The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and should not be attributed to the European Payments Council.

We had the pleasure of speaking with Anna Hibino, Global Bank Partnerships Lead at Stripe, a new member organisation that joined the European Payments Council (EPC) on 1 January 2025. Anna Hibino outlines how advancing the integration and development of European payments through the EPC can help Europe stay competitive and foster an innovative ecosystem for growth. 

Could you tell us about Stripe and what makes it special?

Stripe is a financial infrastructure platform for businesses. Millions of companies – from the world’s largest enterprises like BMW or Amazon to the most ambitious startups like OpenAI or Mistral – use Stripe to accept payments, grow their revenue, and accelerate new business opportunities.

Fifteen years after it was started, Stripe now processes more than one trillion euros in payments each year, equivalent to one percent of global GDP, making it one of the largest payments companies in the world. We have expanded beyond payments and are building software-defined financial services, such as billing and invoicing solutions, fraud management, tax calculation, and embedded financial services (including those for platforms and marketplaces).

Headquartered in South San Francisco and Dublin, Stripe aims to increase the GDP of the internet. We employ more than one thousand people in Europe and serve over one million European businesses.

What are the perceived strategic challenges in the retail payments A2A payments markets?

Technology and consumer preferences are rapidly changing the European economy and the way payments are made. 

We’re seeing the emergence of business models that did not exist ten years ago – for example, multi-sided marketplaces, software-as-a-service platforms that support a wide range of small businesses across Europe, and subscription-based businesses. 

Similarly, there’s a surge in cross-border commerce with businesses and consumers interacting across multiple countries and jurisdictions. These new business models require diverse payment solutions to support them, such as recurring payments, direct-to-consumer, and payouts.

At the same time, there’s an acceleration in new payment methods: from real-time payment systems and Buy-Now-Pay-Later payments to central bank digital currencies or stablecoins. For example, account-based payments are being harnessed for innovation by countries around the world and – given the success of European A2A schemes such as iDEAL or BLIK, and the early enthusiasm around Wero – it’s clear that the future of European retail payments will look very different in ten years’ time.

What were the key drivers for Stripe to join the EPC?

As a company that provides financial infrastructure and services to businesses around the world, the global payments landscape is central to Stripe. We are enthusiastic about supporting efforts to advance European and global payment rails and fostering collaboration between the industry and policymakers in pursuit of innovative solutions that benefit businesses and consumers. 

As such, we are delighted to contribute our expertise and experience of partnering with financial institutions and innovative businesses across Europe and globally to advance the EPC’s goals of promoting the integration and development of European payments.

To which ongoing and future EPC activities does Stripe expect to contribute most?

Europe has advanced an ambitious payments policy framework in recent years to foster innovation and competition. Indeed, many of the businesses with which we partner think that Europe’s Payment Services Directive 2 (PSD2) – which is currently being updated – constitutes smart regulation that should be replicated elsewhere in the world. In addition, the new EU Instant Payments Regulation (IPR) will make instant credit transfers in Europe the new normal.

These developments represent a critical moment in which the EPC is updating Europe’s payments infrastructure. As part of the EPC, we look forward to helping develop true pan-European next-generation payment solutions that minimise cross-border frictions, boost the Single Market for businesses and consumers, and accelerate the growth of the European economy.

Lastly, what future developments and challenges do you anticipate in the near term?

Just as technology is changing payments, it also transforms the financial ecosystem. Technological innovation, such as AI or new forms of digital money, supports an increasing range of applications and services. For example, using AI can help combat fraud and tackle the ever-changing nature of threats to global commerce and the financial ecosystem. In addition, the use of stablecoins or a future digital euro can help move money across borders more efficiently. In the coming years, leveraging technology to prevent harm and increase economic opportunities from innovation will enable us to build trust at scale and support a prosperous and thriving European economy.