Research

The expectation of interest rate cuts in 2026 will trigger a historic game of catch-up for tradition-bound lenders that have failed to keep pace with savvy FIs and “refi-ready” fintechs that have honed AI-powered advice-driven chatbots and inves...

In emerging payments, hype comes first, often well in advance of the actual broad use of the payment tools and technologies. In 2026, after a year of press releases heralding the transformation to be brought about by ]agentic AI, look for consum...

Criminals are increasing pressure on consumers through a variety of methods. In 2026 and beyond, phantom hacker scams, AI agents, and money mules all pose growing threats to the livelihoods of consumers. Much of this threat is driven by technolo...

As payment technology advances and offers greater options and flexibility for consumers, merchants are put in the position of prioritizing how to manage payment acceptance, what platforms to engage with, and how to continue chasing higher revenu...

Prepaid card programs motor along while innovation bubbles beneath the service. In the coming year and beyond, Javelin sees three major themes playing out in the space. First, the idea that digital options are going to eliminate physical cards n...

Small businesses have always straddled two worlds. They expect the simplicity of consumer banking but often need the personalization and sophistication of corporate solutions. A turning point is coming in 2026 as FIs seek to deliver that balance...

The past few years have seen payment modernization and infrastructure improvements at financial institutions, but the next few years will require something new: a coordination of technology, processes, and policies. The banks and vendors that co...

Closed-loop prepaid programs continue to grow load volumes across the spectrum of use cases. In this report, Javelin Strategy & Research continues its annual assessment of closed-loop prepaid programs across a range of categories and identifies ...

This report is based on Javelin Strategy’s Buyer PaymentsInsights series’ annual survey. A web-based survey was fielded between September 11-29, 2025, using a U.S. online consumer research panel of adults aged 18 and older. The survey of 2,000 U...

Loyalty programs, an essential tool for customer acquisition for merchants of all types, are ubiquitous in the marketplace. This Javelin Strategy & Research note examines the growth of these programs from a vertical perspective, comparing this y...