Fintech startups are facing a changing landscape as they look ahead to 2026. The sector, which includes embedded payments, alternative lending, digital banks, and investment platforms, is projected to grow beyond $514.9 billion by 2028. This growth is driven by the rise of digital wallets, artificial intelligence (AI), and initiatives aimed at increasing financial inclusion.
However, the environment for fintech companies has shifted since the venture capital boom between 2018 and 2021. In 2026, access to capital is more limited, customer acquisition costs have increased significantly—some B2C channels report up to 40% year-over-year growth in these expenses—and regulatory requirements have become stricter. Consumers also expect greater transparency from both fintech brands and the algorithms that power their services.
Performance marketing in this context is evolving from rapid user acquisition toward a focus on compliance, cost efficiency, and building trust with users. Marketers are now required to clearly explain how their AI-driven decisions work rather than just promoting product features.
"Consumers expect transparency; not only from Fintech brands, but also from the algorithms behind them. In lending and investing, explainable AI is no longer optional," states the guide.
The rising cost of advertising means that relying solely on paid media can quickly erode profit margins. As a result, fintech marketers are blending organic strategies such as search engine optimization (SEO), content creation, partnerships with other companies or platforms, and paid campaigns.
Regulatory changes have made compliance tools like Alloy or ComplyAdvantage essential for startups operating in areas where banking and software intersect. Compliance processes—including Know Your Customer (KYC) verification—are now seen as opportunities to improve conversion rates rather than just operational hurdles.
Global expansion remains a priority for many fintech firms but requires adapting marketing efforts to local regulations such as GDPR in Europe or RBI rules in India while maintaining consistent brand messaging worldwide. Wise provides an example by tailoring its marketing approach for each region: focusing on SEPA transfers in Europe, regulatory compliance in India with UPI integrations, and speed of cross-border payments in the United States.
To address these challenges while pursuing growth opportunities:
- Marketers are diversifying acquisition channels through partnerships and embedding products into apps used by target audiences.
- Creative campaigns emphasize verified testimonials and user-generated content (UGC) to build credibility.
- Short-form video content on platforms like TikTok helps reach younger audiences efficiently.
- Automation tools enable personalized onboarding messages and predictive analytics for user retention.
- Retention strategies include loyalty programs and referral incentives managed through specialized software.
- Data-driven experimentation allows teams to test new ideas without risking large portions of their budget.
Revolut exemplifies this approach by offering features such as daily transaction notifications and premium upgrades designed to keep users engaged over time.
Measuring success relies on tracking blended customer acquisition costs across all channels—not just paid media—as well as lifetime value relative to those costs (LTV:CAC). Other important metrics include payback period for recouping acquisition investments, KYC drop-off rates during onboarding processes, approval times for regulatory reviews of campaigns, daily-to-monthly active user ratios (DAU/MAU), churn rates by cohort segmentations, and adoption rates of key product features.
To scale efficiently:
- Companies should establish compliance frameworks early using pre-approved creative templates.
- Unit economics must be defined before increasing spending on any channel.
- Continuous testing should be supported with dedicated budgets for experimentation.
- The right marketing technology stack should be implemented early.
- Automation can streamline referrals or optimize ad creative variations rapidly.
- Embedding products into existing ecosystems accelerates exposure compared to direct advertising alone.
- Retention efforts should receive equal attention as new user acquisition campaigns.
"Performance marketing is no longer just about acquiring users fast; it’s about building trust, resilience, and efficiency into every campaign," according to the guide. "The Fintechs that win will be the ones that: Diversify acquisition beyond ads alone; Embed compliance and transparency into their funnels; Leverage AI and automation to scale intelligently; Treat retention as a growth engine... Continuously test, learn, and optimize with data."
For fintech founders navigating tighter budgets alongside higher expectations from both regulators and consumers in 2025–2026—the emphasis will remain on sustainable growth powered by disciplined performance marketing practices.
