In 2026, economic uncertainty is quietly reshaping consumer payment behavior, driving shifts across cards, cash, BNPL, and emerging alternatives as households adapt how they manage spending and access liquidity.

Targeting consumers trying to finance groceries and bills, Zip underscores the BNPL use divide.

Lackluster branded checkout and TPV growth in Q4 2025 end CEO Alex Chriss’ tenure.

Installments for QuickBook invoices offers a lifeline to SMBs.

It’s betting that Google’s protocols will funnel agentic payment volume to its BNPL platform.

International and commercial spending, along with value-added services, drove the network’s revenues.

This FAQ addresses what financial services marketers, strategists, and insights professionals need to know about credit card trends, payment networks, and marketing opportunities in 2026.

These deals helps Affirm scale in-store and online volume and push back against Klarna’s fast-growing debit card play.

Rent installment loans push BNPL into a high-stakes niche as providers chase more spend per user.

Issuers warn of legal fights, tighter credit, and shrinking perks for premium users.

Opt-in discoverability could lock in younger, AI-curious shoppers early.

Annual fee revenues tripled as affluent users flock to luxury rewards, reversing a decade-long trend—and fintechs seek to pick up consumers issuers left behind.

We review the biggest credit card movements of the year including the Capital One Discover merger, Sapphire Reserve and Platinum card refreshes, and tightening underwriting standards that are squeezing out middle and lower class families from credit lines.

Mastercard and LoanPro launched Loan on Card, a personal loan service for consumers and small businesses delivered through virtual and physical cards, per a press release. Loan on Card provides a patch for issuers trying to retain customers that otherwise would have fled to BNPL platforms for larger loans to avoid revolving debt on credit card transactions they couldn’t pay off within a month. BNPL platforms can still boast direct connections at the point-of-sale and the fact that even longer-term BNPL loans don’t appear on customers’ credit scores. Banks need to make sure their loans are just as accessible when consumers are shopping for bigger purchases—with real-time underwriting.

Affirm released a bevy of data regarding its user base and loans in a letter addressed to senators. Affirm’s data suggests a tiered system may be emerging in BNPL, where different providers are serving different slices of creditworthy customers. However, the income range of US adults seeking BNPL loans demonstrates widespread popularity of alternate credit, a key concern for issuers who risk losing credit card customers to these alternative loans. They need to address that risk with competitive, rewards-eligible card-linked installment loans.

Affirm expanded its partnership with Shopify, bringing Shop Pay installments to the UK, per a press release. PayPal and Klarna’s deep entrenchment in the UK will make it difficult for other BNPL contenders to make advances. Powering Shop Pay installments could help Affirm accelerate its foray into the country thanks to Shopify’s established network of merchants and brand recognition.

Consumers expect flexible financing options during their shopping journey, especially for big-ticket items, per a report from Synchrony’s Major Purchase Study. Advertising financing is essential, but making it easy for consumers to access is even more important. Simplifying checkout through one-click buy buttons or QR code scans in-store can streamline users’ experience for high pressure purchases and drive loyalty to those retailers for making the process painless.

Klarna launched its premium membership model in the US, per press release. Klarna has been trying to compete with premium credit card rewards as a buy now, pay later (BNPL) provider, but the cash-back rates for both tiers are paltry compared with credit cards, which often offer 2% cash back for all purchases with no annual fee. BNPL rivals should make using installment loans for big-ticket items—a key growth area for providers—as easy as possible, like by offering 0% interest holidays, instead of promoting toothless rewards structures.

Klarna rolled out tap to pay on iPhones and Androids across 14 European markets, expanding its reach for in-store purchases, per a press release. Rolling out tap to pay in Europe shows the Klarna’s ambition to secure seamless ways to check out for its users. With Klarna and Affirm already available in-store through Apple Pay in the US, BNPL providers have to weigh how much in-app tap to pay rollouts could gain traction among US consumers who are already accustomed to Apple Wallet—and what incentives could entice them to leave the Apple ecosystem.

Buy now, pay later (BNPL) volume hit new highs over the first half of the holiday season, including $747.5 million in online spending on Black Friday alone, an 8.9% YoY increase. Klarna reported Black Friday sales boosted its November volume 45% YoY, and PayPal said pre-Black Friday sales promotions lifted its BNPL volume by 23% YoY. The growth of BNPL volume signals alternate credit’s rising place in US consumer spending. The trend reflects both consumers’ financial strain and their continued willingness to spend, even if it means restructuring how they pay.