The most useful thing an executive learns all year may be that a familiar measure of success is pointing in the wrong direction.
Faster customer service can mask processes that create unnecessary work. More financial information can leave consumers less confident. More automation can move invoices along without bringing cash through the door. Across payments and financial services, 2026 has given leaders plenty of reasons to revisit assumptions that once seemed sound.
For this Q3 eBook, PYMNTS asked executives to describe one belief they held in January, the evidence that changed their minds and what they’re doing differently heading into Q4. Contributions from PayPal, Synchrony, Paysafe and eight other companies offer a candid look at how business decisions evolve when customers, technology and operating results challenge expectations.
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Artificial intelligence runs through many of these accounts. The surprise is how often its progress has increased the value of knowledge companies already possess.
At PayPal, Shaun Khalfan described how security research challenged the assumption that access to a particular AI model determines results. Specialized context, testing and controls helped make models more effective. Bottomline’s Jeff Feuerstein found that customers evaluating AI still wanted partners who understood their payment operations, risks and obligations. Boost Payment Solutions’ Dean M. Leavitt discovered that AI, paired with technical talent and internal expertise, expanded what the company could build itself.
These opportunities also demand more deliberate choices about where people remain involved. At i2c, deploying AI across customer calls required capturing the judgment experienced employees bring to complicated situations, Pam Guinn wrote. Flagright’s Madhu Nadig reconsidered the value of requiring human approval on every routine compliance alert, directing attention toward decisions with greater consequences.
Other contributors examined the distance between completing a task and delivering a result. Billtrust’s David Zwick challenged the assumption that efficient invoice processing reliably produces predictable cash flow. Tungsten Automation’s John Gibbon argued that greater technical capability needs a clearer connection to customers’ workflows and measurable business outcomes.
The customer experience offers its own adjustments. Paysafe’s Ali Wilkes shifted attention toward eliminating the reasons customers need help. Synchrony’s Beto Casellas saw how exhaustive explanations of healthcare payment options could overwhelm patients, prompting a stronger emphasis on clarity.
Digital money brought another set of revised expectations. Thales’ Romain Soulard described domestic account-based wallets moving into physical stores faster than he anticipated, making merchant acceptance a priority. Velera’s Scott P. Young said work with credit unions broadened the discussion beyond stablecoins toward commercial uses, tokenized deposits and systems that can work together.
Together, these contributions give executives practical reasons to revisit their own priorities. A customer conversation, a disappointing metric or an unexpected test result can expose an assumption that deserves another look. The opportunity in Q4 is to turn that discovery into a better decision about what to build, measure or fund next.
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