The Challenge

An international payment scheme recognised that it had fallen short in its product capabilities to effectively support its acquirer banks. The client needed to address these deficiencies by developing a comprehensive understanding of its current product portfolio, identifying gaps in comparison with competing schemes, and determining a clear product roadmap.

The objective was to create a consolidated list of all acquiring products and solutions, benchmark these against offerings from other schemes, and prioritise immediate actions that would deliver tangible benefits. The project required a global approach, considering different schemes and network partners, and covered both online and offline merchant acquiring products.

How EDC Helped

EDC supported the client by conducting targeted research and analysis to address the identified challenges. A categorisation framework was developed to distinguish between the client's products and enabling technologies, providing clarity in their product portfolio. Primary research was carried out through interviews with internal staff and key global clients, enabling EDC to gather valuable insights into the client's existing product capabilities.

The client’s offerings were then benchmarked against those of leading competitors, including Visa, Mastercard, Amex, JCB, Discover, and UnionPay. This analysis revealed significant market, product, and technology gaps, and highlighted opportunities for improvement. EDC's work led to consistent product management practices across the company, a thorough assessment of opportunities, and a strategic review of considerations impacting product implementation, ultimately helping the client define a clear and actionable product roadmap.

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