Welcome to the second episode of Ingenious Payments ! In this session, we pivot our focus towards the transformative role of banks and acquirers in the merchant services landscape, leveraging the latest in technological innovation. Recorded live at the prestigious Paytech event in Madrid this January, our episode features an insightful onstage dialogue between Anna Milne, Research Director at Finextra, and Michel Leger, Chief Technology Officer at Ingenico. Together, they delve into a series of probing questions that illuminate the evolving dynamics of the merchant services sector: 1. The adaptation of banks and acquirers to the digital frontier, 2. The emergence of sharply-focused customer-centricity, 3. The role of data-driven business services, 4. Why the Point-of-Sale remains crucial for digital success, 5. The benefits of POS-enabled cost savings, enhanced security, and compliance, 6. The long-term vision for the payments ecosystem over the next five to ten years. This episode not only unpacks the discussions held at the Paytech event but also integrates key insights from the recently published paper by Ingenico and Finextra, titled "Payments: The key to unlocking new ecosystems and why merchant services are on the up." As the research director of the paper, Anna Milne offers a unique perspective by quoting from the 5 interviews conducted in the paper, while Michel Leger enriches the conversation with his technological acumen. Whether you're a tech enthusiast, a business owner, or someone keen to understand the technological advancements driving merchant services, this episode promises to enlighten you with expert insights and forward-looking perspectives.