What CFOs Feel Before They Act

When we speak of kansei—the Japanese idea of designing for the emotional resonance of a product—we’re often drawn to stories like the Mazda Miata.

It wasn’t the fastest car, but it felt right: the balance of the wheel, the sound of the engine, the way the driver was held in the seat.

Those feelings built loyalty and commercial success.

The same philosophy applies to payments. What does it feel like when money moves through your ecosystem? For your suppliers, your partners, your customers?

Why should feelings matter?

Because in today’s fractured, protectionist world, the experience of payments is where business relationships are built—or broken.

And those feelings tie directly to working capital efficiency, supplier trust, and competitive resilience.

Let’s look at a few examples.

1. Airline Payouts & Passenger Claims

Airlines are notorious for slow claims resolution. A canceled flight leads to weeks before a refund lands in a passenger’s account—or months before an agency partner gets its commission payout.

From the passenger’s perspective, this delay erodes trust in the airline’s brand. From the airline’s perspective, it’s working capital stuck in limbo, with admin costs ballooning around call centers and claim disputes.

Now imagine this through kansei: the feeling of control when a passenger sees “Refund processed. Funds will land by 3 PM tomorrow.” The calm that comes from certainty, versus the frustration of ambiguity.

For agencies, it’s the reliability of commission payments hitting the same day every week, like clockwork.

At the board level, these feelings translate into measurable outcomes:

• Customer retention: Airlines with smooth payout experiences see up to 20% higher Net Promoter Scores (NPS).
• Operational savings: Reducing refund cycles from 4 weeks to 48 hours can cut dispute-handling costs by 30–40%.
• Revenue protection: Travel agencies who trust an airline’s payouts are far less likely to switch loyalty during competitive bidding cycles.

This is kansei at work: turning payouts from a liability into a trust-building lever.

2. Automotive Manufacturing & Just-In-Time (JIT)

A global auto manufacturer depends on suppliers across Asia and Europe. One surprise: a tariff increase at the port delays customs clearance, pushing payments and deliveries off schedule.

A two-day hold at the port cascades into idle factory lines costing $10 million a day.

What does it feel like for the supplier waiting for payment while financing their raw material purchases? Stress. Uncertainty. The sense of being at the mercy of opaque processes.

Now consider the kansei-driven alternative: a real-time dashboard showing “Payment released. Customs expected clearance: 14:00. Alternative routing recommended.”

This is not just information; it’s confidence. The supplier knows the OEM is proactive. The OEM knows the supplier can keep lines moving.

At the board level:

• Working capital freed: Faster cross-border settlements reduce trapped liquidity by 5–10% of monthly procurement spend.
• Risk managed: Real-time transparency reduces the likelihood of multi-million-dollar JIT stoppages.
• Relationships strengthened: Suppliers that feel respected and supported are less likely to renegotiate terms under stress, stabilizing supply chains in volatile times.

Here, kansei design doesn’t just soften friction—it protects billions in revenue continuity.

3. Ports & Demurrage Fees

At major ports, demurrage fees pile up when containers aren’t cleared on time, often due to slow or opaque payment processing. For an importer moving 1,000 containers a month, even a $150/day demurrage fee adds up to millions annually.

The feeling for the logistics manager? Helplessness. They know the cargo is sitting there, the shipper is calling, but the money hasn’t cleared.

It’s the stress of watching value rot on the dock.

Now picture a system where payments are triggered automatically the moment customs approval is initiated, with AI predicting potential delays and suggesting pre-payments or alternative routings.

The kansei here is empowerment: the logistics team feels ahead of the problem, not behind it.

Board-level outcomes:

• Cost savings: Predictive, real-time payments can reduce demurrage costs by 25–40%.
• Liquidity visibility: Knowing when payments hit creates stronger forecasts for treasury teams.
• Reputation gains: In trade, reputation for reliability often decides long-term contracts worth hundreds of millions.

The Role of AI in Kansei for Payments

Kansei is about feelings, but in the digital age, AI extends its reach. It doesn’t just show a story; it interprets it, surfaces the next step, and gives leaders clarity.

• A CFO feels confident when AI predicts liquidity shortfalls weeks ahead and recommends moving idle funds.
• A supplier feels respected when they see predictive ETAs for their payments, not vague promises.
• A logistics manager feels empowered when the system alerts them before demurrage fees hit.

These emotions—confidence, respect, empowerment—are not soft metrics. They are the conditions for strong, resilient business relationships.

They unlock smoother flows of capital, stronger partnerships, and reduced risk.

Why Payment Leaders Must Care Now

In a fragmented, protectionist world where tariffs, sanctions, and new corridors emerge overnight, the payment experience has become a frontline issue.

It’s no longer a back-office concern. It’s strategic.

WDIR’s role is to help payment leaders see this clearly:

• Payments designed with kansei build trust at scale.
• Trust unlocks liquidity, reduces costs, and creates resilience in volatile environments.
• Resilience is the competitive edge in today’s global trade.

In short: the story of money is also the story of relationships.

And the businesses that master both will lead the future of global commerce.

WDIR is trusted by leading financial insitutions and innovative fintechs globally to desing payments experiences that give confidence. If you're ready to improve to create trust by design, contact us today!