Breaking the Speed Barrier: How to Address the Structural Frictions in Cross-border Payments - Powered by Swift

Cross-border payments are the lifeblood of the global economy, underpinning trade, remittances, investment and financial connectivity. As technology has advanced and economies have become increasingly interconnected, expectations for international transfers have evolved too. Progress has been made, with 75% of payments travelling over Swift reaching destination banks within just 10 minutes. But frictions remain, particularly at the ‘last mile’ of a payments journey, where 80% of the total time is spent before it is credited to the end account or wallet.

Emerging technologies, including blockchain, promise a real-time, 24/7 reality. But innovation in cross-border payments will not come from new rails alone. It will emerge from steady progress in resolving structural frictions - improving data quality, harmonising standards, strengthening coordination and enhancing transparency across the value chain.

In this interactive session hosted by Swift, experts will discuss the structural frictions identified in Swift’s Payment Optimisation Index and provide practical insights on what institutions can do to improve the overall speed and transparency of cross-border payments.