Plastic (and payments) in the fantasy supply chain
Shenzhen baseboard manufacturers, bicoastal U.S. tech companies, mom-and-pop factories throughout the Western world, and a global network of artisans bringing a bit of magic to your tabletop.
Previous issues of Bits about Money
Charitable donations and the infrastructure supporting them
There exists specialized infrastructure to enable charities, for both operational and tax reasons.
Accounting for SaaS and swords
Revenue recognition for software companies is much deeper than many appreciate, and improbably implicates the age-old question "What is the economically useful life of an imaginary sword?"
Hybrid offline/online transactions
You can't upload cash... or can you? Convenience stores function as hybrid offline/online spaces for payments and identify verification.
Moving money internationally
SWIFT operates a messaging protocol which ties banks together with correspondent banks. This collaboration enables most international wires.
Changing how Main Street businesses bank
SMBs are beginning to use financial services offered by SaaS platforms. This will be extremely big, for all concerned.
Finality does not exist in payments
Many people believe some transactions are final. The reality is a bit more complicated, and involves technical, social, and legal factors.
Mortgages are a manufactured product
Mortgages are popularly thought of as loans, but to understand the industry, it's better to model them as complex manufactured products.
BNPLs: Businesses Needing Provided Legibility
BNPLs (Buy Now Pay Later) are an interesting, relatively novel payment method. Here is how they work.
The secondary market in gift cards
Gift card marketplaces largely (and surprisingly) match professional buyers and sellers of gift cards, rather than casual users. This creates an interesting ecosystem in the shadow of large retailers.
More than you want to know about gift cards
Gift cards are a loosely-regulated quasi-financial product and frequently misunderstood. Here's how they operate under the hood.
The fraud supply chain
Fraud is largely conducted by professionals operating in specialized firms, which have their own ecosystem of evil.
Bank transfers as a payment method
Bank transfers have exploded as a payment method in India and may become more common in much of the world.
Payments in Japan
The payments industry in Japan is evolving rapidly. Some trends are globally relevant.
Debit cards are hidden financial infrastructure
Debit cards are a core piece of financial infrastructure and drive much of the innovation happening in fintech.
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I write roughly biweekly on the intersection of tech, financial infrastructure, and systems thinking. It's free.