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.

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

The AI Platform Is Closer Than Some Rivals, but It Still Faces Barriers

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.

This FAQ addresses what commerce media is, how it differs from retail media, and where growth opportunities exist for advertisers in 2026.

Debit-linked installments mirror credit card tools, widening access for Gen Z and debit-first shoppers.

Trust in consumer banking varies widely in 2026. Primary banks still anchor core products. But confidence differs by generation, product, and channel, with honesty, transparency, and security shaping how consumers evaluate financial providers.

European users can now send money in-app as Klarna pushes into core banking territory.

JPMorgan buys the $20B portfolio at a discount, inheriting risks but gaining a unique opportunity.

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.

BNPL is cementing itself as a go-to tool for shoppers looking to stretch their dollars.

Artificial intelligence is working its way into every facet of the US economy, and the payments industry is no exception. While the changes to consumers’ payment behavior will be gradual, providers need to act now, according to our 2026 AI in the Payments Customer Life Cycle report. Providers need to overcome critical issues like data fragmentation, but a well executed AI strategy can help providers maintain control over product discovery and streamline checkout.

Klarna launched the Agentic Product Protocol, an open standard that makes products on the internet discoverable and understandable by AI agents, per a press release. All payment providers need to meet consumer demand for AI-powered commerce that allows them to save time and money on shopping. However, to speed up adoption of agent-driven checkout, platforms need to ensure safety and privacy with AI agent transactions: 65.5% of US consumers still have misgivings about agent-led payments, per Omnisend.

PayPal filed to form PayPal Bank with the FDIC and Utah Department of Financial Institutions. Banks and credit unions should anticipate expanded interest-bearing offerings from PayPal Pay Later if its license is approved. And PayPal has a built-in advantage because its buy button and credit underwriting can all happen during the checkout process—whereas banks and credit unions have to rely on consumers applying for a loan well before they intend to complete a transaction. Credit unions should emphasize their competitive interest rates to consumers choosing between their loan products or a PayPal loan.

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.

Klarna sealed a research partnership with Stripe-owned Privy to develop a crypto wallet for Klarna users, per a press release. Klarna’s jump into crypto could help pad its margins and keep users more enmeshed in its growing ecosystem of financial services. But fintechs dabbling in stablecoins now still need to overcome the overwhelming inertia facing stablecoin payments. Consumers just aren’t interested in crypto payments, and unless they see immediate, concrete benefits for making the switch, KlarnaUSD and other proprietary stablecoins—like PayPalUSD—will have limited addressable markets.

Afterpay partnered with a slate of new merchants to increase flexible financing options for consumers ahead of the holidays, per a press release. New partners include Thursday Boots, Diesel, and SP5DER Worldwide. Block is betting on its ecosystem effect raising the value of all of its products. However, major partnerships are still needed to rocket a BNPL product to high use, like Klarna’s integrations with Walmart.

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.