Cards: still vital to the modern UK payments market
New data shows UK card payments remain dominant, with debit growth, digital wallet reliance, and limited open banking adoption shaping issuer strategies.
January 22, 2026
New data shows UK card payments remain dominant, with debit growth, digital wallet reliance, and limited open banking adoption shaping issuer strategies.
UK payments in 2026 will balance smarter digital wallets, AI-led commerce, VRPs and sustainability with resilience, cash access, regulation and trust.
Fraud is shifting to AI-driven, cross-industry threats, forcing banks and payments firms to adopt collaborative defence, explainable AI and shared intelligence models.
