Over the last decade, cash has faded, contactless has surged, and mobile wallets have gone mainstream. Relentless digitalization has changed everyday payments beyond recognition, yet the checkout has remained largely static: familiar, trusted and functional; yet slow, uninspiring and impersonal. But the checkout is changing. New technologies, shifting consumer demands, and an ever-evolving political and economic landscape means 2026 will be a year of personalization, protection and partnership, transforming the checkout experience for merchants and consumers alike.
In this three-part ‘Nexi Predicts’ series, our Head of Strategy and Transformation, Tommaso Jacopo Ulissi, shares his vision for the top trends in the payments industry over the coming year. In part one, Tommaso considers why software-based payments, namely ISV partnerships and mobile payment acceptance, will take center stage in 2026…
Software-based payments will redefine the payment offer in 2026, accelerating access to a range of payment options so that anyone who needs to deliver a payment function will be able to do so. The innovations driving this are ISV partnerships and mobile payment acceptance (SoftPOS).
Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) are increasingly forming partnerships with payment providers. By integrating payments directly into ecosystems, designed around merchant use cases rather than payments, digital onboarding becomes much easier, helping more merchants start and grow their businesses. A merchant using Shopify or Adobe Commerce, for example, will be able to access ‘plug and play’ payments, integrated within wider business software, enabling consistency across channels, with no discrepancies in pricing, discounts, or loyalty rewards.
Mobile payment acceptance is not new but is set for dramatic growth in 2026. Some pioneering merchants have already begun using personal smartphones as trusted payment acceptance terminals. The benefits are clear: a device they already own can reliably and securely accept contactless and QR code-based payments.
For consumers, this “SoftPOS” solution offers highly-secured payment acceptance, enabling them to make purchases at their own convenience, whether that’s in their house, in the market or in a shop – anywhere! For merchants, it’s ultra-accessible, easy to set up and operate, and relatively low cost compared to traditional POS hardware.
In 2026, this will lead to new shopping behaviours: it will untether staff from the checkout desk, enabling them to be redeployed throughout the store to engage with shoppers, offer personalized shopping experiences and create additional upsell opportunities. Say goodbye to long lines waiting for a free cashier at the checkout desk.
