2026 SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED

Prime Sponsor for 20 years now, Global Payments Inc. (NYSE: GPN) Global Payments Inc. (NYSE: GPN) is a leading pure play payments technology company delivering innovative software and services to our customers globally. Our technologies, services and employee expertise enable us to provide a broad range of solutions that allow our customers to operate their businesses more efficiently across a variety of channels around the world.
Headquartered in Georgia with nearly 24,000 employees worldwide, Global Payments is a Fortune 500 company and a member of the S&P 500 with worldwide reach spanning over 100 countries throughout North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. For more information, visit www.globalpayments.com and follow Global Payments on Twitter (@globalpayinc), LinkedIn and Facebook.

Sponsoring the Industry Achievement Award, American Express is a globally integrated payments company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success. A leader in global payments, American Express offers a broad array of payment, expense management and travel solutions for consumers and corporations including, personal cards, business cards, corporate cards, travel services, and more. Visit americanexpress.com for further information.

For over 30 years Collinson has been trusted by the world’s leading payment networks, banks, airlines and hotel groups to better reward, engage and retain their most valuable customers through strategic customer engagement and travel loyalty benefit solutions. Including the market-leading travel experiences programmes Priority Pass™ and LoungeKey™. Together with SmartDelay™ flight disruption assistance, travel insurance, plus award-winning loyalty and customer engagement solutions.

Discover® Global Network, the global payments brand of Discover Financial Services, processes millions of cardholder transactions each day. With industry expertise, innovative technology and a closed-loop infrastructure, Discover Global Network provides effective, customized solutions that evolve as needs change. Discover Global Network has alliances with 25+ payment networks around the world, and is led by three Discover businesses: Discover Network, with millions of retail and cash access locations; PULSE®, one of the leading ATM/debit networks in the U.S.; and Diners Club International®, a global payments network with acceptance in more than 200 countries and territories.

Fiserv, Inc. aspires to move money and information in a way that moves the world. As a global leader in payments and financial technology, the company helps clients achieve best-in-class results through a commitment to innovation and excellence in areas including account processing and digital banking solutions; card issuer processing and network services; payments; e-commerce; merchant acquiring and processing; and the Clover® cloud-based point-of-sale and business management platform. Fiserv is a member of the S&P 500® Index and one of Fortune® World’s Most Admired Companies™.

Ingenico is the global leader in payment acceptance and services. We support our customers, and their customers to do more with payments. Active in 32 countries, with over 3,000 employees we have been at the forefront of the commerce landscape for over four decades. With tens of millions of payment devices deployed worldwide, powered by over 2,500 apps, the company is servicing the needs of millions of consumers every day. Through our advanced integrated solutions and network of partnerships, we simplify the world of payments and bring value added services to move commerce forward.

Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments and businesses realise their greatest potential. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all.

Reward is a global leader in Customer Engagement and Commerce Media, operating in more than 15 markets across Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia. Uniquely positioned at the intersection of banking and retail, Reward’s platform combines technology, data insights and digital marketing to deliver personalised propositions that help brands deepen connections with customers. Beyond bridging the gap between consumer insight and commerce, Reward is on a mission to make everyday spending more rewarding and every interaction count, delivering billions in rewards to customers.
For more information, please visit www.rewardinsight.com.

Thales DIS UK Ltd is thrilled to be the Champagne Sponsor at The Card and Payments Awards 2026. Thales Banking and Payments Services serves over 3,000 Banks, Fintechs, PSPs and Merchants globally. Our decades of experience and technical expertise allow us to secure and deliver more than 1 billion payment cards annually, manage +150 million digital cards through our cloud platforms and have enabled more than 2 billion eCommerce transactions. We enable issuers to design the most up-to-date card and payment experience in real-time, quickly launch modern card-issuing programs, and unlock new use cases for their end-users. Merchants and PSPs rely on us for secure network tokenization, and we help Fintechs to bring new innovative services to market.

Sponsoring the Financial Inclusion Award, Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) is the world’s leader in digital payments. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, reliable and secure payment network - enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. Our advanced global processing network, VisaNet, provides secure and reliable payments around the world, and is capable of handling more than 65,000 transaction messages a second. The company’s relentless focus on innovation is a catalyst for the rapid growth of connected commerce on any device, and a driving force behind the dream of a cashless future for everyone, everywhere. As the world moves from analog to digital, Visa is applying our brand, products, people, network and scale to reshape the future of commerce.

Dragonpass is a global loyalty and benefits platform, best known for powering seamless travel and lifestyle perks via apps for blue-chip financial institutions. With roots in Greater Manchester and operations spanning the UK, Canada, UAE, China, Singapore, Brazil, South Africa, and Japan, they serve over 40 million users across more than 150 countries

Through Dragonpass, members unlock access to over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide, plus dining, Fast Track, wellness, and more wherever they travel

We're proud to have Dragonpass sponsoring this year’s Best Benefits or Loyalty Scheme—a category that celebrates innovators who elevate customer value in meaningful, loyalty-building ways.