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Industry leaders, innovators and emerging companies were recognized in Berlin for excellence across the merchant payments ecosystem.
BERLIN, Germany, March 26, 2026 — Merchant Payments Ecosystem (MPE) announced the winners of the MPE Awards 2026, recognizing the companies and individuals driving innovation, leadership and measurable impact across the merchant payments value chain. Presented during the MPE Awards Gala in Berlin on March 18, the annual awards celebrated excellence across payment acceptance, orchestration, embedded finance, open banking, fraud and compliance, identity, settlement, merchant-led innovation and more. The central theme of this year’s awards was “Transformation through Trust & Resilience.”
“The MPE Awards 2026 winners demonstrate that the future of merchant payments will be shaped not just by innovation, but by trust, resilience and measurable value for merchants. We are proud to recognize the companies and leaders who are helping move the industry forward and setting new benchmarks across the ecosystem,” said Andy Ivanis, Partner at MPE 2026.
The winners of the MPE Awards 2026 are:
- Merchant Payment Acceptance of the Year — Checkout.com
- Most Innovative Payment Solution — Prommt
- Best Cross-Border Payment Solution — Thunes
- Best Payment Orchestration Solution — APEXX Global
- Best Embedded Finance / BaaS Solution — finmid
- Best Platform / Marketplace Provider — Shopify
- Best Open Banking / A2A Payments Solution — Token.io
- Best Use of AI & Data for Commerce & Customer Empowerment — Shopify
- Best Risk, Fraud & Compliance Solution — Elavon
- Best Identity, Onboarding & Authentication Solution — ID-Pal
- Best Local or Alternative Payment Method — Bumper Iberia
- Best International Settlement & Liquidity Solution — Fireblocks
- MPE Influencer of the Year — Christian Pirkner
- Best Startup / Scaleup Innovation Award — Unetix
- Chairman’s Award: Merchant Payments Initiative of the Year — Air Europa & Hands In
This year’s program also included several Highly Commended recognitions, underlining the quality and competitiveness of the 2026 awards. During the gala, the awards positioned winners not simply as successful entrants, but as the innovators, builders, protectors and visionaries shaping the next phase of merchant payments.
The MPE Awards continue to spotlight the breadth of transformation taking place across the payments landscape, from merchant acceptance and fraud prevention to AI, open banking, embedded finance and international settlement. Together, the 2026 winners reflect a market focused on performance, trust, adaptability and long-term merchant success.
To see the complete list of the MPE Awards winners and winners’ interviews, please visit www.merchantpaymentsecosystem.com/awards.
About Merchant Payments Ecosystem (MPE)
Merchant Payments Ecosystem (MPE) is Europe’s largest merchant payments conference, exhibition, and community focused on card acquiring, alternative payments, merchant services, POS, mobile, and online payment acceptance.
MPE connects merchants, acquirers, PSPs, payment processors, schemes, regulators, gateways, POS HW/SW solution providers, innovative fintech, and all other parties active in the payment acceptance ecosystem.
www.merchantpaymentsecosystem.com
About the MPE Awards 2026
The MPE Awards honor companies and individuals driving innovation in merchant payments acceptance. Established in 2010, they remain the only European awards recognizing excellence in card acquiring, processing, PSP services, and emerging payment technologies.
The MPE Awards statuette, exclusively crafted in a limited series each year, is designed this year by renowned Slovak sculptor Pavol Dubina. The organic bronze and gold-plated sculpture reflect the “guiding hand” theme.
To see a complete list of the MPE Awards winners and winners’ interviews, please visit:
www.merchantpaymentsecosystem.com/awards
