Simplifying Payments and Reducing Risk | BR-DGE and Visa at MPE 2025

At MPE 2025, Tom Voaden, VP of Commercial at BR-DGE, and James Carpenter, the European Head of Click2Pay at Visa dive into the tricky world of online shopping, payment processes, and how their companies are teaming up to make payments easier while also reducing fraud. Carpenter kicks it off by sharing a key issue in digital payments: as more transactions happen, the risk of fraud goes up.

To address this, Visa is using tech like biometric-linked credentials through Visa Payment Passkeys, shared via Click2Pay, to balance security with simple checkout for buyers.

Voaden chimes in to say that merchants want to adopt these features but often hit tough technical challenges. That’s where BR-DGE steps in. Their platform sits on top of a merchant’s payment system and brings together solutions like Click2Pay, network tokenisation, and third-party fraud tools into one easy integration. This makes life simpler for merchants while improving customer experience and fraud protection.

They also talk about the real challenges customers face during checkout. Carpenter mentions that Click2Pay aims to create a seamless and trusted checkout experience across different stores, cutting down on confusion for shoppers. Voaden adds that different types of customers and sectors, like travel, have unique checkout needs. BR-DGE wants to tailor those experiences, and Click2Pay helps by providing the trust that people feel with their banks.

Both agree that keeping things simple, building trust, and working together are crucial for moving the industry forward. Carpenter reflects on how past payment solutions often created more problems, and he emphasizes that progress happens when companies collaborate to create standardized experiences that everyone can use, not just those with the latest technology. Voaden wraps it up by saying orchestration is the glue that holds everything together, allowing merchants to offer secure and effective payment options without overwhelming their systems or confusing shoppers.