The 2026 Key Players in the EU Payments Landscape report, published by The Payments Association EU (PA EU) in collaboration with Deloitte and The Paypers, provides an exclusive strategic overview of the European payments ecosystem. The report ranks the key players across the EU according to their position in the payments value chain and selected financial indicators.
In the first part, Deloitte analyses the evolving payments landscape, featuring exclusive interviews with EPI and SWIFT, and shares its perspective on the current state and future direction of the European payments ecosystem. The second part offers an in-depth analysis of the payments market in each of the 27 EU Member States, highlighting the main market participants and the distinctive characteristics of each national ecosystem.
A major addition to this year's edition is the International Players Flashcards section. This new feature profiles leading EU and non-EU companies operating across the EU, grouped into categories such as card schemes and alternative payment methods, banks, non-bank issuers and processors, as well as Open Banking and infrastructure providers. Each organisation is presented in a standardised visual card summarising its category, headquarters, EU presence, a key business metric, and its most recent strategic move.
As in last year's edition, the report also includes a unified regional snapshot for each European region, presenting key indicators such as market size, GDP per capita, instant payment adoption, the regulatory and licencing environment, and the breakdown of payment methods across point-of-sale and ecommerce transactions, enabling straightforward comparisons between European markets.
In addition, the report features Expert Opinions from 33 local payments professionals, providing valuable insights into the opportunities, challenges, and trends shaping the payments landscape in each EU country.
The report is complemented by an exclusive Excel database, available only to of The Payments Association EU. Powered by the Orbis database (Bureau van Dijk, a Moody's company), this companion file provides detailed financial information on the featured companies, along with direct LinkedIn hyperlinks for convenient access to each organisation. It also serves as a highly valuable pre-sales prospecting list for sales teams, enabling targeted outreach to key industry players. In short, it is a true goldmine for business development and commercial opportunities.
