Retailer businesses from hardware stores, to clothing stores to restaurants, could not have anticipated lockdowns, nor the restrictions implemented in phase I and II of re-opening due to COVID-19. While there have been many struggles, some retailers managed to quickly pivot by leaning on e-commerce to help them sustain revenues and jobs. While the virus caused chaos in many industries, it is also driving new technological adoptions and creating new opportunities for growth. Will this mean more support for new methods of payments and changes to Canada’s payments systems? Cyrielle Chiron is joined by XTM Inc. CEO Marilyn Schaffer and Wendy MacKinnon, CEO & Founder of Digital Retail Apps, to discuss how retailers and paytech players are adapting to meet the shift in purchasing habits.

Several central banks around the world, including the Bank of Canada, are exploring central bank digital currency (CBDC). There are many benefits a CBDC could bring to an economy, however, there are complexities and uncertainties as well. What considerations are being made by central banks AND governments prior to the creation of a digital currency? What are the complexities and risks with introducing a CBDC? The Paypod host Cyrielle Chiron is joined by Rod Garratt, Pellish Chair in Economics, University of California Santa Barbara, and Francisco Rivadeneyra, Director, CBDC & FinTech Policy, Funds Management and Banking, Bank of Canada, to discuss the current thinking around CBDCs.

The PayPod host Cyrielle Chiron is joined by Anne Butler, Chief Legal Officer and Vice President of Policy and Research at Payments Canada and Jason Young, Head of Legal and Company Secretary at PayPay Canada to discuss why Canada needs to expand membership to payments systems and how ongoing efforts to update existing payments legislation for new entrants and Paytechs is more important than ever to stay competitive. The group dives into the status of the Retail Payment Oversight Framework (RPOF) and other ongoing work to advance payments modernization efforts.

Assessing how an organization needs to respond to and prepare for an extraordinary situation takes strong business continuity planning. So how is the payments industry responding to COVID-19 and how does it continue to affect companies relied on by millions of Canadians? Peter Dodic, Chief Risk Officer at Payments Canada, and Sonia Baxendale, President and CEO of the Global Risk Institute in Financial Services, join Paypod host Cyrielle Chiron to discuss the how to prepare for the shifts in prioritization in the workplace as a response to a widespread global event.

As digital payments continue to grow among preferred ways to pay, the need for identification and authentication to ensure safe and secure payments is fundamental. Cyrielle is joined by Joni Brennan, President of the Digital ID & Authentication Council of Canada (DIACC) and Ian Glazer, VP, Identity Product Management, Salesforce and Founder and President of IDPro, to discuss the improvements to digital identification in recent years as well as what additional action needs to be taken to push Canada to the next level, while keeping information secure.

The expectation of speed in the payments industry has seen a significant demand in recent months. Consumers want their money in and out of their accounts the moment they press ‘send’. Similarly, merchants need to be paid faster, complete payroll and business-related payments and purchases. To boot, every actor in the process wants to reduce the risk of fraud in their payment platforms. The PayPod host Cyrielle Chiron is joined by Brad Pragnell, Principal, 34 South 45 North and "Paymentologist" Lance Homer to analyze how the payments ecosystem in Canada has adapted to increased demand for real-time rail and the role infrastructure innovation will play in taking Canada to the next stage in payment evolution.

The COVID-19 digital environment is demonstrating the extreme importance of protecting payments and securing transactions. From individual to business, Canadians have had to shift their habits from in-person to digital, relying on online shopping, using new video platforms, like Zoom for meetings, and even receiving private advice, from health to finance, digitally. With this, we are seeing a rise in cybercrime as fraudsters are quick to take advantage of this shift -- everything from fake websites to phishing attacks to selling government cheques on the dark web. How do Canadian businesses and individuals stay protected as their whole life moves online? Host Cyrielle Chiron is joined by Alex Frappier, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Training at the CanCyber Foundation and Martin Kyle, Payments Canada’s CISO, to explore current cyberspace issues and the importance of protecting against fraudsters.

Canadians have consistently demanded more digital and modern payments options -- what changed in the last few months in the face of a global pandemic? A lot. Cyrielle Chiron of Payments Canada is joined by Tracey Black, newly appointed CEO of Payments Canada and David Chance of Fiserv and Chair of Payments Canada’s Stakeholder Advisory Council, to discuss the impact COVID-19 is having on payment trends -- where has cash gone? what are consumers doing and why do merchants need to follow the trends…and pronto.

Now in its second season, The PayPod looks to pick up right where we left off with new topics, new questions, and new voices to debate the answers and discuss the challenges of today. Guiding our journey are the needs of Canadians, including consumers, financial institutions, businesses, start-ups, and governments. Hear Cyrielle Chiron, Head, Research and Strategic Foresight at Payments Canada and host of The PayPod, interview leading experts and respected thought leaders about the changing payments landscape, the needs of Canadians, and how payments Modernization will deliver on them.

The way we pay is changing at an unprecedented rate. But what’s driving this transformation? Payments Canada's annual Consumer Pulse Survey finds younger Canadians aren’t settling for traditional payment methods. Millennials and Gen Z want easier, faster and more convenient options to meet their needs and expectations. Join our host, Justin Ferrabee, COO of Payments Canada, and guests Sue Britton, CEO of Fintech Growth Syndicate; Alvin Chan, Payments Innovation Lead, Digital & Innovation at Ravel by CF; and Rubina Ahmed-Haq, personal finance journalist, as they share their unique perspectives on today's changing consumer payment preferences, and predictions for the future.

Guests:
Sue Britton, CEO of FinTech Growth Syndicate

Alvin Chan, Payments Innovation Lead, Digital & Innovation at Ravel by CF

Rubina Ahmed-Haq, personal finance journalist