March 30, 2026
March was a big month for Cardstream, with the team attending three major industry events: Merchant Payments Ecosystem (MPE) in Berlin, TRANSACT in Atlanta, and PAY360, held at ExCeL London. Each event brought together leaders from across the payments landscape, offering valuable opportunities to connect, collaborate, and explore the innovations shaping the future of commerce.
MPE Berlin: Innovation, Insight, and Industry Connections
From 17–19 March, our Director of Sales, Joe Perry, and Relationship Manager Team Lead, Erin, were on the ground at MPE Berlin, one of Europe’s leading events for the merchant payments ecosystem.
A standout session attended by Erin focused on the future of orchestration and a fast-emerging trend: Agentic Commerce. Delivered by Sagitha George at Mastercard, the session highlighted how AI is reshaping e-commerce, moving beyond traditional user journeys to intelligent agents that can search, compare, recommend, and even complete transactions autonomously across multiple platforms.
This shift signals a major leap forward in digital commerce, with AI-driven experiences set to redefine how consumers interact with payments – faster, smarter, and more seamless than ever before.
Over the three days, Joe and Erin connected with partners to explore how PayFac and PayFac as a Service (PFaaS) models are evolving to meet market demand. Conversations centred on how payment orchestration, fraud prevention, and embedded finance capabilities are being packaged within PFaaS frameworks to enable partners to launch, scale, and monetise payment propositions more efficiently, without the regulatory and operational burden of becoming a fully licensed PayFac. The growing demand for flexible, scalable infrastructure was a consistent theme, particularly from partners looking to accelerate time to market while retaining commercial control.
The event also delivered on networking. Erin attended an evening event hosted by our partners at PPRO, while Joe joined a Visa-hosted dinner, both of which provided fantastic opportunities to strengthen relationships and continue conversations beyond the conference floor.
TRANSACT Atlanta: Powering the Future of Payments
At the same time, Cardstream was also represented at TRANSACT in Atlanta (18–20 March), one of North America’s most influential payments events. Our CEO, Adam Sharpe, attended the event, representing Cardstream at the heart of the US payments ecosystem.
The event delivered a sharp and insightful programme, alongside valuable opportunities to reconnect with existing partners and build relationships with new ones. The energy across the US market was particularly notable, with a strong openness to collaboration and partnership that reflects the pace and ambition of the region’s payments landscape.
Key themes across the event included embedded payments, AI-driven fraud prevention, evolving merchant expectations, and the continued expansion of digital commerce. Conversations throughout reinforced a clear message: businesses are seeking smarter, more connected payment solutions that can scale with their ambitions.
With growing momentum in the US market, Cardstream is excited about the opportunities ahead, including the development of new partnerships that will continue to strengthen and expand its global ecosystem.
PAY360: Conversations Driving the Future of Payments
Cardstream also attended PAY360 (24-25 March), where Joe Perry was joined by Connor Shea, Sales Associate, to engage with leaders and innovators from across the payments ecosystem.
PAY360 provided a valuable platform to connect with partners, platforms, and ISVs, and to explore the trends shaping the next phase of the industry. Several key themes stood out strongly from conversations across the event floor.
PayFac and PayFac-as-a-Service (PFaaS) models continue to gain momentum, as businesses look for greater control, flexibility, and faster routes to market. Alongside this, payment orchestration is rapidly becoming a core requirement rather than a “nice to have,” with organisations recognising the need for intelligent routing, optimisation, and resilience across multiple providers.
Another emerging topic was agentic commerce, which is moving from concept into practical discussion. There is a growing focus on how AI-driven systems can make payments more intelligent, embedded, and autonomous within digital experiences.
Across discussions, one message was clear: rigid acquiring models are being replaced by scalable, configurable infrastructure that evolves alongside business growth.
The event sparked strong conversations, valuable insights, and clear opportunities to build on as the industry continues to shift towards more flexible and intelligent payment ecosystems.
Looking Ahead
From Berlin to Atlanta, one thing is clear: the payments industry is evolving fast.
Events like these highlight the power of collaboration, innovation, and forward-thinking technology in driving the next generation of payment experiences.
A big thank you to everyone who met with the Cardstream team across all events. It was great to connect, share ideas, and explore new opportunities.
We’re already looking ahead to what’s next.
