Why are some customers returning to cards after using RoPay?
Simply put, because they do not see enough benefits for themselves as customers. At least, that is the view of Tudor Nistor, a lawyer specialising in banking, fintech and payments, who returned to using his card after trying RoPay.
Below, we reproduce the blog post he shared on his LinkedIn account.
Lately, I’ve been seeing RoPay increasingly offered as a payment method by online merchants, utility providers, marketplaces, and others. For obvious reasons, I decided to try making a payment with RoPay myself. But the next time I made a purchase, I went back to my card. Why?
Because when I pay by card, I get something in return—for example, loyalty points, cashback, spending that contributes to premium benefits such as lounge access. And that’s not even mentioning the fact that, when things go wrong, I also have access to the chargeback mechanisms provided by card schemes.
With RoPay, the payment is simple, instant, and free for me. But these are, for the most part, characteristics of the payment itself. What is the economic benefit for me as a consumer of choosing RoPay over a card?
For the merchant, the answer is much clearer: lower acceptance costs and immediate access to the funds.
But if the savings generated by removing card infrastructure accrue exclusively to the merchant/payee, why would consumers change their behaviour?
Perhaps this is the next step for account-to-account payments. Not just making them cheaper for merchants, but sharing some of that advantage with the payer as well.
Cashback? Loyalty rewards? Other benefits offered by the bank—or perhaps by the merchant?
I’m curious to hear what you think. What would make you choose RoPay over a card?
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RoPay is Romania’s national instant mobile payment service that allows users to make instant (funds settle in accounts within 10 seconds), account-to-account bank transfers 24/7/365 directly through participating commercial banks’ mobile applications. Developed by TRANSFOND in partnership with the Romanian Banking Association, it removes the need for physical cards, cash, or manually entering long IBAN numbers. Transactions are completed by scanning QR codes, using NFC contactless proximity pay, or using phone number aliases.
