As cyber threats evolve, AI-powered anomaly detection is becoming essential for helping payment firms identify threats early and strengthen resilience.

New FRC guidance is reshaping CASS 15 safeguarding audits, with payment and e-money firms urged to strengthen controls, documentation and audit readiness before May 2026.

KYC is evolving beyond onboarding. As fraud grows more sophisticated, payments firms are shifting towards continuous, risk-based identity verification.

For SMEs, cash remains essential for resilience, liquidity, and inclusivity as digital payments still bring costs, delays, and dependency risks.

Digital wallets, open banking, and instant payments are reshaping competition as banks fight to retain customer ownership and engagement.

Cross-border payments remain costly and unpredictable for SMEs, despite advances in payment technology and real-time infrastructure.