The Embedded Finance Playbook 2026: What CMOs and CFOs Should Prepare For

Embedded finance has become one of the most transformative forces in business strategy. What started as a way to add payments or wallets into digital ecosystems is now reshaping how brands design loyalty, manage data, and generate revenue. As we move into 2026, CMOs and CFOs face a shared challenge - turning embedded finance from an infrastructure project into a growth engine.

The Strategic Shift: From Features to Frameworks

Globally, the embedded finance market is expected to reach $7.2 trillion in size by 2030, according to a report by Dealroom and ABN AMRO Ventures. The opportunity is no longer in “adding” payments, but in building financial frameworks that support brand strategy.

• For CMOs, that means every transaction becomes a new channel for engagement.
• For CFOs, it means those same interactions feed real-time financial intelligence - uniting marketing performance data with revenue insight.

Embedded finance is no longer a silo. It’s the connective tissue between brand, finance, and customer experience.

The Loyalty Evolution: From Earn to Engage

Loyalty in 2026 won’t be measured by redemptions, but by active participation. McKinsey & Company states that paid loyalty programs offer an attractive option for companies both to attract new customers and to shore up long-term customer value in the midst of a tectonic shift in consumer loyalty and preferences. Next-generation loyalty programs will merge payments, wearables, and data insights into a single, adaptive system. For example, branded cards that unlock tiered privileges, event-linked rewards that track engagement, or AI systems that automatically tailor benefits based on usage behaviour.

The brands that succeed won’t offer more rewards - they’ll offer more relevance.

Embedded Intelligence: Where AI Meets Finance

As embedded finance matures, its next phase will be intelligent orchestration. In 2021, McKinsey’s report noted that banks are already strengthening customer relationships and lowering costs by using artificial intelligence models to guide customer engagement.

In 2026, those same models will shape brand ecosystems - forecasting customer churn, optimising loyalty ROI, and enabling dynamic pricing tied to real-time transaction data.

CFOs will view AI as a revenue-protection tool. CMOs will use it as a loyalty multiplier.

Payme Swiss defines this convergence as Embedded Intelligence - where every financial interaction becomes a source of insight, and every insight becomes an opportunity for growth.

Conclusion

2026 will reward the brands that combine financial capability with human insight. Embedded finance is no longer a technical advantage, it’s a strategic language for how brands build loyalty, manage risk, and grow sustainably. The CMOs and CFOs who master it won’t just track revenue - they’ll design ecosystems where every transaction, tap, or subscription builds trust and value.