G20 nations have inched ahead in making cross-border payments more efficient and affordable, but progress has been uneven, says a new BIS study. The G20 forum consists of 19 nations, including the U.S., the U.K., South Africa, Germany, Japan and China, plus two regional organizations, the African Union and European Union.

Brief:

G20 member countries will likely not meet their cross-border payment targets by 2027, according to a Bank of International Settlements report released Dec. 11.

The Paypers has just launched the Global Ecommerce Report 2026– Scaling Ecommerce and SaaS: Finding the Right Partners to Succeed across Borders. The global ecommerce landscape is shifting. Trade tensions, tariff volatility, and recession fears defined 2025, resulting in the slowest ecommerce growth since 2022. However, projections for 2026 suggest that we are nearing a period of stabilisation, as the market is anticipated to reach USD 6.8 trillion.

The Global Payments 2026 Commerce and Payment Trends Report is here—your guide to the next era of connected commerce. As consumers embrace new technologies and demand experiences that move seamlessly across channels, this report helps business leaders meet them there.

This report focuses on six key trends reshaping the future of commerce. From the rise of agentic commerce, where AI-powered systems anticipate and act on customer intent, to the evolution of point-of-sale (POS) technologies that extend beyond the countertop, and the expansion of embedded payments that make every interaction frictionless—these shifts are defining the next competitive edge.

Agentic AI has the potential to reshape the payments landscape. It refers to autonomous systems that can work together toward a goal. They learn to make decisions that spark actions and adapt to situations based on their programming and data gathering. This is different from generative AI, which pulls in content based on prompts but may not execute workflows independently. Some of the biggest payment firms have already rolled out agentic AI payment solutions. So, is this technology a significant improvement for the US payment system, or is it accelerating an already complex system of payments innovation?

In 2025, Buy-Now-Pay-Later (BNPL) has crossed over from an emerging payment trend to what can be reasonably considered core eCommerce infrastructure. Driven by exceptionally quick global adoption, BNPL gross merchandise volume is expected to exceed $560b this year, according to a 2025 report by Research and Markets. At this scale, it’s safe to call BNPL an expectation embedded in consumer purchasing behavior.

Looking for ways to improve customer experiences? Understanding your shoppers’ payment preferences is central to creating exceptional shopping experiences that foster loyalty and drive growth. Whether shoppers prefer the tactile experience of in-store, the convenience of online shopping or a blend of both, retailers must consider every point of the customer journey. By implementing shopper-centric solutions, retailers can reduce cart abandonment, increase conversion rates and build loyalty.

When money moves instantly, loyalty follows. “ From Fast to Sticky: Why Instant Payouts Win Repeat Customers ,” a collaboration between  PYMNTS Intelligence and Ingo Payments, reveals that the first instant payout experience can transform casual users into committed converts, and that eliminating even small fees makes all the difference. Download your copy now.

In this report, learn:

Becoming a habit: Nearly six in 10 recipients who try instant once make it their go-to payout method, with adoption rising to 68% when funds are needed immediately.

Payment technology provider Worldpay is now supporting OpenAI’s Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP). As the company noted in a news release Wednesday (Oct. 29), this is an open standard for artificial intelligence (AI) commerce allowing AI agents, people and businesses to work together on purchases.

With ACP, the release added, U.S. users of OpenAI’s ChatGPT will be able to shop directly from participating Worldpay merchants using Instant Checkout.