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Expertise

2026 Editorial Calendar

The Nilson Report Editorial Calendar (2026) highlights a full year of proprietary payments industry research, rankings, and statistical analysis covering credit card issuing, debit card issuing, merchant acquiring, card network performance, merchant processing fees, card fraud, commercial cards, prepaid cards, payment cards in circulation, POS terminals/technology, and investments and acquisitions.

Scheduled coverage includes many of the industry’s most widely referenced issuer and acquirer rankings, card network results, transaction statistics, market analyses, and executive-level intelligence, including the world’s largest credit card issuers, debit card issuers, merchant acquirers, and payment card portfolios.

For more than 55 years, the Nilson Report has provided independent payments industry data relied upon by financial institutions, payment networks, processors, fintech companies, investors, and industry leaders worldwide.

January

  • Payment Card Transactions Projected Worldwide
  • Visa and Mastercard Results Worldwide for First Nine Months of 2025
  • M&A Activity in Merchant Processing and Acquiring in 2025
  • Discover Financial Services Results for 2025
  • Payment Cards in Circulation Projected through 2030
  • Market Capitalization Results for Publicly Traded Payment Companies in 2025

February

  • Visa, Mastercard, Amex and Discover Results in the US — 2025
  • Top 50 US Mastercard and Visa Credit Card Issuers at Year-End 2025
  • Investments in Merchant Acquiring, Processing in 2025
  • American Express Card Results Worldwide in 2025
  • Investments & Acquisitions in January 2026

March

  • Top 60 US Merchant Acquirers in 2025
  • Canada’s Card Networks and Issuers in 2025
  • Merchant Processing Fees Paid by US Merchants in 2025
  • Consumer ACH Payments in the US in 2025
  • Investments & Acquisitions in February 2026

April

  • Visa, Mastercard, American Express Cards in Latin America and the Caribbean — 2025
  • US Mastercard and Visa Credit Card Issuers Ranked from 50 to 100 in 2025
  • The 50 Largest US Debit Card Issuers in 2025
  • Investments & Acquisitions in March 2026

May

  • US Card Network Results for the 1st Q 2026
  • Largest US Credit Card Issuers in the 1st Q 2026
  • Third 50 Largest US Credit Card Issuers in 2025
  • 10 Largest US Credit Card Issuers in the 1st Q 2026
  • Largest US Issuers of Commercial Credit & Debit Cards in 2025
  • Global Network Card Results for 2025
  • Investments & Acquisitions in April 2026

June

  • Top 45 Merchant Acquirers in Europe — 2025
  • Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Diners Club Cards in Europe
  • Commercial Bank Credit Cards in Canada — 2025
  • Middle East and Africa’s Top 44 Merchant Acquirers in 2025
  • US Card Spending at Merchants in 2025
  • Largest US Debit Card Issuers Part 2
  • Investments & Acquisitions in May 2026

July

  • Europe’s Top 50 Credit and Debit Card Issuers
  • Top 25 US Issuers of Visa and Mastercard Credit Cards for Consumers
  • Top US Banks in Mastercard Send and Visa Direct
  • Prepaid Cards in the US
  • Europe’s Largest Payment Card Issuers — Part 2
  • Investments & Acquisitions in June 2026

August

  • UnionPay, Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express and Diners Club Cards in Asia-Pacific — 2025
  • Top 50 Card Issuers in the Middle East and Africa
  • Visa, Mastercard, Amex and Discover Card Network Results in the US at Midyear 2026
  • Top 25 US Prepaid Card Issuers
  • Investments & Acquisitions in July 2026

September

  • Middle East and Africa Global Network Cards in 2025
  • Store Cards in the US in 2025
  • Latin America’s 45 Largest Merchant Acquirers
  • Household Debt and Credit Cards in the US
  • US Visa and Mastercard Credit Card Issuers at Midyear 2026
  • US General Purpose Credit Card Issuers at Midyear 2026
  • Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Diners Club Results in Europe 2025

October

  • POS Terminals Shipped Worldwide in 2025
  • Asia-Pacific’s 40 Largest Merchant Acquirers in 2025
  • M&A Activity in Merchant Processing and Acquiring at Midyear 2026
  • The 150 Largest Merchant Acquirers Worldwide in 2025
  • Payment Card Shipments Worldwide in 2025 — Part 1
  • Top 50 Card Issuers in Latin America — 2025
  • Investments & Acquisitions in September 2026

November

  • Payment Cards in the US Projected through 2030
  • The 50 Largest Payment Card Issuers in Asia-Pacific — 2025
  • Top 150 Credit Card Portfolios Worldwide Ranked by Outstandings in 2025
  • Card Manufacturer Shipments Worldwide — Part 2
  • Global Brand Card Results at Midyear 2026
  • POS Device Manufacturer Shipments Part 2
  • Investments & Acquisitions in October 2026

December

  • Card Fraud Worldwide
  • US Consumer Payment Systems and PCE
  • Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay, Amex, Discover, JCB and Diners Club Card Acceptance Locations Worldwide
  • Domestic-Only Credit and Debit Card Brands Worldwide
  • Top 150 Debit Card Issuers Worldwide in 2025
  • US Commercial Cards Part 2
  • Top 150 Credit Card Issuers Ranked by Purchase Volume
  • Card Manufacturer Shipments Worldwide Part 3
  • Investments & Acquisitions in November 2026

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, Valid S.A.

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, Worldpay from FIS

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, NMI

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Peter Davidson
, Chief Marketing Officer & Vice Chairman
, JetPay Corporation/NCR

I have been using the Nilson Report since I was first involved in cards in 1975. For 47 years, through credit card issuing, debit card launches, prepaid cards, merchant acquiring, and now crypto, Nilson has been my “go to” publication for industry facts for issuing, acquiring, and all elements in between. More important, Nilson just provides the facts – no spin, no politics, just the facts.

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, Managing Consultant for Iberia and Italy
, Visa

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, Founder and CEO
, Core-Chain Tehnologies

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