In August 2025, something special took place in Zepto’s home town of Byron Bay. Suzie Slingsby reports.
For the very first time, we had the immense privilege of hosting a select group of customers for our inaugural ‘Beyond the Break’ customer muster. Bringing some 40 execs to our legendary beachside town was a poignant moment for the entire Zepto team, especially the founders, who started the Zepto journey here in 2017.
What began as a bootstrapped startup – born from the frustration with legacy payment systems in their skydiving business – has blossomed into an award-winning account-to-account payments infrastructure company, now processing circa $80 billion of merchant payments annually.
‘Beyond the Break’ was more than just a conference; it was a collaborative exploration, a shared visioning exercise, and a testament to the strong partnerships we cultivate with our customers. Over two days, we delved deep into the evolving landscape of payments, sharing insights, sparking engaging discussions, and having a tonne of fun.
A Glimpse into Tomorrow: Pioneering the Payments Future
Beyond the Break kicked off with The Zepto Vision: A Glimpse at Tomorrow. Presented by Co-founder and CEO, Matt Cheers, this set the stage for the innovations and strategic directions that will shape the future of payments in Australia.
We then moved into a comprehensive product showcase. This session generated energy and engagement as Co-founder and CPO, Trev Wistaff, unveiled our new Confirmation of Payee (CoP) service, a solution clearly resonating across verticals for its fraud-prevention capabilities. We also explored Zepto's PayTo Disputes API, showcasing its power to automate significant portions of the disputes flow, streamlining processes for our merchants. Furthermore, we provided timely updates on how Australian Payments Plus' liability framework around real-time payments is taking shape.
The discussions continued with a fascinating PayTo Index report insights panel — Chris Jewell, David Martin and Jaimie Wistaff — providing a data-driven look at the emerging impact of PayTo.
We were also incredibly fortunate to host an Innovation Fireside with two titans of industry: Damian Kassabgi, CEO of the Tech Council of Australia, and Karl Redenbach, a seasoned technology entrepreneur and global leader in AI and digital transformation. Their insights into the broader technology landscape and the future of innovation were inspiring.
The Heart of the Matter: Our 'Voice of the Customer' Workshops
While all these sessions were invaluable, the heartbeat of ‘Beyond the Break’ could be heard in our dedicated Voice of the Customer workshops. This was where we actively listened, engaged, and absorbed the wisdom of our customers. These breakout sessions were designed to be platforms for open discussion, allowing us to gather firsthand insights into the challenges and opportunities our customers face daily.
The themes that emerged from these workshops reflect the collective thinking of our partners on the future of payments and customer engagement, and critically, these insights will directly inform our future regulatory discussions, product roadmap, and overall strategy.
CoP emerged as a central and enthusiastically received topic, with a strong consensus on its undeniable value in significantly reducing payment fraud. Our customers shared their views, underscoring how CoP can add a crucial layer of trust and security to safeguard their transactions.
Listening, Learning, and Leading the Way Forward
The insights gleaned from the workshops are invaluable. They are not merely observations but actionable intelligence that will directly inform Zepto's strategic direction. We are committed to taking these themes forward, using them to refine our regulatory discussions, shape our product roadmap, and evolve our overarching company strategy.
‘Beyond the Break’ was a resounding success, not just for the engaging sessions and stimulating discussions, but because it reaffirmed our core belief: that the future of payments is best built in partnership with those who use our solutions every day. The energy, candour, and collaborative spirit of our customers in Byron Bay truly inspired us.
We extend our deepest gratitude to all the customers who travelled to be with us. Your insights are the compass guiding Zepto forward, ensuring we continue to build solutions that truly empower the on-demand digital economy.
We look forward to many more 'Beyond the Break' gatherings, continuing to chart the future of payments, together.
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