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Does MasterCard's further growth of "real-time payment capabilities, innovation and expertise" reflect the stated objective of PSD2 to open banking markets to new players?

It's interesting how, as many retailers in Europe focus on how to avoid the need for 2 factor authentication by using exemptions available under RTS Strong Customer Authentication , Apple is actively promoting the requirement for biometric on every transaction. Might consumers actually prefer this simple and reassuring approach? It will be interesting to see it play out in the US market, and whether and how Apple adapts the offering and marketing for European countries.

I agree it has potential and that pricing will be a key factor - however for me it'll be how effectively the service is promoted to end users, who are already confused by all the claimed solutions, which will determine its adoption.

I agree, Russell, that retail businesses are mindful of costs, though a key challenge which we see in mid-sized retailers is accessing and interpreting the mix of transaction and card types from the data provided by acquirers.

Outside IC+ models there are so many variations which muddy the waters and make decisions on process change to avoid non-secure premium charges and comparison between acquirers very challenging.

Knowing that doesn't stop retailers feeling frustrated, in fact it's when people perceive they are facing barriers they can't overcome that they'll rail against a system.

"What's in it for me?" - when a new product or service takes off, it's because both the consumer and the seller can clearly see what's in it for them - and they like it.

To me, NFC still seems like a solution looking for a problem. When the contactless terminals accept my payment immediately, it is quicker - but that's not often the case.

Perhaps NFC is actually an element of a much larger change which consumers and retailers will find valuable - with mobiles in place of cards and coupons enticing you with an offer which hits your personal sweet spot?  

Making payments easier and more rewarding can create a genuine commercial advantage - you can spot this by tracking the empty baskets on 3D-Secure sites.

With two notable exceptions, I don't yet see my merchant clients linking their marketing, operations and finance teams to create a compelling experience for customers as part of their strategic plans.

So how close are we to this being a reality?