Citi's clients' demand shifting towards cross-border, real-time payments

Bryan Murphy, Global Head of FI Client Success Management within Citi's Services business, led an insightful discussion on delivering exceptional client experiences. He emphasized several key drivers of outperformance, including organizational culture, mission-driven teams, data utilization, a relentless focus on continuous improvement, and integrated end-to-end solutions.

Cristina Vasile, Global Head of Commercialization for Clearing and FI Payments, and Arpit Desai, Global Head of Liquidity Sales, presented a joint session highlighting the market forces fueling the shift to 24/7 commerce—and the corresponding need for 24/7 payment infrastructure.

The two experts noted that more than 80 countries now operate at least one instant payment system. However, banks still face significant hurdles, such as the inability to process payments outside business hours, lack of real-time visibility into cash positions, limited interoperability across jurisdictions and accounts, trapped liquidity, and inefficient reliance on credit lines. Client expectations are evolving rapidly, demanding real-time transparency and cost-efficiency in cross-border transactions.

As a pioneer in instant cross-border payments since 2004, Citi's Instant Payments network currently spans more than 65 countries. Key advantages include 24/7 multi-bank access to over 250 banks in 49 countries, global real-time transfers via WorldLink, near-instant fund movement across Citi branches, and around-the-clock automated funding solutions.

"Citi has invested heavily in becoming the partner of choice for clients seeking to lead in the era of always-on, 24/7/365 infrastructure," said Thuy Lai, Head of Trade and Treasury Solutions, Citi Vietnam. "This is the third consecutive year we've gathered financial institution experts from around the world to share insights with our banking partners in Vietnam."

Thuy Lai, Head of Trade and Treasury Solutions, Citi Vietnam. Photo courtesy of Citi

Citi experts also explored the future of trade, focusing on the impact of geopolitical risks, technological advancements, and sustainability trends.

At the event, Citi announced the winners of the Citi Excellent Straight Through Processing (STP) Award 2025, honoring local banks for excellence in the automated processing of international payments. The 11 award-winning Vietnamese banks were: ACB, Agribank, BIDV, Eximbank, HDBank, MB, Sacombank, Techcombank, Vietcombank, VietinBank, and VPBank.

Now in its 20th year, the Citi Excellent STP Award is one of the most prestigious honors in the banking sector, recognizing financial institutions that deliver world-class international payment services through advanced automation.