For businesses managing cross-border payments, the infrastructure has never been more sophisticated. Real-time transfers, AI-driven compliance checks, multi-currency wallets — the infrastructure has evolved dramatically. And yet, for businesses moving money across borders, the number one question hasn’t changed: who do I actually trust with this?
That question sat at the heart of a recent conversation I had with Matthew Coombs on his podcast, Behind the Numbers — a show focused on the data and decisions that drive business performance. We covered a lot of ground, but the theme that kept coming back was this: in a world that’s automating everything, the human element in cross-border finance isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s a competitive advantage.
The Problem with Cross-Border Payments: “Fast and Cheap”
When businesses start looking for global payment solutions, they often come in with two questions: how fast, and how cheap? Those are valid questions. But they’re rarely the right starting point.
The more important questions are: What happens when something goes wrong? Who picks up the phone? Do they understand my business, my risk exposure, and the markets I’m operating in?
Currency markets move. Regulations change. A wire that looked straightforward on Monday can get caught in a correspondent banking delay by Wednesday. In those moments, speed and price become secondary to relationships and expertise.
This is exactly why Nextpay Global was built the way it was — in partnership with Corpay, one of the world’s leading B2B payments platforms, but delivered with the kind of personalised, relationship-first service that large enterprises often lose access to and growing businesses rarely receive.
Currency Risk Is a Business Risk — Full Stop
One of the topics Matthew and I discussed is one I come back to constantly with clients: currency risk management is not a treasury function. It is a business strategy function.
If your company invoices in USD but pays suppliers in GBP, EUR, or AED, your profit margins are partially determined by exchange rates you may not be tracking closely enough. A 3–5% swing in GBP/USD — which is entirely normal over a quarter — can wipe out the margin on a contract that took months to win.
Forward contracts, options, and structured FX strategies exist precisely to bring certainty to that uncertainty. But too many businesses only discover these tools after they’ve absorbed a painful loss.
Part of what we do at Nextpay Global is have that conversation early — before the exposure becomes a problem.
Why “Being Human” Is a Strategic Position
There’s a phrase I used on the podcast that I want to expand on here: the power of being human in a tech-driven world.
This isn’t anti-technology. Nextpay Global is built on best-in-class infrastructure. But technology without context is just automation — and automation without judgement can be dangerous in financial services.
When we work with a business — whether it’s a Florida company expanding into European markets, a UK brand establishing US operations, or a multinational managing multi-currency treasury — we bring both the platform and the perspective. We ask questions that a payments portal can’t ask. We flag risks that a dashboard might not surface. We translate what’s happening in the market into decisions that make sense for that specific business.
That’s not a gap in the technology. That’s a deliberate choice about how to serve clients.
What This Means for Businesses Operating Across Borders
If you’re a business with international revenue, international suppliers, or plans to expand into new markets, here are three things worth thinking about:
1. Know your FX exposure before your next contract renewal. If you’re pricing contracts in a foreign currency, build in a conversation with a specialist before you sign. The cost of a forward contract is almost always less than the cost of an unhedged loss.
2. Don’t assume your bank is giving you the best rate or the best advice. Banks are not currency specialists. They provide FX as a service, not as a core competency. Dedicated cross-border payment providers — particularly those with institutional-grade infrastructure — will often offer tighter spreads and more strategic options.
3. Choose your payments partner the way you choose any key supplier — on trust and track record. Your FX provider has access to significant flows through your business. That relationship deserves due diligence. Ask about their regulatory standing, their banking partners, their escalation process, and whether you’ll have a dedicated relationship manager.
Listen to the Full Episode
You can hear the full conversation with Matthew Coombs on Behind the Numbers here: Behind the Numbers — Justine Assal, Nextpay Global
Matthew brings a sharp lens to how AI and operational strategy are reshaping financial services — it was a genuinely interesting conversation, and I’m grateful he had me on.
About Nextpay Global
Nextpay Global is a cross-border payments and FX risk management platform built in partnership with Corpay (NYSE: CPAY), headquartered in Florida. We work with businesses across the US, UK, and internationally to simplify international payments, manage currency risk, and protect margins across global operations.