Citi executive says QR codes and RTP can support safer instant payments

Citi’s UK and Europe domestic payments head, Elena Gomez, said payment providers are using QR codes and real-time payments to encourage wider use of instant transactions while addressing fraud risk. In a FinextraTV interview at EBAday 2026 in Copenhagen, Gomez pointed to markets including Brazil, India and Thailand as examples of where these tools have supported simpler payment processes and recurring payment flows.

Gomez, who is managing director and UK and Europe domestic payments head at Citi, discussed the use of new tools and methods in payments with FinextraTV. The segment, published as sponsored content, was produced by Finextra’s editorial team with input from subject matter experts at the funding sponsor.

According to Finextra, Gomez described QR codes and real-time payments as part of a broader effort to support instant-payment adoption. QR codes are commonly used as a digital prompt in payment journeys, while real-time payment systems are designed to move funds rapidly between accounts. Finextra said Gomez highlighted their use in Brazil, India and Thailand, where these technologies have helped simplify payment processes.

The discussion also covered recurring payments, an area where Finextra said Gomez described QR codes and real-time payments as having changed established processes. Recurrent payment flows are a key operating issue for banks, merchants and payment providers because they combine customer convenience, authorization procedures and ongoing risk monitoring.

Fraud prevention was a central theme of the interview. Finextra said Gomez addressed the need to make new payment tools secure as they become more widely used. That tension is a central issue for instant-payment systems: faster settlement can improve user experience and liquidity management, but it also reduces the time available to identify suspicious activity before funds move.

Finextra placed the interview in its payments and financial crime coverage. The video runs 4 minutes and 49 seconds and forms part of its EBAday 2026 series, which includes other segments on tokenisation, artificial intelligence, emerging payments technologies and digital money.

The remarks underline how banks and payment networks are linking product design with fraud controls as instant payments expand across markets. Gomez’s comments, as reported by Finextra, focused on how technologies already visible in several large payment markets may be adapted with security features that support adoption without weakening fraud prevention.

This story draws on original reporting from Finextra Research.