Welcome To
The Bottom Line

Card-issuing institutions of all stripes (yes, a payments pun) are in store for some interesting times. According to SRM’s findings, a disproportionate number of card branding agreements are coming up for renewal over the next 12-18 months. Why is this important? Consider the timing.  These contracts, commonly signed with MasterCard and/or Visa, tend to be long term in nature and govern a large – and growing – share of non-interest income. As SRM witnessed during economic recovery from the 2008 financial crisis, properly realigning your bank or credit union’s critical card branding contract with the market, as well as other payments agreements, can uncover hundreds of thousands in both cost savings and revenue growth. 

Loan acquisition is not a new topic in boardrooms by any stretch, but priorities will likely shift (or have already) in the upcoming months given the effects of COVID-19. Still, efficient access to credit remains a critical component of any economic recovery. Assuming some short-term retrenchment, automated credit decisioning will continue to play a critical role in financial institutions’ toolkits.