Top Mobile Payments Stocks to Buy as Digital Transactions Surge
Mobile payments are gaining momentum as digital wallets, instant payments and embedded finance reshape global commerce. RELY, PAY, DLO and MQ could be among the biggest beneficiaries.
An updated edition of the July 07, 2026 article.
Mobile payments have become an integral part of everyday commerce as consumers increasingly rely on smartphones and connected devices to complete transactions. Purchases that once required cash, a physical card or dedicated payment hardware can now be completed within seconds through mobile apps, contactless technology or digital wallets. This shift is accelerating the move toward cashless commerce while also encouraging merchants to adopt software-based acceptance solutions. Meanwhile, real-time and account-to-account payment networks are allowing money to move faster while lowering transaction costs.
Digital wallets, including Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal, have gained broad acceptance across both e-commerce and physical retail. Technologies, such as NFC, QR codes and integrated in-app payments, are helping make checkout more seamless. Wider smartphone penetration, improving Internet connectivity and ongoing fintech innovation are supporting adoption across developed economies as well as emerging markets. Smartwatches and other connected devices are extending this convenience further, while tap-to-phone technology is turning smartphones into payment terminals and reducing the need for dedicated acceptance hardware.
Younger consumers are accelerating the transition as demand rises for fast and seamless shopping and money-management experiences. Behind the scenes, artificial intelligence is strengthening fraud detection, transaction monitoring and authentication. Tokenization and biometric security are also becoming increasingly important as payment providers seek to protect card credentials without adding friction to checkout.
The next wave of innovation is already emerging. Agentic commerce could allow AI agents to discover products, make purchasing decisions and execute payments on behalf of users, pushing payments further into the background. Super-app-style ecosystems such as WeChat, Alipay and PhonePe are similarly reshaping consumer behavior by bringing multiple financial and commercial services into a single digital environment. Conversational commerce and embedded payments are further reducing friction by allowing transactions to take place directly inside apps, marketplaces, software platforms and chat interfaces.
Another emerging opportunity is the convergence of traditional payments and blockchain-based financial infrastructure. Stablecoins are gaining traction for cross-border payments, remittances, B2B transactions and settlement, where their always-on nature can improve speed and liquidity. Account-to-account and real-time payment systems are increasing competition with traditional card-based payments. India's UPI has demonstrated the scalability of instant bank-to-bank mobile payments, while services such as FedNow are expanding real-time payment capabilities in the United States. Europe is advancing its PSD3/Payment Services Regulation reforms alongside instant-payment requirements. Buy now, pay later (BNPL) is also becoming more closely integrated into digital checkout and mobile-payment ecosystems.
Fortune Business Insights estimates that the global mobile payments market reached $4.97 trillion in 2025 and will reach $6.46 trillion in 2026. The market is projected to expand to $46.62 trillion by 2034, representing a CAGR of 28% during the 2026-2034 period. Asia Pacific accounted for 46.1% of the market in 2025.
Against this backdrop, competition continues to intensify, as Remitly Global, Inc. RELY, Paymentus Holdings, Inc. PAY, DLocal Limited DLO and Marqeta, Inc. MQ expand their capabilities through product innovation, technology investments and strategic partnerships. Our Mobile Payments Screen highlights the companies best positioned to benefit.
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4 Mobile Payments Stocks to Buy
Remitly Global is increasingly relevant to the mobile-payments theme as it expands beyond digital remittances into a broader cross-border financial platform. Its mobile-first service lets customers send money internationally through digital funding methods, while recipients can receive funds through bank accounts, mobile wallets and other local payout channels. In 2026, Remitly added FedNow and RTP funding in the United States and integrated wallet-based payouts across several Asian markets. It also connected to Colombia’s Bre-B instant-payment rail, enabling 24/7 disbursements to participating bank accounts or wallets.
Product expansion accelerated in the second quarter. Remitly broadened its receiver product to 130 countries and introduced stablecoin card and wallet capabilities in select Latin American markets. The new Remitly Global Card allows eligible customers to send, spend, save and borrow, while holding or moving money in fiat currency or USDC. More recently, Remitly entered Brazil as a send market, supporting Pix funding and transfers initiated through WhatsApp.
Operating momentum remains strong. Second-quarter 2026 active customers increased 20% year over year to 10.2 million, while send volume climbed 27% to $23.5 billion. Revenues advanced 20% to $495.2 million, underscoring growing adoption of Remitly’s digital money-movement ecosystem and its expanding suite of cross-border payment products. The company currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Marqeta is well positioned in mobile payments through its modern card-issuing and embedded-finance infrastructure. Rather than operating a consumer wallet, the company enables customers to build payment products that can be provisioned into digital wallets and used for contactless transactions. In August 2026, Marqeta expanded its collaboration with Google to support Wallet for kids, allowing supervised users to receive allowances and tap to pay through Android and Wear OS devices. Its tokenization, virtual-card and spend-control capabilities underpin the experience.
Marqeta is also broadening mobile money movement beyond conventional card rails. A July partnership with zerohash is designed to let customers connect stablecoin balances to card programs, enabling users to spend digital dollars wherever supported cards are accepted. In May, Marqeta expanded its European account and money-movement offering into 30 additional countries, adding virtual accounts, digital-wallet functionality and faster-payment capabilities.
MQ’s second-quarter 2026 total processing volume increased 32% year over year to $120.4 billion. As such, net revenues rose 17% to $176 million, while gross profit advanced 17% to $121.9 million. Adjusted EBITDA climbed 31% to $37.4 million, reflecting increasing scale as Marqeta supports a broader range of digital-payment programs worldwide across consumer and commercial use cases. It also currently sports a Zacks Rank #1.
Paymentus participates directly in mobile payments through its cloud-based bill-payment infrastructure for billers and financial institutions. Its platform supports credit cards, debit cards, eChecks and digital wallets across mobile, online, chatbot, call-center and voice-assistant channels, allowing consumers to pay bills through the interface they prefer.
The company strengthened this capability in May 2026 with BillWallet, a digital wallet designed for bill and service payments. BillWallet links customer identity, service accounts and payment credentials, enabling authenticated one-touch payments across digital, voice, agentic and in-person channels. Paymentus also introduced Billeo, which turns bills and statements into interactive experiences where users can review charges, resolve issues and complete payments without leaving the workflow. These products are available to clients in industries including utilities, insurance, telecommunications, healthcare and government.
Business momentum remained strong in the second quarter of 2026. Paymentus processed 213.4 million transactions, up 21.4% year over year, while revenues increased 28.8% to $360.7 million. Contribution profit advanced 26.3% to $118.1 million and adjusted EBITDA jumped 54% to $48.8 million. Growing transaction volumes and continued product innovation should strengthen Paymentus’ position as mobile bill payments become increasingly embedded in digital customer-service experiences across North America and within emerging AI-enabled service commerce. It carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present.
DLocal is gaining traction in mobile payments by enabling global merchants to access a wide range of local payment options across emerging markets.Through one API, merchants can accept and disburse funds using cards, digital wallets, mobile money and real-time payment rails, while DLocal manages local processing, compliance, foreign exchange and settlement.
Recent developments are expanding that mobile reach. In May 2026, DLocal enabled inDrive riders in South Africa to pay by card inside the app while drivers receive local payouts through PayShap. In July, its partnership with ACI Worldwide opened merchant access to methods including Pix, PicPay, Mercado Pago, NuPay, OXXO and SPEI in Brazil and Mexico. dLocal also launched Stablecoin Full in April, allowing merchants to accept stablecoins at checkout, make payouts and convert between stablecoins and local currencies through the same infrastructure. Its expanded BNPL Fuse further gives merchants a single connection to local installment providers.
DLO’s second-quarter 2026 total payment volume surged 92% year over year to $17.7 billion, while revenues advanced 56% to $399.7 million. Gross profit increased 29% to a record $127.2 million. Growth in Brazil was aided by expanding ride-hailing and travel volumes alongside sustained e-commerce activity across its payment platform. It also carries a Zacks Rank #2 at present.
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