Exploring the many ways fintech copy sucks – and what to write instead.
You’ve read this line before:
“We deliver seamless, end-to-end experiences that delight users at every touchpoint.”
Yes you have. Just admit it.
“But it sounds polished. Professional. Confident.”
It also says almost nothing – and it makes me shut the browser tab.
Not because it’s badly written. But because it’s meaningless – and everywhere.
Welcome to the house of mirrors that is fintech marketing, where teams burn budget trying to sound like they belong, and end up saying exactly what every other landing page says. No edge. No clarity. No conversion.
This isn’t just a stylistic issue. It’s a commercial one.
Because when your copy blends into the sector – using the same vague phrasing, the same “digital-first” boilerplate – it stops doing its job. Buyers don’t feel clarity. They don’t feel trust. And they don’t feel compelled to act.
This piece (read: rant) is here to fix that.
We’re going to look at the worst jargon offenders, why they persist, what they’re really hiding – and how to build sharper, more credible messaging in a space that desperately needs it.
Not cute rewrites. Not tone-of-voice fluff. Just a practical framework for saying what you actually mean – and making buyers care.
The usual suspects: 7 phrases that need to die (and what to write instead)
Some jargon is just lazy. Some is actively harmful. Here are the worst offenders in fintech copy – the ones that litter websites, sales decks, and investor memos – and how to do better.
1. “Seamless experience”
It sounds sleek, but says nothing. Seamless for who? In what context?
Say this instead: “Let customers onboard in under 90 seconds – without switching apps”, or “Set up payouts with no developer time”.
2. “End-to-end solution”
This is corporate filler. It hints at completeness but hides the detail.
Say this instead: “From onboarding to reconciliation – one API”, or “Handle KYC, KYB, and AML in one place”.
3. “Frictionless”
Frictionless onboarding, frictionless checkout, frictionless compliance – great for buzzword bingo, not for real understanding.
Say this instead: “Pre-filled forms and live ID checks mean your customers sign up in minutes”, or “Built-in compliance workflows reduce manual steps”.
4. “Empowering businesses to grow”
A phrase that wants to sound helpful but skips the “how”.
Say this instead: “Cut processing costs by 18%”, or “Let merchants settle funds next day – without extra paperwork”.
5. “One-stop shop”
A favourite of pitch decks and tired landing pages. Usually means “we do a lot of things, none explained clearly”.
Say this instead: “Payments, risk, and reporting – built to work together”.
6. “Robust & scalable”
These sound reassuring but are rarely qualified. How robust? How scalable?
Say this instead: “Built to support 10m+ API calls/day with 99.999% uptime”, or “Used by 4 of the top 10 UK neobanks”.
7. “Revolutionising [X]”
Unless you’ve literally invented fire, skip the hyperbole.
Say this instead: “Replacing clunky batch file uploads with real-time reconciliation”, or “Helping finance teams move faster – without spreadsheets”.
Why we reach for jargon (even when we know better)
It’s easy to mock jargon, but most of us don’t set out to write like this. So why does it creep in?
We’re short on time
Startups move fast. The product’s evolving, the team’s juggling 12 priorities, and someone needs website copy by tomorrow. So we reach for the familiar – phrases we’ve seen in decks, heard in demos, or scraped from Notion.
We’re trying to sound “professional”
There’s a trap in fintech where clarity gets confused with immaturity. Founders and marketers worry that plain English won’t sound “credible”, so they add a layer of formality – often by copying how big players talk. But the big players often sound like furniture catalogs.
We haven’t nailed the story yet
Most jargon is placeholder language. It shows up when the product isn’t fully positioned, or when the team hasn’t agreed on who the message is really for. You end up with phrases that sort of describe the thing – but don’t help anyone make a decision.
We’re scared of being wrong – or sounding stupid
Jargon is a shield. It lets you imply outcomes without committing to specifics. It lets you sound impressive without risking contradiction. And for founders or first-time marketers, it offers cover. If you write like a real person, you risk someone thinking you don’t get the space. So you overcompensate.
But when everyone’s hedging behind buzzwords, clear, specific language becomes a competitive edge.
What clear messaging actually looks like
Clear messaging doesn’t mean dumbing things down. It means saying the right thing to the right person in the clearest possible way – so they can make a confident decision.
It starts with specificity
Instead of “streamlining onboarding”, say “reduce merchant KYC time by 60%”. Instead of “offering seamless payments”, say “accept Apple Pay, Google Pay, and cards with a single API”. Specifics build credibility. Vague phrases just build bounce rate.
It shows, not tells
Anyone can claim their solution is “intuitive” or “powerful”. But showing what it does, or how it compares, is what moves the needle. Screenshots. Before/after states. Use cases. Stats. That’s what earns trust. Not self-flattery
It speaks in outcomes
Your customer doesn’t care that your platform “enables dynamic configuration via modular architecture”. They care that it saves their ops team four hours a week and keeps them compliant. Features matter, but only in the context of what they unlock.
It sounds like a person, not a committee
You’re not trying to win a Pulitzer. But if your copy reads like it was assembled by a legal team, your prospect won’t connect with it. Real humans respond to rhythm, clarity, and tone that respects their intelligence.
Good messaging answers real questions in plain terms. It doesn’t sound smart. It helps people decide.
When you can use jargon (and how to do it well)
Let’s be clear – jargon isn’t always the enemy. Used deliberately, it can signal competence, save time, and reassure technical audiences that you know what you’re talking about.
But that’s the key: used deliberately.
Here’s when it earns its place:
You’re speaking to experts, not gatekeepers
If you’re writing for developers, compliance leads, or payment ops specialists – and you’re deep in the weeds of implementation or regulation – it makes sense to speak their language. “Tokenisation”, “ISO 20022”, “webhooks” – these aren’t fluff. They’re functional.
You’ve already framed the value
Jargon should support clarity, not substitute for it. Lead with the outcome. Then use technical terms to show how you get there. If someone’s already bought into the why, you can afford to go deeper into the how.
You’re differentiating with precision
Sometimes a precise industry term is the clearest way to describe what you do. “Acquirer-agnostic”, “rule-based routing”, “3DS fallback flows” – these have real meaning in context. Just don’t throw them in to sound smart. Use them to be specific.
The audience expects it
Some buyers view plain language as a red flag. They assume it means you don’t get it. In those cases, your copy still needs to be clear – but a total avoidance of domain language can backfire. The trick is to layer it, not lead with it.
You explain it without condescension
Don’t assume everyone knows every acronym. Define it once. Do it quickly, cleanly, and without sounding like you’re talking to a child. A smart reader should feel respected, not corrected.
In short:
Use jargon when it adds clarity, not when it replaces it. Use it to signal expertise, not insecurity. And above all, never use it just because the other guys are doing it. They probably wish they weren’t.
How to spot jargon before it goes live
You don’t need a red pen or a degree in linguistics. You just need to ask the right questions before you hit publish.
Would a smart outsider get it?
Forget internal teams. Would someone clever – but not steeped in your product – understand what you mean? Could they repeat it back to you without guessing?
Is it a claim, or an explanation?
“Faster onboarding” is a claim. “Reduce sign-up time from 3 days to 3 minutes” is an explanation. Claims sound like marketing. Explanations build trust.
Can you picture it happening?
Good copy paints a picture. “Reduce fraud” is vague. “Flag 80% of chargebacks before they happen” is tangible.
Would your sales team say it out loud?
No one’s walking into a pitch and saying “we empower growth through seamless synergy”. So why is it on your homepage?
Is it there because it’s true – or because it sounds good?
This is the acid test. Jargon often survives because someone, somewhere, thinks it sounds like something a smart fintech would say. But if it doesn’t clarify or persuade, it’s working against you.
Final thoughts: write like you mean it
Jargon doesn’t just clutter your copy. It slows your sales cycle. It hides your value. And it signals to smart buyers that you don’t quite know how to talk about your own product.
That’s the real cost – not sounding dull, but sounding forgettable – but that you don’t sound like a partner worth listening to.
The good news? You don’t need to be a poet or a provocateur. You just need to say what you mean in words that real people understand. And sometimes, that means killing the phrases that made you feel safe.
Because buyers don’t want “seamless experiences”. They want clarity. They want confidence. They want to know you’ve done this before – and that you’re not afraid to talk like a human being.
That’s the bar. And the fintechs that clear it will keep winning deals that jargon can’t.