Payments 2030: What’s Shaping the Future?

Finextra, in collaboration with ACI Worldwide, released its latest global research report, Payments 2030: What’s Shaping the Future? on September 26, 2025. The survey captures insights from financial institutions (FIs) worldwide and highlights what will define the payments industry over the next five years.

At the heart of the findings lies a transformative triad—cloud adoption, instant payments, and account-to-account (A2A) transfers. Together, these elements are expected to reshape how money moves globally.

The report shows that only 7% of FIs are fully cloud-based today, but this figure is projected to rise to 25% by 2030. Cloud is becoming central not only for cost reduction but also for agility and integration with AI-driven services.

On instant payments, 41% of FIs plan to launch outbound services within 24 months. This shift responds to consumer expectations for speed, liquidity, and convenience, but challenges around liquidity management and interoperability remain.

For A2A payments, 63% of FIs expect volumes to grow by more than 10% annually through 2030. Regulatory tailwinds and embedded finance are fueling this surge, though consumer awareness and merchant adoption still need work.

However, optimism is tempered by compliance concerns. Nearly 47% of institutions admit to reactive or struggling compliance postures. This is risky, as global mandates like ISO 20022, SEPA Instant, and Request-to-Pay become operational imperatives.

Failure to keep pace could lead to penalties, revenue loss, and reputational damage. Compliance, therefore, must be integrated into transformation roadmaps, not treated as an afterthought.

The report emphasizes that the future belongs to orchestrators—institutions that can harmonize technology, regulation, and customer needs. Laggards risk being overtaken by agile fintechs and payment service providers.

Strategically, FIs are urged to adopt phased cloud rollouts, invest in RegTech, and foster ecosystems through partnerships. These steps will help balance innovation with resilience.

Ultimately, Payments 2030 is both a forecast and a warning. The winners of the next decade will be those who master speed and scale while maintaining compliance and trust.