By Pablo Pereyra Portugal, Chief Revenue Officer at 2innovate
The era of the digital customer allows no excuses. Today, transactions must be instant, available around the clock, and enabled across multiple payment rails. And achieving this does not require restructuring the core: banks can leap into 24/7 payment ecosystems that are frictionless, secure, and highly efficient.
For decades, financial institutions operated on infrastructures that were robust yet rigid—designed for a world where complex processes managed from a polished branch office were synonymous with trust, and immediacy was not a priority. That model is no longer relevant for digitally native audiences who have extended their vision of simplicity and immediacy to all generations.
In Latin America, the transformation is undeniable. In 2013, cash represented 67% of in-store transactions; by 2024 it had dropped to 25%, and projections suggest it will fall to just 17% by 2030. This shift reflects not only new consumer preferences but also a cultural transformation in which the mobile phone has become the central hub for interactions with people, money, and even digital identity.
Brazil offers the clearest example. With the Pix system, launched in 2020, the country processed more than 64 billion transactions in 2024—far surpassing debit and credit cards and establishing itself as the preferred payment method. During the most recent Black Friday, Pix recorded an all-time high of 239.9 million transactions in a single day, amounting to more than 130 billion reais. Another regional giant, Mexico, is also advancing rapidly despite inclusion challenges (only 49% of adults hold a bank account), propelled by an e-commerce market projected to grow at nearly 11% annually through 2027.
The message is clear: 24/7 operations are no longer a distant goal but a competitive requirement. And reaching this milestone does not require replacing entire infrastructures. Cloud-native, core-agnostic platforms such as Frame Banking™ allow banks and fintechs to enable multiple real-time payment rails—from transfers and remittances to digital wallets—with security, efficiency, and interoperability.
This leap is not only technological but also strategic, redefining the role of every player in the ecosystem. Traditional banks evolve from mere process executors into service architects; fintechs consolidate their role as innovation accelerators; and regulators shift toward becoming enablers of frameworks that foster interoperability.
Ultimately, the transition to 24/7 digital payments is not just a response to customer demand. It also unlocks new revenue streams and builds more profitable, sustainable transactional ecosystems. Those able to integrate multiple payment rails and deliver seamless experiences will be best positioned to lead a market where a customer can close an account with a swipe and open another with a single click.
To learn more about 2innovate and Frame Banking™, visit www.2innovateit.com.