Stripe, Worldpay, PayPal, Square, and Adyen lead the way amid omnichannel payments platform boom
Total revenue from omnichannel payment platforms will grow 57% over the next five years, rising from $56 billion in 2026 to $108 billion in 2031, according to a report released by Juniper Research. This is being driven by increased adoption from merchants seeking to streamline their operational processes.
By combining different channels into a single solution, merchants can reduce the operational burden of payments. The leading omnichannel payment platforms also integrate with third-party services, such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions.
Omnichannel payment platforms must prioritise integration with third-party systems that add value for merchants in a tailored way, focusing on popular platforms in their target markets, says Juniper Research.
The company has ranked the 16 top omnichannel payment platforms globally; based on criteria including channel coverage, feature range, and future business prospects.
The top five leaders for 2026:
Worldpay
PayPal
Square
Adyen
The report identified data consolidation as a key strength of these platforms. Report author Michael Greenwood comments: “Payment data is evolving from an operational by-product into a source of value. It will lay the groundwork for more sophisticated merchant services including AI-powered analytics, loyalty programmes, and personalisation. The leading platforms recognise this, and are already delivering data driven value to their clients.”
So hot right now
Stripe is included in RTIH’s first ever Retail Technology Hot 100 List. Launching in August, this sees us bringing you the hottest companies whose solutions and systems are helping drive the retail sector forward.
Our Founder and Editor, Scott Thompson, drew up a list of 150 companies that had consistently been on his radar over the past 12 months whilst bringing our community the latest retail tech news and views that matter. These companies operate across the omnichannel retail landscape (stores, online, mobile, supply chain, payments etc).
Our judging panel, including Vineta Bajaj, Group CFO, Holland & Barrett, Dan McGrath, JD Group Customer Operations, JD Sports, Dr. Astha Purohit, Director of Product Management, Customer Data and Identity, Walmart, and Paula Bobbett, Chief Data and Digital Officer, Boots, provided feedback on those who have the most innovative, forward thinking technology offerings and are also best addressing retailers' current challenges, painpoints, and opportunities.
The judges used the following framework when making their picks:
1. Retailer problem fit - how meaningful, strategic, and widely felt the retailer pain being addressed is.
2. Production traction in retail (2025–2026) - real named retailer deployments, pilots.
3. Innovation and defensibility - genuine technical novelty paired with a defensible competitive position.
And there was also a public vote, with thousands of members of our community of retail tech enthusiasts getting involved. Thanks to all those who took part! Based on the judging panel's feedback and the public vote, we then drew up our first ever RTIH Retail Technology Hot 100.
So, without further ado, here are the 100 hottest global retail technology ventures right now. Drum roll, please…
