Kristo Käärmann, co-founder of Wise (TransferWise), argues that the underlying technical execution of digital payments is too cheap to justify high interchange rates in the long run.
“You can't really imagine the future of payments costing even 49 basis points. It doesn't, just doesn't make sense. You know exactly how, if you know how payments, card payments work, you know, electrons go from the terminal or one web browser through the gateway to the issuing bank, money gets deducted, electrons go back, and it's done. Doesn't cost 45, 49 basis points. Definitely doesn't. So, so, you can't imagine the future where Card payments are gonna, ah, cost as much as they do.”
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More from Kristo Käärmann
Disclosure
TransferWise spent nine months securing UK regulatory licenses before launching product
“People have told me that I was stupid because I chose the other way. I spent about nine months before showing the product to anyone, going through the FCA, then FSA regulation process and licensing. So we took the way, unlike Uber or Airbnb, to be a fully lice…”
Kristo KäärmannJan 2, 2019▶ 2:01a16z Podcast | The Future of Money and Monetization
Insight
Käärmann: Customer acquisition for TransferWise is about educating users on hidden fees
“So for us, the customer acquisition problem is really explaining the problem.”
Kristo KäärmannJan 2, 2019▶ 4:36a16z Podcast | The Future of Money and Monetization
Disclosure
Käärmann: TransferWise pays millions annually across 52 banking partners
“In every country where we are, we have banking partners and infrastructure, so it's about 52 bankers that we, ah, that we pay fees to, and you know, in total, that's multiple millions a year.”
Kristo KäärmannJan 2, 2019▶ 8:46a16z Podcast | The Future of Money and Monetization
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