In this episode of Cards Against Complexity, Jan talks with Victoria Maier, Head of DACH at Trustly, about the evolution of open banking payments and what it really takes to create frictionless experiences for consumers in financial services. Victoria also shares her personal path—from scaleup to corporate to startup and back to scaleup—and the lessons she’s learned about finding the right environment to grow.

Key Takeaways:

• Germany’s Unique Adoption Curve in Open Banking:
While open banking is well-established in Nordic markets, Germany has been slower to adopt. Victoria explains how Trustly is addressing this by offering a "pay by bank" option that builds on existing consumer habits—minimizing friction, avoiding logins, and streamlining checkout flows to feel as fast and simple as Apple Pay.

• Removing Complexity Without Compromising Trust:
Trustly’s new platform, Azura, uses data and machine learning to recognize users across merchants and devices—enabling repeat purchases without requiring user accounts. The goal: reduce unnecessary complexity while preserving security and compliance, especially in markets where APIs vary and banking infrastructure is inconsistent.

• Career Lessons:
Find Where You ThriveVictoria shares how she explored corporate roles at Amazon, early-stage startups, and scaleups like Klarna and Trustly. Her takeaway: scaleups offer the right balance of structure and autonomy for her strengths. Her advice to early-career professionals? Try different environments—and figure out where you do your best work.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone in financial services focused on simplifying user experiences and navigating digital transformation across diverse markets.