In this episode, we explore how performance, scale, and partnership are redefining global payments in an era of rapid digital acceleration. Host Dan Baxter, Vice President of Corporate Communications for Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa (CEMEA) at Visa, sits down with Matthieu Barral, Global Head of Partnerships at Checkout.com, during the Visa Payments Forum in Paris.

Together, they unpack Checkout.com’s growth journey to processing over $300 billion in annual payment volume and what it takes to build a high-performing global payments business. From shifting customer expectations to the rise of real-time, data-driven commerce, Matthieu shares his perspective on the most consequential changes shaping the payments ecosystem—and the opportunities they unlock for merchants worldwide.

The conversation dives into the concept of “payment performance” and why reliability, optimization, and seamless user experiences have become critical competitive advantages. Matthieu also explains how Checkout.com balances global scale with local expertise across more than 50 markets, enabling businesses to operate with precision in diverse regulatory and consumer environments.

You’ll hear how Visa and Checkout.com are:

•Driving higher payment acceptance and performance for merchants globally
• Enabling seamless, scalable commerce across borders with local market expertise
•Responding to industry shifts including real-time payments, AI-driven optimization, and evolving consumer expectations
•Strengthening the payments ecosystem through deep strategic partnership
•Building resilient, high-performance infrastructure to support the next generation of digital commerce

For more podcasts by Visa, visit: https://km.visamiddleeast.com/en_KM/about-visa/cemea-podcast.html#1