Banking on Brands.
How integrated payments turn every transaction into brand growth—and why 100% of brands are going embedded.
The next generation of financial institutions won't look like banks.
They'll look like the brands whose apps people already use to book travel, file insurance claims, review pay stubs and, in the same motion, pay, get paid, move money, shop and earn rewards. And right now, the customer relationship is still up for grabs.
Galileo Financial Technologies, SoFi's Tech Platform, surveyed more than 2,000 consumers and 150+ business decision makers to inform this 2026 integrated financial services report. The research shows how quickly integrated financial services have become core to customer engagement and brand growth, moving from pilot programs to strategies that directly support key goals: Attracting new customers, growing sales of core products, driving loyalty and building ancillary revenue streams through payments, lending, payouts and rewards.
Investment and urgency to launch are concentrated in four concrete use cases that brands are actively pursuing. On the demand side, consumer behavior has decisively shifted to lifestyle banking—customers now use a diverse mix of payment apps, digital wallets, brand rewards cards, prepaid and benefits cards, and in-app money features alongside traditional bank accounts. This report highlights three themes: supply-demand alignment, market readiness by vertical and business impact.
A clear multi-product advantage has emerged: customers using multiple integrated features (payments, wallets, disbursements, BNPL, rewards) are more engaged than those who use a single feature.
The research also surfaces the main headwinds that still need to be solved: customers remain concerned about security, data use, and how refunds and disputes are handled, while brands face regulatory risk, implementation complexity, and resource constraints.
This report serves as a decision guide, highlighting where demand is already strong and which use cases and product combinations deliver the most value to consumers and brands. It also identifies the frictions that must be addressed so brands can prioritize embedded finance investments, sequence product rollouts, choose the right partners, and treat integrated financial services as a core, revenue-generating part of their strategy.
- Co-branded debitTravel, hospitality, marketplaces
- Fast payoutsGaming, insurance, lending
- Benefits paymentsHealthcare, wellness, public programs
- Payroll-linked accountsChecking + Earned Wage Access
Lifestyle banking is built on debit.
Consumers are steadily shifting toward lifestyle‑centric money management, spreading spending and income across banks, apps, and branded accounts. Debit remains the foundation of everyday finances—six in ten consumers still use a bank or credit union debit card—but that now lives within a broader mix of financial tools integrated into brand ecosystems. Galileo’s research shows:
How Consumers Pay for Everyday Purchases
Debit's dominance shows consumers still anchor everyday spending in familiar account types, even as they use other tools like payment apps, digital wallets, BNPL, and brand cards. That combination creates a bridge opportunity for brands to extend debit-like experiences into their own environments rather than trying to displace core banking relationships outright.
These patterns show consumers growing more comfortable managing payments, rewards, and balances within the brands, apps and experiences they already trust—creating clear openings for co-branded debit programs in travel, hospitality, and marketplace environments.
Digital wallets are deepening that shift in brand environments.
These behaviors demonstrate centralized financial activity inside non-financial environments, setting the stage for next-generation disbursements—from gaming payouts and insurance claims to benefits payments and payroll-linked Direct Deposit Accounts (DDAs).
Consumers' broad use of payment apps, digital wallets, brand rewards cards, and prepaid products shows a fragmented but orchestrated financial life built around convenience and rewards, not institution loyalty.
Consumers are demonstrating they trust brands with a wide variety of banking and payment activities, opening the door to offering additional financial features as natural extensions of the relationship.
All-In, Not All-There: 80% of Brands Are Still in Embedded Finance Planning Mode
Brand leaders are focused on getting more customers, selling more of their core product, earning ancillary revenue, keeping customers longer. They're also all in on using integrated financial services to achieve these goals.
Every brand surveyed is going embedded.
100% of the brands we surveyed have or will launch some type of integrated financial services in the next 12-18 months. Non‑financial brands across key verticals are embedding financial services into their core customer strategy—not as add‑ons, but as ways to deepen relationships, boost spend per visit, increase repeat engagement, and strengthen loyalty while defending share and diversifying revenue.
- 20%have already launched integrated financial services
- 80%plan to within 12–18 months
- 28%say they are in “crisis mode” and must launch ASAP
- 27%report “high urgency” to launch within 12–18 months
Why brands are making the move
Executives define success primarily as attracting new customers (38%), increasing core product sales (27%), generating ancillary revenue from financial services (21%), and retaining existing customers (14%).
The high share of leaders in "crisis" or "high-urgency" mode reflects competitive pressure as primary catalyst, particularly when a rival has already integrated cards, wallets, or payouts. For these brands, partner selection and operating models become essential, because missteps can hinder resource deployment and delay time-to-market.
- 80%
say they are motivated by a major competitor integrating financial services
- 79%
say their choice is motivated by a strategic shift in the business model
- 70%
say they're driven by visible churn to competitors with stronger integrated financial offerings and 49% are driven by direct customer demand
Co-brand payment programs are a priority
71% plan to launch co-branded credit and 21% plan to launch co-branded debit. In looking to launch those programs, brands report they would typically bundle with digital wallets (49%) and loyalty programs (48%)—a natural fit for travel, hospitality, and marketplaces. Disbursement products are growing: 18% of brands plan to launch loan disbursements or insurance disbursements, while 37% plan to launch BNPL or installment lending—aligning with gaming, insurance, and lending use cases. Similarly, 18% plan to launch savings features, and among healthcare respondents exploring wallets and payouts, more than half are focused on benefits and wellness programs.
The emphasis on co-brand card programs alongside wallets, loyalty, and disbursements illustrates a shift away from single-product launches toward bundled propositions. Brands are increasingly assembling ecosystems where customers can pay, get paid, send money and earn rewards in one place and are actively seeking partners that can support multiple product types under the same roof.
Everyday Consumer Behavior Shows Where Brands Should Invest
For everyday purchases: 34% of consumers use bank debit, 23% use credit cards, 17% use payment apps, 7% use digital wallets within brand apps, and 6% use prepaid
Everyday spend is moving into brand environments
Everyday spending still leans heavily on bank debit and credit, but roughly a quarter of primary payment activity has shifted into payment apps and digital wallets inside brand environments.
High-ticket spend favors brand-linked and flexible options
For big-ticket purchases like flights, furniture, appliances, or electronics: 28% use bank or credit union debit, 27% use bank or credit union credit, 14% use payment apps, 11% use secured credit, 5% use prepaid, 4% use BNPL, and 3% use co-branded payment.
Inflation is pushing active payment switching
The research shows that 24% of consumers have switched payment methods in the last year due to rising prices, reacting to budget pressure, card limits, or better rewards opportunities. 40% cut back on eating out, 34% switched to cheaper stores or brands, 32% used credit cards more often, 31% used coupons more often, 27% bought smaller sizes or less, and 22% shopped where rewards were better.
Rewards and ease of payment drive card and channel shifts
Trade-down behavior is widespread due to economic pressure. 21% switched to a card that offered rewards, 19% changed behavior when a rewards program got worse, 15% changed cards because a store or app made it easier to pay, and 10% started using BNPL.
Loyalty is Built In, Not Bought
Embedded payments and stored credentials are doing more than removing friction at checkout—they are actively shaping how often consumers transact, how much they spend, and which brands they return to.
When payment methods are saved in a brand app, consumers frequently report buying more often, spending more per purchase and spending more overall with that brand in the last 12 months—driving higher repeat purchase rates, larger average order values and greater revenue per customer across verticals from travel to marketplaces, gaming, benefits and payroll.
When payment methods are saved in a brand app, consumers spend more.
Frictionless checkout turns more shopping moments into completed purchases, especially in categories where even small hurdles cause customers to drop off instead of following through.
Customers also say easier payments and refunds influence where they choose to shop, which elevates payment execution from a back-office task to a clear advantage customers can feel. Brands that combine smooth payments with fast, transparent refunds and payouts can turn returns, claims, and cancellations into moments that build trust instead of eroding it.
Because integrated payments deliver faster checkout, better rewards, and clearer spend-tracking at the same time, they solve several money jobs in a single app. Once those benefits are in place, it becomes much harder for a competing brand to convince customers to move their day-to-day spending elsewhere.
On the brand side, many integrated finance programs remain too early to fully measure revenue or retention lift, indicating significant headroom for those who execute well in target use cases. Closing that gap by building journeys, defining the right KPIs, and partnering with providers who can surface insight—will be essential to proving ROI and justifying continued investment.
- 20%
of consumers say they bought from that brand more often when payment methods were saved in the brand app
- 18%
spent more overall with that brand over the last 12 months
- 16%
spent more per purchase when their card was stored in the brand's app
- 63%
say they're more likely to keep using a brand app if it makes payments much faster and easier—fewer steps, instant confirmation, automatic rewards
- 50%
have chosen one brand over a competitor specifically because paying or getting refunds was easier, directly supporting use cases like instant refunds in travel, rapid gaming and lending disbursements, and fast claims payments in insurance.
Consumers recognize multiple benefits from integrated payments. Here's what people said they notice and care about the most:
Speed, rewards, and visibility lead—creating a multi-product advantage brands can bundle.
Brands Doubling Down on Financial Services to Meet Consumer Demand
Successful programs are not defined by any one product, but by the way accounts, digital wallet features, and lending experiences work together. That pushes brands toward portfolios where customers can seamlessly move between paying, financing, and redeeming value within a single interface.
Consumers already combine features like one-tap checkout, stored cards, digital wallets, BNPL, instant refunds, and cash-like rewards within the same shopping and travel apps—showing where demand exists for integrated card, wallet, and lending solutions.
- 41%
of consumers have used a digital wallet inside a shopping, travel, or food delivery app
- 32%
have used a card saved on file within those apps
- 27%
have redeemed rewards in this app environment, while 18% have used instant refunds and 14% have used BNPL—ideal conditions for bundling co-brand debit, rewards, and financing
Brands plan to launch an average of just over three integrated financial services each, mixing cards, wallets, disbursements, savings, and loyalty in configurations tailored to travel, gaming, insurance, healthcare, and payroll. This favors platforms that can support modular expansion—allowing a brand to start with co-brand debit and instant refunds and then layer on savings, benefits flows, or new lending options without re-architecting.
Bundled financial products allow brands to monetize both the payment and the relationship—capturing interchange, increasing lifetime value, and reducing churn.
Why Brands are Pursuing Integrated Financial Services
- 41%
of executives say integrated financial services will create a core competitive advantage by 2027
- 37%
see them as a significant revenue growth driver, indicating that co-brand debit, disbursements, benefits flows, and payroll DDAs are being treated as profit centers
- 61%
of brands are interested in real-time rewards redemption at point of sale and 29% are interested in AI agents, suggesting a shift toward high-engagement, high-margin experiences that monetize underlying payment and payout rails.
As co-brand debit, disbursements, and payroll-linked accounts increasingly run on scalable platforms, these money flows are now being managed like business lines—with clear revenue goals and accountability for their own margins.
Interest in real-time rewards redemption and AI agents indicates where the next wave of differentiation will occur. Brands that can combine intelligent decisioning with real-time payment and payout rails will be best placed to deliver high-engagement features like instant offers, just-in-time financing, and proactive budget coaching.
Where Trust Falters, Adoption Stalls
Trust, risk, and regulatory complexity are the main brakes for brands looking to launch and scale co-brand debit, disbursements, benefits, and payroll-linked DDAs. High-profile data breaches and fraud incidents have trained consumers to scrutinize who holds their card and bank details, and brands know a single misstep can erode loyalty and invite regulatory scrutiny.
Brand Apps Are Sitting on a Major Trust Opportunity
Trust is situational—not a binary.
The split between when consumers are unconcerned and when they worry about security, data sharing, or refunds shows that trust is not a binary attribute; it is highly situational. Brands must assume that even loyal customers have latent concerns about how their financial data is used and design experiences that address those concerns directly.
Comfort with using brand apps for instant refunds, checkout, and direct deposits suggests that trust is strongest when value is immediate and tangible. Clear communication around protections, dispute handling, and data use at these high-impact moments can convert cautious users into regular participants in integrated financial services programs.
- 28%
of consumers say they are not worried about paying through brand apps, yet 27% worry about card or bank details being stolen
- 17%
worry about data sharing or selling, while 14% would rather pay through a bank.
- 9%
say they worry about refund or charge problems, and 5% simply do not trust the app—clear signals for where brands must shore up safeguards and transparency to unlock more usage and spend.
What Brands Want Out of their Integrated Financial Services Partner
Executives' emphasis on partners assuming risk and liability underscores the recognition that compliance, fraud, and operational complexity are not easily insourced. The right platform can offload critical risk while allowing the brand to focus on product design, customer experience, and distribution.
Desire for mid-implementation flexibility and clear 30/60/90-day playbooks reflects a pragmatic concern about execution risk and change management. Programs that bake in governance, iteration, and measurement from the outset are more likely to reach scale and avoid stall-outs caused by internal misalignment or regulatory surprises.
- 62%
of executives say it is crucial that a partner assumes risk and liability for compliance, fraud, and operational issues
- 59%
say better strategic alignment and leadership support would accelerate their investments in embedded finance
- 53%
prioritize the ability to integrate with minimal disruption to current operations
- 50%
want more seamless technology integration across product lines
- 42%
want clearer regulatory guidance, all particularly important in regulated flows such as disbursements, benefits, and payroll/EWA
- 30%
seek partners who can support mid-implementation changes without starting over
- 25%
seek partners that provide clear 30/60/90-day playbooks—underscoring the need for robust program management in disbursements, benefits, and payroll programs
As Budgets Tighten, Faster Flows Ease the Strain
Consumers are feeling the squeeze from inflation and are rethinking how and where they spend, with price, convenience, and rewards playing a bigger role in every purchase decision. Those shifts point directly to where integrated rails—especially instant refunds, flexible repayment options, and smarter rewards—can smooth out pain points and help brands win more of their spend.
In the past six months
Why consumers changed cards or channels
Top money features consumers prioritize
These stats point to opportunities in travel refunds, insurance and lending payouts, benefits distributions, and flexible EWA repayment.
Together, this behavior shows that consumers will switch cards, channels, and even brands when it's easier to manage their money and get more value from every dollar. That is exactly where integrated financial services can do the most work—reducing everyday friction while helping mainstream, price-sensitive, and premium customers stretch their spend further.
The broad set of trade‑down behaviors and increased coupon, credit, and rewards use show that financial stress is driving customers to actively manage every line of their budget. In this environment, brands that can offer more flexible, transparent payment terms, better value, and clearer visibility into spending have an advantage.
The importance consumers place on instant refunds, installments, and spend-tracking tools highlights specific product features that can collectively relieve pressure at critical moments, particularly when available in one spot.
Which Customers Brands are After
Executives say all customers benefit from integrated financial services, but there is value in fine-tuning programs to reach different segments. This includes basic protection and flexibility for the middle, value-maximizing tools for price-sensitive shoppers, and elevated experiences and status benefits for high-value customers.
- 78%
of executives say mainstream middle-income consumers will benefit most from integrated financial services, while 56% point to price-sensitive bargain shoppers.
- 50%
point to high-value/premium customers—segments that align with frequent travelers, gamers, insurance policyholders, patients, and workers using benefits and payroll products.
- 28%
of brands are interested in offering lending/financing capabilities, and 22% are interested in subscription payment tools, which collectively support travel and marketplace loyalty, gaming and insurance financing, and recurring health and wellness programs.
Planned investments in lending/financing and subscription tools show that brands are trying to align payment models more closely with how customers consume their products. Whether it is smoothing a large purchase over time or simplifying recurring wellness and services spend, integrated rails create the foundation for offerings that map more neatly to real-world financial behavior.
From Pilot Project to Profit Engine
To differentiate in integrated financial services, brands need to prioritize the right use cases, choose operating models that match their risk tolerance, and measure both revenue and relationship impact.
Done well, these programs shift from standalone features to core foundations of how customers shop, travel, get paid, and use benefits—turning everyday financial interactions into moments of loyalty and growth. Urgency to launch and active vendor reviews show the window for clear differentiation is narrowing. Early movers that execute well can refine their programs and lock in customer habits before others arrive with similar offerings.
Measuring Success: five metrics that matter
These behaviors translate into measurable financial outcomes, giving brands clear metrics to connect integrated experiences to both customer adoption and the bottom line.
By anchoring these outcomes to each initiative, brands can shift their narrative from innovation testing to measurable financial performance—making "integrated" not just a strategy layer but a clear growth engine.
The key for brands launching integrated financial services is aligning risk appetite, internal capability, and strategic control. Brands that are clear on what they want to own versus delegate can structure partnerships that balance speed, compliance, and long-term economics.
Across models, leaders want partners who minimize risk and disruption and make ROI easy to measure: 62% want partners to absorb risk, 53% want minimal integration disruption, and 36% want clearer ROI cases, while consumers still worry about data security and refunds—making trust, risk-sharing, and measurement critical design principles for all four use cases.
There is no single operating model.
Many brands want partners to absorb risk, reduce integration friction, and provide clear business cases and metrics. Providers with pre‑configured use cases, transparent economics, and strong program management will be best positioned to move brands from pilots to scaled programs that clearly drive growth.
At the center is a trust equation: consumers must trust brands with their money, and brands must trust partners with risk, compliance, and operations. When both sides are met, payments, payouts, and loyalty stop being peripheral and become fundamental to how customers experience and value the brand.
- 34%
favor a hybrid model that keeps brand control while outsourcing technical operations, compliance, and settlement
- 31%
will partner directly with an issuing or sponsor bank via a fintech platform
- 21%
will fully outsource program management
Turn Insight into Action with Galileo's Integrated Financial Services
Integrated financial services (also known as embedded finance) is the integration of financial tools into a non-financial business's platform, app, or website. It allows corporate brands to offer banking-like features such as payments, lending, accounts, and insurance directly within their experiences—creating seamless journeys, deeper engagement, and new revenue streams.
Galileo gives brands a modern embedded finance platform that combines card issuing, payment processing, credit, analytics, and risk into one integrated infrastructure. With flexible, open APIs and bank partnerships, Galileo helps brands move quickly from pilot concepts to scaled, compliant programs that support everyday payments, fast payouts, and loyalty-driven financial experiences.
By embedding financial services with Galileo's embedded finance solutions, brands can enhance customer relationships, improve loyalty, and create durable new profit engines—not just new features.
Payment cards
Issue branded physical or virtual payment cards for employee expenses, customer rewards, stipends, or vendor payments—anchoring more spend in your ecosystem while Galileo powers processing, settlement, and controls.
Lending and BNPL
Embed lending products such as Buy Now, Pay Later or revolving credit lines directly into ecommerce and service flows, helping customers access financing at the point of need while Galileo supports the underlying lending workflows.
Digital wallets and stored value
Launch digital wallets that let customers store funds, manage rewards, and pay inside your app, turning one-off payments into ongoing financial relationships with your brand.
Accounts and balance management
Offer branded deposit or savings accounts connected to payroll, benefits, or loyalty programs, giving customers a more comprehensive money relationship with your brand on top of Galileo's core banking and account capabilities.
Data and program insights
Use Galileo's data and analytics to understand payment behavior, segment customers, and optimize offers—tying programs back to revenue per user, payment volume, and retention KPIs you can take to the CFO.
Compliance, risk, and security
Rely on Galileo's regulation-ready, secure platform to help address compliance, fraud, and operational complexity so your teams can focus on designing differentiated financial experiences.
Start expanding your financial frontier.
Accelerate your path to putting best-in-class integrated financial products and experiences in your customers' hands.
Methodology
Consumer insights were drawn from a March 2026 survey of 2,052 U.S. adults on payment behaviors, preferences, and comfort levels with financial services offered by non-financial brands.
Executive insights come from a survey of 152 senior leaders (largely SVP/VP/EVP and directors) at large B2C and DTC brands across retail, travel/hospitality, gaming, automotive, insurance, and healthcare, all operating primarily in the US and Canada with revenues mostly between $50 million and $1 billion.
