Payments Leaders Face Urgent Innovation Gap by 2026

Payments executives remain optimistic about the industry’s rapid evolution, yet many organisations are struggling to keep pace as innovation cycles accelerate. A new global study from ACI Worldwide (NASDAQ: ACIW) and Globant highlights a widening divide between leaders’ confidence and their actual preparation—an imbalance that may determine which companies maintain industry leadership in 2026 and beyond.

The report, Payments in Transition: Leadership in an Era of Transformation, draws on insights from 500 senior executives across North America, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East & Africa, and Asia Pacific. Despite 69% of respondents describing their organisations as industry leaders, fewer than half (44%) say that payments innovation is treated as a priority within the C-suite.

This mismatch stems from foundational issues that are set to become increasingly expensive and disruptive in the year ahead. More than half (55%) acknowledge they are failing to maximise the value of the technology they already have, while 44% name legacy platforms as the single biggest constraint on innovation. Cultural resistance is also slowing progress, with 53% pointing to internal pushback as a major transformation barrier.

A Deepening Modernisation Gap

The research reveals a growing gap between ambition and execution. As technology and regulatory demands intensify, many organisations risk falling behind. By 2026, customers and businesses alike will expect payments to be instant, secure, and seamlessly integrated across channels. With 79% of leaders identifying customer expectations as the primary driver of change, the pressure is mounting for institutions to deliver consistently high-performing, real-time experiences.

Key Findings at a Glance

• Modernisation plans lag industry needs
Only 36% of payments leaders say their organisation has a well-defined long-term roadmap for payments or technology modernisation. The absence of strategic planning leaves many firms without a clear path for transformation.

• Legacy systems remain a core blocker
Despite widespread agreement that outdated infrastructure slows innovation, just 25% of organisations are actively retiring or phasing out legacy platforms that hinder agility and delay new product launches.

• Rising fraud and cybersecurity threats dominate concerns
A substantial 77% of respondents say fraud and cybersecurity risks represent their biggest innovation obstacles—highlighting the increasing complexity of securing modern payments ecosystems.

• Regulatory requirements add further strain
Compliance pressures continue to mount, with 63% noting that regulatory complexity is slowing innovation efforts. Upcoming mandates—including ISO 20022 adoption and open banking requirements—will require significant preparation.

• Talent and cost pressure continue to challenge organisations
Cost constraints (14%) and talent shortages (14%) remain persistent barriers. Only a quarter of respondents feel confident in their ability to attract and retain top-tier payments and technology talent.

• AI set to transform payments performance by 2026
AI is expected to evolve far beyond fraud detection. By mid-decade, executives anticipate AI-enabled dynamic routing, real-time anomaly detection, and self-optimizing payment flows. Agentic commerce and AI-driven orchestration are poised to become mainstream, requiring companies to embed intelligence into every stage of the transaction journey.

The Path Forward: Aligning Strategy and Execution

The findings underscore the urgent need for organisations to synchronise their ambitions with actionable modernisation plans. Investments in flexible, real-time payments platforms—capable of scaling with increasing regulatory, security, and customer demands—will be essential to close the innovation gap.

“Payments leaders must convert confidence into concrete action,” said Philip Bruno, Chief Strategy and Growth Officer at ACI Worldwide. “Modernisation is no longer a future aspiration—it’s an immediate requirement. Organisations that proactively retire legacy systems and integrate intelligence and agility into their platforms today will shape the standards of 2026 and beyond.”

The full report, Payments in Transition: Leadership in an Era of Transformation, offers detailed insights into leadership attributes, organisational readiness, and the evolving demands shaping the future of payments.

Methodology

The report’s conclusions are based on a comprehensive analysis of survey responses from 500 executives across financial institutions, merchants, and service providers. The study employed:

• Borda count ranking to prioritise barriers, catalysts, and strategic priorities

• 1–7 agree/disagree scales with Top-2-Box scoring for clear visualisation

• Principal Component Regression (PCR) to connect organisational actions—like investment in real-time capabilities and modernisation roadmaps—to measurable leadership outcomes