https://mikefowler.co/Writing on merchant payments, real-time rails, platform integrations and commerce in Australia.en-au https://mikefowler.co/why-bunnings-marketplace-keeps-growing/https://mikefowler.co/why-bunnings-marketplace-keeps-growing/Fri, 02 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +1000Of the Australian retailers that bolted a marketplace onto a store network, Bunnings is the only one reporting strong growth. A teardown of why it works. https://mikefowler.co/online-marketplaces-in-australia-2026/https://mikefowler.co/online-marketplaces-in-australia-2026/Fri, 26 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +1000In 2022 Australia was the land of the online marketplace. Four years on, the abundance story has met a culling. The state of play, and why. https://mikefowler.co/if-ecommerce-was-a-real-shop-youd-close-it-by-lunchtime/https://mikefowler.co/if-ecommerce-was-a-real-shop-youd-close-it-by-lunchtime/Thu, 04 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +1000If 97 of every 100 people walked out of your store without buying, you'd shut it. Yet that store is e-commerce. https://mikefowler.co/agentic-commerce-part-two-the-cheapest-thing-in-retail/https://mikefowler.co/agentic-commerce-part-two-the-cheapest-thing-in-retail/Tue, 12 May 2026 09:00:00 +1000Whether you exist in an AI agent's reasoning window comes down to one thing: product data clean enough for a machine to trust. https://mikefowler.co/agentic-commerce-the-funnel-didnt-die-it-got-bypassed/https://mikefowler.co/agentic-commerce-the-funnel-didnt-die-it-got-bypassed/Mon, 11 May 2026 09:00:00 +1000The agent is the new shop window and the protocol is the new shelf. What agentic commerce means for retailers and payments. https://mikefowler.co/the-in-between-making-payments-invisible/https://mikefowler.co/the-in-between-making-payments-invisible/Sat, 19 Jul 2025 09:00:00 +1000In a well-built digital experience, payments fade into the background. On the sliver between pre-purchase and post-purchase. https://mikefowler.co/the-marketplace-shakeup-australias-ecommerce-reality-2025/https://mikefowler.co/the-marketplace-shakeup-australias-ecommerce-reality-2025/Tue, 15 Jul 2025 09:00:00 +1000Three years after mapping Australia's online marketplaces, more than half have reached end of life. What the growth narrative missed. https://mikefowler.co/real-time-crumbling-of-the-content-flywheel/https://mikefowler.co/real-time-crumbling-of-the-content-flywheel/Wed, 02 Jul 2025 09:00:00 +1000Write a blog, rank on Google, get free clicks, convert, repeat. The content flywheel that powered a decade of digital growth is collapsing. https://mikefowler.co/the-cornerstone-of-a-successful-business-in-challenging-times/https://mikefowler.co/the-cornerstone-of-a-successful-business-in-challenging-times/Fri, 14 Jun 2024 09:00:00 +1000Are you leaving success on the table? Invest in your existing customers. Reward them, value them, and watch your business thrive. https://mikefowler.co/the-rise-of-digital-wallets-and-whats-in-store-for-the-future/https://mikefowler.co/the-rise-of-digital-wallets-and-whats-in-store-for-the-future/Mon, 10 Jun 2024 09:00:00 +1000Digital wallets offer a faster, safer and more convenient way to pay in store and online. Where adoption is heading, and what comes next. https://mikefowler.co/the-future-of-commerce-seamless-payments-in-a-click/https://mikefowler.co/the-future-of-commerce-seamless-payments-in-a-click/Fri, 07 Jun 2024 09:00:00 +1000Fewer steps to checkout, smarter tokenisation, digital wallets and a leaner payment stack for today's digital customers. https://mikefowler.co/the-struggles-of-account-to-account-payments-an-americans-perspective-from-australia/https://mikefowler.co/the-struggles-of-account-to-account-payments-an-americans-perspective-from-australia/Fri, 07 Jun 2024 09:00:00 +1000Australia's real-time rails are years ahead. What it would take for US banks to offer the same seamless A2A experience. https://mikefowler.co/the-future-of-fraud-prevention-in-the-payments-industry/https://mikefowler.co/the-future-of-fraud-prevention-in-the-payments-industry/Tue, 21 Nov 2023 09:00:00 +1000How AI and machine learning spot fraud patterns, lift authorisation rates and cut false declines. https://mikefowler.co/network-tokenization-to-prevent-fraud-and-risk-part-i/https://mikefowler.co/network-tokenization-to-prevent-fraud-and-risk-part-i/Thu, 09 Nov 2023 09:00:00 +1000Why tokenisation is central to a modern payment strategy, from fraud and risk to loyalty and customer experience. https://mikefowler.co/the-power-of-tokenization-in-omnichannel-payments-part-ii/https://mikefowler.co/the-power-of-tokenization-in-omnichannel-payments-part-ii/Thu, 09 Nov 2023 09:00:00 +1000Part two on tokenisation: using tokens across channels to build a competitive edge and a better customer experience. https://mikefowler.co/merchant-surcharging-considerations-for-businesses/https://mikefowler.co/merchant-surcharging-considerations-for-businesses/Tue, 22 Aug 2023 09:00:00 +1000Surcharging in card-present and card-not-present environments, the common misconceptions, and both sides of the debate. https://mikefowler.co/payto-a-new-payment-revolution-for-businesses/https://mikefowler.co/payto-a-new-payment-revolution-for-businesses/Sun, 02 Jul 2023 09:00:00 +1000Why account-to-account payments are on every business's radar, and what the NPP and PayTo mean for how merchants get paid. https://mikefowler.co/the-evolving-retail-payments-landscape/https://mikefowler.co/the-evolving-retail-payments-landscape/Thu, 25 May 2023 09:00:00 +1000Cash is declining as contactless and mobile wallets grow. A look at the NPP and what it means for retailers. https://mikefowler.co/merchant-choice-routing-mcr-what-is-it/https://mikefowler.co/merchant-choice-routing-mcr-what-is-it/Mon, 08 May 2023 09:00:00 +1000How least-cost routing lets merchants choose the most cost-effective path for each transaction. https://mikefowler.co/successful-payment-strategy-for-fy24/https://mikefowler.co/successful-payment-strategy-for-fy24/Tue, 28 Feb 2023 09:00:00 +1000Payment methods, infrastructure and data-rich tools that drive growth and a better customer experience for e-commerce brands. https://mikefowler.co/benefits-of-offering-multiple-payment-options-in-ecommerce/https://mikefowler.co/benefits-of-offering-multiple-payment-options-in-ecommerce/Wed, 01 Feb 2023 09:00:00 +1000A question I get asked every day: how will more payment methods help my business? The benefits, explained. https://mikefowler.co/marketplace-behaviour-in-australia/https://mikefowler.co/marketplace-behaviour-in-australia/Thu, 08 Sep 2022 09:00:00 +1000Online marketplaces are now a mainstay of Australian shopping. How consumer behaviour is changing, and what it means for brands. https://mikefowler.co/qr-code-payments-are-also-a-retail-game-changer/https://mikefowler.co/qr-code-payments-are-also-a-retail-game-changer/Tue, 26 Jul 2022 09:00:00 +1000QR codes are back, and payments is where they could change retail the most. https://mikefowler.co/the-state-of-the-subscription-economy/https://mikefowler.co/the-state-of-the-subscription-economy/Mon, 25 Jul 2022 09:00:00 +1000Subscriptions keep growing. What's driving the subscription economy and how brands can take part. https://mikefowler.co/why-innovating-cx-should-be-design-led/https://mikefowler.co/why-innovating-cx-should-be-design-led/Fri, 22 Jul 2022 09:00:00 +1000Why the best customer experience improvements start with design, not technology. https://mikefowler.co/the-state-of-gift-cards-in-australia/https://mikefowler.co/the-state-of-gift-cards-in-australia/Wed, 13 Jul 2022 09:00:00 +1000Modern omnichannel gift cards drive retention and loyalty. The numbers, the channels and the opportunity for retailers. https://mikefowler.co/guide-to-online-marketplaces-in-australia/https://mikefowler.co/guide-to-online-marketplaces-in-australia/Tue, 28 Jun 2022 09:00:00 +1000Is Australia the per capita leader in online marketplaces? A guide to the B2B and B2C marketplaces brands can sell on. https://mikefowler.co/opportunities-for-brands-to-create-and-sell-in-marketplaces/https://mikefowler.co/opportunities-for-brands-to-create-and-sell-in-marketplaces/Wed, 22 Jun 2022 09:00:00 +1000Where the opportunities are for brands to create their own marketplace, or to sell on someone else's. https://mikefowler.co/cx-order-collect-or-delivery/https://mikefowler.co/cx-order-collect-or-delivery/Mon, 20 Jun 2022 09:00:00 +1000Order and collect or home delivery? How customers choose, and what it means for retailers. https://mikefowler.co/cart-abandonment-is-a-delivery-problem-ready-to-be-optimised/https://mikefowler.co/cart-abandonment-is-a-delivery-problem-ready-to-be-optimised/Sat, 16 Apr 2022 09:00:00 +1000Many abandoned carts come down to delivery. How to fix the delivery experience and recover sales. https://mikefowler.co/the-convergence-of-payments-delivery/https://mikefowler.co/the-convergence-of-payments-delivery/Mon, 28 Mar 2022 09:00:00 +1000Payments and delivery are converging at checkout. Why that matters for conversion and customer experience.