The Payments Canada SUMMIT closes with an eye to the future “We are really moving now. You have made the vision a reality.”
Canada's premier payments conference brings ecosystem together to unite on the next phase of payment innovation
Zoom fatigue could not stop attendees to Canada’s largest payment conference. The Payments Canada SUMMIT went virtual this year and more than 2,000 delegates joined five days of programming featuring 300 speakers. 2021 became a record-breaking year for Payments Canada as its conference grew in size, scale and prominence.
The 2021 SUMMIT covered a wide range of topics facing the payment ecosystem, from the evolution of bill payments to cybersecurity protections and the future of open banking, to more sustainable and inclusive payments. In each of the nine themes, speakers discussed many of the future innovation opportunities emerging, which made for lively debate and discussion.
It would not be The SUMMIT without major announcements and product launches. Moneris, in collaboration with CNIB and the Government of Canada, introduced new technology to make electronic payment terminals more accessible. We also heard from new payment service provider Clik2pay, which launched a near real-time bill payment service, showcasing the ease of its payment options through a charitable campaign with Make-A-Wish Foundation.
The conference closed today with remarks from outgoing Payments Canada Board Chair Eileen Mercier. Ms Mercier reflected on the past six years, the growth of the conference, the deep capacity and capability of the people in the industry, and the progress made on the payment Modernization journey. Ms Mercier called out the enhancements to the batch payment system, the inclusion of the Retail Payments Oversight Framework in the 2021 federal budget, and the launch of Lynx, Canada’s new high-value payment system, later this year.
In her parting words, Ms Mercier had a special message to the people working on payment Modernization at Payments Canada and across the industry: “We are really moving now. You have made the vision a reality. Everything that has been achieved is a reflection of your hard work and commitment to making Canada a modern and progressive economy.”
The success of this year’s conference would not have been possible without the support and engagement of the entire payment community, who united in the virtual environment to keep the discussions on payment innovation alive.
Thank you for joining us on this journey as we enter the next phase of modern payments!
Later this month, all sessions from The SUMMIT will be available on-demand to those who registered. The SUMMIT Series webinars will resume this fall.
Stay tuned for details on The 2022 SUMMIT coming later this year!
