Finby: The Future of European Account-to-Account Payments

At Money20/20 Europe 2026, David Rintel, CEO of Finby, explores the nuances of the European payments landscape. Finby highlights that unlike more unified regions, Europe remains a fragmented market where consumer payment preferences shift significantly from country to country, and sometimes even vertical to vertical. He emphasises that for merchants to succeed, they must treat each market individually, carefully considering local payment habits to avoid the risk of cart abandonment and lost sales.

Rintel points out that the industry has shifted decisively toward mobile-first solutions, a move that has stripped away the historical costs and complexities associated with traditional card manufacturing and supply chains. By leveraging existing account-to-account infrastructure, companies can deliver seamless, frictionless experiences that consumers have come to expect in their daily digital interactions. He notes that this strategy has already proven successful for regional champions across Europe, including BLIK in Poland, Bizum in Spain, and MB WAY in Portugal.

According to Finby, the recipe for this success is straightforward: when local banks with strong consumer foundations embed mobile-first payment methods directly into the banking apps people use every day, adoption rates climb. For merchants, these account-to-account methods often offer a double win, they are frequently more cost-effective than traditional cards and carry the operational advantage of being irreversible, which reduces the complexity and overhead of chargeback management. Ultimately, Finby argues that by embracing these localised, mobile-centric payment methods, businesses can drive higher conversion rates and build stronger, more natural relationships with their customers.