In a conversation with Philip Share of Payment Spayce and George Thomas of Sagicor Bank, they discuss how modern fintech is transforming money movement, especially in the Caribbean. Share explained that wallet-to-wallet transfers are ledger transactions that are handled behind the scenes, so users don’t worry about ACH, SWIFT, or card networks. Compliance, such as KYC, KYB, OFAC, PEP screening, is built into the transaction flow, making transfers instant, secure, and fully auditable while stressing that compliance should accelerate, and not hinder innovation.
Sagicor Bank noted that transforming legacy banks is like redesigning a moving train: complex and slow. Newer fintechs, by contrast, can build from scratch without outdated systems as cloud adoption is key for speed, but costs don’t automatically drop, so careful management is essential. While machine learning is central for onboarding, AML, fraud detection, and resource optimization; AI automates identity verification, detects unusual patterns, and ensures platform safety meaning that Generative AI is being explored cautiously.
Digital adoption is strong but requires education, especially for older users while cybersecurity, fraud prevention, and “cyber hygiene” are actively communicated. Within Sagicor Bank, retail banking clients use an app while their corporate clients use a secure portal which balances convenience and safety. Overall, Payment Spayce and Sagicor Bank emphasized that integrating compliance, smart tech, and client education creates fast, safe, and frictionless financial services, enabling real-time money movement without complications.
