How modern payment systems support response in large-scale disasters
It is a warm spring evening. The city slows down and gradually settles into quiet. For a moment, everything feels suspended. Suddenly, a deep, sombre sound is heard. Within seconds, buildings begin to move, the lights go out, and people rush into the streets. Everything changes abruptly, just as it did on an evening in March 1977.
A magnitude 7 earthquake is not hypothetical. It is the kind of event that simultaneously tests the population, infrastructure, and emergency response services.
In the first hours after such an event, public safety is the priority. In the days that follow, customers try to reach their insurer, call centres become overwhelmed, and the demand for information and confirmation grows rapidly. At the same time, claims are registered, field teams are deployed, and partners are mobilised for rapid intervention.
Processes exist and, under normal circumstances, they work. But all insurers depend on assessments, people, and operational capacity.
A few years ago, I asked customers across 15 European countries what they considered the most critical point in the claims process. Their answer? When something happens, they have no idea what to do, how to notify the insurer, or where to find their policy number.
Now imagine the day after an earthquake. How many customers will truly know what to do? The more communication channels we open, the more alternatives we offer. And it is worth remembering that effective communication means informing customers about these options when the policy is issued, not only after the event.
In such a situation, not only is the claims assessment critical, but also the ability to execute. How money reaches customers and suppliers becomes just as important as the claims decision itself.
In many organisations, payments still rely on mechanisms designed for normal volumes: slow bank transfers, batch processing, manual checks, and fragmented system flows. These may function under regular conditions, but in NatCat scenarios they quickly become bottlenecks.
Modern payment systems change this dynamic. Instant payments are already standard in other industries. By using modern instruments, control can be embedded before the payment is executed. Compensation can be sent to customers quickly, and suppliers can be paid directly, based on clear rules regarding amounts and purpose.
Imagine being able to send a small amount of money instantly, allowing the insured to purchase essential goods – food, water, medication. It is often said that Romanians prefer cash. In a disaster scenario, we cannot assume that the infrastructure enabling cash withdrawals will function normally.
For this reason, it is important to have payment methods that ensure funds reach those in need quickly. Single-use virtual cards are highly effective instruments for instant payments under controlled conditions.
Under high volume and operational pressure, the risk of errors or improper payments increases. A modern system allows rules to be applied directly at the transaction level, ensuring both speed and consistency.
In such scenarios, speed matters, but so does how capital is managed. Visibility over money flows becomes essential at a time when every decision has a direct impact on liquidity. Single-use virtual cards provide clear, structured transaction data, ensure traceability, and directly contribute to reducing the level of trapped liquidity.
Preparing for disaster is not only about business continuity plans or well-trained response teams. It is about the ability to execute quickly and coherently when volumes surge and pressure is at its highest.
In such moments, the promise of insurance is not visible in the policy, but in execution. And execution begins with how money reaches where it is needed, when it is needed.
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