A large global business such as Canva with users in 190 countries needs to deal with complex payments arrangements to support significant payment volumes; provide access to a diverse range of local payment methods and currencies; and keep abreast of innovation in a rapidly changing payments landscape; all while minimising fraud. At the scale at which Canva operates it has also found it beneficial to build its own in-house payments orchestration infrastructure to leverage multiple local and global payments providers to improve conversion rates and achieve cost efficiencies.

In this interview between Laurice Romero, Payments Processing Lead, Canva and Mangala Martinus, Managing Director, Payments Consulting Network and Merchant Advisory, we look at what her role entails; the payments challenges in the industry; strategies and technologies deployed by Canva to optimise payments and the customer experience; and the innovation roadmap and key criteria to consider when assessing payment service providers.

As Co-Chair of the Merchant Risk Council (MRC) APAC Advisory Board, she also shares insights on what that role involves and how being part of MRC has supported Canva in achieving its payments objectives.

MM: Please provide a high-level overview of your business.

LR: Canva is a visual communication and collaboration platform with a mission to empower the world to design Whether you’re creating a social media post, a presentation, or even a marketing campaign, our platform gives you all the tools you need to create something amazing, even if you’re not a design pro. We’ve grown a lot since we started in 2012 and now have over 190 million users in more than 190 countries. Our goal is to democratise design and make it accessible to everyone, whether they are individuals, small businesses, or large enterprises.

At the heart of Canva is our simple yet hugely ambitious Two-Step Plan. Step 1: Build one of the world’s most valuable companies. Step 2: Do the most good we can. We believe that there is enough creativity, resources, and good in the world to solve many of our world’s biggest problems. This belief has been a core part of our DNA from day one. What this means is that every time we hit a goal or launch a new feature, we’re not just growing Canva—we’re also increasing our ability to make a positive impact in the world. Our success as a company directly fuels our mission to do the most good we can, and that’s something we’re incredibly passionate about.

MM: What does your role entail, and what are your objectives?

LR: I’m the Payments Processing Lead at Canva and oversee an amazing team. We’re responsible for making sure our payments globally run smoothly. This means working with payment service providers, optimising payment experiences to make it easy for our community to pay, and ensuring we follow all the necessary financial regulations around the world. Our main goals are to keep our payment processes efficient, reduce costs, prevent fraud, and expand our payment options as we grow.

MM: What are the key payments challenges for the business, and how have you sought to address these?

LR: One big challenge for us is managing payments across such a diverse and fragmented global ecosystem. We’re dealing with different currencies, payment methods, and regulations, all while trying to give our users a seamless and secure experience. To tackle this, we’ve teamed up with local and global payment providers – experts in their regions to ensure a truly local experience. We use lots and lots of data and research to optimise how we process payments, and constantly work with our fraud teams to reduce the ever-evolving nature of payment fraud.

MM: What are the strategies/technologies deployed to optimise payments and the customer checkout experience?

LR: We’ve taken a few key steps to make sure our payments and checkout experience are as smooth as possible. We’ve integrated several local payment methods so that people can pay how they want to, with many more payment methods to follow. We’ve put a lot of effort into making our payments experience intuitive, which has helped lower cart abandonment rates and get our premium products into the hands of our community faster.

One thing I’m especially proud of is our multi-processor capability which allows us to route payments traffic through the most appropriate channel. We’re always testing and tweaking our rules based on our analytics, and user feedback.

We’re also continuously learning. We’re keeping abreast of the payments landscape worldwide, which seem to be evolving at a rapid rate. In some markets for example, the rate of card use is declining and moving towards the use of wallets or A2A payment methods. We need to ensure we can pivot our capabilities and experiences in line with these market changes. I also really enjoy exploring innovative payment technologies designed to address specific challenges, such as combating fraud or enhancing conversion rates.

MM: What new innovations or technologies are on your roadmap?

LR: As we keep growing, staying ahead with innovations is key to providing the best payment experience possible. And it’s different across the different global markets.

A key focus is enabling more payment methods in our key markets so that our community can have a truly local payment experience. We’re also looking at how the industry is utilising AI in payments orchestration and in fraud detection to make sure we’re ahead or in-line with the trends.

MM: What are some of the key criteria you look at when assessing payment service providers?

LR: When we’re choosing payment service providers, a few things really stand out. They need to have a global reach and support a wide range of currencies and payment methods because our users are all over the world. Security and compliance are also super important—we need partners who meet the highest standards in these areas. We also look at their technology, like how well they prevent fraud, how fast and reliable their transactions are, and how they handle payments at scale. Finally, we consider the costs and whether they’re committed to ongoing innovation, which is crucial as we continue to grow.

MM: What is your role at the MRC?

LR: I’m the Co-Chair of the MRC APAC Advisory Board, where I where I work alongside a great group of industry experts who are all about improving payments, fraud prevention, and risk management in the Asia-Pacific region. My role involves helping to shape the MRC’s direction in this area, encouraging collaboration among members, and ensuring that we’re all sharing the best practices and insights to address the unique challenges we encounter. The MRC Southeast Asia conference is on October 7-8. The board and committees have developed a great agenda to facilitate learning and collaboration.

MM: How does the MRC help you achieve your payments objectives at Canva as well as generally?

LR: Being part of the MRC is incredibly valuable for my role at Canva. It provides a platform to connect with other payments professionals, exchange experiences, and bring valuable insights back to Canva. The MRC’s emphasis on risk management and fraud prevention aligns perfectly with our goals of maintaining secure and efficient payment processes. Additionally, the MRC offers a wealth of resources – like industry reports, webinars, and conferences – that keep us informed about the latest trends and technologies. My involvement with the MRC also allows me to help shape the future of payments, benefiting not only Canva and the broader industry but also supporting my personal mission to make payments easier for consumers and merchants, regardless of where I am.

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Laurice Romero, Payments Processing Lead, Canva, is speaking at MRC Southeast Asia in Singapore from 7-8 October 2024. She will be on two panels: Expanding Horizons – Southeast Asian Companies Entering the South American Market on Day 1; and Maximising Efficiency – Strategies for Payment Card Optimisation on Day 2.

For more information on the conference and to register, please click here.

Payments Consulting Network is a media partner for the conference.

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Author: Mangala Martinus, Managing Director, Payments Consulting Network

Mangala has over 30 years’ experience in the financial services and payments industries. He focuses on supporting clients with business strategy, payments optimisation, market expansion, and industry round tables. His clients include major financial institutions, retailers, e-commerce marketplaces, not-for-profits, ATM deployers, card schemes, and payment processors.

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