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Welcome!
Registration is now open!
Register Today!Payments MAGnified 26 takes place February 17-20, 2026, at the Gaylord Pacific Resort and Convention Center in San Diego, CA.
Payments MAGnified offers enhanced networking opportunities and customizable experiences that cater to varying career stages for payments professionals. This event promises deep dives into industry challenges and opportunities for both business- and tech-minded individuals.
Tech Forum Attendees: Payments MAGnified dives deeper into payments technology while continuing to connect merchant IT professionals and their business partners with technology sponsors through tech-focused educational sessions and engaging networking events.
Continue to check this webpage as planning continues and more information becomes available. We look forward to seeing you at the event!
Countdown to Payments MAGnified 26
February 17, 20260
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Why Attend
Focused Relevance
Choose from tailored sessions, SIGs, Case Studies, and Small Group Discussions aligned with your industry and career stage.
Peer-Led Insight
Engage in smaller, high-trust settings where peers share proven strategies and lessons learned.
Actionable Outcomes
Walk away with tools, templates, and case studies ready to implement immediately.
Career Advancement
Gain expertise that positions you as a leader in your organization and the industry.
Registration Information
Registration Deadlines
- Mid-November - Registration Opens for Payments MAGnified
- January 16 11:59 p.m. PST- Early Bird Deadline
- February 9 at 11:59 p.m. PST - Online registration closes. No cancelations, refunds, or transfers after this date.
- February 17 at 01:00 p.m. – February 20 at 12:00 p.m. PST - Onsite registration will be available.
Travel Information
Hotel
Hotel
- Reserve Your Room
- MAG has secured a discounted group rate of $319 per night plus tax and fees.
- Cut-Off Date: Monday, January 16, 2026, or until sold out.
Airfare
- MAG has partnered with United Airlines to provide discounted airfare to San Diego. To redeem, use code ZRWH354477.
- For more information, click here.
General Information
- Online registration for Payments MAGnified closes on Monday, February 9, at 11:59 p.m. PST
- You must be registered for the conference to attend any of the Payments MAGnified Conference.
- Registration grants access to education sessions, general sessions, and business breakout sessions as well as the exhibit area. Access to Tech Forum sessions may require an additional cost for registration.
- MAG offers Merchant-Only sessions that are restricted to MAG Merchant Members and approved guest merchants.
- All badge reprints onsite require a matching ID and an associated charge of $150 per re-print.
REGISTRATION ROSTER
Download ListTECH FORUM ROSTER
Download ListRegistration Fees
Guest Attendance
Not a member of the MAG but would like to attend the conference? Contact growth@merchantadvisorygroup.org for more information.
Beware of Scams
Do not respond if an individual outside the MAG contacts you regarding accommodations or contact info.
The MAG Tech Forum is aligned with the MAG Payments Conference, offering education and networking opportunities for payments IT professionals. As the payments ecosystem evolves, the MAG Tech Forum connects payments technology experts and leading providers to explore innovative applications of these advancements.
The MAG Tech Forum aims to foster collaboration, provide tech-focused knowledge, and build relationships between merchants, their payments IT and business teams, and technology providers.
NETWORK
Connect with IT professionals at the Tech Forum and payments professionals at the MAG conference events representing
over 150 of the largest U.S. merchants which account for over $4.8 trillion in annual sales across physical and digital commerce.
DEVELOP
Create new business connections with Tech Forum and MAG merchant member attendees from every vertical
(eCommerce, Airlines, Department Stores, Mass Merchant, Grocery, Hospitality, Hotels Petroleum/Convenience Stores, Small Ticket/Restaurants).
DEEP DIVE
Presentations are available on current industry topics that your business peers across the retail community are grappling with in their companies. Join the strategic discussions and learn best practices for today’s rapidly changing payments environment.
LEARN
Access to industry experts who provide the latest insights and innovative uses of new payment technologies twice a year
through panel and keynote sessions, as well as within the exhibit halls at in-person events.
CONTINUED LEARNING
Beyond the in-person meetings twice a year, participate in the MAG webinar series, online learning, MAG committees, and Community of Practice (COP) efforts offered throughout the year. Want to get even more involved? Be a panelist at one of our upcoming events and share your perspective with fellow merchants.
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#PAYMENTSMAGNIFIEDPayments MAGnified Agenda
Agenda subject to change
Last updated on Sunday, December 14, 2025. All times are in PST
Agenda Key
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Merchant Only Session
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First-Time Attendees: Networking & Session
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Networking Reception
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Registration Open
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Breakfast
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Exhibit Hall Open
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Opening Keynote: Delivering Payments Solutions with Agentic Commerce Experiences
Description
Expert panelists will explore the quickly evolving landscape of Agentic Commerce. Attend this session to learn about the latest developments in AI, what solution providers bring to the table, and how merchants are considering the impact AI will have on payments and commerce. -
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Explore the Exhibit Hall!
Description
Whether you're taking a break between sessions or eager to compete in the Exhibitor Quest for a chance to win great prizes, you won’t want to miss the action in our conference Exhibit Hall. This is the best opportunity to network with providers and discover the solutions your teams need. See you there! -
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Innovation Stage: ANTOM by Ant International
Description
Ant International's new AI capabilities will increase the efficiency of merchant payments operations, such as integration guides, customer service, credit card disputes, and chargeback handling. Ant International will also discuss what merchants need to know or pay attention to when leveraging agentic payments and how they are working with merchants in these areas. -
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Innovation Stage: Firmly
Description
Consumer behavior is shifting fast, with shoppers now expecting to buy the moment inspiration strikes and traditional redirects are rapidly shrinking. Traffic from GenAI browsers to retail sites has surged 4,700% year-over-year, and McKinsey projects agentic commerce will reach $5 trillion globally by 2030. Yet adoption across the industry lags, slowed by fragmented protocols that require separate integrations and a heavy engineering lift. This constrains scalability and places the technical burden back onto merchants. Firmly.ai removes this friction with a unified “Buy Now, Anywhere” platform that accelerates merchant adoption across every major LLM and publisher environment. Products become instantly shoppable with zero engineering lift — a fully no-code, no-protocol, no-financial-commitment solution — and merchants always remain the Merchant of Record. -
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Innovation Stage: Splitit
Description
Merchants and shoppers are already seeing results from Samsung Wallet’s in-store installment feature powered by Splitit. Unlike legacy BNPL, Splitit links payments to a shopper’s existing card; no new credit checks, rewards stay intact, and purchase protections remain. The experience is embedded in Samsung Wallet: once enrolled, consumers can tap and split purchases at the point of sale, gaining control and visibility over their plan. We’ll share the new roadmap: VIP co-branded wallet campaigns, omnichannel and global expansion in key regions, and the next wave: AI-driven personalization that surfaces the right plan at the right moment. Walk away with the playbook to create a frictionless, future-proof checkout. -
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Networking Lunch
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Tech Forum Kick-Off - Agentic AI and The Future of Commerce
Description
Level 100:Commerce is undergoing rapid evolution as agentic AI, autonomous systems capable of acting on behalf of users, intersects with transformative technologies like blockchain, digital currencies, and real-time payments. Simultaneously, global dynamics are pushing businesses to rethink how they operate. This discussion explores how adaptive workflows and intelligent automation are enabling organizations to navigate complexity, support multi-channel digital payments, and deliver more personalized customer experiences. Attendees will gain a clear view of how agentic AI is accelerating decision-making, streamlining operations, and opening new revenue channels while also examining the risks of falling behind in a fast-evolving marketplace. -
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Small Group Discussion - Payment Strategy & RFPs
AllSmall Group Discussion - Agentic Commerce/AI
AllSmall Group Discussion - Chargebacks
AllSmall Group Discussion - Fraud
AllSmall Group Discussion - Preparing for International Consumers
AllSmall Group Discussion - APMs
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Small Group Discussion - Payment Strategy & RFPs
Description
With commerce evolving at an ever-increasing pace, the agility and adaptability of service providers are more important than ever. Merchants continually reevaluate their service providers against new requirements. Join this group to discuss how the changing landscape impacts an RFP and what your peers are doing to ensure success. -
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Small Group Discussion - Agentic Commerce/AI
Description
For merchants and the payments industry, AI has gone from discussions on potential applications to a commercial reality in less than a year. Agentic commerce is poised to change the way consumers discover, select and pay for goods and services. This discussion centers on merchant considerations when interacting with these commerce AI agents. -
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Small Group Discussion - Chargebacks
Description
With more ways to pay and a shift to online and digital sales, the complexity of chargeback management increases. Navigating the rules and compliance programs requires periodic review and adjustments. Join this group to discuss trends and solutions your peers are seeing in their chargeback management operations. -
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Small Group Discussion - Fraud
Description
As commerce evolves, so does fraud. New shopping channels, such as agentic commerce, are poised to transform customer engagement, including fraud risk. At the same time, merchants must continue to combat fraud in traditional payments channels while developing new, merchant-driven strategies to stay ahead. Join your peers to discuss the latest tactics for combating payments fraud and consider how innovations will influence the future of fraud prevention. -
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Small Group Discussion - Preparing for International Consumers
Description
With the United States hosting both the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Summer Olympics, preparing your payments acceptance solutions for international consumers should be a top priority. Join this group to discuss what changes your peers are considering making to their operations and how they are managing the influx of international consumers to their businesses. -
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Small Group Discussion - APMs
Description
Faster payments, ACH, stablecoins, and embedded finance are common terms to describe alternative payment methods, but what do they mean, and how do merchants determine the right mix for their payments strategy? This discussion group will focus on the variety of alternative payment methods and their applicability to your business.
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Payment Resilience in an Uncertain World
BusinessInvesting in Trust: The Ultimate Currency of Fintech Innovation
TechFrom Data to Decisions: How AI is Transforming Merchant Payment Insights
TechTransforming Payment QA: Eliminating Friction Through Scalable Payment Test Automation
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Payment Resilience in an Uncertain World
Description
Consumer-facing businesses are navigating an era of growing unpredictability. From extreme weather events and power outages to cyberattacks and system failures, disruption is no longer a rare occurrence—it’s the new normal. Recent high-profile incidents at leading retailers and brands have highlighted the vulnerability of payment systems, resulting in lost sales, frustrated customers, and operational challenges. In this session, FreedomPay explores the effects of payments failures in Europe through a first-of-its-kind research report showing the significant revenue loss and reputation impact caused by payment outages to businesses across North America. We go over how businesses can build payments resilience to minimize revenue loss and reputational damage. -
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Investing in Trust: The Ultimate Currency of Fintech Innovation
Description
In an era defined by unprecedented technological advancements – from the transformative power of AI and the widespread adoption of digital wallets to the ever-present challenges of identity verification and fraud – the very foundation of financial innovation hinges on building and maintaining unwavering trust. Explore the paramount importance of trust in leadership within the rapidly evolving global fintech landscape. Delve into actionable strategies for navigating change and fostering trust in an increasingly complex digital economy. Hear how organizations can cultivate a culture of trust, focusing on transparent practices, robust security measures, and unwavering ethical standards, ensuring a resilient and thriving financial ecosystem. -
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From Data to Decisions: How AI is Transforming Merchant Payment Insights
Description
Level 100:Imagine opening one portal, asking “How’s my business doing?” and getting a complete snapshot in under 20 seconds. No bugs, no spreadsheets, just insights that would have taken hours otherwise. While AI has become one of the most talked-about technologies in payments, it’s not always clear how it delivers measurable value. For payments teams, the question is simple: how can AI actually help me work smarter with my data? In this session, Grover and IXOPAY explore how AI-powered analytics cut through the noise to turn raw transaction data into actionable insights that improve authorization rates, reduce costs, and enhance the customer experience. Learn how merchants can use AI to evaluate and boost payment performance, uncover hidden trends, and predict failures before they happen; ultimately enabling faster, smarter decision-making. -
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Transforming Payment QA: Eliminating Friction Through Scalable Payment Test Automation
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Level 200:Manual testing remains one of the biggest barriers to speed and consistency in payments software QA. Explore how automation, from robotic testing to centralized test orchestration, can eliminate friction points across the entire test lifecycle. Discover how modern tools and strategies enable teams to scale coverage — including both the POS and payment simultaneously — reduce certification delays, and transition from reactive to proactive quality assurance.
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Navigating Fraud Prevention in the Age of Agentic Commerce
BusinessHow Embedded Lending Orchestration Accelerates Sales
TechEmpowering Autonomous Transactions: The Rise of Agentic Commerce in the Digital Economy
TechStriking the Balance: How to Stop Fraud Without Stopping Your Customers
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Navigating Fraud Prevention in the Age of Agentic Commerce
Description
With the rise of agentic commerce, where autonomous agents make purchasing decisions on behalf of users, fraud prevention must evolve to detect not only human behavior but machine-driven transactions. At the same time, fraudsters are leveraging the same AI capabilities without the constraints of governance, compliance, or ethical oversight. This session explores the dual-edged nature of AI in fraud prevention. Drawing from real-world implementation experience, including a recent fraud vendor migration, gain practical guidance on deploying AI responsibly and effectively in a rapidly shifting landscape. Discover how to stay ahead when fraudsters have access to the same tools with fewer rules. -
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How Embedded Lending Orchestration Accelerates Sales
Description
Customer choice is the new currency in retail, and merchants who can offer the right financing at the right moment are winning the sale. Embedded lending orchestration connects shoppers with multiple lenders across the credit spectrum, ensuring more approvals, higher average order values, and stronger conversion rates at every point of sale. Explores how orchestrating a multi-lender network transforms embedded lending from a simple payment option into a high-performance sales engine. Get real-world results showing how orchestration technology has improved approval rates and incremental revenue through personalized, omnichannel lending experiences. We also discuss how leveraging data insights, waterfall models, and lender redundancy ensures consistent performance even in shifting economic conditions. This session reveals how orchestrated embedded lending turns choice into conversion, delivering smarter credit experiences that fuel both customer satisfaction and revenue growth. -
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Empowering Autonomous Transactions: The Rise of Agentic Commerce in the Digital Economy
Description
Level 100:Step into a world where intelligent agents transact, negotiate, and manage commerce on your behalf to unlock new levels of efficiency, personalization, and innovation. Agentic commerce is no longer a distant vision; it is rapidly becoming a reality, powered by advances in AI, automation, and smart contracts. We explore the foundational concepts and technological enablers behind agent-driven commerce, dive into real-world applications across retail, B2B, and financial services, and assess the opportunities and challenges this paradigm presents for businesses, consumers, and financial institutions. Leave with a clear understanding of how agentic commerce can be woven into existing business models, the benefits and risks of delegating commercial activities to autonomous agents, and the steps needed to prepare for this new era of digital transactions. -
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Striking the Balance: How to Stop Fraud Without Stopping Your Customers
Description
Level 200:As businesses focus more on improving their margins, finding the right balance between preventing fraud and keeping the checkout process smooth can be tricky. Industry experts share practical tips and real-world examples on how to implement tools, such as 3DS, to protect your business from both true fraud and first-party fraud, without disrupting the experience for your trusted customers. We also explore how AI can help you strike the right balance.
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Merchant Only SIG: Small Ticket/Restaurant
AllMerchant Only SIG: Mass Merchant
AllMerchant Only SIG: Recurring/Subscription Billing
AllMerchant Only SIG: Petroleum/Convenience Store
AllMerchant Only SIG: eCommerce
AllMerchant Only SIG: Technology
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Merchant Only SIG: Small Ticket/Restaurant
Description
The ultimate networking session! Come join the most highly-rated sessions of a MAG conference! These merchant-only discussion groups, led by merchant leaders, give you an opportunity in a no-pressure environment for an open and honest chat with your peers about what keeps you up at night. -
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Merchant Only SIG: Mass Merchant
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Merchant Only SIG: Recurring/Subscription Billing
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Merchant Only SIG: Petroleum/Convenience Store
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Merchant Only SIG: eCommerce
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Merchant Only SIG: Technology
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Networking Reception
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Registration Open
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Breakfast
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Exhibit Hall Open
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Innovation Stage: Stripe
AllExplore the Exhibit Hall!
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Innovation Stage: Stripe
Description
Learn how Link, Stripe’s consumer financial network, can increase conversions and revenue. Link gives customers a single, portable financial identity that securely stores and reuses cards, bank accounts, BNPL, external crypto wallets, and verified identity and financial data across Stripe. Join Elle Carter, Director of Product Sales, for practical guidance on integrating Link to speed checkout, reduce friction, and sell across channels. Elle will also discuss Link’s role in agentic commerce, the product roadmap, and what to expect in 2026. Leave with simple, actionable steps to drive growth from unified consumer identity. -
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Explore the Exhibit Hall!
Description
Whether you're taking a break between sessions or eager to compete in the Exhibitor Quest for a chance to win great prizes, you won’t want to miss the action in our conference Exhibit Hall. This is the best opportunity to network with providers and discover the solutions your teams need. See you there!
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Innovation Stage: Visa
Description
Disputes have traditionally been slow, resource-intensive back-office processes involving manual reviews and costly downstream impacts. Today’s merchants need a faster, smarter way to protect revenue, reduce risk, and deliver better post-purchase customer experiences. This session introduces a new AI-driven experience that unifies pre-dispute resolution and post-dispute revenue recovery into a proactive post-purchase journey. AI-powered decisioning stops negative customer experiences before they escalate, protects revenue, and reduces risk ratios that impact authorization rates. Understand how AI is reshaping commerce, making post-purchase processes faster, smarter, and more profitable. Learn why merchants must adapt now or risk being left behind in the rapidly accelerating AI revolution. -
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Stablecoins Transition to Mainstream
Description
As digital currencies evolve beyond speculation and into real-world utility, stablecoins are emerging as a transformative force in the payments ecosystem. This panel brings together industry leaders to explore how stablecoin innovation is reshaping settlement, cross-border capabilities, and merchant acceptance. The discussion examines practical use cases, regulatory developments, and the infrastructure required for stablecoin adoption at scale. Get insights into how merchants can prepare for and capitalize on this rapidly developing area of digital payments. -
Business
Pay-by-Bank 2.0
BusinessThe New Rules of Paying for Travel: How Flexibility Builds Loyalty
TechChaos to Clarity: The Key to Reducing the True Cost of Payments
TechThe Identity Tax: How Broken Signals Inflate Payment Risk, and What to Do About It
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Pay-by-Bank 2.0
Description
Session description coming soon! -
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The New Rules of Paying for Travel: How Flexibility Builds Loyalty
Description
The way travelers pay for their trips is changing fast, and the entire travel ecosystem is adapting. As consumers look for greater flexibility, clarity, and control at checkout, payments strategy is emerging as a key competitive lever for merchants; one that directly influences conversion, loyalty, and long-term relationships. Explore how evolving consumer behavior and merchant priorities are shaping the future of travel payments. The discussion unpacks what’s driving these shifts, how leading brands are responding, and how collaboration across networks, processors, and providers is enabling smarter, more seamless payment experiences. Get a clear view of how flexibility and choice can build trust, foster loyalty, and turn checkout into a competitive advantage. -
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Chaos to Clarity: The Key to Reducing the True Cost of Payments
Description
Level 100:What if your biggest source of profit drain isn’t fraud or chargebacks, but the cost of payments itself? Hidden processor fees, fragmented PSP systems, and delayed settlements quietly eat into margins for many fast-growing, customer-first brands. We unpack how our client uncovered millions in hidden costs buried inside its payments back-office chaos. The result? Better control, smarter decisions, and a measurable lift in profitability — without changing PSPs or ripping out existing systems. This case study offers a rare look into how a modern enterprise bridged operational silos, surfaced hidden costs, and created lasting value through intelligent reconciliation. -
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The Identity Tax: How Broken Signals Inflate Payment Risk, and What to Do About It
Description
Level 200:Merchants are quietly paying an identity tax every day. Fragmented signals, decaying match rates, tokenization blind spots, and a rising tide of synthetic accounts are turning ordinary payment flows into loss-making edge cases: more chargebacks, worse attribution, leaky loyalty programs, and higher reconciliation costs. This session reframes identity as a payments engineering problem, not a marketing checkbox. You will leave with a sharper, practical playbook for lowering that tax: how to think about identity signals end-to-end, which signals actually move the needle for authorization, reconciliation, and fraud decisions, and architecture patterns that tolerate privacy constraints while improving outcomes. We walk through real failure modes, a simple probabilistic scoring approach you can implement without replacing core systems, and cross-team guardrails that stop identity problems from surfacing as payment problems. This is not a product pitch. It’s a straight, tactical session for payments leaders who want to stop defending yesterday’s assumptions and start designing systems that treat identity as first-class infrastructure.
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Networking Lunch
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The Road Ahead: How Connected Car Consumers Are Transforming Sales and Payments
BusinessWomen In Payments: Building a Payments Career
TechCheck-in to checkout: Creating Connected Customer Journeys at the POS
TechThe Merchant Perspective: A Frank Conversation on Tokenization and Agentic Commerce
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The Road Ahead: How Connected Car Consumers Are Transforming Sales and Payments
Description
Every journey is an opportunity for engagement, and every vehicle is a gateway to new commerce. The rise of the connected car consumer is reshaping how businesses reach, serve, and inspire customers across all market segments. Explore how connected vehicles are creating seamless, personalized experiences that extend far beyond transportation. Discover the technologies and partnerships fueling this revolution and learn how new sales channels, from in-car payments to integrated digital marketplaces, are opening doors for growth and innovation. -
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Women In Payments: Building a Payments Career
Description
Payments professionals often joke that they don’t go to school for payments; yet so many of us end up in long-term, fulfilling careers centered around payments. Hear from women executives on their career journeys as well as their take on hot topics in the industry. -
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Check-in to checkout: Creating Connected Customer Journeys at the POS
Description
Level 100:The POS is no longer the end of the customer journey; it is the start of an intelligent relationship. As identity, payments, and personalization converge, checkout is transforming into a strategic channel for engagement, loyalty, and revenue growth. Biometrics and tokenized credentials are redefining how customers “check in,” enabling instant recognition, secure authentication, and personalized experiences beyond the transaction. The result is a new retail model where every interaction deepens trust and drives value. Examine how merchants and payments providers can turn POS info into a connected experience layer. We discuss how to integrate loyalty and media activation directly at checkout, how to balance convenience with compliance, and how privacy-first design can build long-term consumer confidence. By reframing checkout as a data-driven engagement point, retailers can unlock richer insights, streamline operations, and deliver measurable business impact – all without compromising security or customer trust. -
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The Merchant Perspective: A Frank Conversation on Tokenization and Agentic Commerce
Description
Level 200:The future of commerce is undoubtedly agentic, but the question remains: are we ready to build it securely, fairly, and scalably? This is not a theoretical discussion; it is a look at the future through the eyes of the merchant. Join this candid, interactive session that moves beyond the hype to address the most critical challenges facing the payments ecosystem today.
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The Great Payments Shake-Up: What CEDP, DCAP, and 2026 Changes Mean for Merchants
BusinessBalancing Innovation and Cost: Building a Future-Ready Payments Strategy
TechTech Forum Breakout 1
TechBuilding Trust in the Age of Agentic Commerce
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The Great Payments Shake-Up: What CEDP, DCAP, and 2026 Changes Mean for Merchants
Description
Visa’s CEDP program reshaped the meaning of enhanced data for commercial cards. Now, Visa’s DCAP plans to do the same with consumer cards. In addition to a deep dive into these programs, explore the full wave of recent and upcoming network and regulatory changes in 2026. From new data and compliance requirements to evolving rules on routing, pricing, and acquirer relationships, merchants will need to rethink how they manage, and optimize, their payments ecosystems. This session breaks down what’s changing, who will feel the greatest impact, and how forward-looking merchants can get ahead of the curve. -
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Balancing Innovation and Cost: Building a Future-Ready Payments Strategy
Description
The future of payments is not just offering more ways to pay; it’s about building an innovative, inclusive, and financially sustainable strategy. Explore how merchants can build a future-ready payments approach that embraces innovation and drives measurable business results. This session covers emerging payments trends, consumer behavior, and alternative financing options, including lease-to-own (LTO) as one example of a tool that can expand access, increase conversion, and support cost optimization. Through case studies and forward-looking perspectives from industry leaders, attendees will learn how to balance the cost of acceptance with growth while navigating evolving interchange, consumer, and technology dynamics. -
Tech
Tech Forum Breakout 1
Description
Session description coming soon! -
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Building Trust in the Age of Agentic Commerce
Description
Level 200:As AI agents take over shopping journeys — from search to checkout — merchants face both opportunity and risk. Will brands lose visibility, or gain a powerful new channel? Explore how merchant-centric protocols preserve trust, control, and flexibility in the next era of AI-driven commerce.
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Case Study: The $59 Billion Problem: Combating AI-Accelerated Refund Abuse
BusinessCase Study: A Debit Transaction Is Tokenized/Uploaded to a Digital Wallet – Is It Routable?
TechCase Study: POS Transformation Journey: Strategies from the Frontlines
TechCase Study: PCI Compliance Automation: Putting Your PCI Program on Rails
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Case Study: The $59 Billion Problem: Combating AI-Accelerated Refund Abuse
Description
Refund fraud and costs the merchant industry over $59 billion annually in direct losses. With recent advancements in AI, these attacks are accelerating and becoming far more sophisticated, allowing complex fraud schemes to slip through existing defenses. This session breaks down how AI-driven refund attacks are executed and share actionable strategies to stay ahead. Learn how to safeguard your business and prevent losses before they ever hit your bottom line. -
Business
Case Study: A Debit Transaction Is Tokenized/Uploaded to a Digital Wallet – Is It Routable?
Description
How do authorization rates differ when routing network tokens to signature networks vs. PINless networks? Why is network availability changing overnight, even when controlling for BIN issuance shifts? Why are routing savings being eroded, despite merchant routing tables remaining the same? CMSPI data suggests that new card products, tokenization, digital wallets, and more are impacting merchant routing strategies in unexpected ways, resulting in authorization rate degradation, unrealized revenue, and lost savings. Holding all else equal, a signature-routed transaction should perform just as well as a PINless transaction, but that’s not always the case. Join CMSPI and Netflix as they unpack the data on the latest shifts in online routing and see what solutions may be available to you. -
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Case Study: POS Transformation Journey: Strategies from the Frontlines
Description
Level 100:As payments technologies and consumer expectations evolve, merchants across industries face mounting pressure to modernize POS technology, the customer experience, and the employee experience. This session dives into a case study of a nationwide Oracle Xstore POS rollout, spotlighting the hands-on journey of Kaiser Permanente. Gain practical insights into the strategic drivers, execution steps, and challenges behind a successful, future-ready national payments infrastructure upgrade. Hear how critical choices in hardware, software, program structure and training provide the foundation for a successful, large-scale POS transformation. Discover how to build support for change, navigate complex integrations, and foster effective partnerships with sponsors and vendors for scalable POS solutions. Uncover common challenges across industries and get guidance to select the right vendor solutions, future-proof your POS systems, and realize measurable business value. Leave with actionable strategies, proven frameworks, and peer-tested lessons for modern payments acceptance solutions. -
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Case Study: PCI Compliance Automation: Putting Your PCI Program on Rails
Description
Level 200:PCI compliance can slow even the most disciplined engineering teams to a halt. The annual PCI audit becomes a company-wide fire drill: a scramble to find evidence, chase down service owners, and write missing documentation with promises to “automate this next year.” Hear how to deliver on that promise. See real-world examples of how to put your PCI program on rails, transforming it from an annual fire drill into an automated, always-on system that runs quietly in the background. We focus on Intelligent Security Control Design: building evidence collection directly into the controls themselves. We will also talk about building a Continuous Evidence Pipeline. Instead of the mad scramble to collect 12 months of screenshots each year, your evidence pipeline continuously collects, tests, and refreshes new artifacts, and lets you know when a control is failing.
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SIGs and Snacks
Description
The ultimate networking session! Join your fellow merchants for open and honest discussion about the latest going on in payments to collaborate and problem-solve together. -
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General Session
Description
Session description coming soon! -
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Networking Reception - Sponsored By: Fiserv
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Registration Open
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Breakfast
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Block 1 - State Regulatory Issues
AllBlock 1 - Spring Release
AllBlock 1 - Fraud Trends
AllBlock 1 - Standards Bodies Updates
AllBlock 1 - Tokenization
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Block 1 - State Regulatory Issues
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Block 1 - Spring Release
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Block 1 - Fraud Trends
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Block 1 - Standards Bodies Updates
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Block 1 - Tokenization
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Block 2 - Agentic Commerce
AllBlock 2 - Debit Routing
AllBlock 2 - Alternative Payment Methods
AllBlock 2 - Cash Management
AllBlock 2 - Chargeback Management
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Block 2 - Agentic Commerce
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Block 2 - Debit Routing
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Block 2 - Alternative Payment Methods
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Block 2 - Cash Management
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Block 2 - Chargeback Management
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Networking Break
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Merchants Unleashed: Keeping Focused on What Matters Most
Description
Are you overwhelmed by new ideas popping up from every direction in your organization? You’re not alone. In this lively, merchant-only session, leaders from innovative merchants will swap stories and practical advice about managing that incoming flow of ideas. Whether it’s requests from the C-suite, brainstorms from your teams, or suggestions from outside partners. We’ll talk candidly about what works (and what doesn’t) when it comes to sorting the urgent from the important, figuring out which new concepts deserve your focus, and building straightforward ROI models that really resonate with decision makers. Come ready with your questions and real-world challenges. This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to connect with fellow merchants and walk away with fresh strategies to make your organization’s next big idea a success. -
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Cutting Through the Noise: What Payments Policy Issues to Watch in 2026
Description
Regulators, legislators, and the courts have been particularly focused on payments policy in recent months, despite a lengthy government shutdown. From credit to debit to coins (specifically the penny) and beyond, policymakers are actively engaged on a variety of issues at both the federal and state levels. Panelists share updates on merchants’ policy priorities, the legal landscape, and predictions for an exciting midterm election year. -
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To-Go Lunches
Conference Sponsors and Exhibitors
Payments MAGnified offers a variety of opportunities to show your support for the MAG and gain additional exposure as you showcase your brand to conference attendees.
Benefits of Becoming a Conference Sponsor and/or Exhibitor include:
- Brand Visibility and Gain Exposure – Exhibitors and sponsors receive significant promotion leading up to the conference and on-site through complimentary marketing and branding.
- Connect with Merchants – Attendees at MAG conferences are the key decision-makers for their organizations in the areas of payments, fraud, cybersecurity, and fintech who can efficiently move projects forward.
- Build Relationships – Strengthen existing relationships, understand merchants’ needs, discover new opportunities, and grow your business.
- Valuable Conference Insight – Attend conference sessions to expand your knowledge and gain insights from payments leaders.
Please visit the Sponsorship & Exhibitor Selection Portal to make your exhibit booth selections and complete the assigned tasks to finalize your participation at Payments MAGnified 26.
Review Conference Exhibit and Sponsorship Opportunities here.
Important Deadlines
December 31, 2025
- Deadline to sign up as a MAG Annual or Tech Forum Sponsor
- Deadline to sign up as a Payments MAGnified Sponsor and/or Exhibitor
REMINDER: You must be a current MAG Annual Sponsor in good standing to be a Payments MAGnified sponsor. View the MAG Annual Sponsor Listing here.
Exhibit Personnel
Exhibit personnel staffing your booth must be registered for the conference and can register using one of the options below:
Standard Sponsor registration using either a comp or purchasing a full conference pass.
Please refer to the Annual Sponsor Levels and Benefits to determine how many complimentary registrations your company receives.
- $100 Exhibitor Set Up/Take Down Only*
- $1,200 Exhibit Booth Staff Pass for Payments MAGnified**
If interested in the above exhibitor registration types, please reach out to Sophia Beyer-Bush for promo code information.
*Grants access to the Exhibit Hall for set up on Tuesday, February 17, from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. and take down on Thursday, September 19, from 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. PST.
** This pass will not grant access to other conference elements, including the general or education sessions. This pass is for those who will only be staffing your booth but will not be attending sessions.
Payment
Payments MAGnified sponsorships and exhibits are not guaranteed or promoted until payment has been received. We encourage you to submit your payment as soon as possible.
Once your conference sponsorship and/or exhibit selection is made and approved, a MAG Staff member will reach out for payment. Preferred payment is via ACH/WIRE. If you would like to pay with ACH/WIRE, contact Jennifer Whitlock. Payment can also be made by check. Please make your check payable to "Merchant Advisory Group" and mail to the address below
Merchant Advisory Group
4248 Park Glen Road
Minneapolis, MN 55416
*If your company would like to purchase lead retrieval licenses for the Payments MAGnified exhibit hall, payments will be processed via credit card directly in the Exhibitor and Sponsorship selection portal.
Exhibitor Rules and Regulations
Though your booth is complimentary, you must visit the Conference Sponsorship and Exhibitor portal to make your exhibit booth selection.
Please let us know by December 31, 2025, if you will not be utilizing your exhibit space.
Questions?
Conference Sponsorship and Exhibitor Questions: Contact Jennifer Whitlock.
Interested in Becoming a MAG Annual Sponsor? Contact Meg Thaxton.
Attendee List to Sponsors:
Attendee Lists: Beginning December 8, the MAG will post an attendance roster on the conference website and update it weekly. As an added benefit to MAG Annual Sponsors, we will send two (2) pre-conference registration lists (January 26 and February 2) and one (1) post-conference attendee list (February 23) with the contact information of registrants who have given their permission to share. We ask that you limit your number of electronic promotions to conference attendees to a maximum of two (2) email communications.
Speakers
Thank for you being a valued MAG partner and agreeing to share your expertise and insights with our conference attendees.
Click here to see the latest updates and guidelines for your presentation.
MAG SOCIAL MEDIA AND LOGO GUIDLINES
Learn MorePayments MAGnified 26 Sponsors
Once your Payments MAGnified conference sponsorship is confirmed, your logo will be included here!
