NSW’s Payments Strategy is a signal businesses should pay attention to

At Azupay, Service NSW was one of our earliest customers. 

That has given us a front-row seat to how payment expectations have evolved. Over time, the conversation has shifted from payment acceptance to customer experience, fraud prevention, operational efficiency and digital service delivery. 

Through his work leading many relationships across government and enterprise, Robert Radley, Enterprise Sales and Partnerships Director at Azupay, has seen those priorities evolve first-hand. And for Azupay, the strategy feels less like a new direction and more like the continuation of a journey already underway. 

“NSW Government has consistently been at the forefront of digital transformation, and payments are just one part of a much broader evolution taking place across agencies today. 

When NSW moves in areas like technology, customer experience and service delivery, the broader market tends to pay attention. That’s why this strategy matters well beyond government.” 

One aspect of the strategy that stands out is how closely payments are linked to wider technology transformation. 

Across government, agencies are reviewing platforms, workflows, operating models, data strategies and customer experiences. Payments are increasingly being considered alongside these initiatives, helping organisations simplify operations and deliver more connected experiences.

Accessibility is another important consideration. Unlike some payment methods that require cards, wallets or specific technology, account-to-account payments are available to anyone with an Australian bank account.
That makes them a highly inclusive payment method, particularly for organisations looking to provide simple, widely accessible payment experiences across diverse customer groups.

This is where many organisations have an opportunity to create long-term value. 

“The biggest opportunity comes from looking at payments within the context of the broader technology ecosystem. When payment experiences, customer journeys, workflows and back-office processes are designed together, organisations create better outcomes for both customers and operational teams.

Accessibility is part of that conversation as well. Account-to-account payments are inherently inclusive because all a customer needs is an Australian bank account. That creates opportunities to deliver simpler experiences across a much broader customer base.”

This is also where Azupay sees its role. 

Modern payment infrastructure can complement broader technology initiatives already underway, helping organisations modernise how money moves while improving the customer and operational experience around it. 

One of the strongest elements of the NSW Payments Strategy is its three-horizon approach to modernisation. 

Rather than attempting wholesale change all at once, it creates a pathway for agencies to improve today’s payment experiences while building towards a more connected and customer-centric future. 

For Robert, this reflects the reality of how transformation happens. 

“Government agencies and large organisations don’t transform overnight. The horizon model recognises that reality. 

The most successful modernisation programs aren’t built around a single project. They’re built around a series of deliberate improvements that create momentum over time.” 

The same principle applies in the private sector. 

Large-scale transformation rarely happens through a single initiative. Organisations that make meaningful progress tend to focus on practical improvements that build capability over time. 

This mirrors a theme we’ve explored previously in our whitepaper, Is Waiting Still a Strategy?, which examines the risks of delaying payment modernisation while waiting for market conditions, regulation or technology landscapes to fully settle. The reality for most organisations is that customer expectations continue to evolve regardless, making incremental progress often more valuable than waiting for a perfect future state. 

“The organisations making the strongest progress aren’t waiting for the perfect future state. They’re instead identifying opportunities that exist today, solving real problems and building from there.”

Real-time payments have changed expectations around convenience and immediacy. 

At the same time, scams, fraud and cyber threats have increased the importance of trust, verification and payment certainty. 

For organisations, speed remains important, but it is increasingly being considered alongside security, customer confidence and operational risk. 

Capabilities such as PayID, PayTo and payment verification services are helping organisations build more trusted payment experiences while maintaining the benefits of real-time payments. 

“The industry has done a great job improving speed. The next challenge is improving confidence. Customers want payment experiences that are fast, secure and transparent. The organisations that deliver all three will be in a much stronger position over the coming years.” 

As payment experiences become more digital, trust is becoming an increasingly important differentiator. 

One area that deserves more attention is innovation. 

Transformation programs understandably focus on implementation, governance and compliance. Those elements are critical, but there is also value in creating environments where government, technology providers and industry can work together to solve emerging challenges. 

Robert believes that NSW has an opportunity to continue leading in this area. 

“I’d like to see more opportunities for collaboration between government and industry. Whether it’s scam prevention, digital identity, AI-powered service experiences or new real-time payment use cases, there is enormous value in bringing the right people together to test ideas early and learn quickly. 

NSW has an opportunity to continue leading in that area.” 

A stronger culture of experimentation and collaboration can help accelerate innovation while ensuring new technologies solve practical problems for citizens, agencies and businesses alike. 

The NSW Payments Strategy arrives at a time when governments, businesses and consumers are all reassessing what good payment experiences look like. 

For NSW, the focus is on creating safer, simpler and more connected payment services. 

For businesses, many of the same themes apply. Customer expectations continue to evolve, technology continues to advance and operational resilience remains a priority. 

The organisations that make steady progress against those challenges will be well positioned for what’s next. 

As one of Australia’s most influential government bodies, NSW has an opportunity to help shape that direction, and the broader market will be watching closely.