As 2026 begins, conversations about the future of payments are intensifying across the global fintech ecosystem. Major industry stages like Money20/20 are filled with discussions about autonomous e-commerce agents, stablecoins, and other emerging concepts.
These technologies certainly spark curiosity and speculation, but they remain far from widespread, practical adoption in real-world retail — not only in Brazil, but globally.
While the market chases hype, PagBrasil offers a reality check: the future of payments is less about reinventing the wheel and more about making payments themselves invisible.
We believe that payment trends for 2026 are primarily about building fast, seamless, and secure checkout experiences — something that is already achievable today with robust solutions tailored to the Brazilian market.
This article is a guide to what will truly make a difference for digital operations.
What Are the Main Payment Trends for 2026?
From PagBrasil’s perspective, differentiation in 2026 will be driven by three core pillars: acceleration (through no-redirect journeys like 1-Click Pix, as well as digital wallets), security (enhanced by AI and tokenization), and the human factor as a strategic differentiator.
Below, we take a closer look at each of these pillars.
1. Digital Wallets: Owning the Checkout Experience
Digital wallets have taken center stage for a simple reason: they eliminate friction.
At checkout, every second matters, and payment methods that require manual data entry, multiple authentication steps, or redirects significantly increase cart abandonment rates.
Apple Pay, Google Pay, and other digital wallets combine stored customer data with biometric authentication and security tokenization, enabling a fast and secure checkout journey.
From a technical standpoint, these wallets also deliver greater stability and lower failure rates compared to “traditional” credit card transactions.
Another decisive factor is familiarity: consumers already use digital wallets in apps, physical stores, and other everyday contexts, which reduces the learning curve and increases trust at the moment of purchase.
In November 2025 — a month defined by Black Friday campaigns — the volume of transactions made via digital wallets grew 168% compared to the same month in 2024, according to PagBrasil data.
At PagBrasil, Apple Pay and Google Pay digital wallets are available through proprietary PagBrasil Checkout (the next evolution of the payment link), and Shopify with the option to pay in installments.
2. Fewer Steps at Checkout with Pix
Pix is already one of the leading payment methods in Brazil, but its traditional flow still introduces friction at checkout. Redirects, the need to open a banking app, and actions such as copying and pasting payment codes or scanning QR codes disrupt the purchase journey at a critical moment.
For large-scale e-commerce operations, this disruption has a measurable impact, driving higher drop-off rates, increased cart abandonment, and lower conversion.
As a result, the evolution of Pix is increasingly focused on preserving the continuity of the checkout experience — keeping users within the merchant environment and minimizing manual steps.
In Brazil, PagBrasil addresses this challenge with 1-Click Pix, optimized through its No-Redirect Journey (NRJ).
With this solution, consumers complete Pix payments directly within the merchant’s checkout, without accessing their banking app.
The flow is simple:
- The user selects 1-Click Pix as the payment method.
- Next, they choose their bank.
- Finally, they confirm the payment using facial recognition, a password, or biometric authentication on their mobile device.
3. Artificial Intelligence: The Silent Engine Behind Conversion and Security
In 2026, artificial intelligence will no longer be seen as a “trend” but as the invisible infrastructure that underpins high-performance e-commerce.
In day-to-day operations, AI works to eliminate unnecessary friction. It analyzes user behavior in milliseconds to ensure transactions flow without interruption, identifying patterns that help payments be processed with maximum speed.
Consider a shopper who, when entering their card details, makes a common mistake — reversing numbers or adding an extra character. With an AI-powered solution, the system detects in milliseconds that the typing pattern indicates a likely input error and suggests a correction or automatically adjusts the field, preventing the transaction from being declined in the first place.
The goal is invisible but essential: to ensure customers complete their purchases without technical errors or delays, turning technology into a direct ally of conversion rates.
Beyond conversions, security is where AI becomes mission critical. As fraudsters increasingly rely on deepfakes and automated attacks, rigid “allow or block” rules are no longer effective. The new standard is passive authentication.
Instead of constantly interrupting customers with challenges, the technology analyzes behavioral biometrics — typing cadence, screen pressure, and how users interact with their devices. If a fraudster attempts to use legitimate data but their behavior does not match that of the cardholder, the system blocks the action instantly.
Within the PagBrasil ecosystem, this intelligence is delivered through PagShield®. The solution continuously learns from every transaction to maximize legitimate sales while stopping risk in real time. For merchants, the result is a significantly higher approval rate compared to traditional systems.
4. Card Tokenization: Extending Security and Convenience Beyond Pix
While Pix continues its upward trajectory, credit cards still play a critical role — especially in repeat-purchase models, subscriptions, and cross-border transactions. In 2026, network tokenization will be a well-established standard, transforming sensitive card data into an encrypted, merchant-specific identifier.
The key advantage lies in continuity. Even if a customer’s physical card is replaced due to expiration or loss, the token can be automatically updated by the card networks. This ensures that subscriptions and recurring payments are not disrupted by avoidable payment failures.
It’s also important to note that while digital wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay use tokenization natively, this capability is not limited to wallets alone.
PagBrasil enables tokenization directly within the traditional checkout flow. The result is a true “one-click purchase” experience that significantly reduces friction, increases approval rates, and preserves the security standards the market demands.
5. The Human Touch: Why Service Still Matters in Payments
Automation, generative AI, and 24/7 chatbots have become core pillars of digital customer support. In 2026, however, the defining trend is not full replacement, but balance. End consumers value speed, but when friction arises or a complex issue disrupts the purchase journey, they expect the empathy and emotional intelligence that only human support can provide.
This logic applies even more strongly to the relationship between e-commerce businesses and their payment processors. For enterprise companies managing multiple payment methods, complex tax rules, and high transaction volumes, relying exclusively on bots for operational support represents a strategic risk.
Support should go beyond code. Contrary to what the mass market often promotes, human support is not a cost to be eliminated, but a conversion differentiator. In critical situations — such as API instabilities, questions around custom integrations, or chargeback inconsistencies — talking to a bot does not solve the problem; it only increases frustration.
At PagBrasil, we believe merchant success depends on responses from people who understand the business context and the account’s history. That’s why, unlike processors that have become automated “black boxes,” we provide dedicated Account Managers and specialists who support clients end to end. It’s a true partnership, where confident decisions are made by people who understand both technology and business.
In the e-commerce landscape of 2026, cutting-edge technology may be the engine, but consultative, specialized support is what keeps businesses on a sustainable growth path.
Stay Ahead in Payments in 2026
Futuristic promises and concepts far removed from operational reality can make for compelling narratives, but they don’t always hold up in the real world.
In the market, in everyday transactions, trends are shaped by those who can turn conceptual intelligence into practical solutions that genuinely simplify life for merchants and consumers.
1-Click Pix, digital wallets with installment options, AI-driven security, tokenization, and human support are driving this evolution.
The leaders in 2026 will be those who remove friction at checkout, automate what can be automated, and involve people where context and judgment matter.
Don’t wait another year to implement technology that converts today. Connect with a PagBrasil consultant and get your operations ready for the future.
