Mike Chambers is joined by Richard Ransom, Head of Solution Consulting for Corporates at Bottom Line, for a wide-ranging conversation covering the most important topics in UK payments right now. Richard and Mike talk about….. Faster Payments turning 18 — the bold decision to go real-time in 2008, the missed opportunity in B2B payments, and where it goes next. Then Direct Debit — still processing billions of transactions after half a century, but what needs to change around the first payment...
27 days ago • 1 min read
Beta: We are trialing Payments:Unpacked's Substack newsletter in Kit.If you have multiple subscriptions you may receive more than one email (apologies) - please let us know what you think about this Kit version of Payments:Unpacked. In this newsletter we explore UK tokenisaton and stablecoin regulation with a guest blog from John Bertrand - huge thanks to John for contributing this guest blog. Be sure to subscribe to visit John on LinkedIn: John Bertrand UK tokenisation and stablecoin...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
The Hidden Heroes Bridging The Digital Divide Exploring the people quietly powering financial inclusion across the UK Across the UK, a remarkable and often overlooked form of support is happening every day - one that rarely makes headlines but plays a vital role in people’s lives. New research led by independent consumer finance expert Faith Reynolds, with support from LINK, the UK’s cash access and ATM network, shines a light on the scale and importance of informal financial help. For many...
3 months ago • 4 min read
Paying Through Time New from Mike Chambers and Payments:Unpacked..... Paying Through Time From coins and cheques to cards and Faster Payments — discover the fascinating stories behind how the UK learned to pay. Payments shape everyday life, yet their history is rarely told. This newsletter explores the people, technologies, and moments that transformed how money moves in Britain. Each edition tells a short, compelling story from the history of UK payments — revealing how innovation, culture,...
5 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Here's a weekly digest from Payments:Unpacked High Court Backs UK Payments Regulator Published on January 15, 2026 Mastercard, Visa and Revolut Lose Fee Cap Challenge Read more... Understanding UK Payments Published on January 15, 2026 10 Essential Insights Read more... Verification of Payee in Practice Published on January 14, 2026 Key Lessons from Europe’s VOP Roll-out Read more... Verification of Payee in Practice: Key Lessons from Europe’s VOP Roll-out Published on January 14, 2026 By...
5 months ago • 1 min read
Brad Pitt, Bitcoin & Banter 🎙️ Welcome to the second episode of Sixty Seconds! ⏱️ Inspired by the legendary Just a Minute on BBC Radio 4, Sixty Seconds is the fast-talking, side-splitting comedy game show where payments meet pure chaos and laughter. The rules? Simple — speak on a payments topic for 60 seconds without hesitation, repetition… or fraud (okay, “deviation,” but we like our fintech spin 😏). Hosted by Mike Chambers, channeling his inner Nicholas Parsons with a fintech flair, each...
7 months ago • 1 min read
Brad Pitt, Bitcoin & Banter Here’s a sneak preview of the next episode of Sixty Seconds - you’ll have to wait until 8pm on the 3 November to see all the action from Zhenya, Laura and Teresa Spread the word Please share this link with your contacts and encourage them to subscribe - https://exceptional-founder-5817.kit.com/d2e10a41fe
8 months ago • 1 min read
Sixty Seconds: Pilot Inspired by the legendary Just a Minute on BBC Radio 4, Sixty Seconds is the fast-talking, side-splitting comedy game show where the rules are simple — speak on a payments topic for 60 seconds without hesitation, repetition, or fraud (okay, "deviation" but we like our twist). Hosted by Mike Chambers, channelling his inner Nicholas Parsons with a fintech flair, each show dives into carefully curated, topical payments subjects — from Faster Payments to frictionless...
10 months ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader You are receiving this email as you recently subscribed to Payments:Explained - here's a test edition ahead of our formal launch. Thank you for being one of our test pilots, we'd love to receive your feedback - hit the button below and tell us what you think. Pilot feedback Here's a podcast we published on Spotify this morning. What Barbie teaches us about digital payments Think about Barbie’s journey in the film. She starts off in Barbie Land—a perfect, plastic world where...
over 1 year ago • 1 min read