2021 Environmental Scan Report

27 Aug 2021

The world of payments continues to evolve at a rapid pace. As part of our work with the industry to ensure New Zealand is well-prepared for the evolving future of payments, every two years we conduct a full environmental scan which looks at global and local trends likely to impact our payments ecosystem.

Our 2021 scan report confirms that the themes from our last full scan in 2019 remains accurate. However, we have noticed that these themes have begun to converge in the last two years, with notable shifts on emphasis.

Our 2021 report also highlights the impact COVID-19 has had on our lives so far and the subsequent behavioural and business model changes that have occurred. We’ve also noticed an increased focus on central bank digital currencies, cybersecurity, real-time payments, and digital ID. There’s also increased awareness and a strong desire among organisations to support those most at risk of being marginalised or made vulnerable by any changes to the payments system.

We hope you enjoy reading our 2021 Environmental Scan Report and find it helpful as you consider what the future will look like for your organisation.