Canadian Payments Forecast, 2026 - Corporate Subscription

The Strategic Playbook for Canada's Rapidly Evolving Payments Market

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Canada’s payments ecosystem is entering a structural transformation phase. After years of turbulence driven by the pandemic, global conflict, inflation, supply-chain volatility, and aggressive monetary tightening, the macro environment is shifting again. Inflation has moderated. Interest rates have recalibrated. Growth is softer. Consumer confidence remains fragile. At the same time, geopolitical fragmentation, trade uncertainty with the U.S., and global industrial policy shifts are reshaping cross-border commerce and supply chains. These forces directly influence consumer spending patterns — and consumer spending remains the single most important driver of Canada’s payments industry. But macroeconomic change is only half the story.

The Canadian Payments Industry is Being Rewired Through:

• Open Banking
• Agentic Commerce
• Digital Wallet Expansion
• Fintech & Platform Competition
• Real-Time Payment Rails

The payments industry is no longer evolving incrementally. It is being re-architected. The structural transformation underway across the payments value chain will have profound medium- and long-term impacts on how Canadian consumers make payments. 

What Canadian Payments Forecast, 2026 Delivers

Canadian Payments Forecast 2026 provides a rigorous, independent assessment of how these economic, technological, and competitive forces will reshape consumer payments over the next five years.

Drawing on proprietary research from more than 2,000 Canadian consumers, executive interviews, and 30+ years of advisory expertise in global payments markets, the report delivers:

• Detailed five-year forecasts across all major consumer payment modalities
• Payment value and volume mix tied to our economic outlook analysis
• Adoption forecasts for emerging technologies
• Consumer behavioural shifts

Comprehensive Coverage Across All Major Payment Segments

The report provides in-depth analysis and forecast modelling for:

• Cash
• Cheques
• Debit Cards
• Credit Cards
• Contactless Payments
• Mobile Payments
• Online Payments
• Wearable Payments
• Bill Payments and Transfers
• Prepaid Cards
• Gift Cards
• P2P Payments
• International Remittances
• Cryptocurrencies

Recognized. Independent. Essential.

Now in its 17th year of publication, Canadian Payments Forecast is widely recognized by industry leaders as the most comprehensive and independent review of the Canadian consumer payments market available. It is a core strategic resource for executives responsible for:

• Growth strategy
• Product development
• Market entry
• Competitive positioning
• Capital allocation
• Investment analysis

About the Report

Publication Date: August 2026

Length: ~140 pages (wide format)

Charts and Tables: ~110

Methodology includes:

• Desk research
• Executive interviews
• Conferences and Seminars
• Proprietary survey research (2,000 Canadian consumers as part of our Canadian Consumer Payments Survey)
• Independent economic and industry modelling

Contents of the Report:

• Executive Summary
• Introduction and Methodology
• The Canadian Economy
• Prospects for Consumer Payments in Canada
• Cash
• Cheques
• Debit cards
• Credit cards
• Contactless payments
• Mobile payments
• Online payments
• Wearable payments
• Bill payments and transfers
  
• Prepaid cards
  
• Gift cards
• P2P payments
• International Remittances
• Cryptocurrencies
• Consumer Payments in Perspective
  

Download a detailed CPF 2025 table of contents, study methodology, and report sample.