Contents
Our latest publication, Financial Services Sector: Trends & Insights 2026, is intended to help you navigate the continuing wave of regulatory change facing the sector, and to plan for the short to medium term with greater confidence.
CHAPTER 3.
Payments and fintech reform is gathering pace
New Zealand’s payments and fintech landscape is entering a period of rapid change, with multiple reform programmes underway at once. The common themes are clear: modernising infrastructure, improving regulatory clarity and ensuring New Zealand keeps pace with international developments.
Key developments:
- The Reserve Bank of New Zealand is leading work on domestic payments modernisation, including the long-awaited move toward real-time payments.
- The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment is consulting on whether New Zealand needs a dedicated payment services regime, including possible licensing and safeguarding requirements.
- Open banking continues to evolve, with further regulatory refinement and growing industry activity.
- The Financial Markets Authority is continuing work on tokenisation, stablecoins and its sandbox initiative, while AI use in financial services is also attracting increasing regulatory attention.
Read the full publication for our analysis of the opportunities, risks and regulatory direction of travel.
