PAY360 2025, hosted by the Payments Association at the ExCeL London arena, once again brought together the key players in the UK’s financial ecosystem. With a professional and highly engaged attendee base, the event provided a platform for regulators, industry leaders and fintech pioneers to connect, discuss and showcase the latest innovations shaping the future of finance.
This gathering comes at a time when the UK fintech sector continues to demonstrate resilience and growth. In the first half of 2024, UK fintech investment reached $7.3billion, nearly tripling the amount from the same period in 2023. Notably, 65 per cent of all European fintech deals during this time were concentrated in the UK, underscoring its dominance in the European region.
About the event
The event centred around a free-to-attend exhibition featuring leading financial institutions, fintech startups, and industry media. Two open-access content stages provided lively discussions on various topics, while the paid conference tracks offered deep dives into pressing subjects such as central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and the rise of stablecoins, with insights from key industry players.
Due to the open concept, the outer stages felt busy and bustling but The Innovation Stage hosted by Fintech Fringe was a great place to start the day – no less because I was given a voice on the Breakfast Brainfood panel representing The Fintech Times, hosted by Simon Taylor, creator of Fintech Brainfood and joined by Angela Yore, CEO of SkyParlour, Ali Paterson, founder and CEO of FF News and Alex Rolfe, CEO of Payments, Cards & Mobile.
We covered breaking news stories such as SAP Fioneer’s latest AI-powered virtual account management solution and then gave our humble opinions on topics from AI to talent, the economy and the FCAs five-year plan. It felt like a good session to kick each day off and I was very grateful to have been a part of it.
An equally unexpected but exciting surprise on the first evening was artist Tinie Tempah headlining in the evening to an engaged but very polite audience.
And what would be described as a fintech rave then ensued for around 20 minutes before he headed for the exit and dance floor returned to more expected post-event networking with a DJ for company.
Key topics from the stage to exhibition floor
From speaking with attendees, hot topics included innovation in point of sale (POS), Pay by Bank and crypto. Indeed, Martin Masser, head of growth at TON Foundation, was at the event to discuss the Web3 ecosystem being built within Telegram Messenger, offering opportunities such as owning digital identity, data, and the ability to buy, sell and hold cryptocurrencies.
In terms of a message, Masser was there to show how crypto is evolving from a niche digital currency to a versatile financial tool. “It’s not just about buying and holding,” he explained, pointing to innovative use cases like blockchain gaming, instant international transfers, and emerging AI-powered platforms.
The crypto landscape is shifting dramatically. With platforms like Telegram making digital wallets as easy to use as messaging apps, the technology is demystifying itself. “We’re not even at the finished phase – we’re just starting,” Messer emphasised, signalling a future where crypto becomes as commonplace as traditional banking.
But this isn’t the first Pay360 TON has visited, and somewhat worryingly, the messages of DeFi opportunity are still considered very much unknown in the TradFi world which is why events like this where the ease-of-use case can be showcased really helps.
Masser has hope that certainly in the next few cycles, this will change considerably. What’s clear is that payment professionals can no longer afford to ignore cryptocurrency as new technologies converge, crypto is positioning itself as more than a trend.
Payment chat
Discussed both on stage and across the exhibition floor, movements in the world of retail from players such as Kustom have made it easy for anyone to accept contactless payments, making frictionless payments one step closer. What was interesting is that some companies are moving in opposite directions to mimic in-store transactions for online shopping.
POS technology makes a critical difference to consumers by creating a sense of immediate trust and security during transactions. In physical stores, consumers can see the card terminal, physically interact with their payment method, and receive instant confirmation of their purchase. This tangible experience provides psychological reassurance that’s often missing in online transactions.
Utilising a smart phone as a one-time digital payment terminal directly, the concept offered by Maxa Group seeks to eliminate card-not-present fraud and reduce customer abandonment rates by keeping a standardised tried and trusted payment formula of using a physical card even for an at-home purchase.
Currently Android compatible with future Apple integration planned the system aims to dramatically reduce online payment fraud by mimicking the familiar in-store payment experience. By generating a temporary, branded payment terminal linked to the user’s phone number, it addresses critical pain points like card fraud, complex checkout processes, and consumer hesitation about online shopping. The company is currently in talks with a large card processing provider to have it live by the end of the year.
Consumer use cases for open banking still an issue
For Equals Money, midway through a Railsr acquisition, open banking is finally gaining traction, group chief product officer James Simcox believes that it still requires significant work in consumer education and merchant adoption.
He said: “We’ve had lots of people come and talk to us at Pay360 about open banking which has been great but we still need to get adoption with consumers to actually happen and explain to them why it’s good for them, and also to merchants why they should promote it for themselves.”
He stressed the importance of moving beyond simple financial products to creating meaningful solutions that genuinely help customers in their financial journeys.
The company itself has been experiencing steady growth, recording record transaction volumes and revenues up 33 per cent in the previous year, with potential for further geographical expansion through the anticipated merger.
The overall tone suggested optimism about the fintech industry’s direction, particularly in making financial services more accessible and user-friendly. Simcox was particularly excited about the potential of ‘better finance’, which he described as bringing financial services products to consumers in more useful and intuitive ways.
A focus on attendee experience
Beyond content and networking, this year’s event introduced some thoughtful touches to enhance the attendee experience. NFC key fobs powered by Digiseq and MyGuava were pre-loaded with £35 each day and offered a convenient way to grab a coffee, or treat a colleague, inside the venue while any unspent balance went to charity. Uniquely, these key fobs remained usable beyond the event which is a nice reminder of the utility of NFCs.
For those needing a break from the buzz, a sensory tent provided a quiet retreat, offering a welcome respite for attendees looking to recharge. Additionally, a donation-based massage station allowed guests to unwind while supporting a good cause, an initiative that was well-received among the crowd although I did see one person still scrolling on their phone which seemed like it might have defeated the object!
The verdict: Summery fintech feels
Ultimately, PAY360 2025 succeeded in bringing the UK fintech ecosystem together not just for business, but for meaningful conversations, networking, and even a bit of fun.
The event had the energy of a bustling pub garden in summer: warm, engaging, and full of ideas flowing between industry peers. As fintech continues to evolve at a rapid pace, gatherings like this remain crucial in shaping the future of financial services.
Gina Clarke Events correspondent, Gina Clarke, is a fintech journalist (BA, MA) who works across broadcast and print. She has written for most national newspapers and started her career in BBC local radio. View all posts 
