ACI Worldwide webinar on multi-rail payments

A Finextra webinar will dissect the operational shift in consumer payments, moving beyond the 'cards versus Pay by Bank' debate. The event, hosted in association with ACI Worldwide, will focus on how banks and payment processors can run every relevant payment rail on a single, resilient operating model. This model aims to protect consumer trust and grow share of wallet.

The session will address why card transactions continue to grow globally despite the rise of real-time account-to-account (A2A) payments. It will also explore where each payment method delivers the greatest economic and experiential value for consumers and merchants.

The Evolving Payments Landscape

Industry predictions of the card's demise have not materialized. Global card transactions reached 776 billion in 2024. They are projected to hit 1.1 trillion by 2029. In the same period, global A2A transaction volumes are forecast to rise from 60 billion to over 185 billion.

The data indicates cards are not being displaced. Instead, they are being redefined as programmable, tokenised credentials. These credentials sit at the centre of digital wallets and embedded checkout systems. Pay by Bank is simultaneously scaling from a niche option to a structural pillar of the consumer payments mix, particularly in Europe.

Operational and Regulatory Challenges

Managing this multi-rail reality is operationally complex. Banks, issuers, and acquirers require a unified and intelligence-led operating model to enable the necessary technical foundations. Regulatory pressure and reimbursement rules also significantly affect issuer and acquirer profit and loss statements, apart from pure innovation.

The webinar panel will discuss the implications of agentic commerce initiatives, such as Visa TAP and Mastercard Agent Pay. These developments reshape consumer payment infrastructure and have consequences for fraud management and dispute rights.

Webinar Speakers and Focus

The panel of industry experts will be moderated by Finextra contributor Jane Cooper. Speakers include Dean Wallace, Director of Consumer Payments Modernization at ACI Worldwide, and Ramon Villarreal, Global Payments Industry Lead at Red Hat. Their discussion will center on why cards are getting smarter, not disappearing, and the architectural implications of the multi-rail reality.

The event positions the 'cards versus Pay by Bank' binary as outdated for 2026. The conversation must turn to consumer payments as a whole.