.
6. Give customers greater convenience
Customers can buy things from home or while out and about. Due to the rise of mobile devices and apps, this is now ubiquitous and easy to do. Messenger apps like WhatsApp and WeChat are an example of this because they allow people to do business without leaving the app. People can also connect with e-commerce businesses through chatbots and digital assistants.
The growing synergy between Fintech and e-commerce
Fintech has become a secure way to handle payments, and e-commerce companies recognize this in 2023. Modern fintech solutions offer all-in-one services for e-commerce teams and make workflows safer. They also help e-commerce owners take control of costs, rethink staff roles, give employees more freedom and scale at every step.
This synergy is a big reason why fintech has remained an investor favorite, even in a complex economy. In fact, there are several fintech trends that are transforming the e-commerce sector, and the two will continue to influence each other in meaningful and game-changing ways.
