The deadly coronavirus virus has led to a sharp decline in money use due to the perceived health issues associated with touching cash and the massive rise in online payments, especially in peer-to-peer payments!

Peer-to-peer transactions are electronic transfers of money between two individuals, also known as “social lending.” Such payments can be sent and received via smart devices and offer a convenient alternative to traditional payment methods. This solution can be used for splitting a $40 lunch bill between friends to pay a commercial payment. These payments allow the transfer of funds between two individuals using their bank account or a credit card online or with a mobile app. It is now becoming popular among people of all ages with no signs of slowing. 

Peer-to-peer payment applications have evolved quite a bit, spurred by the relative high cost of sending payments both domestically and internationally. However, globally payment transfer costs have trended downwards in the past ten years and are now more affordable than ever.

How exactly does peer to peer work?

Peer to peer payment accounts are relatively simple to set up. For any platform, there is a requirement to sign up for an account. A further step is to link it with a respective bank account or a debit or a credit card. For advanced security, there might be a requirement for additional verification information and a password. After setting up, you are ready to connect with other users and exchange money.

After that there are very few clicks to send or receive money. The user has to choose the person from the contacts for sending money, the transaction amount, and the preferable reason for the payment only if the user wishes. At last, the user can submit the payment.

Peer-to-peer payment services are often free to use, although there can be fees depending on your fund's source or how quickly you need to access the money. Standard transfers generally take between one and four business days.

Peer-to-peer payment has evolved over time

In recent years, peer-to-peer has expanded its reach. E-commerce's growing popularity (in 2019 online retail sales for physical goods in the U.S amounted to more than $365 billion) paved the way for payment wallets, which have helped users make easy transfers without hidden charges. E-commerce is the segment that has facilitated easy electronic money transfer. 

Boons of peer to peer payments

Peer-to-peer is a reliable option in many situations for sending money. These payments are all about ease of use, convenience, and speed. The immediacy with which you can pay is a massive benefit for sure.

Low fee

Low transfer fees are an attractive proposition for users. Regular international payments involve expensive processing and service costs due to the number of intermediary banks and the middlemen involved. In comparison, the peer to peer infrastructure which allows payments directly between two users can charge as close to zero as possible. In contrast, banks charge a rate of around 5%. Hence, peer to peer service cut this down to between 0.5% and 1.5%, and in fact are usually free for domestic payments.

Ease of use and convenience

Peer-to-peer payments are easy and straightforward to use. Money can be sent at a single click with minimal effort. By avoiding a trip to the bank and tedious manual input of account details, one can easily send or receive money.

Swiftness

It's all about the matter of seconds in transferring funds between two individuals. No one can use the "I forgot my wallet" excuse anymore.

Security

Peer-to-peer payments are secure as the transactions are encrypted, as are the details of a debit or a credit card. On the whole, this platform is safe to use.

Peer to peer payments - Are they safe?

There is a reason for uncertainty regarding transferring a large amount of money across a peer to peer payment service. Although not as secure as traditional methods, it's under great interest for peer to peer payments to adopt the necessary data security policies. On the other hand, users can take company research or a guide to its system for creating a safer vision to use peer to peer payment solutions.

In the survey conducted by the federal reserve, 42% of respondents said that they would not send money using peer-to-peer payments because they are concerned about the security of their transfer. Because of the ease of use with the large sums of money straight from individual’s bank accounts. Although due to security measures, there are no chances of theft.  

Generally, on rare occasions, something may go wrong, such as sending money to an incorrect address. Thus, there is no surety that money will be refunded. Due to this, there is no such broker to fix the problem, resulting from a lack of confidence in using peer-to-peer payment methods.

Security is a risk for any payment method, but as far as you keep safety in mind, peer to peer payments can be a convenient way to adapt to a cashless culture. And in 2018, more than $170 billion of funds were transferred between people. There are plenty of services out there; getting known to all of the advantages will ensure you to use a peer-to-peer payment method.

All things considered...

Transactions have evolved from slow traditional banking payments to easy peer to peer payment services. These upcoming e-commerce services provide you the faster services, fewer risks, lower rates, and high security. Peer to peer payment system makes for an incredibly appealing alternative that the upcoming younger generations are fully embracing.