The people behind payment vibes

Meet The Team

Founder

Vassilina Lapteva Walford, Founder & Managing Director 

PaymentVibes is a boutique consultancy company, founded by Vassilina Lapteva Walford, building on her 20 years’ experience in Luxury Retail and Fintech and Payments.

Through her experience in building best-in-class payments organisations, Vassilina gained a deep understanding of the far-reaching opportunities that payment innovation brings to companies, as well as of the constantly evolving challenges that require a multifaceted expertise in customer-centric payment solutions, technology, finance, security and regulatory compliance. She also realised that many businesses have yet to grasp the full potential of payments. This led to creation of PaymentVibes with the mission to empower businesses to seize game-changing opportunities in the rapidly evolving world of Payments and Fintech.

Unlock the full potential of your payments with PaymentVibes

Optimise your payment strategies and elevate your business capabilities to stay ahead of the curve. 

© 2024 · Payment Vibes

Partner with us

Consulting Firms

Partner with PaymentVibes to deliver end-to-end consulting and advisory services, in a cost-effective way. By combining our strengths, we can solve complex challenges and provide unmatched value to clients.

Coaching & Training

Item 5

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Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry’s standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.

 

Why do we use it?

It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for ‘lorem ipsum’ will uncover many web sites still in their infancy. Various versions have evolved over the years, sometimes by accident, sometimes on purpose (injected humour and the like).

Coaching & Training

Security

What is Lorem Ipsum?

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry’s standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.

 

Why do we use it?

It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for ‘lorem ipsum’ will uncover many web sites still in their infancy. Various versions have evolved over the years, sometimes by accident, sometimes on purpose (injected humour and the like).

Coaching & Training

Industry Regulations

What is Lorem Ipsum?

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry’s standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.

 

Why do we use it?

It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for ‘lorem ipsum’ will uncover many web sites still in their infancy. Various versions have evolved over the years, sometimes by accident, sometimes on purpose (injected humour and the like).

Coaching & Training

Mentoring & Coaching

The role of a Payment Expert or Payment Lead has become increasingly crucial in the wake of Digital Transformation and the rise of Omnichannel Retail. Developing this multi-disciplinary expertise, however, is challenging – and many professionals are learning ‘on the go’.

We will help you:

  • Develop tailored one-to-one coaching with sessions designed to meet the specific needs of each team member.
  • Empower payment leaders with strategic insights and operational skills needed to shape and implement a successful payment strategy.
  • Offer cross-functional training to help leaders understand the pivotal role of payments in modern commerce, the interdependencies with other business functions, and the importance of strategic investment in this area for long-term success.
Coaching & Training

Custom Training Programs

At PaymentVibes, we recognise that every company has unique business needs. Our training programs are customised to meet your specific challenges and goals.

We will help you:

  • Create tailored training content that aligns with your organisation’s objectives and operational needs.
  • Provide flexible delivery options such in-person workshops, virtual sessions and on-demand courses.
  • Develop essential skills across technical, operational, and strategic areas, empowering your team to embrace the power of payments.
Projects

Item 5

What is Lorem Ipsum?

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry’s standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.

 

Why do we use it?

It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for ‘lorem ipsum’ will uncover many web sites still in their infancy. Various versions have evolved over the years, sometimes by accident, sometimes on purpose (injected humour and the like).

Projects

Item 4

What is Lorem Ipsum?

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry’s standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.

 

Why do we use it?

It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for ‘lorem ipsum’ will uncover many web sites still in their infancy. Various versions have evolved over the years, sometimes by accident, sometimes on purpose (injected humour and the like).

Projects

Item 3

What is Lorem Ipsum?

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry’s standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.

 

Why do we use it?

It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for ‘lorem ipsum’ will uncover many web sites still in their infancy. Various versions have evolved over the years, sometimes by accident, sometimes on purpose (injected humour and the like).

Projects

Project Management

In the world of payments, numerous functions within a company are impacted, ranging from business and technology teams to finance back-office, legal and security. Successful implementation of payment projects, whether upgrading existing systems or introducing new solutions, requires strong project governance and coordinated project management to ensure seamless execution while addressing the diverse needs of stakeholders involved.

We will help you:

  • Gather business requirements and develop a compelling business case to secure support from key business partners
  • Define project objectives, governance and milestones and validate them with key stakeholders to establish alignment
  • Coordinate project delivery within the agreed budget and timeline
  • Effectively communicate project progress with key stakeholders, fostering transparency and maintaining engagement throughout the implementation process
Projects

Implementation Support

Ensuring smooth implementation is key to the success of your payment project.

We will help you:

  • Solutions Setup: Assisting with the configuration and deployment of new payment solutions for a seamless start.
  • Training and Onboarding: Offering tailored training to equip your team with the skills needed to operate the new systems effectively.
  • Testing and Validation: Performing end-to-end testing to identify and resolve issues before go live.
  • Go-Live Support: Providing on-site or remote support during launch to ensure a smooth, trouble-free transition.
Consulting

Vendor Selection

As an independent consultancy company, we assist you in selecting payment services providers that align with your business model and operational needs. Our commitment to objectivity means we maintain independence from commercial relationships with payment providers to provide unbiased vendor assessment and selection.

We will help you:

  • Collect and analyse your business requirements, ensuring they align with your business model, sales channels and target markets
  • Translate your business requirements into specific capabilities and prepare the required documentation for the tender process
  • Offer a clear and comprehensive overview of each vendor, along with recommendations on which vendor(s) would be the most suitable partners for your business
  • Achieve satisfactory and sustainable outcome through our support in negotiating the contractual agreements
Consulting

Fraud Prevention

Leveraging payment technologies and data analytics are essential for retailers to combat fraud while maximising acceptance of legitimate transactions. By developing an effective technology strategy, harnessing data intelligence, and establishing effective organisational structures, retailers can strike the right balance between revenue generation and risk management in an automated and scalable way.

We will help you:

  • Enhance fraud management decisioning and improve financial performance by increasing sales and protecting your bottom line
  • Scale up fraud prevention operations through automation in approval rates, fraud detection and chargeback management
  • Elevate customer experience in an era of expanding digital payments and omnichannel journeys
  • Gain valuable insights and understanding from key performance indicators (KPIs) related to fraud prevention
  • Stay updated on the rapid developments in trends and regulations within the industry
Consulting

Data

Payment data is an untapped value for retailers. By understanding and monitoring relevant Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), merchants can effectively acquire new customers, increase customer spending, enhance return on investment (ROI) of their marketing campaigns and loyalty programs, optimise fees and improve vendor strategies.

We will help you:

  • Evaluate your payment processes and determine relevant payment KPIs for your unique business model
  • Elevate customer experience through analytics that assess conversion rates, channel performance and effectiveness of payment methods and services
  • Improve effectiveness of your acquisition, retention, and loyalty strategies by analysing data related to customer lifecycle management, customer acquisition costs and customer shopping behaviour
  • Enable better data-driven decisions by gaining insights into customer behaviour across all sales channels
Consulting

Strategy

Payments became a critical component of retail value chain where customer experience is the new gold, frictionless payments drive sales conversion and payment technologies enable rapid go-to-market and scalable growth. A well-defined and executed payment strategy that encompasses the entire payment value chain is a key enabler for companies to gain competitive edge

We will help you:

  • Formulate your vision & strategy for payments that aligns with your business strategic priorities
  • Establish a target operating model to effectively execute your payment strategy
  • Identify the right payment solutions that align with your unique business model
  • Develop an effective communication strategy tailored to key stakeholder groups
  • Create a strategic roadmap to guide your payment initiatives
Consulting

Customer Experience

The paradigm shift in customer expectations for shopping ANYTIME, ANYWHERE and on ANY DEVICE positions payments as a strategic lever of growth. By strategically leveraging the power of payments, companies can develop and execute digital strategies that deliver an unparalleled payment experience across all customer touchpoints.  

We will help you:

  • Respond to rapidly evolving customer expectations in payments services for frictionless digital purchasing experience across all channels
  • Establish robust omnichannel payment foundations to enhance the speed of go-to-market for new digital payment services
  • Identify new payment methods and services based on your customer demographics and segmentation
  • Optimise your customer acquisition, conversion and retention strategies
  • Streamline and digitise user experience and operational processes throughout organisation