Reflections from the Dutch Payments Association Annual Congress
By Edy Bruinooge, CCO at IBANXS
Last Thursday’s annual congress of the Dutch Payments Association once again confirmed something I’ve believed for years: the Dutch payments ecosystem may be relatively small, but it remains one of the strongest, smartest and most collaborative payments communities in Europe.
This year, one theme clearly dominated nearly every conversation, panel and presentation: resilience. And honestly, that makes perfect sense.
In a world shaped by increasing cyber threats, geopolitical tensions and growing concerns around digital sovereignty, continuity of payments has become more than an operational requirement. It has become a societal responsibility.
Resilience Is No Longer a Back-Office Topic
What stood out during the congress was how broadly the topic of resilience is now being approached. It’s no longer only about cybersecurity or system uptime. The discussions increasingly focused on the wider resilience of the entire payments ecosystem:
- How do we maintain continuity during geopolitical instability?
- What happens if critical infrastructure is disrupted?
- How do we ensure payment availability under extreme circumstances?
- And how do banks, fintechs and infrastructure providers coordinate during crises?
Across the different presentations, there was a strong sense that resilience is becoming a shared responsibility across the sector. Not just for banks. Not just for regulators. But for every party involved in the payments chain.
The Tim Bosch Presentation: A Strong Reality Check
One presentation that particularly resonated with me was the session by Tim Bosch. His story reinforced how interconnected the modern payments landscape has become and how dependent society is on invisible digital infrastructure functioning flawlessly every second of the day.
What I appreciated most was the practical perspective. Rather than creating fear, the presentation focused on preparedness, collaboration and realistic crisis scenarios. It highlighted that resilience is not something you “implement once.” It requires continuous coordination, testing and trust between parties.
Especially in payments, where even short disruptions can have immediate societal impact, operational continuity can never be taken for granted.
Pay by Bank Was Everywhere
Another thing that became impossible to ignore: the amount of conversations around Pay by Bank. Compared to previous years, the shift was remarkable. Where Pay by Bank used to be viewed as something “emerging” or “future-oriented,” it now feels very much part of the mainstream payments discussion in the Netherlands.
At IBANXS, we noticed this throughout the entire event:
- conversations with banks,
- discussions with fintechs,
- questions from merchants,
- and exchanges with infrastructure players.
Everyone seems to be evaluating what account-to-account payments will mean for the future market structure.
Particularly interesting was how many people connected Pay by Bank to larger themes such as European sovereignty, infrastructure independence and resilience. That broader strategic framing feels relatively new and highly relevant.
The Guerrilla Postcards Sparked Conversations
Of course, our Pay by Bank postcard campaign also generated plenty of reactions during the congress. What started as a light guerrilla-style action turned out to be an excellent conversation starter throughout the venue. People picked them up, discussed them, shared opinions and most importantly engaged in meaningful conversations about the future of payments.
And ultimately, that is what these events are really about. Not only the presentations on stage, but the informal discussions in hallways, during coffee breaks and after sessions.
In my experience, some of the most valuable insights in payments still happen outside the official program.
Familiar Faces, New Perspectives
Another thing I always enjoy about this congress is the mix of people it brings together. You meet the “old veterans” of the Dutch payments industry. People who helped shape major transitions over the past decades, while at the same time seeing fresh perspectives from newer fintech players entering the ecosystem. That combination is incredibly valuable.
The established players bring experience, stability and institutional knowledge. The newer fintech generation brings speed, creativity and different ways of thinking. The strength of the Dutch payments ecosystem has always been its ability to combine both.
Innovation Matters, But Trust Matters More
If there is one conclusion I took away from this year’s congress, it is this: Innovation will continue to reshape payments at high speed. But in the end, the real foundation of payments is still trust and continuity. Consumers expect payments to work. Businesses depend on them. Society relies on them.
That means resilience cannot be treated as a side topic anymore. It has become central to how we design, build and operate payment infrastructure going forward.
And perhaps that was the strongest message of this year’s congress: the future of payments will not only be defined by innovation, but by the ability of the ecosystem to remain reliable under pressure.