The New Rules of Ecommerce with Alex Dewison, Global Payments | Episode 469

In this episode of the Leaders in Payments podcast, host Greg Myers sits down with Alex Dewison, Director of Digital Solutions at Global Payments, to explore the rapidly evolving world of online commerce and checkout experiences. Alex brings a rich background to the conversation, having started his career in software development before moving into payments at Worldpay, where he worked with major UK retailers like Tesco and Next, and eventually transitioning into his current role overseeing digital product strategy across Europe, Asia, and Oceania.

The discussion covers how consumer payment expectations have shifted dramatically, with digital wallets now accounting for over twenty percent of transactions and instant refunds becoming a baseline expectation rather than a perk. Alex argues that friction at checkout is no longer tolerable and that the industry is moving toward what he calls "invisible" or zero-click commerce, where the act of paying becomes seamlessly embedded in the shopping experience itself.

The conversation also tackles the tension between platform simplicity and merchant control, the dangers of offering too many payment options, and the importance of localizing payment methods when expanding internationally. Alex shares practical guidance on how merchants can reduce cart abandonment by addressing surprise fees, slow page loads, and poor mobile optimization.

On the topic of AI, Alex separates genuine near-term value, such as intelligent payment routing and adaptive fraud detection, from the longer-term hype around fully autonomous AI agents. He closes with a pointed message for e-commerce leaders: in 2026, your payment experience is your product, and the winners will be those who relentlessly remove friction rather than add features.