Innovation Stage

Where the Future of Payments Takes Centre Stage

The PAY360 Innovation Stage is your front-row seat to the ideas, technologies, and trailblazers reshaping the payments ecosystem. Free to attend and always buzzing, this stage brings together industry leaders, rising fintechs, and sharp thinkers for two days of fast-paced insights, big debates, and real-world innovation.

From AI-powered payments and next-generation wallets to embedded finance, fraud prevention, accessibility, and the ever-evolving regulatory landscape, last year’s sessions showcased the trends defining the future. Expect energetic morning news round-ups, candid conversations with innovators, and Fintechs Pitch Live sessions.

Whether you’re seeking inspiration, practical takeaways, partnerships, or a pulse check on what’s next, the Innovation Stage is the place to be.

Our 2026 agenda

	DAY ONE
1000	How to get investment: The future of Fintech in the UK Hear from experienced fintech investors and entrepreneurs on what they look for in a market that’s fast moving, saturated and cutthroat but also full of opportunity. As a founder, what do you need to do to stand out? What’s the state of investment in the UK? (Moderator) Ian Horne, Author and Consultant, Let Fintech Grow! Bruce McIntyre, Managing Partner, Novitas FTCL
1025	When Payments Meet Choice: How Gift Cards Are Becoming a Core Financial Product How are open banking, real-time data and new reward mechanics shifting gift cards from occasional gifting to everyday, self-use payments? How are data-led cashback apps (such as Cheddar) using open banking insights to trigger gift card purchases at the right moment, and how do retailers benefit from this behaviour? Why do gift cards enable instant cashback and stronger unit economics compared to traditional cashback models, especially with digital top-ups at major retailers like Tesco? What does GCVA data reveal about self-use as the main growth driver in the gift card market, and what does this mean for banks, fintechs and payment providers looking to increase engagement, reduce costs and unlock new revenue? (Moderator) David Wall, Chief Commercial Officer, Tillo Marc Blake, Senior Manager, Gift Cards (3rd Party & Tesco), Tesco Hannah Shimko, Managing Director, Gift Card & Voucher Association (GCVA) Luke Ladyman, Co-founder, Cheddar
1050	Wallets, Super-Apps, and the Rise of Embedded Finance in the UK How are digital wallets evolving from simple payment tools into hubs for identity, loyalty, credit, and money management? What can we learn from Asian Super-Apps? What does that shift mean for customer engagement and competition and the future of embedded finance in the UK? (Moderator) Anton Kornilov, Payments Expert Claire Gates, Global Head of Payments & Solutions, Crown Agents Bank Anna Stoianova, Head of Digital Product – Money Transfers, Nordea
1115	The future of the global payments industry and the role of financial institutions in the ecosystem The evolution of payments is moving toward a world where payments disappear becoming frictionless, invisible, and instant, embedded naturally into everyday experiences. As money moves at rapid speed, trust becomes the true infrastructure, built on identity, security, and transparency. Our role is shifting from simply participating in the ecosystem to helping design it, shaping standards and enabling innovation across borders and industries. Adam Nordin, Head of Acquiring, VIP360
1140	Fixing cross-border payments: The issues and they’re being solved Cross-border payments remain slower, more expensive, and less transparent than domestic payments. This presentation breaks down why these issues persist and explores three approaches to addressing them: Stablecoins Account-to-account payments Software-led solutions James Hurren, Data Journalist, The Payments Association
1200	Fire-side chat: The Commercial Advantage of Competitive Sustainability Sustainability is becoming a source of differentiation, not compliance – shaping client choice, pricing power, and long-term competitiveness. Firms that treat ESG as a strategic lever, not a cost centre, are better positioned to win, retain, and grow. Charlie Bronks, Head of Sustainability, Responsible Business, Crown Agents Bank Miranda McLean, Chief Marketing Officer, Ecommpay
1230	FINTECH’S PITCH LIVE sponsored by Mastercard The popular, energy-packed Fintech’s Pitch LIVE in association with Mastercard is back for 2026. This is an opportunity for emerging fintechs to be recognised for revolutionising how people move, manage and spend their money, or help safeguard the ecosystem through Regtech. Judged by an international panel of experts from the investment community and leading banks we invite fintech companies to showcase their most innovative new technology or service in the payments sector. Chris Adelsbach, Founding Partner, Outrun Ventures Simon Chuter, Head of SME Engagement, Angelgroups David Parker, Lead Ambassador / Lead Judge, The Payments Association Bruce McIntyre, Managing Partner, NovitasFTCL Jessica Richards, Head of Performance and Business Management, Natwest
1430	FINTECH’S PITCH LIVE – One Year On with Trudenty: Rethinking Trust in Modern Payments A reflection on where the payments industry was a year ago versus where it is today The key shifts that have driven change, including collaboration, new payment rails and emerging models Why these structural changes expose gaps around trust and governance, and why trust needs to move with behaviour as payments evolve Lerato Matsio, Founder and CEO, Trudenty
1455	Project Meridian: Tokenised Settlement in Action Real-time DvP settlement and intraday repo using tokenised securities and central bank money. Programmable liquidity and cross-platform interoperability via smart contracts. Robert Courtneidge, Policy Advisor, The Payments Association
1520	Women Shaping Payments Meet up Join us for *Women Shaping Payments, a dedicated meetup for female leaders in payments. Connect, share insights, and discuss pathways to breaking barriers and unlocking opportunities in the industry. Together, let’s empower the next generation of female payment professionals and shape a more inclusive future. Angela Yore,* CEO, Skyparlour
1620	END

	DAY TWO
1000	The future of payment: Smart cards as the digital backbone of payments. How are smart cards evolving into connected credentials that support both payments and secure digital identity, from tap-to-pay to tap-to-authenticate? How can Secure Elements, NFC, tokenisation and wallet services enable seamless interoperability between EMV payments, digital currencies and crypto assets? What does it take to extend trusted payment and authentication from cards to phones, wearables and IoT devices while maintaining security and resilience? How are next-generation devices like smart rings and smartwatches integrating physical and digital payments into a single, simple tap experience? Florian Schneeweiss, Manager Product & Application Marketing – Payments, Infineon Technologies
1025	Fire-side chat: cVRP Going Live – Are you ready? This session will explore the scpecifics of the new cVRP scheme and the latest updates, covering the following questions: Who will be able to participate in the scheme? What do the funding structure and governance behind cVRP look like? What is the main opportunity for Fintechs? Richard Koch, Head of Payments Policy, Open Banking (Moderator) David Parker, Ambassador, The Payments Association
1050	BREAKING NEWS: Fresh insights on today’s shifting landscape Join two titans of payments to hear their views on the burning issues facing the industry today. Promising to pull no punches and with no holds barred, Jana and Tony will spar over what is really hot to members of UK Finance and The Payments Association, what gets their goat and what keeps them up at night. Members of the press not allowed. Tony Craddock, Founder, The Payments Association Jana Mackintosh, Managing Director, Payments and Innovation, UK Finance
1115	In conversation with a government representative More information coming soon! Riccardo Tordera-Ricchi, Director of Policy, The Payments Association
1140	Accessibility as the Unfair Advantage: Why inclusive financial services outperform — and why the winners are already acting. Accessibility in financial services is often framed as compliance or cost. In reality, it’s a powerful growth lever – unlocking new customers, increasing loyalty, and future-proofing products in a rapidly changing market. This panel explores how organisations that design for accessibility gain a competitive edge others overlook. How does accessibility move from a regulatory requirement to a strategic advantage? What commercial opportunities are financial institutions missing by not designing inclusively? How inclusive design process can create new levels of customer understanding and loyalty. (Moderator) Joanne Dewar, Project Lead, Project Nemo Kris Foster, Co-Founder, Open Book Andy Moore, Head of Product Design, ANNA Money
1205	Meet the Association Behind PAY360 This is your chance to meet the organisation behind PAY360. In this informal session, Ben Agnew, who is CEO of The Payments Association, will share how the association works on behalf of the sector — connecting peers, influencing policy, and providing the intelligence members rely on to make better decisions. Find out how members help set priorities, how the association amplifies the sector’s voice, and how its work continues long after the show doors close. (Moderator) Ben Agnew, CEO, The Payments Association Benjamin David, Head of Intelligence, The Payments Association Riccardo Tordera, Vice President, Policy & Government Relations, The Payments Association Natasha Healy, Head of projects, The Payments Association Chris Dempsey-Doyle, Head of Member Engagement, The Payments Association
1225	FINALE: The Future of Money Design Awards The Future of Money Award was founded in 2009. Created to develop links between the financial industry and creative practitioners from around the world. Over the past 15 years, FOM and the talented designers and artists that participated in the awards, have challenged, questioned and proposed new approaches to money and payments. Join us for the finale of the awards, and to meet the talented artists! Dave Birch, Author, advisor & commentator on digital financial services, 15Mb Ltd
1330	Crooks Live with We Fight Fraud Tony Sales, Founder, We Fight Fraud
1410	End
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