BofA Merrill Lynch Monitors Europe Payment Trends
Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BofA Merrill has issued the results of its recent webcast on how to successfully navigate the payments landscape in Europe. The event was aimed at US-headquartered businesses planning to expand their operations into the region.
The webcast included a poll of 62 firms, which ranked the following five considerations in importance. Results were:
“Based on BofA Merrill’s experience, there are five common European payment considerations that are frequently discussed with US clients,” said Ken Ullmann, head of US central region treasury sales for global commercial banking, who led the discussion.
“While it’s challenging to predict which of these factors will influence a business a decade from now, a company’s future success can be shaped by what clients do today.”
Ad van der Poel, Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) head of global transaction services (GTS) product management, corporates, agreed that the right mix of payment instruments should be the highest priority. “Even though cheques are still widely used in the US, there are a number of countries in Europe, such as Belgium, that no longer use this payment method.”
“Europe is an important trading partner for US companies and taking its complex payments landscape into consideration, there are also a variety of external factors to consider such as different regulations, country volatility and multiple currencies,” van der Poel added.
“Furthermore, the region includes a large number of countries, all at varying stages of development and maturity from a business and banking standpoint.”
Alex Weaving, head of commercial sales for GTS EMEA, agreed that implementing payment instruments when doing business in different countries is not a straightforward process.
“While the single euro payments area [SEPA] is used for low value payments and receipts in the eurozone, some countries still apply their own domestic instruments. In addition, multiple systems are used for high value wires which can further complicate the management of payments across the region.”
While the poll indicated that only 8% of clients focus on cultural differences, Weaving highlighted that it is a key area that should not be forgotten.
“As most communication is conducted over the phone or through email, even the simplest things such as using the correct titles – Herr in Germany or Signore in Italy – and ensuring that local language is used on invoices, can make all the difference to a smooth transition in developing relationships with your new business partners.”