Amazon's recent decision to reverse its ban on Visa credit cards in the UK illustrates the moveable feast that is the current payments ecosystem. It is essentially impossible to maintain fair trading when consumers and merchants are dependent on a small number of payment giants, especially when current payment methods are inflexible, inconvenient, and time-consuming.

Card fees have been a source of contention between providers and merchants for a long time, and the price hikes post-Brexit have exacerbated the problem. But not all merchants at the mercy of the card schemes have the same scale, power and influence as the internet giants of today. Many of these businesses already pay thousands of pounds per year, only to face mid-contract price increases. There are, however, alternatives for retailers to consider, such as account-to-account payments, which bypass traditional card schemes altogether to save consumers and retailers both money and time. Times and payment processes are changing, and those retailers at the forefront of the curve will be the ones to benefit most.