Mr. Aditya Vilas Deshpande

The Silent Revenue Killer: Reducing Payment Authorization Failures in a Digital-First Economy

Abstract:

In today’s digital-first economy, every failed payment represents more than a declined transaction; it is a silent revenue killer that erodes merchant trust, customer experience, and long-term business growth. While global e-commerce and digital payments continue to expand, authorization failure rates remain alarmingly high, with false declines costing merchants billions of dollars annually.

This talk will explore the hidden dynamics behind payment authorization failures, focusing on card-based systems and UPI transactions in the Indian context. We will examine the interplay between fraud detection models, network reliability, issuer behavior, and cross-border complexities, often resulting in declining legitimate transactions.

Building on research and real-world case studies, the session introduces emerging strategies to address these challenges, including intelligent payment orchestration, adaptive machine learning models, and multi-rail authorization frameworks. Attendees will gain insights into how AI and data-driven approaches can reduce false declines, improve approval rates, and enhance customer trust, all while maintaining compliance with stringent regulatory standards.

By reframing authorization reliability as a technical challenge and a business-critical imperative, this talk positions payment reliability as a cornerstone of digital transformation. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of why authorization failures persist, how they impact the Indian and global payments landscape, and what innovative solutions can transform them from a silent revenue killer into a driver of growth and trust.

Profile:

Aditya Deshpande is a Senior Software Engineer at PayPal, working on the settlement platform and ensuring the reliability and scalability of global payment systems. His expertise spans payment authorization, settlement reliability, and AI-driven observability for financial infrastructures. In addition to his industry role, he is pursuing a Ph.D. in Information Technology, with research focused on payment infrastructure, authorization reliability, and cross-border settlement innovation. He has published articles on fintech and payments, served as a hackathon judge at leading universities, and is an IEEE Senior Member. His work bridges deep technical expertise with thought leadership in the payments industry.