Courses

Alternate Payment Methods

A practical look at payment methods beyond cards and UPI — Buy Now Pay Later, net banking and eMandates, and cash/voucher-based payments like Boleto Bancário — and how merchants choose the right mix.

  • Level: Discovery
  • Duration: 3 hours
  • Language: English
  • Provider: Accredian
  • Certificate on completion

About this course

A practical look at payment methods beyond cards and UPI — Buy Now Pay Later, net banking and eMandates, and cash/voucher-based payments like Boleto Bancário — and how merchants choose the right mix.

What you'll learn

  • Understand what alternate payment methods (APMs) are and why they exist alongside cards and UPI
  • Learn how Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) works — the consumer journey, the business model, and why it is regulated
  • Explore Net Banking and bank-based payment flows, including recurring bank payments via eMandate
  • Understand cash-based and voucher-based payments through Boleto Bancário and its global equivalents
  • Learn how merchants choose the right APM mix based on geography, customer segment, and cost

Curriculum

Introduction to Alternate Payment Methods

  • What Are Alternate Payment Methods (APMs)?
  • Why APMs Exist: Beyond Cards, Wallets & UPI
  • The Four APM Categories: Deferred, Bank-Based, Cash-Based, Regional
  • Why Merchants Add APMs to Their Checkout
  • PMs vs Primary Payment Methods — A Simple Framework

Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL)

  • What Is BNPL and How It Works
  • The Consumer Journey: Onboarding, Checkout, Repayment
  • BNPL Business Models: Interest-Free, No-Cost EMI, Postpaid Credit
  • Why BNPL Is Regulated: Credit Risk & Consumer Protection
  • Bank-Backed vs Fintech-Led BNPL — Two Different Trust Models
  • Current Context & Case Study: The Indian BNPL Landscape Today

Net Banking & Bank-Based Payments

  • What Is Net Banking?
  • The Net Banking Payment Flow: From Checkout to Confirmation
  • IMPS, NEFT & RTGS — When Each Rail Is Used
  • eMandates & Recurring Bank Payments
  • Where Net Banking Still Wins: Large-Ticket, B2B, Utility Bills
  • Global Bank-Transfer APMs: iDEAL, SEPA, ACH

Cash-Based & Voucher Payments

  • Why Cash-Based Digital Payments Exist
  • Financial Inclusion & the Unbanked Consumer
  • Boleto Bancário: The Barcoded-Voucher Model
  • The Boleto Flow: Voucher → Bank / Lottery / Supermarket → Confirmation
  • Global Cash-Voucher Equivalents: OXXO (Mexico), Konbini (Japan)
  • Global Cash-Voucher Equivalents: OXXO (Mexico), Konbini (Japan)

Choosing APMs — The Merchant Perspective

  • Geography-Driven APM Selection
  • Cost Comparison Across APMs (MDR, Fixed Fees, Settlement Delays)
  • The Role of PSPs & Payment Aggregators in APM Enablement
  • Conversion Impact: Cart Abandonment vs Right-APM Coverage
  • The Future of APMs: Embedded Credit, Account-to-Account, Real-Time Rails

Frequently asked questions

What counts as an "alternate" payment method?

Anything beyond primary methods like cards, wallets and UPI — including BNPL, net banking, and cash/voucher-based payments like Boleto Bancário.

Is BNPL regulation covered?

Yes, Module 2 covers why BNPL is regulated and compares bank-backed vs fintech-led BNPL models.

Does this course cover global examples?

Yes — it references global equivalents like OXXO, Konbini, iDEAL, SEPA and ACH.