Thanksgiving 2025 arrives at a time when both consumers and businesses have faced unpredictable tides inflation pressures, shifting work patterns, and tightening liquidity. Yet, amid these challenges, the payments and FinTech ecosystem delivered meaningful progress that deserves recognition.
This year was less about hype and more about human impact. From instant payouts that put money into workers’ hands within seconds, to buy now, pay later (BNPL) tools that offered real relief, to embedded finance and AI-driven trust, the industry collectively moved toward systems that empower people to navigate modern life more confidently.
“We’re seeing technologies that don’t just move money faster, but actually make financial life more livable,” said Drew Edwards, CEO of Ingo Payments.
As Thanksgiving invites reflection, 2025 can be remembered as the year payments got more personal, intelligent, and inclusive.
Instant Payouts and Real-Time Rails Bring Speed Worth Appreciating
One of the clearest advances this year was the widespread adoption of instant payouts a transformation that’s reshaping how individuals and businesses handle liquidity. In an interview with PYMNTS, Ingo Payments’ CEO Drew Edwards highlighted how real-time disbursements are no longer just a convenience, but a critical financial lifeline for gig workers, freelancers, and small merchants.
“Instant payouts are the bridge between effort and earnings,” said Edwards. “They build trust between platforms and workers by ensuring money arrives when it’s needed most.”
The U.S. saw real-time payment volume rise by 37% year-over-year, according to PYMNTS Intelligence, driven by the adoption of FedNow, RTP®, and private-sector rails. For millions of workers, faster cash flow meant greater financial stability and a reason to be thankful.
| Metric | 2024 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Real-time transactions processed (billions) | 8.5 | 11.6 | +37% |
| Average payout settlement time | 1 hour | < 10 seconds | -83% |
| Platforms offering instant payouts | 62% | 81% | +19% |
This expansion isn’t just about speed it’s about trust and timing. When liquidity arrives in seconds, confidence follows.
Responsible Financial Tools Like BNPL Bring Relief Amid Pressure
In 2025, BNPL adoption continued to expand but with more discipline than before.
PYMNTS Intelligence found that 97% to 98% of BNPL users now manage their installment payments on time. Consumers aren’t using these products as credit crutches but as cash flow tools to smooth out expenses and avoid revolving debt.
Why Consumers Use BNPL (2025):
| Reason | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Scheduling flexibility | 23.4% |
| Feels less like debt | 24.1% |
| Better control over payments | 23.3% |
Even traditional financial players joined the movement. In an October interview, Splitit CEO Nandan Sheth described how transactional credit on debit cards extends BNPL’s value:
“The consumer pays lower fees, and the banks earn new fee income on debit portfolios. It’s a good cross-section of a segment that is large but underserved.”
In a year of inflationary strain, BNPL’s measured growth and responsible use represent a rare source of optimism and a reason for the industry to give thanks.
Embedded Finance and Orchestration Deliver Wins
This year also marked a turning point for embedded finance and payment orchestration technologies that quietly make commerce work better behind the scenes. PYMNTS’ study “Retailers Expand Embedded Finance to Unlock Control and Customization” found that retailers using embedded tools saw improved onboarding, higher conversion, and better customer retention.
Embedded systems now power everything from merchant cash advances to instant loan approvals, insurance integration, and revenue sharing models all within a retailer’s existing interface. Meanwhile, payment orchestration platforms brought new efficiency by unifying identity verification, fraud prevention, and payment routing into one operational layer.
“Orchestration is the silent engine of modern payments,” one payments executive told PYMNTS. “It reduces errors, strengthens compliance, and lets merchants adapt faster without rebuilding systems.”
These advances may not grab headlines, but they eliminate friction, streamline compliance, and save costs the quiet victories the industry can celebrate this Thanksgiving.
Security and Trust Strengthened Through AI Innovation
In 2025, trust became as important as speed. As transactions accelerated, AI-powered fraud prevention and behavioral analytics evolved to meet new risks in real time. Many payments firms moved beyond static, rule-based systems to dynamic machine learning models capable of adjusting to changing fraud patterns instantly.
“AI is becoming the immune system of payments,” said a senior fraud strategist at a major card network.
The result was a measurable drop in fraud incidents:
| Security Metric | 2024 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Card-not-present fraud losses (est.) | $6.3B | $4.8B | -24% |
| False declines | 12% | 8% | -33% |
| Real-time fraud detection coverage | 65% | 90% | +25% |
Thanks to smarter models, legitimate transactions flowed faster, while risky ones were stopped before harm occurred. These systems invisible to most users ensured that the instant payout revolution and embedded finance boom could grow securely.
Thanksgiving 2.0: Gratitude for Tools That Actually Help People
As the year draws to a close, payments professionals have more than technology to appreciate they have impact.
The industry’s progress in 2025 wasn’t theoretical. It was felt:
- A gig worker receiving earnings instantly.
- A family managing a tight month through installments.
- A shopper completing a frictionless checkout.
- A merchant activating new payment methods without disruption.
“If Thanksgiving 1.0 was about the harvest,” said one FinTech analyst, “then Thanksgiving 2.0 is about the tools that help people harvest opportunity.”
The rails under the hood, the liquidity available in seconds, the responsible credit choices, and the embedded intelligence shaping each transaction these are the foundations of a payments ecosystem that’s smarter, faster, and more human.
In 2025, that’s something truly worth being thankful for.
FAQs
What made 2025 a pivotal year for payments?
The year saw major adoption of instant payouts, real-time payment rails, and embedded finance, alongside more responsible use of BNPL and stronger AI-driven fraud prevention.
How has BNPL evolved in 2025?
Consumers are using BNPL more responsibly, treating it as a cash flow tool rather than as long-term debt. Default rates remain low, with most users paying installments on time.
Why are instant payouts significant?
Instant payouts improve liquidity for gig workers and small businesses, helping them manage income and expenses without delays.
How is AI improving payments security?
AI models now enable real-time fraud detection, behavioral analytics, and adaptive risk modeling, reducing both fraud losses and false declines.
What’s next for the payments ecosystem?
The next phase will focus on scaling orchestration, enhancing trust layers, and deepening financial inclusion across both digital and physical commerce.