Paymentology, the leading next-generation global issuer-processor, today announced the launch of a new report developed in partnership with Datos Insights: The Global Credit Card Shift: Next-Gen Platforms Bypass Legacy Limits.

The report uncovers a major consumer shift transforming credit markets worldwide.

Across APAC, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, North America, and Latin America, consumers are demanding more flexible, digital-first credit experiences, driving credit card usage to accelerate across every major region. This surge is fuelled by the need for instant issuance, greater spending control, personalised rewards, and the ability to manage repayments with far more agility than traditional products allow.

As consumers reshape expectations, a new wave of players, neobanks, digital lenders, and fintechs, are entering the credit market at speed, many for the first time. They view credit cards as a powerful strategic lever: a direct revenue engine through interchange, fees, and interest; a deeper and more durable customer relationship model; and a scalable route to expanding into new markets while increasing customer lifetime value.

This rising competition places pressure on traditional banks and financial institutions, whose legacy systems were not designed for the real-time, mobile-first, highly configurable experiences consumers now consider standard. According to the report, credit cards remain one of the most lucrative financial products globally, but only issuers equipped with modern, adaptable technology will be able to capture this growth.

David Shipper, Strategic Advisor at Datos Insights, emphasised the inflection point: “As fintechs and digital banks set new standards for product speed and customer experience, issuers on legacy platforms risk losing market share to competitors able to innovate in days rather than months. The gap between what modern consumers expect and what legacy systems can deliver is widening—and the institutions that modernise now will define the next era of credit.”

Key Findings from the Report Include:

• Traditional banks are under intensifying pressure as new entrants raise expectations around seamless, mobile-first credit experiences, something legacy platforms were never built to support.

• Consumers increasingly expect advanced digital capabilities such as instant digital issuance, immediate wallet provisioning, flexible instalments, personalised rewards, and real-time spending controls.

• Embedded credit at checkout and numberless card designs are becoming standard, reshaping how customers think about borrowing and paying.

• These next-generation features are only possible through modern issuer-processing platforms paired with purpose-built credit ledgers that support real-time data, configurable products, and dynamic credit management.

• Neobanks and fintechs are entering the credit market at speed, using next-gen platforms to out-innovate incumbents on product experience and time-to-market.

Jeff Parker, CEO of Paymentology, emphasised the industry inflection point: “Datos Insights makes one thing clear: the future of credit belongs to issuers with infrastructure built for speed, flexibility, and real-time intelligence. Legacy platforms can’t deliver the digital issuance, dynamic credit models, or instalment flexibility that consumers now expect as standard. Next-generation, cloud-first processors are no longer an upgrade, they’re the baseline for staying competitive.”

The report provides strategic guidance for both traditional issuers and new entrants, including how to modernise credit infrastructure, deploy new digital features at speed, and compete effectively in rapidly evolving markets.

The Global Credit Card Shift: Next-Gen Platforms Bypass Legacy Limits was researched and authored by Datos Insights, supported by Paymentology, drawing on global market data, expert interviews, and analysis of evolving credit ecosystems across more than a dozen key markets.