Insights

CSG Forte Insights is a collection of industry news and perspectives to help navigate the payments landscape.

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ACH vs Card Payments: A Practical Strategy for Mid-Market Banks

Key Takeaways ACH generally offers lower processing costs and strong support for recurring, high‑value payments, while cards excel at real‑time, customer‑friendly experiences. Banks should tailor ACH and card mixes by industry and use case, then help clients gradually migrate appropriate volumes from card and checks to ACH. Unified platforms support both ACH and cards across […]

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How Modern Bank Bill Pay Solutions Compete on CX, Cost, and Risk

Key Takeaways Bill payments are now a strategic engagement and trust driver for banks, not just a back‑office utility. Customers expect fast, clear, mobile‑first bill pay with flexible options like autopay, partial payments, and text‑to‑pay. A phased roadmap—improving UX, expanding channels, centralizing insights, and adding valuable services—helps banks compete with fintechs while managing cost and […]

7 Common Reasons for ACH Returns (and How to Prevent Them)

Key Takeaways ACH returns are electronic payment failures signaled by standardized codes that reveal whether the issue is funds, data quality, authorization, account status, or suspected errors. Nacha expects originators to keep unauthorized ACH debit returns under 0.5%, administrative returns under 3%, and overall debit returns under 15% over a rolling 60‑day period. Combining strong […]

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Why Embedding Payments Is a Risk Strategy for CIOs

Key Takeaways Embedded finance options mean money moves faster. This also increases fraud exposure, intensifies collections issues and can speed up customer churn. Embedded finance solutions demand advanced real-time monitoring and internal controls to keep pace with accelerated payment flows and mitigate emerging risks. As embedded payments become central to digital experiences, CIOs play a […]

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How Modern Healthcare Payment Solutions Improve Patient Satisfaction and Collections

Key Takeaways Outdated healthcare payment systems frustrate patients and cost providers revenue: Confusing bills, limited payment options, and inconvenient processes damage satisfaction, delay collections, and drive negative reviews and patient churn. Patient-friendly digital payments improve collections without adding staff burden: Transparency, choice of payment methods, flexible financing, and omnichannel payment options make it easier for […]

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Convenience Fee vs Surcharge: Choosing the Right Fee Strategy

Key Takeaways Surcharges apply only to credit card transactions in the U.S., and are usually a percentage fee meant to offset card acceptance costs. Convenience fees apply when a payer uses a nonstandard payment method or channel and are often flat fees designed to recover the cost of offering extra options. Both fee types are […]

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