Global demand for fast, secure financial transactions continues to accelerate. In 2024, real-time payments are projected to surpass 39% of all electronic transactions globally, up from 28% in 2023, according to ACI Worldwide. Meanwhile, digital payment transaction value is expected to reach $11.5 trillion in 2025 Statista.
Behind this exponential growth is the often-overlooked infrastructure that ensures every transaction is validated, recorded, and reconciled instantly: the transaction processing system (TPS). From legacy banks to ride-hailing platforms, TPS technology is the operational backbone enabling digital finance at scale.
Below, we explore how different industries – retail banking, crypto platforms, peer-to-peer lending, super apps, and ride-hailing – are deploying transaction processing systems to meet their unique demands.
Retail Banking: Real-Time Is No Longer Optional
The banking industry is undergoing a long-overdue transformation. In 2024, over 64% of banks globally reported plans to modernise their core systems, with TPS sitting at the centre of these efforts. Real-time processing is no longer a differentiator – it’s a baseline expectation.
Key drivers:
Increasing use of API-based payment systems (ISO 20022 standard adoption across Europe)
Regulatory mandates for real-time settlement (e.g., FedNow in the U.S., SEPA Instant in Europe)
Rising mobile banking usage – over 80% of global banking customers prefer digital channels, according to Deloitte
Banks are increasingly replacing batch-ledgers with OLTP systems that can reconcile payments, update balances, and log compliance records in real time.
Crypto Platforms: Throughput, Irreversibility, and Compliance
Crypto exchanges handle massive volumes – daily spot trading across top 10 platforms exceeded $50 billion in early 2024, per CoinMarketCap. These transactions must be processed accurately and irreversibly, often within milliseconds.
TPS in crypto is bifurcated:
Off-chain ledgers manage internal balances and user interfaces
On-chain settlement layers record irreversible transactions on public or private blockchains
In 2024, compliance added a new layer of complexity. With MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation) entering enforcement in the EU and similar regimes rolling out globally, TPS must now:
Track transaction provenance
Maintain immutable logs
Support cross-platform identity verification and risk scoring
This dual burden – performance and compliance – makes crypto TPS a specialised domain that requires both high-speed infrastructure and integration with legal frameworks.
P2P Lending: Granular Financial Logic at Scale
The global peer-to-peer lending market is expected to reach $550 billion by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of 29.3%. Unlike traditional credit models, P2P platforms must manage many-to-many relationships between lenders and borrowers.
TPS requirements include:
Automated disbursal and repayment tracking
Daily interest calculation per lender
Transactional audit logs and borrower scoring models
This isn’t just accounting – it’s trust infrastructure. Lenders rely on TPS to ensure their capital is allocated correctly, especially as platforms introduce fractional investing, secondary markets, and real-time loan performance dashboards. The systems must handle complex logic while maintaining transparency and compliance with jurisdiction-specific lending laws.
Super Apps: Multipurpose, Multiservice, Multinational
Super apps are expected to process over $1.1 trillion in digital transactions annually by 2025, with Southeast Asia, India, and LATAM driving much of the volume [Juniper Research]. These platforms span e-wallets, mobility, retail, food delivery, and even credit – all within a single UI.
TPS challenges here are extreme:
Concurrency: Processing tens of thousands of microtransactions per second
Currency and regulation: Supporting local taxes, wallets, and settlements across jurisdictions
Feature diversity: Loyalty, in-app purchases, escrow, and real-time refunds
Their TPS often blends multi-layered architecture with regionally distributed ledgers. For example, a ride booked and paid for in Jakarta might settle via a QR wallet in real time, while loyalty points are recorded separately on a promotions sub-ledger.
Ride-Hailing: Embedded TPS for Instant Payouts
In the ride-hailing sector, transaction speed directly impacts driver retention. As of Q1 2024, 70% of drivers across platforms like Uber, Bolt, and Grab opt into real-time payout options rather than weekly batch settlements.
TPS functions in ride-hailing include:
Fare splitting and commission calculation
Dynamic pricing and surge modelling
Multi-party payouts (driver, fleet owner, tax authority)
Refunds, loyalty credits, and cancellation penalties
Companies are now embedding wallet services directly into driver apps, allowing for immediate disbursement and reduced dependency on banking rails. This also opens the door for on-platform financial services like savings, credit scoring, and tax management.
Conclusion: A Strategic Layer, Not Just Infrastructure
Transaction processing systems are evolving from passive recorders to active enablers of growth, efficiency, and customer trust. They’re no longer just plumbing – they’re strategic assets that underpin everything from regulatory compliance to real-time UX.
Whether processing 3,000 transactions per second for a digital bank or logging fare splits in a super app, TPS must be:
Scalable, to meet demand surges
Auditable, to comply with global standards
Flexible, to accommodate new products, currencies, and user roles
As digital finance becomes more embedded in daily life, businesses that treat their TPS as a dynamic and customisable engine – not just a ledger – will be best positioned to scale, differentiate, and comply in the years ahead.
Read more:
Transaction Processing Systems in Different Industries: From Banking to Ride-Hailing
