MAG Payments Summit — London 26: Driving the Future of Commerce and Payments

Paul Tunstall

Senior Vice President, International

MAG

The Merchant Advisory Group (MAG) successfully hosted its third annual European Payments Summit on 9–10 June 2026 in London, bringing together merchants, payments providers, technology innovators, and industry experts to discuss the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the future of commerce.

This year's Summit featured 39 guest speakers across 17 sessions, alongside 22 exhibitors representing a diverse range of payments, fraud, treasury, and technology solution providers. The event welcomed representatives from 60 unique merchant brands, creating a highly collaborative environment for knowledge sharing, networking, and industry engagement.

Throughout the two-day summit, attendees participated in insightful discussions, interactive sessions, and valuable networking opportunities. The exhibit hall provided an additional forum for meaningful conversations between merchants and solution providers, contributing to the vibrant and welcoming atmosphere that has become synonymous with MAG events.

The 2026 agenda was our most comprehensive to date, shaped by direct feedback from the merchant community and focused on the issues that matter most to businesses today. Industry leaders and subject matter experts shared practical insights, real-world experiences, and forward-looking perspectives on the evolving payments landscape.

Key Takeaways from the Summit

AI is already delivering significant commercial impact, with one global marketplace merchant supporting 300 million customers and generating $12 billion in AI-assisted sales.
Foreign exchange volatility continues to challenge international businesses, with four out of ten currency forecasts proving inaccurate.
Refund-related costs are rising, with merchants reporting increases of approximately 30%.
AI-driven customer experiences are generating a 30% increase in average order value and conversion rates that are 4.4 times higher than traditional customer journeys.
Agentic commerce is no longer a future concept. Valued at $60 billion today, it is already transforming how consumers discover and purchase products.
By 2028, one-third of commerce transactions are expected to take place without a traditional checkout experience.
Data remains fundamental to understanding customers and supporting effective reconciliation processes, while also creating significant opportunities for revenue growth and personalised customer engagement.
Evolving payments fee structures can introduce additional reconciliation complexity and operational costs that may erode merchant margins.
Biometric technologies are reducing transaction times, increasing average transaction values by 4%, and enabling up to 2.5 times faster customer throughput.

Four people sitting on stage during the London Summit 26

Merchant-Only Roundtable: Scaling Across Europe

The Summit concluded with a highly engaging merchant-only session, "Scaling Across Europe: Payments, Profitability, and the Trade-Offs No One Talks About." This candid discussion brought together payments leaders from Uber, Microsoft, and Airbnb to share practical experiences, lessons learned, and the realities of navigating payments at scale across multiple European markets. The panel explored the operational, regulatory, and commercial challenges businesses face as they expand internationally, offering attendees valuable insights into balancing growth, customer experience, cost management, and profitability. The session generated excellent audience participation, with merchants openly sharing experiences, challenges, and perspectives on some of the most pressing issues facing the industry today.

A special thank you to our guest panellists for their openness, expertise, and willingness to discuss real-world obstacles and solutions. The session perfectly encapsulated MAG's mission of fostering collaboration and creating a trusted environment where merchants can learn from one another and collectively address common industry challenges.

What Attendees Had to Say

"Special thanks to the MAG team for organising such a fantastic event and bringing together some of the brightest minds in payments and commerce."

— MAG Payments Summit Sponsor, London 2026

"Organisations like MAG are crucial for amplifying the merchant voice."

— MAG Payments Summit Attendee, London 2026

Two people in suits chatting at London Summit 26

Looking Ahead

As MAG continues to expand its presence across Europe, I would like to extend our sincere thanks to our speakers, sponsors, exhibitors, merchant attendees, and the entire MAG team for helping make this year's summit such a success. The connections made, knowledge shared, and collaborative discussions held throughout the event will help shape future initiatives and strengthen the merchant voice across the payments ecosystem.

We remain committed to building a thriving community where merchants can learn from one another, address common challenges, and influence the future of commerce and payments.

Merchants interested in learning more about MAG and its activities are encouraged to contact Paul Tunstall or Ruth Akiba for further information.

The next MAG Payments Summit London will take place on 12–13 April 2027 at 88 Wood Street, London. Additional information on this event and other upcoming MAG initiatives will be shared as planning progresses. Please visit the MAG website for the latest event updates and registration details.

Group of attendees on stage celebrating the conference