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Modulr glossary

Peer-to-Peer Payments (P2P)

Peer-to-Peer (P2P) payments refer to the transfer of funds directly between individuals, often via mobile apps or online platforms. These are commonly enabled through closed-loop systems (e.g., PayPal, Venmo) or card rails; Open Banking-based P2P solutions are emerging but less common globally.

Applications

E-commerce:

Reduces fraud in online card payments by verifying the cardholder's identity

Banking and fintech:

Helps issuers and payment providers comply with Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) requirements.

Advantages

  • Enhanced security: Reduces unauthorised transactions by verifying that the genuine account holder is authorising the payment
  • Fraud prevention: Helps reduce chargebacks related to fraud.

Challenges

  • User Experience: Additional authentication steps can cause friction and increase checkout abandonment
  • Implementation complexity: Requires integration with card schemes and issuer systems.

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