Payments in the year 2030 research misses the mark

I just picked up this report by Finextra and ACI Worldwide on Payments in the year 2030. The research surveyed over 160 people in C-level financial roles around the world and found that most of them are still thinking about how to move to cloud-based solutions; still grappling with how to do real-time payments; still challenged by providing digital payment services; believing that A2A (account-to-account) payments is the future; and worry all the time about what the regulator thinks.

Times don’t change.

The thing for me is that those challenges miss so many others, with things like CBDCs, crypto, stablecoins, quantum computing, AI and more receiving little mention throughout most of the report. Guys, you're talking about 2030, five years from now. How come you missed all this stuff?

It makes me realise that it is no wonder the likes of Revolut, Stripe and Adyen are doing so well.

Anyways, the report is useful as a check on the pulse of where we are today, even so. So, here it is:

And here is the summary opening by ACI:

As we look toward 2030, the payments industry is moving through one of the most significant periods of change in its history. Many financial institutions across the world are on a digital transformation journey. They are investing in new technologies, yet many acknowledge that their current infrastructure is not sufficient to meet the demands of customers and regulators in a world where speed, resilience, and reliability are paramount. Our Payments 2030 survey of global senior industry executives highlights both the remarkable progress already made and the critical work that remains.

Cloud adoption is one of the clearest indicators of this shift. While only a small proportion of banks are fully cloud-based today, one in four expects to achieve this within the next five years. The survey shows that most organisations are adopting a hybrid approach, running new systems in the cloud while maintaining elements of long-established infrastructure. The reality of payments modernisation is that legacy systems cannot be replaced overnight. What matters is that institutions continue to move steadily toward a cloud powered future, supported by platforms that allow them to innovate while maintaining secure operations.

Alongside cloud, real-time payments have become a central feature of modern banking. 41% of organisations surveyed plan to enable outbound instant payments within the next two years. Europe is leading the adoption, spurred by regulation and strong customer demand. Asia Pacific presents a more fragmented picture but is also producing standout innovations such as India’s UPI. In the United States, the growth of real time is striking in a different way. Research published in Forbes earlier this year found that about 45% of all real-time network transactions already occur outside traditional banking hours. This fact underscores how far expectations have shifted. Consumers and businesses today want and require to move money instantly 24/7. Real-time capability is no longer a differentiator; it is becoming a fundamental requirement for competitiveness.

The survey also reveals a more sobering reality. Nearly half of respondents admit they are only somewhat or not prepared at all to handle the rising volumes of digital payments initiated by customers. This lack of readiness is a concern. Without stronger investment in infrastructure, the promises of digital transformation and instant payments cannot be fully realised. Customers expect immediacy and trust, regulators demand resilience and access, and institutions must be prepared to deliver both. Scaling infrastructure to meet these requirements will be one of the defining challenges of the next five years.

Regulation continues to be both a driver of change and a source of strain. Almost half of institutions say they are still reacting to compliance deadlines rather than preparing ahead of them. However, compliance can be a catalyst for transformation. Mandates around instant payments, messaging standards such as ISO 20022, and stronger fraud controls are all encouraging firms to modernise. Many financial institutions are now investing strategically and use compliance requirements as a platform for innovation. Compliance is unavoidable, but it can also be a catalyst for better systems and services.

Taken together, these findings paint a picture of an industry in transformation. Institutions are innovating, and responding to shifting customer needs, but progress must accelerate. Customers now expect payments to be instant, seamless, and available at all times. Regulators demand security, resilience, and inclusion. Meeting these demands requires modern technology, strong partnerships, and the will to act decisively.