Issuers Face a New Reality as Credit Goes Real Time

Watch more: Need to Know With Paymentology’s Stephen Bowe

Credit demand may be rising, but the more pressing issue for issuers is whether their technology stacks can sustain how credit is now used, rather than how it was once structured.

Stephen Bowe, chief product officer at Paymentology, framed the current environment as one where growth risks masking deeper operational shortcomings.

“When issuers assess their credit capabilities, whilst demand is increasing, it can actually create a false sense of security,” he told PYMNTS, adding that reliance on legacy systems leaves institutions misaligned with customer behavior.

Credit Is Everywhere, but Expectations Have Changed

Credit has long been embedded in daily financial life, yet its role has expanded beyond traditional products. Consumers no longer view credit as a fixed instrument such as a card or loan. Instead, they approach it as a means of achieving outcomes and managing liquidity in real time.

Bowe emphasized that ubiquity alone does not ensure relevance. The underlying issue is that customers expect credit to adapt to circumstances as they arise, rather than forcing them into predefined repayment structures.

This shift has altered how issuers must think about product design, distribution and risk. Credit is no longer prepackaged. It is increasingly initiated at the point of need.

The way consumers encounter expenses illustrates this transition. Bowe pointed to everyday disruptions such as unexpected vehicle damage to illustrate how financial strain emerges without warning.

In one example, he described a minor repair after hitting a pothole. In another case, a more severe incident resulted in a repair bill exceeding £2,000 (about $2,700). As would be the case with any driver and the interaction with an issuer, “In that moment he’s not thinking about what [credit] product do I have, it’s ‘How do I manage this cost,’” Bowe said. Flexibility is key — when systems cannot accommodate that need, friction increases and repayment risks rise.

Revolving Credit Shows Its Limits

The traditional revolving model, long associated with credit cards, struggles under these conditions. Interest on unsecured balances remains costly for borrowers who cannot settle in full each cycle.

Bowe stated plainly that “a purely revolving model doesn’t work for many customers.” He added that modern consumers value the ability to convert purchases into installments or adjust repayment terms after a transaction has occurred.

Legacy platforms, built around batch processing and siloed products, were not designed to support these capabilities. Their architecture constrains innovation and slows response times, leaving issuers unable to match evolving demand.

Financial institutions are aware that their infrastructure must evolve. However, many remain constrained by systems assembled over time from multiple vendors and integrations.

Fragmented architectures introduce operational friction and limit the ability to design coherent customer experiences. According to Bowe, “customer needs are not fragmented, they are continuous and joined up.”

This disconnect becomes more pronounced as issuers attempt to scale or introduce new products. In many cases, modifying existing programs proves more difficult than launching new ones, leading to a proliferation of disconnected offerings.

Turning Transactions Into Installments

One of the clearest responses to these challenges is the growing emphasis on converting transactions into installments. This approach allows consumers to manage expenses in a way that aligns with cash flow rather than fixed billing cycles.

Such flexibility requires infrastructure that can operate across payment types and channels. It also demands integration between debit and credit functions, enabling customers to shift transactions as needed.

“Real-time fundamentally changes credit because it moves decision into the moment a transaction happens,” Bowe told PYMNTS. This allows issuers to incorporate contextual data, including merchant type and customer behavior, into underwriting decisions.

The result is a more precise approach to risk management. Rather than relying on periodic snapshots, issuers can continuously assess exposure and adjust terms accordingly. This supports both risk control and customer experience.

Unified Platforms Address Legacy Constraints

Paymentology’s approach centers on unified platforms designed to replace fragmented legacy systems, Bowe said. These platforms consolidate functionality, enabling issuers to manage credit, payments and data within a single architecture.

Bowe argued that the goal is not simply to simplify technology stacks. It is to enable “integrated, flexible credit experiences that reflect how people actually manage their money.”

Unified platforms also reduce the cost and complexity associated with scaling across markets. By building core capabilities once and configuring them for local requirements, issuers can expand without duplicating infrastructure.

The consequences of inaction are becoming more immediate. Bowe cautioned that institutions relying on legacy architectures are already falling behind. “Customers won’t wait. They will move to providers who can,” offer what they need, he said.

Bowe emphasized that modernization is not a gradual improvement but a necessary response to a redefined market. “This isn’t a gradual shift, it’s a fundamental change in how credit is delivered and consumed,” he added.