PAY360 2025 has commenced today, marking the first day of the two-day event, March 25–26, at ExCeL London. Organized by The Payments Association, the event brings together professionals from across the payments ecosystem to discuss trends, technologies, and challenges shaping the future of payments.

With over 200 speakers from fintech, financial institutions, regulatory bodies, and technology companies, the event will cover topics such as open banking, AI-driven payment solutions, fraud prevention, and sustainability. This year’s theme, “Tech horizons: payments’ next quantum leap,” aims to discover the impact of technological trends on future payment strategies and solutions.

The Future of Payments in the EU 2025–2030

The EU's payment systems will evolve with the introduction of the Digital Euro, open banking, and AI-driven solutions. Blockchain technology and digital wallets will transform cross-border payments Cross-Border Payments Cross-border payments refer to transactions involving individuals, companies, banks or settlement institutions operating in at least two different countries.The concept of cross-border payment is not new however, despite its rise in importance in the 21st century.New technology and the growth of blockchain has brought the term cross-border payment into our daily conversations.Cross-border payments are an essential term that refers to any transaction involving private individuals’ companies, bank Cross-border payments refer to transactions involving individuals, companies, banks or settlement institutions operating in at least two different countries.The concept of cross-border payment is not new however, despite its rise in importance in the 21st century.New technology and the growth of blockchain has brought the term cross-border payment into our daily conversations.Cross-border payments are an essential term that refers to any transaction involving private individuals’ companies, bank Read this Term, enhancing speed and security. By 2030, the focus will be on seamless, instant, and secure transactions across the EU.

Retail Reinvented: Payments at the Heart of Customer Experience

Payments will become central to the retail experience, offering personalized, seamless transactions. Innovations like mobile wallets, contactless payments, and data-driven services will enhance customer convenience, speed, and security, making payments integral to modern retail interactions.

Could AI Win the Financial Crime Battle?

AI’s ability to analyze data in real time is crucial in detecting financial crime. By spotting fraud and money laundering patterns, AI will enhance security measures, though challenges like false positives and ethical concerns remain. AI’s role in fighting financial crime will continue to evolve.

Could AI Win the Financial Crime Battle?

AI’s ability to analyze data in real time is crucial in detecting financial crime. By spotting fraud and money laundering Money Laundering Money laundering is a blanket term to describe the process by which criminals disguise the original ownership and proceeds of criminal conduct by making such proceeds appear to be derived from a legitimate source.Money laundering is an issue that traverses countless industries and sectors, which includes the financial services space. Though criminal money may be successfully laundered without the assistance of the financial sector, billions of dollars’ worth of criminally derived money are laund Money laundering is a blanket term to describe the process by which criminals disguise the original ownership and proceeds of criminal conduct by making such proceeds appear to be derived from a legitimate source.Money laundering is an issue that traverses countless industries and sectors, which includes the financial services space. Though criminal money may be successfully laundered without the assistance of the financial sector, billions of dollars’ worth of criminally derived money are laund Read this Term patterns, AI will enhance security measures, though challenges like false positives and ethical concerns remain. AI’s role in fighting financial crime will continue to evolve.

Unleashing the Potential of Digital Wallets

Digital wallets are revolutionizing payments by consolidating payment methods and managing finances. As security improves, they will offer broader financial services, promoting digital inclusion and enabling faster, more convenient transactions across platforms.

Innovating Wholesale Payments: Building a Resilient and Innovative Future

Wholesale payments are evolving with real-time transactions, blockchain, and cross-border enhancements. These innovations will reduce costs, increase efficiency, and support global financial systems, driven by collaboration among banks, fintechs, and regulators.

Blockchain for Payments: Has It and Can It Deliver on Its Promise?

Blockchain promises to streamline payments by reducing fees and ensuring security. However, scalability and regulatory challenges must be overcome. Despite hurdles, blockchain’s potential for faster, more secure transactions continues to develop.

AI Ethics in Payments: Managing Risks and Regulatory Challenges

The Spotlight Session on Verification and Compliance explored strategies for maintaining compliance while ensuring efficient onboarding. Panelists discussed how verification techniques can adapt to regulatory requirements and risk profiles across different regions. The session also examined the role of AI and machine learning in fraud prevention and how businesses can streamline global onboarding without relying on multiple APIs and solutions.

A session on Skills in the Payments Industry addressed the evolving talent landscape. Speakers highlighted the importance of upskilling to meet future industry demands and examined how AI is reshaping the workplace. Discussions also covered strategies for maintaining agility and innovation while scaling operations.

The Spotlight Session on AI Ethics in Payments examined the risks associated with AI, including bias, privacy, and security concerns. Experts shared insights on emerging best practices and AI governance models. The discussion also considered the role of regulators in managing AI responsibly and what further steps might be taken to address these challenges.

Leveraging Data and AI: Insights from the Panel Discussion

The session, titled “Mining for Data Gold: How to Build a Strategic Data Strategy,” has just concluded, focusing on the role of data in business decision-making.

Panelists discussed the need to move beyond a compliance-driven approach to data collection and instead define clear use cases for its application. The session also highlighted how leveraging data effectively can enhance strategic decision-making and drive business growth. Additionally, speakers explored the connection between strong data strategies and AI, emphasizing the importance of using AI efficiently for optimization and increased operational efficiency.

Building Scalable Payment Solutions

The stream keynote, titled “Adapt and Evolve: Staying Innovative in a Changing Landscape,” focuses on the future of the payments industry and the need for continuous innovation. Panelists discussed what the payments landscape will look like in the next five years and how products must evolve to meet changing demands.

The session also covered the process of taking products from proof of concept to reality, emphasizing the importance of addressing real problems rather than retrofitting ideas. Additionally, the panel explored strategies for building scalable services that can extend beyond a single product or region.

The Role of Hyper-Personalisation in Payments and Customer Engagement

The stream keynote, titled “Me, Me, Me: The Future of Hyper-Personalisation,” has just concluded, focusing on how AI is streamlining the customer experience by avoiding an overload of options. Panelists discussed how businesses can predict customer needs and use this data to drive revenue.

The session also covered the role of tools like chatbots and robo-advisors in providing additional support and freeing up human resources. Additionally, the panel explored how personalisation can enhance essential processes like Know Your Customer (KYC), improving both efficiency and compliance.

The Impact of Global Economics on the Payments Industry

The stream keynote, titled “Seeing the Big Picture: The Effect of Global Economics on Payments,” has discussed the broader economic factors impacting the payments industry.

The session has highlighted how the industry doesn’t operate in isolation, with the global economic outlook influencing payment trends and operations.

Panelists are examining the potential effects of geopolitics on the sector, as well as how customers are being affected, particularly in terms of spending patterns and revenues. This session has provided insights into how external economic factors are shaping the future of payments.

The Future of Wallets in the Payments Ecosystem

The keynote panel debate, titled “Are Wallets Going to Win?”, is examining key concerns from the PSR and FCA.

The discussion explores whether tech providers like Apple will need to adjust their business models, and how offerings such as “Click to Pay” could shift the market balance.

Panelists are also considering how digital wallets may interact with initiatives like account-to-account payments and the potential impact this shift could have on traditional industry players.

Financial Crime and Data Sharing

The keynote panel is focused on financial crime, discussing what Europe and the world can learn from each other in addressing this major industry challenge.

The discussion centers on whether financial crime can be effectively tackled without increased international cooperation and where efforts should be concentrated.

Panelists have explored which approaches are working to combat financial crime and identify best practices to adopt. Additionally, the role of data sharing in identifying and preventing bad actors will be examined, along with a debate on whether the UK’s APP fraud rules could serve as a global benchmark or are a potential misstep.

PAY360 has started with a series of keynotes and panels. The opening keynote features a ministerial address, followed by keynotes from the headline sponsor and host bank partner.