What shapes consumer transactions and payment technologies, and where is it going?
Rapid changes in technology, regulation, and consumer behavior continue to reshape the payments industry. Javelin’s payments research team tracks commercial and consumer payment trends, evaluates emerging payment technologies, and anticipates what’s next. Through unbiased research, data-driven insights, and actionable advice, we help financial institutions, payments providers, and technology companies develop strategies that position them for success in a rapidly evolving market.
Payments Research
Reports
Small Business Credit Cards: A $1 Trillion Opportunity for Issuers, Networks, and Fintechs
Small business cards are entering a new era. Transaction volume is expected to exceed $1 trillion, and cards have become gateways to deeper banking, data, and cash-flow relationships. This report reveals the market shifts, disruptions, underwrit...
BIS Project Agorá: A Road Map to Tokenized Deposits for FIs
Project Agorá is more than a wholesale cross-border payments prototype. It signals that central banks, commercial banks, and financial infrastructure providers are preparing to absorb many of the features that made stablecoins attractive. It’s a...
Speed Matters in Gift Card Redemption: Snapshots from Javelin’s 2026 Prepaid Consumer Sentiment Survey
Why do some prepaid gift cards drive faster spending, stronger engagement, and more future purchases than others? This report shows how redemption speed shapes behaviors across gift recipients and self-users, uncovering where promotions, design,...
The Technology Product Owner: New Rules, New Roles at FIs
As banks decide to monetize data and deploy AI, a new kind of employee is becoming critical to turning technology into revenue. Product owners who blend finance, technology, and strategy are reshaping decision-making at financial institutions. T...
The Mandate Is the Message: How the CFO’s Expanding Remit Shaped Payments Provider Strategy
The CFO’s role has expanded through two decades of shocks, technology shifts, shareholder pressure, and changing capital conditions. This report examines how each era reshaped what finance leaders had to prove and how treasury services and comme...
Debit Network Control: The Battleground Is No Longer Just Rates
Debit networks are being reshaped by regulation, shifting transaction mix toward e-commerce and digital wallets, and increased competition extending into card-not-present environments. Looking ahead, potential interchange cap changes and merchan...
Regulatory Issues in Credit Cards: Preparing for the World of AI
From constitutional preemption to modern AI, the forces shaping credit cards are more complex and consequential than ever. Federal dominance, limited state influence, and evolving consumer protections create a tightly controlled system where inn...
Every Merchant Needs a Chief Payments Officer
Payments are no longer just a cost center for merchants; they’re a strategic lever for growth. As responsibilities fragment across finance, IT, and operations, hidden costs and missed revenue opportunities multiply. This report reveals why tradi...
How SoFiUSD Is Pointing Toward the Broader Stablecoin Future
SoFiUSD is not just another branded stablecoin competing for consumer attention. Its launch shows how stablecoins may enter banking through settlement, issuer processing, embedded finance, and vendor infrastructure before customers ever ask to h...
Digital IDs and Mobile Driver’s Licenses: Acceptance Remains the Key Constraint
Issuance of mobile driver’s licenses and digital IDs is rising and awareness is building, yet adoption is stalling where it matters most: real-world use. The next wave of value will come from convergence across wallets, biometrics, and acceptanc...