Visa Leads Global AI Race in Payments Industry
Visa continues to solidify its leadership in the global artificial intelligence race within the payments sector, after topping a recent ranking measuring AI maturity among the industry’s largest players. The company outperformed key competitors including Mastercard and PayPal, as investment in advanced technologies and specialized talent accelerates across the market, according to a report published by Business Insider.
Fintech Momentum Gains Ground
The ranking, which assessed 12 global payments companies, highlights the structural and technical advantage of established players while underscoring the rapid ascent of fintech firms. Stripe secured fifth place, followed by Block in sixth, reflecting the ability of newer entrants to build advanced AI ecosystems within a relatively short timeframe, supported by strong investment momentum and high market valuations.
The payments industry, which facilitates the movement of funds between banks, businesses, and consumers, is inherently technology-driven. Artificial intelligence has emerged as a decisive factor in enabling real-time transaction approvals, detecting suspicious activities, strengthening cybersecurity systems, and enhancing customer experience. Both Visa and Mastercard demonstrated notable progress in deploying AI-powered fraud prevention and digital protection solutions.
Limited Disclosure on AI Returns
Despite this technological progress, the sector faces a shared challenge: limited transparency regarding the direct financial returns generated by AI investments. None of the ranked companies have comprehensively disclosed realized or projected returns tied specifically to artificial intelligence spending, raising questions about capital efficiency amid billions of dollars directed toward model development, algorithm enhancement, and digital infrastructure expansion.
Visa Invests $3.5 Billion, Operates 300+ AI Models
Visa’s disclosures reveal that the company has invested more than $3.5 billion in artificial intelligence and data capabilities over the past decade. It employs over 2,500 technical specialists and operates more than 300 AI models in live production environments. In its annual reports, the company emphasizes the necessity of sustained investment to maintain competitiveness and mitigate technological disruption risks.
Talent as a Core Ranking Metric
The ranking was based on four primary criteria: talent scale, innovation capacity, leadership positioning, and transparency. Talent density emerged as a leading differentiator. Among the 335,000 employees working across the 12 companies, an average of 6.5% hold AI-related roles - a significantly higher concentration than in other financial sectors.
PayPal stands out in this regard, accounting for 18% of the total AI talent pool across the ranked companies, with more than 4,000 specialists. Meanwhile, both Stripe and Block report that AI-focused roles exceed 10% of their respective workforces, strengthening their competitive positioning against larger incumbents.
From Defensive Tool to Value Generator
As investor scrutiny intensifies across financial services institutions regarding technology spending, similar pressures are expected to extend to payments companies, particularly in relation to return-on-investment metrics. Currently, AI’s financial impact is largely embedded within traditional performance indicators such as lower transaction costs and improved fraud detection rates, without standalone reporting.
The next competitive phase is expected to move beyond adopting AI as a defensive capability toward leveraging it as a strategic value-generating asset. This shift is particularly evident in the industry’s growing focus on “agentic AI” systems capable of executing autonomous tasks and making increasingly independent decisions. Several leading companies have signaled this direction during recent earnings discussions, pointing to a deeper transformation in operating models.
Beyond the top three, the ranking includes American Express in fourth place, followed by Stripe and Block, then Adyen, Fiserv, FIS, Worldline SA, Global Payments, and finally Nexi.
While the ranking reinforces the advantage of early AI adopters, it also places financial transparency at the center of the next stage of competition. The company that moves first to provide comprehensive, measurable disclosure of AI-driven returns may secure a new strategic edge - not only strengthening its technological standing, but also enhancing investor confidence and market credibility.