Fintech is a new industry that has attracted much attention. However, many of its players are still not profitable even though they have accumulated enough users or wealth to develop mature technologies and products. Some fintech companies even need to raise capital as soon as they achieve the desired scale. So how do fintech companies generate profit?
Crowdfunding Platforms
The most common method used by crowdfunding platforms to generate revenue is charging fees. These platforms do not rely on third-party loans and instead accept public donations, which are converted into funds for startups. Some of them also help match startups with investors who have the potential to fund them. Given that crowdfunding platforms have abundant funding sources from users, they can afford to charge low fees.
Moreover, since crowdfunding is an investment mechanism, platform companies need to worry about the users’ losses. Therefore, it is easier for them to absorb the customers’ loss than pay the penalty from their own pockets.
Logistics Platforms
The second way that these platforms generate profit is by charging fees from transactions conducted through their sites. Some of them even provide on-demand delivery services, which they charge fees for. Freight carriers can provide pricing algorithms that calculate costs based on demand to deliver goods on time and keep shipping costs low.
Personal Finance Platforms
Personal finance platforms include websites or apps that help users manage their finances more efficiently by consolidating their accounts in one place. Similar to banks, they offer two main services: wealth management and lending. Although they are not involved in direct lending, personal finance platforms have accumulated ample information about users’ financial behavior on their sites. Therefore, some even provide financial products such as credit cards and insurance policies as partners source content from third-party financial institutions.
Personal finance platforms can also make money by charging a fee for wealth management services and financial products to users willing to pay for it. In addition, these platforms have amassed lots of data about users’ spending habits, investment needs, credit scores, and so on through their online interactions with them.
There are many ways Fintech companies generate a profit, but it is still an emerging industry. However, there has been a significant increase in investment funding to support fintech startups over recent years, which will help keep this new industry vibrant.