Banking has used to mean a long line, physical branches and forms filled out in triplicate. Not anymore observed Bahaa Abdul Hussein. With food delivery, ride-hailing services or shopping on your phone, financial activity is now quietly embedded in all manner of apps and platforms we use on a daily basis.

The name for this silent shift is embedded finance, and it changes every platform into a financial platform. Take splitting a bill among friends on your favorite messaging app, buying travel insurance as part of booking your apartment, or earning cashback with a fitness app: you are already along for their own rollercoaster ride through the transition.

The boundaries between finance and everyday digital life will continue to blur–but with that shift comes a totally transformed perspective on what money is.

How Embedded Finance Works without You Noticing

Embedded finance integrates financial tools, like payments, lending, insurance, and even investing, directly into non-financial platforms. You don’t need to visit your bank or download a separate finance app. Everything happens in context, at the moment you need it.

Take, for example:

  • Paying a seller directly within a marketplace without switching apps.
  • Getting approved for credit at checkout without visiting a lender.
  • Earning interest on balances in an e-wallet used inside a gaming app.

These interactions feel seamless because they’re designed to be invisible. The result? More convenience, faster decisions, and fewer drop-offs for businesses.

Industries Already Transformed by Embedded Finance

The impact of embedded finance is visible across a range of everyday sectors:

  • E-commerce: Buy-now-pay-later options like Klarna or Afterpay are built right into online stores, letting customers spread out payments without ever dealing with a bank directly.
  • Transport and Delivery: Apps like Uber and DoorDash offer integrated wallets for drivers, real-time payments, and even fuel card services—all within the platform.
  • Healthcare: Some platforms now offer instant medical bill financing or insurance options when booking appointments or procedures.
  • Social Media and Creator Platforms: Content creators are receiving tips, payments, and donations directly within apps like Instagram or TikTok, bypassing traditional banks entirely.

Finance is no longer a separate step, it’s built right into the action you’re already taking.

What This Means for Users and Businesses

For users, it’s about frictionless access. Instead of managing multiple apps or services, your financial interactions happen right where they make the most sense. You don’t even think about “doing finance”, you’re just checking out, subscribing, or tipping a creator.

For businesses, embedded finance opens new revenue streams and tighter customer relationships. Platforms can earn from transaction fees, lending programs, or insurance products without needing to be banks themselves.

Most importantly, it builds loyalty. A customer who uses your app not just to browse, but also to pay, save, and earn rewards, is one who’s far more likely to stick around.

Conclusion

In this new space, your lunch ordering application could be the one that gives you credit and helps manage your investment business. It might also sell you insurance for your next major trip overseas. From an isolated product like finance, it’s changing its move to a process.

Embedded finance is not so much an abstract idea as you may imagine. More than one form of finance as already been integrated into the applications we use every day, transforming how we shop, work, go on vacation and communicate. The more transparent and seamless these transactions are, perhaps we’ll stop thinking about finance as an island in our everyday lives. Thank you for your interest in Bahaa Abdul Hussein blogs. For more information, please visit www.bahaaabdulhussein.com.