Jodie Kelley

Merchant payments are being reshaped by open-banking rails, embedded finance, and real-time settlement. As merchants demand faster, cheaper, and more integrated payments experiences, banks must rethink their role, from traditional acquirers to data-driven, platform-based partners. This panel unpacks the new economics of merchant payments: the rise of Pay-by-Bank, buy now, pay later (BNPL) regulation, AI-driven fraud management, and the expanding role of embedded finance. Hear from leading banks, fintech innovators, and merchants on how business models, infrastructure, and customer expectations are changing—and what strategies are required for banks to stay relevant in 2026 and beyond. The panel will discuss key factors transformation, including:

• Real-time settlement and tokenization: Modernizing rails and operations.

• Pay-by-Bank and A2A payments: How open banking is changing merchant economics.

• Embedded and platform finance: Banks’ opportunity to power commerce ecosystems.

• AI and fraud management: Leveraging data and automation to preserve trust.

• BNPL and consumer credit regulation: The evolving compliance landscape.