VRPs: The Next Chapter in Recurring Payments
Join Acquired on Thursday 17 September at 5:00pm for an after-work panel discussion exploring how Commercial Variable Recurring Payments (cVRPs) are moving from concept to reality.
Hosted by Lawrence Byers, Principal Product Manager at Acquired, the panel features David Cox, Payments Strategy Lead at Virgin Media O2, and Briony Krikorian-Slade, Head of Governance & Strategy at UK Finance. Together, they'll discuss the opportunities, challenges, and real-world progress shaping the future of cVRPs.
Rather than focusing on the terminology, this session explores how modern account-to-account payments are becoming a commercial reality. Discover how the UK Payments Initiative (UKPI) is shaping the framework for cVRPs, why enterprise merchants are preparing for adoption, and how VRPs offer a real-time alternative to Direct Debit and card-on-file payments by tackling failed payments, card expiries, and rising scheme fees.
What you will hear:
A clear, plain-English view of what VRPs are and how they compare to Direct Debit and cards for recurring payments
Why businesses are adopting VRPs now, in which sectors, and how the industry is working to help the rail scale
How VRPs perform in the real world
How businesses are using VRPs day to day, whether on their own or alongside Direct Debit and cards, routing each customer to the method best placed to serve them
You'll also have the chance to put questions to the panel, then stay for food and drinks to catch up with peers across the payments world.
Panel:
Lawrence Byers - Principal Product Manager - Acquired
Lawrence leads the development of next-generation account-to-account payment solutions, including Direct Debit and Variable Recurring Payments (VRPs). He works directly with financial institutions to build real-time, flexible collection strategies that boost repayment performance and improve customer outcomes.
David Cox - Payments Strategy Lead - Virgin Media O2
With leadership experience across major banks, high-street retail, and telecoms, David leads payment strategy across Direct Debits, wallets, and Open Banking for Virgin Media O2. He collaborates with regulators, gateways, and fintech innovators to deliver seamless, future-proofed customer payment experiences.
Briony Krikorian-Slade - Head of Governance & Strategy - UKPI
Briony leads strategic change and board governance for UKPI, the new industry-owned scheme driving Open Banking payments in the UK. A trusted payments authority with a legal and financial background, she has spearheaded major national payment initiatives, including the rollout of contactless transport payments and the National Payments Vision.