Why Real-Time Payments, A2A & AI Are Redefining Commerce

Name: Wallid AI-native Checkout
Brand: Wallid
Availability: InStock

Pay-by-Bank / Blog / Why Real-Time, A2A & AI Are Redefining Global Commerce

Global commerce is undergoing a payments revolution. Real-time payments (RTP), account-to-account (A2A) transfers, and AI-driven fraud prevention are replacing legacy systems to meet the growing demand for faster, smarter, and more secure transactions. Businesses that modernize gain speed, scale, and a competitive edge across borders.

Key Takeaways:

Real-time payments will exceed 575B transactions by 2028—27% of all electronic payments
Cross-border volumes are projected to reach $290T by 2030, creating demand for faster, cheaper infrastructure
A2A payments remove card fees and delays—ideal for subscriptions, payouts, and recurring commerce
AI is essential for fighting fast-moving fraud, enabling real-time KYC, AML, and smart routing
Modern payment stacks drive growth by reducing costs, increasing speed, and enabling instant experiences

“Faster money movement isn’t just a tech upgrade—it’s an economic catalyst. Real-time payments helped us scale cross-border transactions without inflating ops costs.”

— Priya Chandran, Head of Global Payments at TranzGo

Cross-Border Payments: The $290T Opportunity

Metric	2023	2030(Projected)
Cross-Border Volume	$190T	$290T
B2B Payments	$39T	$56T
eCommerce	$5.5T	$7.9T
Remittances	$550B	Rising

Despite growth, high FX fees, fragmented regulation, and outdated infrastructure persist. Real-time and cloud-native platforms can slash costs and increase access, in line with the G20 roadmap goals.

Real-Time & A2A: The New Global Payments Standard

India: 129B RTP transactions in 2023, 91% of consumers use mobile wallets.
Brazil & Thailand: 37B and 20B RTP transactions respectively.
A2A payments eliminate intermediaries, delivering faster, cheaper, and programmable payment flows.

Ideal for:

Gig worker payouts
Recurring billing and subscriptions
Cross-border trade settlement

AI, Fraud & the Need for Smarter Systems

With RTP speed, fraud scales too. APP scams alone could hit $7.6B by 2028.

Merchant Challenges (2024):

Phishing, refund abuse, card testing
First-party misuse, policy abuse
63% increasing fraud tech spend; only 50% adding staff

AI’s Role:

Detects synthetic IDs in milliseconds
Enables real-time KYC/AML
Reduces false positives with behavioral analytics

The Modern Payments Stack

Banks still running legacy systems face:

Slower time-to-market
Higher operational costs
More vulnerability to fraud

Modernisation means:

Cloud-native hubs for cards, RTP, A2A, crypto
AI-based routing, smart exceptions, and compliance
Unified orchestration across payment rails

McKinsey: Payment modernisation boosts revenue by 15–20% and cuts costs by 25–30%

Speakable

The future of payments is real-time, data-driven, and intelligent. Merchants and banks must modernize to meet the speed and experience expectations of tomorrow’s global consumers.

FAQ

What are real-time payments (RTP)?

RTPs are instant transfers between bank accounts, processed 24/7, offering final settlement within seconds.

What are A2A payments and why are they important?

A2A (account-to-account) payments move money directly between bank accounts, bypassing intermediaries like card networks—making them faster and cheaper.

How is AI transforming global payments?

AI is improving fraud detection, automating compliance (KYC/AML), and optimizing routing decisions, helping businesses scale without expanding headcount.

What’s driving the shift away from legacy card networks?

Merchants are seeking lower fees, faster settlement, and more control—driving adoption of open banking, A2A, and real-time payment rails.

How do instant payments benefit cross-border commerce?

They reduce friction, speed up settlement across time zones, and lower operational costs, enabling global scale without legacy bottlenecks.

About the Author

This article was written by Alex Munro,Fintech Analyst & Payment Strategist. Together, they explore how real-time payments, A2A infrastructure, and AI are reshaping global commerce. Wallid is an open banking provider helping merchants scale cross-border with faster, smarter, and more secure payment experiences. Learn more at wallid.co.