Beyond Payments: Human-Centric Innovation and Strategic Growth at the Merchant Payments Ecosystem (MPE) 2025
The Merchant Payments Ecosystem (MPE) 2025, hosted in the vibrant heart of Berlin, brought together over 1,400 professionals and 160+ speakers from across the globe to explore the cutting edge of merchant payments. In its 18th year, MPE reaffirmed its position as the premier European stage for merchants, fintechs, acquirers, PSPs, regulators, and thought leaders.
As expected, our team was there to feel the pulse of the payment ecosystem. Let’s find out the key messages of the Merchant Payments Ecosystem (MPE) 2025.
Cihan Demir (Finartz), Dr. Soner Canko (SC Danismanlik), Elif Kocaoğlu Ulbrich & Simon Ulbrich of Contextual Solutions GmbH
While APIs, acronyms, and automation often define the payments space, this year’s conference focused on people and strategy.
Here is a breakdown of this year’s participants:
MPE 2025 Participant Breakdown (Source: MPE).
Key Themes: From Wallets to Quantum, From Fraud to Future-Proofing
MPE 2025’s agenda was nothing short of ambitious. Core conversations revolved around:
Payment orchestration and infrastructure simplification
Fraud prevention and chargeback minimization using AI
Digital identity and wallet evolution
Cross-border enablement and reconciliation challenges
Open banking innovation and PSD3 readiness
Quantum computing’s theoretical role in future payment rails
But it wasn’t just about tech.
“Every Merchant Wants to Be a FinTech” But It’s Complicated
In one standout session, speakers emphasized that merchants are eager to embed fintech into their customer journey: think gift cards, real-time payouts, and embedded lending. However, the complexity of reconciliation, accounting, and fund splitting remains a persistent headache, especially for multi-entity platforms.
The bottom line? Payments may start at checkout, but the real work happens in the back office.
Human-Centric Payments: Talent, Diversity, and Inclusion as Competitive Advantages
MPE’s most refreshing shift came in its "People in Payments" track, where vulnerability, curiosity, and inclusion took center stage.
“Payments are going human-centric,” shared one panelist, underscoring how hiring outside the traditional talent pool.
Leadership is also evolving. Vulnerable, open leaders are driving psychologically safe environments that outperform their stoic predecessors. What is the call to action?
Don’t just digitize your payments; humanize them.
AI, Digital Identity & The Super Wallet
Futurist David Birch set the tone with a provocative keynote that explored how digital wallets are morphing into “super apps” that not only store payment credentials but also manage identity, loyalty, and even consent.
AI was framed as both a savior and a challenge for the payments industry:
Smart fraud detection and biometric authentication
Concerns over deepfakes and misuse of identity data
"In a world of AI, your digital identity is more valuable than the transaction itself," Birch warned.
FinTech Funding and M&A: Cautious Optimism Returns
After a volatile 2023, investors are returning with a focus on fundamentals. The $12B Worldpay acquisition set the tone: valuation discipline, strategic fits, and post-merger integration now matter more than flashy user growth.
Top advice for founders? “Profitability over hype. Relationships over open bidding. Integration over acquisition theater.”
Payments as Strategy: A Revenue Driver, Not Just a Cost Center
The final day emphasized payments as a strategic capability, especially in large-scale, omnichannel merchant environments:
Data ownership → fewer declines and better performance
Orchestration → customer trust and agility
Localized approaches → global scale with regional nuance
Today's payment teams manage revenue, retention, customer acquisition, and complianceand need tools that offer control, insight, and scalability.
Are Payments Truly User-Centric?
The panel, featuring David Birch, Arda Cagaptay, Arnaud Crouzet, Soner Canko, Branislav Straka, and Jun Cai, kicked off by demystifying the “super app” hype. According to the experts, Europe’s future does not include a super app but several super wallets. In this scope, digital wallets will also expand their functions and encompass various features, including identity storage and verification and loyalty program management.
The panel continued, asking a fundamental question: Are payments sufficiently user-centric? Dr. Soner Canko made an interesting point: “We organize institution-centric events like the MPE, but we don’t have any events addressing the end users and consumers. Can we say we are genuinely customer-centric if we don’t provide them with the relevant platforms and include their feedback?”
MPE 2025 Award Winners
This year’s MPE Awards shone a spotlight on the most transformative companies shaping the merchant payments space:
Merchant Payment Acceptance of the Year: Market Pay
Most Innovative Payment Solution: Paynt
Best Use of Data Analytics: Celeris
Best Cross-Border Merchant Solution: BVNK
Best Use of Open Banking for Payments: Brite Payments
Best RegTech Solution: Vixio Regulatory Intelligence
Best OmniChannel Payments Solution: Lloyds Banking Group
Best Marketplace/Platform Provider: Mangopay
Most Innovative Fraud Prevention Solution: Riskified
Best Payments Orchestration Solution: BR-DGE
Best Embedded Finance / BaaS Solution: Unipaas
Best Startup Innovation Award: Securely Group
Chairman's Award - Best ESG Initiative: Greenspark
MPE Influencer of the Year: Kamil Hanacek
Final Thoughts: From Ecosystem to Strategic Engine
MPE 2025 wasn’t just a gathering of technologists; it was a meeting of minds, pushing beyond transactional thinking into ecosystem design, inclusion, and long-term strategy.
As we head toward MPE 2026, one message is clear: “Payments are no longer just plumbing. They're now product, policy, and people.”
