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Subscription-based business models have become a defining feature of digital commerce, prompting increased regulatory scrutiny of recurring payment practices. As recurring billing has expanded across sectors, including media, fintechs, and retail memberships, regulators are increasingly focused on consumer protection issues such as transparency of pricing and renewal terms, informed consumer consent, ease of cancellation, and prevention of so-called “subscription traps”.

The plan aims to modernise the country’s response to the evolving threat via a more coordinated and technologically enabled prevention model based on improved analytical capabilities, stronger governance and deeper collaboration with industry.

Participants identified several foundational questions for the UK cryptoasset framework, including areas of regulatory treatment and infrastructure design that must be addressed for stablecoins to operate at scale as payment instruments.

South Korea’s Financial Services Commission (FSC) and the Korea Financial Intelligence Unit (KoFIU) are advancing a targeted set of reforms to the country’s anti-money laundering framework following a review of the Act on Reporting and Using Specified Financial Transaction Information. Rather than overhauling the system, authorities aim to close operational gaps identified through supervision, particularly as digital asset markets expand and process growing volumes of bank-linked transactions. The reforms focus on improving transaction transparency, strengthening investigative tools and clarifying reporting obligations as South Korea prepares for its next Financial Action Task Force mutual evaluation in 2028.

In February 2026, the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published policy statement PS26/1, setting out the final regulatory framework for deferred payment credit (DPC) (also known broadly as buy now, pay later (BNPL) lending), following consultation under CP25/23. The policy statement confirms the FCA’s approach to bringing previously unregulated short-term, interest-free instalment credit within the formal consumer credit perimeter. The final rules reflect industry feedback and clarify how DPC products will be integrated into the FCA Handbook and aligned with existing conduct, creditworthiness and Consumer Duty requirements. The reforms were introduced after the FCA acknowledged that most BNPL activity has been operating outside its direct supervision and beyond the full scope of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. The core challenge for BNPL providers now lies in reconciling their traditionally frictionless, embedded checkout model with a more rigorous compliance architecture. Under the finalised rules, BNPL providers will have to redesign credit decisioning processes and update technology infrastructure. If implemented strategically rather than reactively, the new rules can

The Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) has long been the cornerstone of the United States’ federal anti-money laundering (AML) framework. However, for many financial institutions and compliance professionals, the law has become a symbol of regulatory stagnation.

As the European Central Bank (ECB) opens applications for its digital euro pilot, a coalition of merchant groups has called for a simplified fee structure to ensure the central bank digital currency (CBDC) delivers long-term, low-cost payments.

A bill that would allow individual states to set limits broadly aligns with rhetoric from President Trump on a 10 percent cap on interest rates, but industry participants have warned that such a change could drive consumers to unregulated alternatives.

The new geopolitical realities mean that payments firms will need to reassess their compliance priorities to protect themselves against the risks posed by Iranian and other sanctioned actors.

In 2026 and beyond, a structural shift in global economic governance around sanctions enforcement can be expected. Prior to late 2025, the focus was more on sanctions design and designations as a policy tool for most jurisdictions, given the geopolitical landscape, whereas 2026 could be the year when the focus moves to sanctions enforcement.