2026 FinTech Predictions: Insights from Gavin Cicchinelli of BlueSnap

It's time for some more 2026 predictions!

We spoke with Gavin Cicchinelli, President at BlueSnap, Powered by Payroc, the Global Payment Orchestration Platform that simplifies payments whilst helping businesses reduce costs and increase sales.

As payment complexity grows and customer expectations rise, Gavin shares his perspective on how intelligent orchestration, AI-driven failover, and embedded payments will reshape the competitive landscape for banks and financial service providers.

Over to you Gavin - my questions are in bold:

What's the biggest shift you expect across financial services in 2026?

The biggest shift will be the move from payments as infrastructure to payments as a strategic lever for growth and loyalty.

In 2026, financial services won't be defined by how many payment methods are offered, but by how intelligently those methods are orchestrated. Localised acquiring, real-time fee transparency, and more intelligent routing will enable banks and fintechs to optimise each transaction across approval rates, costs, and the customer experience. Payments will increasingly sit at the centre of customer loyalty and revenue optimisation, rather than being treated as back-office plumbing.

Which emerging technology will have the most practical impact on banks and the FinTechs that support them?

AI applied to payment routing and failover will have the most immediate, practical impact.

As cross-border transactions grow, declines caused by fraud flags or local bank rules will become more common. In 2026, AI-driven failover - automatically rerouting declined transactions through alternative banks - will be a standard expectation. This isn't about experimentation or hype; it directly improves approval rates, protects revenue, and creates a smoother customer experience in real time.

What customer behaviours or expectations will most challenge banks and financial service providers?

Customers will increasingly expect choice, transparency, and reliability without being aware of the complexity behind it.

In 2026, customers won't tolerate failed payments, hidden fees, or rigid payment flows. They'll expect the right payment option to be presented automatically, with transparent costs and minimal friction. This expectation puts pressure on banks and providers to intelligently orchestrate payments behind the scenes, balancing cost, risk, and approval rates whilst delivering a seamless experience for every customer.

What risks or blind spots do you think the industry is underestimating as we move into 2026?

One current major blind spot is underestimating how quickly embedded payments are becoming a core business model, not just a feature.

As more SaaS platforms redesign their businesses around payments, banks and providers that treat embedded payments as a simple processing function risk being sidelined. Another risk is assuming speed equals better experience, particularly during onboarding. Rushed onboarding that ignores underwriting, compliance, or risk can lead to suspended payouts, closed accounts, and frustrated customers. The real challenge is delivering efficiency without cutting corners.

If you were advising a bank's leadership team today, what strategic priority should they focus on to stay competitive in 2026 and beyond?

They should focus on building or partnering for payment orchestration that balances efficiency, risk management, and optimisation at scale.

In 2026, the winning banks won't be those that simply offer more payment options, it will be those that can intelligently route transactions, manage global risk, support embedded payments, and simultaneously improve the customer experience. That requires platforms and partnerships capable of handling localised acquiring, surcharging, compliance, and AI-driven optimisation across multiple markets and entities.

Thank you Gavin! You can connect with Gavin on his LinkedIn Profile and find out more about the company at www.bluesnap.com.