Fintech, or financial technology, helps to improve financial services by automating them. Fintech has helped individuals as well as businesses manage their financial operations in a seamless way. Fintech incorporates the use of algorithms and specialised software that can be operated on smartphones and computers.
Financial transactions include withdrawing money from one bank account and depositing it into another. This requires communication with different stakeholders. The incorporation of digital technology has revolutionised payments by eliminating the hassle of hefty processing time and ensuring the smooth processing of payments.
This article discusses everything you need to know about how fintech solutions have made payments and other financial transactions easy for individuals as well as organisations. You can also pursue a fintech course to learn more about these aspects.
Fintech Facilitates Secure Banking and Cashless Payments
Financial technology has caused us to transition from a physical world to a digital world. These days, most banking operations follow a hybrid model. The entire credit goes to the emerging technologies and the advent of the fintech companies which are rapidly using digital tools to transform the way in which banking works.
The incorporation of technology has enabled seamless customer onboarding without the hassle of exchanging papers. Advancements like the use of Aadhaar cards and customer authentication through video KYC also deserve notable mention. Payments have become so convenient that they can be made through a single tap.
Let us look at a few ways in which fintech services have helped to revolutionise the payment ecosystem.
Go Cashless-Pay Instantly Through Your Mobile
Mobile payments are one of the best fintech innovations in the payment industry. Now that almost everyone has smartphones and can use mobile applications, one can easily pay using a mobile.
This saves the hassle of having to carry cash wherever one goes. Digital wallets have made it convenient for users to store multiple payment methods such as debit and credit cards, and make payments using a single application.
Such digital wallets also have exciting features like rewards, coupons, and loyalty programs, which makes them even more appealing to users.
Secure Payments Through Biometric Identification
Another innovation of fintech is the introduction of a biometric authentication system. Biometric authentication allows users to establish their identities through behavioural or physical characteristics like voice recognition, facial recognition, fingerprints, and so on.
Biometric authentication is highly secure and is also convenient as it helps users prevent the unnecessary hassle of having to remember passwords.
Therefore, customers no longer have to wait in long queues to complete formalities to complete mere transactions. With fintech banking solutions, customers can conveniently carry out tasks like checking their account balances, carrying out transactions, and opening new accounts so that they can have a better understanding of their financial position and make informed decisions.
Fintech B2B Solutions
Fintech B2B solutions encompass a wide range of financial technology innovations and services that have been tailored especially for the businesses. Such solutions help businesses to manage their financial processes in a seamless manner, carry out transactions smoothly, and also extend their services in a secure manner.
Such solutions include many systems such as payment processing systems, blockchain-based applications, supply chain finance tools, expense management software, invoice streamlining, and so on.
The fintech solutions tailored to meet the B2B requirements integrate with the current business systems through APIs. Such advanced technologies help businesses control and manage their finances better, reduce costs, and make decisions that are backed by facts in the form of data. Such solutions are highly beneficial in driving financial transformation in the corporate world.
Listed below are a few ways in which fintech B2B solutions are beneficial for businesses:
- Peer-to-peer lending: Such lending platforms help to bridge the gap between businesses who are seeking financing and lenders who are willing to invest. This serves as an excellent alternative to conventional bank loans, and the approval is way quicker. Using these techniques, businesses can secure funds to meet their financial needs.
- Managing expenses: Fintech solutions help businesses manage their expenses by simplifying the process of tracking. There are technologies that help to keep track of expenses, identify and eliminate errors, and streamline the process of financial reporting.
- Cash and treasury management: Such solutions help businesses acquire an optimum position with respect to cash, manage investments, and effectively handle liquidity. These technologies help businesses gain insights into the cash flows, which enables them to make informed decisions regarding investments and surplus cash.
- Risk assessment and credit scoring: Fintech solutions incorporate the use of data analytics and machine learning so that businesses can conduct risk assessments efficiently. There are also credit scoring tools that help in the evaluation of the creditworthiness of partners, customers, and suppliers so that businesses can make more informed credit decisions.
Automated Insurance Powered by Fintech Solutions
In this age of rapid digitization, insurance companies have also adopted digital options in order to cater to the needs of the audiences. These days, customers prefer efficient claims process, which is not possible in the conventional manner,
The use of fintech solutions, AI, and mobile applications has helped to slash the time for policy approvals, thereby enhancing customer satisfaction. Adopting fintech services helps insurers gain a competitive edge.
Let us have a look at the benefits of using fintech solutions for the insurance industry
Advantages of Fintech Solutions in the Insurance Industry
The adoption of digital technologies is sure to result in an increase in business. Fintech can revolutionise the insurance sector for both providers as well as customers by offering the following advantages:
- Flexible digital solutions help to meet the requirements of young audiences.
- Technology has numerous techniques for determining a customer’s behaviour and thereby evaluating the associated risk. This allows insurance companies to design and price the plans accordingly.
- Customised plans and prompt services can make customers feel valued.
- Fintech helps to shorten the approval process, which makes the process convenient.
Three Ways in Which Insurance Industry is Embracing Technology
There are three major ways in which the insurance industry is harnessing the use of technology:
Through the Internet of Things
Through a network of the internet and other connected devices, insurers can gather humongous amounts of data.
Insurers can conduct risk determination through the use of sensors, which are placed in cars and can provide valuable insights into driver behaviour and predict the possibility of any impending risk. Such data can help insurers devise granular pricing models based on individual risk calculations.
Through Blockchain Technology
The incorporation of blockchain helps to provide high-end security by averting fraudulent or malicious activities by third parties. Blockchain can also help to detect duplicate claims easily.
Blockchain can also be used to automate the contracts which enables insurers to carry out the operations efficiently. The quick resolution process thus enables customers to enjoy a seamless experience.
Through the Use of Artificial Intelligence
These days, it is almost impossible to talk about technological advancement without mentioning Artificial Intelligence. AI helps in automation through a technology known as robotic process automation. This system allows users to automate the processes that were initially performed manually, especially those pertaining to the collection and entry of data.
This does not only help to eliminate the scope of errors, but also helps to detect frauds easily, calculate risks, and enhance customer satisfaction.
Investments Made Easy With Fintech Solutions
With the amalgamation of finance and technology through the use of technologies like AI, ML, and Big Data, the landscape of investment management is also changing. These technologies help to evaluate the investment opportunities, optimise the portfolios, and mitigate the risks.
Confused about whether you should go for an SIP or a one-time investment? There are also automated wealth advisers, also known as robo-advisers, who assist investors in making their decisions. Such advisory services may or may not require any human intervention. This helps to provide tailored advice to the investors, that too at a lower cost.
Invest Through Mobile Applications
Through fintech, the investment landscape has changed considerably. There are a number of mobile applications that have been designed to cater to the requirements of modern-day on-the-go investors.
Fintech has revolutionised investment in the following ways:
- Accessibility is one of the most essential factors fintech has brought about in the investment industry. Anyone who has a smartphone can easily download these applications and browse through the most favourable options to invest in.
- The investment applications educate the investors regarding real-time market data. Technology equips these applications with the latest market data, financial updates, news, and stock prices, which are then made available to the investors.
This helps investors remain at par with the latest developments in the market and make informed decisions.
- Mobile applications often allow one-tap trading. Through this, investors can easily buy or sell the securities as and when the need arises. This prompt execution of trades helps investors respond to market movements promptly.
Fintech platforms also have a technology that allows investors to break down large shares into small fractions that are easy to trade. Fintech companies have developed many mobile applications and online platforms that are user-friendly, and help investors purchase fractional shares seamlessly.
However, all these transactions are carried out in highly secure environments. The multi-factor authentication enables users to secure their sensitive information.
Use of Fintech in Lending Services
Fintech lending refers to the technology in which lending services are carried out with the help of technology.
There are two main reasons why fintech has gained so much prominence in the realm of lending. Fintech helps to improve the interaction between the lender and the customer, which leads to a better experience, reduces the processing times, and also lowers the cost of operation.
Secondly, fintech helps to improve the monitoring and screening processes through the incorporation of ML, or through other data sources.
Therefore, fintech allows lenders to provide loans elastically as the credit demand changes.
Benefits of Financial Technology for Individuals and Business
Therefore, it is evident that the amalgamation of financial services and technology that can be carried out through a network of internet technology and smartphone technology is extremely beneficial in offering the optimum services to the users.
Listed below are some of the major advantages that fintech has offered in the field of payments and funding:
- Promotes inclusiveness: The incorporation of technology in the field of finance helps to increase financial inclusion. Fintech has made all the services available to people at their doorstep. As a result, more and more people are indulging in the services, thereby increasing the volume of financial transactions.
- Easy access to capital: Fintech has made it easy for entrepreneurs to get capital for their businesses. With the help of fintech, it becomes easy to derive funding in a more efficient and effective manner. It also makes it easy for businesses to look for potential investors.
- Smooth financial services: The presence of fintech has made financial services easier, faster, and smoother.
- Lower operational costs: The convenience or operational fees charged in fintech services are much lower as compared to those in conventional payments. This makes fintech services a better and more cost-effective solution.
Therefore, the use of fintech in modern society has increased the flexibility of carrying out financial activities. Gone are the days in which customers had to visit brick-and-mortar financial institutions for every little task like checking the account balance.
This blend of technology and financial services has made it convenient for people to carry out financial transactions and activities from any nook of the world, without any restrictions.
Conclusion
To establish a career in fintech, a candidate should possess the right set of skills and showcase them to employers. Specialised training can help you validate your skills and help you bag one of the best-paying jobs.
In a domain that is fast-paced and ever-changing, individuals need to keep upskilling so that they can gain a competitive edge. Imarticus Learning’s Professional Certificate in Fintech in collaboration with SP Jain School of Global Management will help you acquire the right set of skills so that you can step up in your professional fintech career.
