In this second episode of Tea for Two, and Two for Tea, I sit down with Goran Bosankic, Chief Revenue Officer at Field39, to dig into one of the biggest illusions in payments: the so-called death of cash and emergence of digital payment fanciness
From Croatia’s paradoxical payment habits to the limitations of leapfrogging narratives, we challenge the dominant discourse around digital payments. Goran shares insights from a career spent in core banking and card systems, offering a pragmatic and often humorous view on why payment transitions are rarely clean or universal. We talked about super apps, acquirers, e-commerce frictions, and the messy marriage between paytechs and banks. A rich, candid exchange that questions whether we’re building real solutions… or just new illusions.
🔗 Links
📌 Episode Breakdown
⏱ 00:00 — Episode Intro
I welcome Goran and set the tone: cash is far from dead, and our assumptions might be lazy. Time to unpack.
⏱ 02:50 — Croatia and Cash: It’s Complicated
Tourism, culture, history, and acquirer fees, why Croatia still runs on cash despite a high-tech card infrastructure.
⏱ 12:00 — Is Cash Really Disappearing?
We explore why cash is so hard to trace and how fiscal workarounds help us estimate its real footprint.
⏱ 15:40 — Cash to Super App: A Leap or a Lie?
Goran questions the universal appeal of wallets and super apps. Spoiler: context matters.
⏱ 20:25 — Consumers Don’t Care About Omnichannel
They want convenience, not buzzwords. And three things matter: interoperability, convenience, and safety.
⏱ 21:51 — Bridging E-Com and In-Store Payments
Still too many silos. We ask whether the industry really delivers the omnichannel promise or just sells it.
⏱ 25:28 — Do Banks Still Belong in Retail Payments?
From legacy acquirers to paytech enablers, banks have lost ground, and some are only now waking up.
⏱ 31:01 — Who Won the Battle: Banks or Paytechs?
We talk Adyen, Stripe, and the regulatory weight catching up with fintech. Time to rebuild or double down?
⏱ 33:55 — Wrap-Up (Perspectives)
We reflect on what’s ahead: SEPA Instant, new business models, and whether Europe can stop playing catch-up.
