Colin Close
Chief Commercial Officer, Planet
As regulation shifts, fraud evolves and customers expect clarity at every step, retailers are having to rethink what it takes to sell across borders without adding friction or losing trust.
Retail is still growing across borders, but it’s harder. Regulation shifts, fraudsters move faster, currencies swing and shoppers won’t tolerate friction or FX surprises. For e-commerce and store leaders, cross-border trade is now a test of the operating model.
Increasing pressure
That pressure is only increasing with scale. The Bank of England estimates cross-border payments will exceed $250 trillion by 2027, up by more than $100 trillion in just 10 years.1
Against that backdrop, retailers are weighing a range of settlement and treasury models, from better use of existing rails to newer options such as stablecoins, even if for most the immediate priorities remain conversion, compliance, fraud control and reconciliation.
“When conditions are shifting, retailers need to keep serving genuine customers across markets without losing control of compliance or cost,” says Colin Close, Chief Commercial Officer, Planet. “Preparedness protects revenue in the short term and preserves the flexibility to scale. The priority is a cross-border operating model that supports growth without adding friction, risk or unnecessary complexity.”
The question for finance leaders is what genuine readiness looks like in practice.
If finance can’t follow the money and customers can’t follow the process, you won’t scale
What preparedness looks like in practice
Omnichannel raises the stakes. Customers move between mobile, till and returns, and expect the total cost up front, including duties and taxes, ideally in a familiar currency from browse to refund. Retailers are also rethinking tax-free shopping: it must be fast at point of sale, compliant and connected to the wider journey. Add multiple currencies, sanctions and privacy requirements, and expansion can stall for the wrong reasons.
“Cross-border readiness isn’t a single project; it’s a discipline,” adds Colin. “Approval rates matter, but so do refunds, reconciliation and customer service. If finance can’t follow the money and customers can’t follow the process, you won’t scale.”
“In volatile markets, you don’t get points for being global in theory,” says Colin. “You get rewarded for being local in practice, everywhere you trade.” The challenge is not simply expanding into more markets, but doing so in a way that is consistent, compliant and clear for customers as well as finance teams.
Five questions to test cross-border readiness
- Can customers pay how they want? Cards and local methods, with routing that protects approval rates.
- Can you stop fraud without blocking good shoppers? Risk-based authentication and a disputes playbook.
- Is compliance built in? Screening, monitoring and an auditable trail.
- Can finance reconcile fast? Transparent FX and fees, predictable settlement, fewer breaks.
- Will customers trust the after-sales journey? Clear landed costs, delivery updates, fast refunds.
[1] Bank of England. Cross-border payments. https://tinyurl.com/facshrvt.
