ACI Worldwide is strengthening its payments infrastructure offering with the launch of a new cloud-native card processing solution designed to support the growing global demand for digital payments. The move highlights how financial institutions are modernising legacy systems to handle increasing transaction volumes while enabling faster innovation.
A significant advancement in the financial technology sector has been announced, as ACI Worldwide introduces a new, modernised payment suite. Known as ACI Connetic for Cards, this next-generation solution is fully integrated into the company’s existing unified cloud-native payments hub. The launch is designed to provide financial institutions with a streamlined way to manage the entire lifecycle of card transactions while utilising the benefits of modern cloud architecture.
Even with the rapid emergence of various real-time payment methods, traditional card usage continues to hold a dominant position in the global economy. This trend is being driven by the widespread adoption of contactless technology, the continued growth of online shopping, and the increasing digitisation of business-to-business payments. Recent industry research suggests that global card transactions totalled 776 billion in 2024 and are on track to exceed 1 trillion annually by 2029. This represents a projected increase of over 40% within five years.
The new suite aims to help banks handle this massive growth by unifying the company’s strengths across several key areas, including merchant acquiring, card issuing, and automated teller machine solutions. Currently, the organisation processes more than 300 billion transactions every year. This enterprise-grade system is designed to capture and verify data across all possible channels before routing transactions to the correct networks for authorisation and settlement.
Thomas Warsop, President and Chief Executive Officer of ACI Worldwide, explained that the introduction of this suite sets a new standard for the core of retail payments. He noted that the goal is to modernise the essential capabilities that banks depend on every day to serve their customers. This foundation is intended to be future-ready, offering the flexibility and agility required to launch new services and payment types. By creating a low-risk path toward continuous innovation, the company is helping institutions stay competitive in a rapidly changing digital economy.
Efficiency and operational resilience are at the centre of this technological shift. As demand for card services increases, many banks are forced to evaluate whether their legacy platforms can meet future requirements. By unifying critical functions into a single cloud-native, API-first platform, the suite offers embedded fraud management and sophisticated digital identity capabilities. This unified approach is intended to deliver greater stability across the entire payments ecosystem by integrating traditional card processing with account-to-account payment methods.
Bill Farris, the Head of Issuing and Acquiring at the firm, emphasised the importance of building infrastructure that can evolve without increasing operational risk. He pointed out that bringing different payment types together on a single platform, enhanced by advanced intelligence, provides much greater resilience. This allows banks to keep pace with consumer demand without compromising the stability of their core financial services.
Financial institutions are increasingly seeking ways to simplify their internal operations while accelerating innovation. Peter Hüftlein, a senior leader at Solaris SE, highlighted that the unified approach enables his organisation to manage changes with greater control. He mentioned that having a modern foundation is essential for supporting business growth and delivering new customer experiences quickly. ACI Connetic was first introduced in 2025 and has seen steady momentum through various deployments during 2026. This latest addition focuses on modernising the card processing side of the industry. Applying a consistent, unified strategy across all forms of money movement positions the company to lead the transition toward a more integrated and efficient global payment network.
What this means for the industry
• Card payments continue to dominate global transactions
Despite new payment methods, card usage remains a core component of the financial ecosystem.
• Cloud-native platforms are replacing legacy infrastructure
Banks are adopting scalable, API-driven systems to manage increasing transaction volumes.
• Unified payment platforms are becoming the new standard
Combining card, account-to-account and ATM capabilities improves efficiency and simplifies operations.
• Embedded fraud and identity tools are critical
Security and risk management are being integrated directly into payment infrastructure.
• Flexibility and scalability are key to future growth
Modern platforms enable financial institutions to innovate faster while maintaining operational resilience.
