Juniper Research: A2A Transactions to Surpass 11 Billion

A new study by global tech strategists Juniper Research revealed that the number of cross-border Account-to-Account (A2A) payments will increase by 1.8 billion over the next year, accounting for 11% of the 16.6 billion B2B cross-border transactions forecasted for 2026. Unlike traditional cross-border payments, A2A transfers skip the maze of intermediaries, which quickens processing and reduces costs.

The report identified cross-border platforms, such as Standard Chartered’s Open Banking Marketplace, as a catalyst for heightened use of cross-border A2A payments. “These platforms enable vendors to experiment with payments in a sandbox environment; simulating real-world payment flows and validating processes. Such open frameworks are vital to A2A interoperability reaching scale,” explains Thomas Wilson, Senior Research Analyst at Juniper Research.

Initiatives such as the G20’s cross-border payments roadmap are critical to growth and A2A standardisation over the next year. With a 2027 deadline, vendors must position themselves as key enablers of fast, cost-effective, and transparent cross-border A2A payments, especially as banks and fintechs are encouraged to adopt real-time, cross-border solutions.

“Vendors can accelerate the time to market of their A2A cross-border solutions if they align with G20 goals and meet evolving global standards. Supporting rich data standards, such as ISO 20022, can enhance transaction details, streamline compliance checks, and provide greater transparency of fees and timelines,” states Wilson.

The report recommends vendors prioritise markets with harmonised and comprehensive Open Banking frameworks. Within SEPA, PSD2 regulations and shared payment standards homogenise interoperability and compliance across member states, enabling vendors to develop solutions that meet uniform requirements, thereby accelerating deployment and scaling cross-border operations.