Digital Payment Systems

How money moves instantly across the world

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Introduction to FinTech

The Digital Payment Revolution

Every time you tap your card, scan your phone, or click "buy now," a complex dance of technology moves money in seconds. Digital payment systems process over $100 trillion annually, connecting billions of people to the global economy instantly.

Why Digital Payments Matter

Speed
Authorization in 2-3 seconds vs. days for checks
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Global Reach
Buy from anywhere, pay anyone, cross all borders
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Security
Encryption, tokenization, fraud detection in real-time
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Data
Every transaction creates insights for businesses and consumers
$100T+
Annual Payment Volume
500B+
Transactions Per Year
< 3 sec
Average Authorization Time

Payment Evolution Timeline

1950s
First credit cards (Diners Club, AmEx) introduced
1970s
ATMs and magnetic stripe cards revolutionize banking
1990s
Online payments emerge with PayPal (1998)
2010s
Mobile wallets (Apple Pay, Venmo) go mainstream
2020s
Real-time payments, BNPL, crypto integration
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What You'll Learn

Understand payment rails, see how card transactions work in real-time, compare different payment methods, calculate fees, explore regional adoption patterns, and discover the future of instant global payments.