Artificial Intelligence tops the list of payment technologies and solutions the UK’s e-commerce and retail payments professionals are sourcing in 2026, according to our exclusive research.
The findings have been revealed in the run up to the Smarter Payments Summit, which takes place on March 4th in London and are based on delegate requirements.
Delegates registering to attend are asked which solutions they needed to invest in during 2026 and beyond.
Payment Service Providers, B2B Payment, card Payments and Payment Networks rounded out the Top 5 most in-demand areas.
Sarah Beal, Managing Director at Forum Events & Media, said: “The fact that Artificial Intelligence is leading the list of payment technologies being sourced in 2026 reflects how rapidly the payments landscape is evolving. Retailers and e-commerce brands are under intense pressure to improve authorisation rates, reduce fraud and deliver seamless customer experiences, and AI is increasingly seen as the enabler across all three.
“What’s particularly interesting in this year’s data is that AI isn’t being viewed as a standalone solution. It’s being considered alongside core infrastructure such as Payment Service Providers, B2B payments and card networks. That tells us organisations are thinking strategically about embedding intelligence across their entire payments ecosystem, rather than bolting it on at the edges.
“As we head into the Smarter Payments Summit, it’s clear that payments leaders are focused on building resilient, data-driven platforms that can scale securely and internationally. The demand we’re seeing reflects a market that is both ambitious and highly aware of the need to balance innovation with risk management.”
Top 10 solutions being sourced by Smarter Payments Summit delegates 2026:
AI
Payment Service Providers
B2B Payments
Card Payments
Payment Networks
Fraud Management
Payment Networks
Global Payments
Authentication
Risk Management
For more information about the buying trends data and the Smarter Payments Summit, contact Victoria Petch on 01992 374082 / v.petch@forumevents.co.uk.
