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
The Evolving ISOs: How Changes in Payments Influence Their Ongoing Shifts
Independent sales organizations (ISOs) are evolving as payments and point-of-sale technology become more complex. Once primarily focused on selling payment terminals, today’s ISOs serve as trusted advisors, helping merchants navigate advanced PO...
Self-Use Motivations Extend the Prepaid Payments Life Cycle
There’s been an intriguing shift in gift cards, which are no longer simply given by others. Consumers are buying prepaid cards for themselves to take advantage of companies’ rewards, make online purchases, and control their spending. Businesses ...
2026 Credit Card Risk: Happy Days are Here Again (For Top Issuers)
The year bodes well as 2026 approaches the end of the first quarter. Economic indicators are strong, the credit card market is growing at a healthy rate, and credit cards remain the dominant payment method as inflationary pressures drive h...
How Banks and Fintechs Are Jostling for Position in the New Data Access Economy
Financial data aggregators are losing ground as connectivity becomes a commodity and banks reassert control. The real battleground now lies in who can turn permissioned data into superior intelligence—fraud, risk, and analytics—while navigating ...
One Year On: Tariff Impacts on U.S. Imports and What They Mean for Treasury and Payments
The 2025 tariff regime triggered sharp, policy driven shifts in U.S. import patterns, with tariffs reliably pushing trade away from high duty lanes and toward lower duty or exempted alternatives. With the tariff framework subsequently overturned...
Vertical SaaS: Best Practices for Monetizing Payments
Electronic payments are increasingly important to businesses of all types and were one of the first value-added features software companies brought to their platforms. Ironically, even as independent software vendors recognize the growing import...
State of Debit 2026
Despite headwinds that include significant financial strain on consumers despite a broadly stable economy, debit remains resilient—especially among younger consumers and lower income households. Furthermore, co-branded rewards debit and small bu...
Building the Bridge to Payments: 3 Investment Trends for 2026 and Beyond
Investment in fintechs’ payment technology in 2026 is being shaped by a strong shift toward “bridging technologies” that connect legacy systems with emerging capabilities. Investors are prioritizing startups with clear revenue paths, enterprise-...
Why FIs Should Use Hyperliquid’s Playbook for Crypto
Hyperliquid didn’t win market share by focusing on decentralization. Rather, it won by rebuilding market structure from a decentralized standpoint. This report explains how a centralized exchange experience, an on-chain centralized limit order b...
2026 State of the Industry: Commercial Prepaid Cards
The commercial prepaid market continues to provide overall growth, with concern continuing in government verticals. Providers would be well-positioned to focus on business-to-business relationships for growth while maintaining government relatio...