Top Takeaways from ETA TRANSACT 2026
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Takeaways from ETA TRANSACT include businesses implementing artificial intelligence (AI) to secure and enhance payments. SoftPOS, which allows merchants to accept contactless payments directly on a mobile device. Ingenico’s partnership with Visa is a prime example. The collaboration allows Ingenico to offer scalable omnichannel solutions that incorporate our AXIUM Android platform. Conversations at ETA TRANSACT also included next-generation payment solutions that enhance terminal capabilities and improve user experiences, and verticalized payment solutions that address each market’s specific needs from payment technology.
ETA presented its TRANSACT 2026 conference from March 18 to March 20 in Atlanta. The Ingenico team joined thousands of payment industry leaders from around the world for the event. And, as expected, it was one of the best opportunities of the year to focus on the state of the payments industry and its trajectory into the future.
Here are our top takeaways from the event:
The Payments Industry Has Embraced AI Integration
Industry thought leaders are seeing stakeholders in the payments industry move past ideation and experimentation to implementing artificial intelligence (AI) solutions. AI is enhancing fraud mitigation, enabling real-time analytics, and personalizing payment experiences.
Ingenico is a leader in this space, introducing AI-ready payment terminals that serve as interaction points between intelligent cloud services, like generative AI for conversational assistance at the point of sale. The terminal can also become a tool for making contextual recommendations to customers and providing operational analytics. Machine vision can also give terminals the ability to see and respond to activity to protect customers, for example, detecting a person looking over a customer’s shoulder when entering a PIN and shutting down until privacy is restored.
Analysts have little doubt that innovation will continue, bringing even more of the benefits of AI to payments security, customer experiences, and retail business intelligence.
Software-Based Payment Technology Adoption Is Growing
Software-based point of sale (SoftPOS) adoption is growing.
Merchants can download a SoftPOS application and accept contactless payments directly on a mobile device with no payment terminal required. SoftPOS makes it possible for merchants to accept contactless payments in more places, including tableside in restaurants, at outdoor sales, at pop-up shops, curbside, and all points of engagement inside the store. It also gives delivery and other field services companies a practical way to streamline workflows and enhance customer experiences.
Next-Gen Payment Solutions Are Revolutionizing Customer Experiences
Several ETA TRANSACT presentations and booth demonstrations focused on the next generation of payment solutions. More payment method options are available, and consumers will gravitate to merchants who accept their preferred methods, which are increasingly including alternative payments, including payment apps, stablecoin, and biometric payments. Digital-savvy consumers also expect payment terminal user experiences to be intuitive, much like the experiences they have when using smartphones or consumer mobile devices.
These trends and expectations are driving next-gen payment solutions that reimagine payment experiences. Android allows retailers and other merchants to run business applications on Android payment terminals to add loyalty rewards, digital receipts, and age verification into a streamlined payment flow. Next-gen payment terminals also use lighting and haptic cues, much like consumer devices do, to guide users through tasks. Next-gen terminals also have larger screens and more processing power than traditional payment devices, so they can support a higher level of customer engagement. Payment terminal capabilities are likely to become competitive differentiators for merchants in the near future.
Partnerships Are Moving Commerce Forward
Partnerships and partnership announcements had the spotlight at ETA TRANSACT. Ingenico’s partnership with Visa is a prime example. The collaboration allows Ingenico to offer scalable omnichannel solutions that incorporate our AXIUM Android platform. The partnership enables technical pre-certification of the Visa Acceptance Platform that reduces time to market while meeting all industry and payment requirements. The partnership will benefit a range of verticals, including retail, small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), and restaurants. It will also benefit third-party platforms and ISVs, giving them robust functionality to enhance their solutions.
Payments Are No Longer One-Size-Fits-All-Verticals
A theme through many conversations at ETA TRANSACT was verticalization of payment solutions. Acquirers and independent software vendors (ISVs) are tailoring payment solutions to the markets they serve, from retail and restaurant to grocery, healthcare, field services, and more. Each market has distinct needs, like pay-at-the-table capabilities in hospitality and mobile POS solutions for field services. Businesses and organizations are also more receptive to solutions designed to meet their needs without customizations and integrations after implementation.
The Payments Industry Is In Good Hands
ETA chose TRANSACT again this year as the backdrop to honor top professionals in the industry. The organization honored top payment sales professionals, including Ingenico’s Tim Reidy, Head of Sales US, ISV, ISO, and Fintech. ETA honored these professionals for their expertise, customer focus, and exceptional impact on the payments industry. ETA also chose Forty Under 40 game changers, including James Lloyd, VP USA New Market Expansion for Ingenico. ETA chose these award-winners based on their contributions to the payments industry.
Additional recognitions at ETA TRANSACT included Star Awards for individuals who have made significant impacts on the payments industry, top payment ISVs, and ETA Young Payment Professionals (ETA YPPS).
How To Use Insights from ETA TRANSACT To Grow Your Business
These takeaways from ETA TRANSACT are valuable to acquirers, ISVs, and other payment service providers (PSPs) navigating a changing industry and looking for a competitive edge. Aligning with industry trends, like AI implementation for high-value use cases and adding SoftPOS solutions, can enhance merchant and consumer experiences and meet growing demand. Upgrading to provide payment terminals with next-generation features and customizing solutions for specific verticals can also help you win business and build long-term relationships with merchants.
Partnership with an industry leader in payments will help you achieve those goals fully and faster. Ingenico continually monitors trends, innovates, and brings solutions to market that drive the industry forward. Contact us to start the conversation about a partnership that will take your business successfully into the future of payments.
FAQs
The Ingenico Tap to Pay solution is compatible with any Android or Apple phone or tablet which runs OS Android 8.1 or above (and currently running OS Android 11 or above) or iPhone XS devices and above and iOS 16.4 version and above and has an NFC module.
Android‑powered payment technology is the backbone of a future‑ready checkout because it turns a traditional terminal into a flexible, updatable commerce hub. Ingenico’s AXIUM platform leverages Android to deliver a durable, high‑performance POS that can run a wide ecosystem of apps— from core payment processing to loyalty, digital receipts, and value‑added services— all while staying secure and PCI‑compliant through a modular, continuously‑updated OS. This open, developer‑friendly environment lets merchants integrate their own business applications via SDKs and APIs, roll out new features instantly, and adapt to emerging payment methods (e.g., QR‑code, BNPL, SoftPOS) without replacing hardware. The result is a consistent, scalable solution that reduces complexity, accelerates time‑to‑market, and ensures the checkout experience can evolve alongside consumer expectations and regulatory changes.
Biometric payments are payment experiences that use a person’s unique biological traits—such as a fingerprint, palm‑vein pattern, facial features, or iris—to verify identity and authorize a transaction. Instead of a PIN, password, or card swipe, the biometric data is captured at the point‑of‑sale (POS) and matched against a secure template, instantly confirming that the shopper is the rightful owner of the payment method.
The Android AXIUM payment terminals operate independently and do not require a tablet to function. Powered by the Android operating system, these devices come with their own built-in touchscreen, processing capabilities, and connectivity options. They allow merchants to run payment applications and additional business apps directly on the terminal itself. This means that businesses can manage payments, customer interactions, and even other business functionalities without the need for an external tablet or device.
Ingenico, in collaboration with Fujitsu Frontech North America Inc., presents an advanced Palm Vein Biometrics solution that revolutionizes authentication processes. This innovative technology utilizes near-infrared light to capture and analyze the intricate vein patterns unique to each individual's palm. By employing Fujitsu's cutting-edge PalmSecure sensor technology, the solution ensures highly accurate and secure identification, surpassing traditional methods like passwords or PINs.
The Palm Vein Biometrics solution from Ingenico and Fujitsu Frontech North America offers several key benefits. It provides an exceptionally high level of security, as palm vein patterns are virtually impossible to replicate, ensuring protection against fraud and unauthorized access. Moreover, this non-invasive technology offers a seamless user experience, with fast and reliable authentication in various environments such as retail, banking, and healthcare.
For more information about Ingenico's Palm Vein Biometrics solution, please read the press release and and learn more about its first pilot deployment at Tienda Inglesa’s Red Expres in Uruguay.
