Expansion of digital wallets, instant payments, digital currencies and stablecoins – are just some of the trends in payments that will mark this year. What else can we expect and which topics will be hot at this year’s Money Motion is revealed to us by its co-founder Damir Čaušević.
There is room for the emergence of a super app that integrates multiple services in one place, as is the case with WeChat and AliPay in Asia, and it is only a matter of time before such an app appears in the EU, believes Damir Čaušević, CEO of Monri Payments and co-founder of Money Motion.
He said this when answering the question of whether we will be paying using biometrics and implants or if these are futuristic nonsense. Pointing out that this is not nonsense, since in some parts of the world payments are already initiated by facial scanning or fingerprint recognition at checkout, he explained that what is being worked on now are the foundations – development of speed, simplicity, security, and personalization of the user experience in digital payments.
Although he says that Monri is ready to offer all the necessary payment solutions for a cashless society, Damir states that some consumers still want to pay in cash, and that is expected in the future as well. However, he also pointed out that in the near future he expects a European super app:
“There are already certain initiatives, such as the European Payment Initiative, a company founded by the largest European banks primarily for the creation of a payment app called Wero.”
We spoke with Damir ahead of the largest fintech conference in this region, Money Motion.
Our main topics were payment trends in this year, central bank digital currencies, paying with crypto, but also the habits of younger generations and the business of Monri Payments, which our interviewee leads.
Five Payment Trends in 2025
Payment trends differ from region to region because countries are at different stages of market maturity. Damir singled out the five main trends in the European market.
The first trend is in line with the decrease in cash payments – the expansion of digital wallets:
“More and more users are switching to digital wallets such as Apple Pay, Google Pay and local solutions, due to speed, security, and convenience. Merchants are increasingly integrating these methods to improve the user experience.”
The next trend he points out is instant payments, which, as he says, are significantly present in some countries, and there are also various regulatory initiatives for the introduction of this form of payment.
The next is vertical integration of payment solutions, the trend of including other parts of the payment process such as invoice issuing, in addition to the payment itself. This is possible through all-in-one devices, he says:
“We are seeing more and more acquisitions in the payments world, with major players acquiring companies that develop specialized solutions for different industries.”
The fourth trend is central bank digital currencies (CBDC) and stablecoins, which are being researched and tested by more and more countries:
“In addition, classic cryptocurrencies are becoming an increasingly accepted payment method, especially in e-commerce and international transactions. When it comes to the mentioned stablecoin, on a global level, $27 trillion in transactions were processed through this digital currency in 2024 alone.”
We are moving into the future, but some old habits are traveling with us – now in digital form. The long-standing trend of installment purchases is still relevant:
“Fintech companies and banks are expanding their BNPL (Buy Now, Pay Later) offerings, attracting younger generations.”
Gen Z sets the trends
When it comes to younger generations, their habits are being closely monitored. Damir tells us that it is estimated that Generation Z has a global purchasing power of 450 billion dollars.
In addition, he adds, they are digitally literate, use multiple channels for shopping—apps, online shops, and physical stores—and spend thoughtfully. Unlike previous generations, they prioritize quality over price, prefer paying with debit cards, and are three times more likely to use alternative payment methods.
This supports claims that online shopping will continue to grow, as well as card and mobile payments. Trends are also influenced by their preference for self-checkout counters and self-order kiosks, but also their expectation to complete everything in a few clicks and as quickly as possible.
Damir says that because of this, payment should not take longer than a TikTok video, i.e., 8 seconds, which is the average attention span when browsing digital content.
Does fintech need AI?
Damir agrees that artificial intelligence is ubiquitous and is sometimes implemented even where it doesn’t make sense. This is also happening in the fintech sphere.
Still, some of its applications do make sense. The CEO of Monri cites the analysis of large amounts of data as an example, which leads to accurate predictions. This, he says, improves the user experience. Machine learning has proven to be very useful for personalizing services.
AI also plays a key role in detecting unusual transactions and behavioral patterns, enabling timely detection and prevention of fraud, our interlocutor points out.
He also emphasizes that AI contributes to improving customer support within financial services, making it faster and more efficient.
Croatia – a regional leader
Croatia stands out within the region as a leader in adopting new payment trends, including the use of digital wallets and other alternative payment methods, such as cryptocurrencies, Damir emphasizes.
Interest in cryptocurrencies in our market, according to Monri’s data, has shown a steady annual growth of 20 percent over the past five years. In other countries in the region, development has been slower, mostly due to the lack of legal regulation.
On the other hand, the infrastructure that enables cryptocurrency payments does exist, Damir points out, highlighting the availability of Electrocoin’s PayCek through Monri’s payment products. This payment option has already been introduced by numerous Croatian retailers and hospitality businesses.
Monri, a Croatian startup that became part of Payten six years ago, is widely represented across physical and online sales channels in Croatia. One in four transactions is processed through their infrastructure, and the numbers are even higher in the hospitality sector.
In Croatia, we learn, their software is used by around six thousand hospitality venues, over 1,600 retailers rely on their POS terminals, and they collaborate with more than 2,000 merchants online.
Damir also reveals the broader scope of success of the company he co-founded:
“Millions of people come into contact with our services every day. Monri’s more than 18,000 POS terminals process over one million transactions daily. More than 8,000 cash registers issue over 840,000 receipts every day. Monri has over 16,000 clients, including more than 5,000 online merchants and more than 1,500 clients using the SinglePOS solution.”
How Monri made its mark on the market
Founded in 2017, Monri Payments began as a small startup with a bold vision: to simplify and improve digital payments. By 2019, with just 10 employees, Monri had successfully implemented an omnichannel platform that accelerated its growth, says its founder.
Today, the Monri team of 200 people operates in eight countries—Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Slovenia, North Macedonia, Albania, and Romania—and continues to focus on expanding into international markets.
Although they offer cash register solutions for hospitality venues, retail shops, and online payment services, their most in-demand product is SinglePOS, which accepts cards from all banks.
“With our solution, merchants could remove six different terminals and use just one, which automatically recognizes the card and the issuing bank and supports all bank cards and alternative payment methods such as Aircash, Keks Pay, and others.”
They also have the potential to develop a data analytics service since they gain real-time insights into data daily; Damir notes:
“We’re working on offering merchants a new service in the form of analytical tools that will allow them to process data generated from transactions, receipts, and payments in detail. Such analyses could, for example, based on registered traffic during a certain period, suggest adjustments to working hours or optimization of cash register allocation.”
Hot Topics at Money Motion
This year’s Money Motion will once again bring many topics to the table, as fintech is an industry that doesn’t take breaks but constantly advances.
Damir recalls a few topics that stood out over the past year in the fintech industry: the growing shift towards cashless and even cardless payments and the question of whether crypto will take its rightful place in the mainstream financial system.
There is also excitement around the idea of introducing the digital euro, which would be issued by the central bank and made available to everyone in the euro area. However, he emphasizes many open and unanswered questions remain, particularly regarding infrastructure adoption and interoperability between countries. That’s why he’s especially looking forward to ECB representatives attending Money Motion to speak on the topic.
Damir concludes that there will be something for everyone, as the range of topics is broad, and the organizers made sure to attract participants from all areas of the industry:
“We intend to bring together all participants in the fintech ecosystem – including fintech and crypto companies, banks, card schemes, merchants, regulators, and end users. For this reason, we believe this year’s Money Motion will be more dynamic than ever. We aim to encourage discussion because the development of the fintech sector in Europe and globally shows that everyone is trying to find their perspective in the entire ecosystem – but opinions differ.”
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