Ep. 178 - Beyond the Card: How A2A Payments, European Sovereignty and Open Banking Are Reshaping Checkout, with Lena Hackeloer, Founder & CEO of Brite Payments

In the latest episode of The Payments Shed Podcast, filmed live from our London studio, Liam Gray and Justin Hanna are joined by Lena Hackeloer, Founder and CEO of Brite Payments, for a conversation exploring the future of checkout, the rise of account-to-account (A2A) payments, European payments sovereignty and what it takes to build and scale a successful fintech. Lena takes us inside the changing landscape of European payments, drawing on her experience at Klarna, Qliro and Brite to explore how consumer expectations and payment technology are evolving. From instant bank payments to embedded finance and agentic commerce, they discuss what the checkout of the future could look like and whether A2A payments could eventually challenge cards as the default way to pay. The conversation turns to the maturation of A2A payments and the prospect of industry consolidation. With more providers competing for market share, Liam, Justin and Lena examine what separates sustainable businesses from those that may struggle to survive. They also explore the challenges surrounding recurring payments, the growing involvement of card networks in Pay by Bank and the importance of building consumer trust. A major focus is the commercial case for merchants and consumers. Beyond lower processing costs, A2A payments offer potential advantages around settlement speed, fraud prevention, chargeback exposure and transaction data. But convincing consumers to change established payment habits remains a challenge. They discuss where A2A delivers genuine value and which markets and use cases are best positioned for adoption. The discussion then shifts to European payments sovereignty and the continent's reliance on international card networks. With geopolitical uncertainty driving renewed interest in domestic payment infrastructure, they explore the significance of SEPA Instant, the ambitions of Wero and the European Payments Initiative, and what it would take to build a genuinely competitive European payments alternative. Lena also shares the lessons from founding and scaling Brite Payments, including international expansion, entering Germany, securing $60 million in funding and building trust with banks, regulators and merchants. They explore the realities of fintech leadership, what investors look for in a growing payments business and how her earlier experiences have shaped Brite's development. Plus, Lena takes on The Payments Shed's legendary Shelf of Shame, challenging an industry habit, assumption or piece of jargon that deserves to disappear. *** The Payments Shed Podcast is sponsored by Cyclops. Cyclops helps payments companies offer crypto acceptance, stablecoin settlement and payouts through one unified infrastructure platform. Find out more: https://cyclops.finance/ *** The Payments Shed Podcast is sponsored by Salesloft. Salesloft uses agentic AI to turn buyer, conversation, deal and forecast data into clear actions that help revenue teams sell smarter. Find out more: https://www.salesloft.com *** The Payments Shed Podcast is sponsored by Mastercard Open Finance. Mastercard Open Finance enables businesses to use consumer-permissioned financial data to create more connected and personalised financial experiences. Find out more: https://www.mastercard.com/global/en/business/open-finance.html *** The Payments Shed Podcast is partnered with PCN. PCN is a global boutique recruitment agency connecting leading talent and businesses across fintech, cybersecurity, SaaS, e-commerce and Salesforce. Find out more: https://teampcn.com/ *** Disclaimer: Views expressed are those of The Payments Shed Podcast hosts and guests, not their respective employers. Nothing discussed constitutes investment, legal, tax or financial advice.