Ecommpay Shortlisted for UK PayTech of the Year Following AI Checkout Innovation

Ecommpay has been named a finalist for the UK PayTech of the Year at the Banking Tech Awards 2026, highlighting the platform’s recent heavy investment in artificial intelligence. For fintech professionals, this shortlisting underscores the growing industry emphasis on using AI to simulate risk-scoring and recover revenue lost to transaction declines.

What was announced

The shortlisting for the Banking Tech Awards, now in its 27th year, recognises Ecommpay’s strategic focus on payment performance through artificial intelligence. The awards ceremony, hosted by FinTech Futures, is scheduled for 3rd December at the Hilton London Park Lane, where winners will be announced during a gala event featuring over 500 decision-makers and C-suite leaders from more than 85 countries. Ecommpay’s specific innovation involves an AI platform designed to mitigate the impact of failed transactions, which represent both lost revenue and lost customer loyalty for merchants.

The technology functions by simulating bank risk-scoring and auditing live merchant configurations against technical standards. By translating dense analytical data into clear, actionable recommendations, the tool allows merchants to adjust their setups to improve authorisation rates. Notably, Ecommpay has integrated this AI capability as a standard feature for all client relationships rather than offering it as an optional extra. This move aims to push checkout performance to its limit by addressing the technical friction that often leads to payment declines. The recognition in the ‘UK PayTech of the Year’ category places the London-headquartered firm among the top innovators in the British payments landscape for the 2026 cycle.

"Being named a finalist alongside other industry leaders and innovators is a huge testament to our team's hard work, dedication and drive to transform the payments landscape. It is our mission to push checkout performance to its absolute limit. We have put tech that drives payments at the centre of our operations, and the AI investment and innovation is already transforming e-commerce performance. We look forward to celebrating an extraordinary year of excellence and leadership in banking technology with the global FinTech community."

Daniella Sjarki, Business Growth Specialist at Ecommpay.

The companies involved

Founded in 2012 and headquartered in London, Ecommpay has established itself as an inclusive global payments platform. The company provides a comprehensive suite of services including global and local acquiring, over 100 payment methods, and sophisticated payment processing and orchestration, all delivered through a single, seamless API. This unified approach is designed to eliminate the need for third-party systems by building essential capabilities—such as open banking, recurring billing, and direct debits—directly into the core platform. By streamlining operations in this manner, the firm seeks to reduce costs and minimise friction for its merchant clients.

From a regulatory standpoint, Ecommpay UK Ltd is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) under the Payment Services Regulation 2017 for the provision of payment services. The company holds status as a fully licensed principal member of both Mastercard and Visa, and its payment platform has been certified to Level 1 PCI DSS. Positioned as a partner rather than a traditional service provider, Ecommpay focuses on optimising transactions for maximum value within the digital economy, facilitating secure connections to global financial ecosystems for businesses of various scales.

What FF News has reported before

FF News has closely followed Ecommpay’s product expansion and market analysis throughout 2026. In September, the platform issued a significant warning regarding Ecommpay Warns: Agentic Commerce Risks Excluding 59% of Vulnerable Consumers, highlighting the social implications of automated purchasing. This followed a period of rapid geographical and technical growth, including the news that Ecommpay Simplifies Spanish Market Entry with Direct Bizum Payment Integration. The company’s impact on settlement efficiency was also noted when Bill.me Boosts On-Time Payments 17% via Ecommpay Open Banking Integration. Earlier in the year, the firm addressed checkout friction directly when Ecommpay Launches Express Checkout for Apple Pay and Google Pay to Slash Merchant Friction. These developments illustrate a consistent focus on reducing merchant hurdles across different payment methods and regions.

What this means

This recognition signals a shift in the payments industry where advanced AI-driven optimisation is transitioning from a premium upsell to a baseline expectation. By making decline analysis a standard feature, Ecommpay is placing direct pressure on traditional legacy providers who still treat transaction recovery as an optional, high-margin service. The industry is clearly moving toward a model where the value of a payment partner is measured by their ability to actively manage risk-scoring rather than just moving money. This raises a critical question for the sector: can smaller fintechs afford to provide this level of computational intelligence without increasing merchant fees, or will we see a further consolidation of the market around platforms with the scale to absorb these tech costs?