Payments News & Trends
Top Payments Conferences to Attend in 2026
Best Paytech and Payments Conferences to Attend in 2026
If you’re building payment processing solutions, working in payments, or navigating the dynamic world of digital transactions, conferences remain one of the best ways to stay sharp, build relationships, and discover what’s next. But with so many options out there, which ones are actually worth your time (and budget)?
We’ve put together a list of the conferences our team believes deserve a spot on your radar for 2026. Some we’ve attended ourselves, and others come highly recommended by peers across the industry. Whether you’re looking for deep technical education, networking opportunities, or a stage to showcase your product, there’s something here for everyone.
Moov’s Payments Developer Conference
August 3–5, 2026 | Denver, CO
If you’re a developer, engineer, or product leader building in payments, this conference is designed specifically for you. Organized by Moov Financial, this three-day event in Denver takes a refreshingly no-sales-pitch approach, focusing instead on hands-on tools, best practices, and real-world lessons from actual builders in the space.
Our take: We attended Moov’s conference as a team and found it to be more of a networking goldmine than a traditional educational conference. The brand-hosted events and after-parties were where the real magic happened—think quality conversations with fellow engineers, product managers, and payments founders over drinks rather than sitting in sessions all day. If you’re looking to expand your professional network and make genuine connections, this one’s worth the trip.
Expected attendance: 1,500+ payments builders
Why attend: Authentic peer-to-peer networking with developers; no sales pitches.
Learn more: official event site
Rakesh Maskara and Alfred Milan at FinovateSpring 2025
FinovateSpring
May 5–7, 2026 | San Diego, CA
Finovate’s unique seven-minute demo format has made it a launchpad for payments innovation since 2007. Unlike pitch-heavy conferences, FinovateSpring features live product demonstrations—actual working technology, not vaporware—in front of decision-makers from banks, credit unions, brokerages, payment providers, and investment companies.
Our take: Rakesh Maskara, our Director of Engineering, attended Finovate in 2025 with our client, Alfred Milan, CEO of Express Wages, where they presented their solution in one of those signature seven-minute demos. It’s a great format for getting your product directly in front of the people who can make buying decisions. As Finovate’s site puts it, you’re reaching “decision-makers from banks, brokerages, card issuers, payment providers, investment companies, insurance providers and everything in between” as well as “execs and founders of payments and general tech companies.” If you have a product ready to showcase, this is the stage.
Expected attendance: 1,200+ leaders, 60+ live demos.
Why attend: See working products (not slide decks); 600+ attendees from banks with budget authority.
Learn more: informaconnect.com/finovatespring
ETA TRANSACT
March 18–20, 2026 | Atlanta, GA
Hosted by the Electronic Transactions Association, TRANSACT is the premier annual conference for the payments technology ecosystem. This is where founders, PayFacs, banks, ISVs, acquirers, and risk leaders converge to discuss everything from real-time payment rails to AI-driven fraud detection.
The event features a massive exhibit hall showcasing what’s launching next in payments, education sessions you can actually apply on Monday morning, and networking opportunities built for deal-making. If your work touches payment processing, merchant services, or embedded finance, TRANSACT belongs on your calendar.
Expected attendance: 3,000+ payments professionals.
Why attend: Deal-making flagship; deep dives on real-time rails, AI risk, and embedded finance.
Learn more: transactshow.com
PAY360
March 25–26, 2026 | London, UK (ExCeL)
PAY360 is Europe’s largest event dedicated entirely to payments, bringing together more than 6,000 professionals from across the value chain—banks, payments companies, merchants, PSPs, acquirers, and regulators. Hosted by The Payments Association, the two-day event combines a strategic conference with an exhibition featuring 150+ exhibitors.
What sets PAY360 apart is the caliber of attendees: nearly 60% are VP-level and above. Topics span open banking, digital wallets, APP fraud prevention, cross-border payments, and the future of digital identity. If you’re doing business in the UK or European payments space, this is where the industry connects.
Expected attendance: 6,000+ payments professionals.
Why attend: 60% VP+ attendees; direct access to UK regulators (FCA, PSR).
Learn more: pay360event.com
Money20/20 Europe
June 2–4, 2026 | Amsterdam, Netherlands
Money20/20 has become synonymous with the payments conference circuit, and the European edition in Amsterdam is no exception. This three-day event brings together banks, payments companies, payments companies, tech giants, retailers, and policymakers to explore digital wallets, embedded finance, open banking, and the regulatory landscape shaping the future of money.
With one in three attendees at the C-suite level, this is a premium networking environment. The event promises world-class content curated by payments experts alongside exclusive access to breakthrough innovations from both disruptive startups and established industry players.
Expected attendance: Thousands of payments professionals from across Europe and beyond.
Why attend: C-suite density (30%); full spectrum payments content.
Learn more: europe.money2020.com
Payments Leaders’ Summit USA (PLS USA)
June 23-24 | Nashville and November 10-11 | San Diego
Payments Leaders’ Summit (PLS) is an exclusive, invite-only gathering tailored for senior payments leaders, decision-makers, and budget holders. With two USA events to choose from, this intimate two-day event prioritizes quality over quantity—think 80+ enterprise-level executives engaging in curated one-on-one meetings, roundtable discussions by industry vertical, and candid conversations about real-world payments challenges.
Our take: We were a sponsor for Payments Leaders’ Summit last year and came away impressed by the format. Unlike massive trade shows where you’re competing for attention, PLS creates space for meaningful conversations with the right people. The curated meeting structure can deliver genuine ROI by matching attendees with merchants and partners based on mutual interest. If you’re a solution provider looking to connect with enterprise merchants who have specific pain points (and budgets to solve them), this event punches above its weight.
We cannot stress the importance of pre-event prep enough—do not forget to complete your attendee profile and secure 1:1 meetings to get the most out of your PLS experience.
Expected attendance: 80+ senior payments executives (invite-only).
Why attend: Pre-qualified, curated meetings with enterprise merchants and senior decision-makers. Intimate setting designed for deal-making, not just networking. High signal-to-noise ratio.
Learn more: payments-leaderssummit.com
Sibos 2026
September 28 – October 1, 2026 | Miami, FL
Organized by SWIFT, Sibos is the annual global gathering for the financial services community—and 2026 marks its first-ever visit to Miami. With the theme “The Next Frontiers of Global Finance,” this four-day event addresses the transformative forces reshaping the financial ecosystem, including payments innovation, digital assets, AI governance, tokenization, and cybersecurity.
Sibos tends to draw a more institutional crowd—think global banks, market infrastructures, and regulators—making it an excellent choice if your work intersects with securities, cross-border payments, or enterprise-level financial technology. The Innotribe program within Sibos specifically focuses on payments innovation and startups.
Expected attendance: 7,000+ financial services professionals.
Why attend: Institutional finance focus; tokenization, T+1 settlement, Innotribe track.
Learn more: sibos.com
Money20/20 USA
October 18–21, 2026 | Las Vegas, NV
The U.S. edition of Money20/20 is the largest global payments event, period. Held at The Venetian in Las Vegas, this four-day conference brings together the entire money ecosystem—banks, payments, tech, startups, retail, financial services, and policy—for an unparalleled mix of content, networking, and deal-making.
Money20/20 USA covers everything from open banking and embedded finance to the evolution of digital payments infrastructure. It’s big, it’s loud, and if you’re serious about payments and payments in the U.S. market, it’s hard to justify missing it.
Expected attendance: Thousands of industry professionals from around the globe.
Why attend: Largest payments event globally; unmatched scale for partnerships.
Learn more: money2020.com
Planning Your Conference Calendar
Choosing which conferences to attend comes down to what you’re trying to accomplish. Looking for technical depth and authentic developer conversations? Moov’s Denver conference delivers. Need to put your product in front of banking decision-makers? Finovate’s demo format is purpose-built for that. Want to understand the regulatory landscape and connect with institutional players? PAY360 or Sibos might be your best bet.
Whatever your goals, these events offer more than just sessions and exhibit halls—they’re where relationships form, ideas crystallize, and the future of payments takes shape. See you there!
Have a payments-focused conference recommendation we missed? We’re always looking for our next great event—drop us a line. If you’d rather talk payments strategy before the next event, see our payment consultation and advisory work.
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