Global Retail Refund Volumes Surge 18.1% in 2025
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Feb 03 2026
0mins
Should l Buy ACIW?
Source: Businesswire
- Significant Refund Volume Increase: ACI's Global Ecommerce Report indicates that global retail refund volumes surged by 18.1% in 2025, with refund values rising by 12.7%, highlighting increased consumer return behavior that pressures retailer margins.
- Holiday Season Refund Peak: Refund activity peaked sharply in November and December 2025, accounting for approximately 20% of total refunds, with December alone recording a 2.89% refund rate, significantly higher than the average 2.25% from January to October, illustrating the impact of holiday shopping.
- Ecommerce Transaction Growth: In 2025, global ecommerce transaction volumes grew by 28.3%, with total transaction values increasing by 34.3%, indicating sustained consumer demand for convenience, alongside innovations in the retail ecosystem and rising consumer trust.
- Retailer Response Strategies: In response to accelerating refund volumes, retailers are rethinking their return and fraud management strategies by deploying AI-driven identity verification and real-time monitoring to reduce abuse while maintaining a frictionless experience for legitimate customers.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy ACIW?" and start using high-conviction signals backed by rigorous historical data.
Sign up today to access powerful investing tools and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
Analyst Views on ACIW
Wall Street analysts forecast ACIW stock price to rise
3 Analyst Rating
2 Buy
1 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 40.310
Low
66.00
Averages
66.00
High
66.00
Current: 40.310
Low
66.00
Averages
66.00
High
66.00
About ACIW
ACI Worldwide, Inc. is a global payments technology company, delivers software solutions that power intelligent payments orchestration in real time to banks, billers, and merchants. The Company's segments include Payment Software and Biller. Its Payment Software segment drives payments orchestration for banks and merchants. It provides payment solutions to large and mid-size banks globally for retail banking, digital, and other payment services. Its support of merchants globally includes Tier 1 and Tier 2 merchants (in-store and online), payment service providers, independent selling organizations, value-added resellers, and acquirers who service them. The Company's Biller segment provides electronic bill presentment and payment services to companies operating in the consumer finance, insurance, healthcare, higher education, utility, government, mortgage, subscription provider, and telecommunications categories. The Company also provides fraud abuse protection to its Biller customers.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
ACI Report Reveals Tax Trends and Challenges
- Young Tax Filing Attitudes: The ACI report reveals that 30% of Gen Z adults do not file federal taxes, with another 30% uncertain about filing, indicating a significant gap in tax compliance awareness among younger generations that could impact future tax revenues.
- Trends in Refund Usage: 44% of American taxpayers plan to deposit their refunds into savings, while 37% intend to use them to pay down debt, illustrating that refunds have become crucial financial lifelines rather than discretionary spending.
- Rise of Electronic Filing: Paper filing has plummeted to 5%, with 42% of taxpayers now filing electronically through popular software platforms, highlighting a rapid digital transformation, particularly among Millennials, who have a 53% adoption rate.
- Payment Method Preferences: 64% of respondents would switch to debit to avoid high credit card transaction fees, despite credit cards accounting for 80% of total spending, reflecting a consumer desire for cost control amidst financial pressures.
See More
OptimizeRx Shares Rise 5.9% Amid Strong Demand
- Stock Price Surge: OptimizeRx shares rose 5.9% to $7.18 in the last trading session, driven by impressive volume and reflecting strong market demand for its Dynamic Audience Activation Platform (DAAP), despite an 11.3% decline over the past four weeks.
- Customer Base Expansion: The company maintains strong engagement with existing clients while adding new customers, particularly in the mid-tier and long-tail life sciences sector, which management views as highly attractive and likely to drive future revenue growth.
- AI Opportunities: OptimizeRx positions AI as a tailwind rather than a disruption risk, anticipating that it will free up to 50% of marketing budgets currently allocated to content creation, allowing for reallocation towards marketing execution and audience reach, enhancing competitive advantage.
- Future Financial Outlook: Management projects 2026 revenue between $109 million and $114 million, with adjusted EBITDA expected in the range of $21 million to $25 million, although the upcoming quarterly earnings are forecasted at $0.02 per share, representing a 75% year-over-year decline.
See More
ACI Worldwide Wins 2026 Central Banking Award for Financial Market Infrastructure Services
- Transaction Volume Milestone: In just five months, the Bre-B system has processed over 500 million transactions and registered more than 100 million payment keys, establishing itself as a leading real-time payment system in Latin America, demonstrating its profound impact on the financial market.
- Award Recognition: ACI Worldwide received the 2026 Central Banking Award for Financial Market Infrastructure Services – Retail for the successful implementation of Bre-B, with judges highlighting the collaborative nature and rapid execution of the project, marking the company's innovative capabilities in fintech.
- Infrastructure Modernization: Bre-B aims to modernize Colombia's payment infrastructure and enhance financial inclusion by enabling instantaneous, interoperable transfers across all participating financial institutions, driving the digital transformation of the national economy.
- Cross-Border Payment Prospects: ACI Worldwide plans to discuss at Fintech Americas how Bre-B can interoperate with global real-time networks, positioning regional banks to compete in the fast-growing remittances and international payments market, further advancing financial innovation in Latin America.
See More
Bill Payment Industry Faces Critical Transformation
- Transformation Pressure: According to ACI Worldwide's study, 80% of bill pay organizations view modern bill pay solutions as critical for achieving business priorities, yet only 26% are confident in their current systems' future readiness, indicating a pressing need for investment in more resilient digital platforms.
- Wave of Modernization: 76% of bill pay organizations plan to evaluate new solutions within the next 12 to 24 months, primarily motivated by the need to improve payment resiliency, a trend that will drive modernization across the industry to meet evolving consumer demands.
- Security as a Priority: The survey reveals that security emerged as one of the top three attributes of an ideal bill payment technology provider, as rising fraud threats compel billers to rethink transaction protection without introducing friction, utilizing advanced fraud prevention solutions like biometric authentication and real-time transaction verification.
- Trust and Flexibility: The bill payment industry is navigating an increasingly complex environment where payment flexibility, resiliency, and customer trust are closely intertwined, necessitating a shift from reactive collections to proactive risk strategies to reduce missed payments and enhance long-term revenue stability.
See More
ACI Worldwide Launches Next-Gen Card Payment Solution
- Payment Technology Innovation: ACI Worldwide has launched ACI Connetic for Cards, which integrates account-to-account payments, card payments, and AI-driven fraud prevention, marking a modernization of payment infrastructure that is expected to enhance flexibility and innovation in retail payments.
- Significant Market Potential: Global card transactions reached 776 billion in 2024 and are projected to grow to 1.1 trillion by 2029, a 43% increase, with the launch of ACI Connetic for Cards aimed at meeting this rising demand and helping banks modernize their card platforms.
- Full Lifecycle Support: The platform supports the complete transaction lifecycle, including data capture, authentication, intelligent routing, and secure clearing, ensuring efficiency and security in payment processing, thereby enhancing customer experience and driving business growth.
- Cloud-Native Architecture Advantages: ACI Connetic for Cards enhances the integration of card processing and account-to-account payments through a unified cloud-native platform, providing greater resilience and operational efficiency, helping financial institutions maintain competitiveness in a rapidly changing market.
See More
ACI Launches Next-Gen Card Payment Modernization Suite
- New Payment Platform: ACI Worldwide has launched ACI Connetic for Cards, integrating account-to-account payments, card payments, and AI-driven fraud prevention, marking the industry's first unified cloud-native payments hub that enhances payment processing flexibility and security.
- Transaction Volume Growth: Global card transactions reached 776 billion in 2024 and are projected to grow to 1.1 trillion by 2029, a 43% increase, with the launch of ACI Connetic for Cards aimed at meeting this rising market demand and assisting banks in modernizing their payment infrastructure.
- Modular Architecture Benefits: The platform supports the management of the entire payment lifecycle, intelligently routing transactions and securely authorizing them, which enhances operational efficiency and business growth potential, ensuring financial institutions remain competitive in a rapidly changing market.
- Enhanced Customer Experience: ACI Connetic for Cards provides financial institutions with a future-ready foundation that allows them to quickly launch new services and payment types with low risk, thereby accelerating innovation and improving customer experiences.
See More
ACI Report Reveals Tax Trends and Challenges
- Young Tax Filing Attitudes: The ACI report reveals that 30% of Gen Z adults do not file federal taxes, with another 30% uncertain about filing, indicating a significant gap in tax compliance awareness among younger generations that could impact future tax revenues.
- Trends in Refund Usage: 44% of American taxpayers plan to deposit their refunds into savings, while 37% intend to use them to pay down debt, illustrating that refunds have become crucial financial lifelines rather than discretionary spending.
- Rise of Electronic Filing: Paper filing has plummeted to 5%, with 42% of taxpayers now filing electronically through popular software platforms, highlighting a rapid digital transformation, particularly among Millennials, who have a 53% adoption rate.
- Payment Method Preferences: 64% of respondents would switch to debit to avoid high credit card transaction fees, despite credit cards accounting for 80% of total spending, reflecting a consumer desire for cost control amidst financial pressures.
See More
OptimizeRx Shares Rise 5.9% Amid Strong Demand
- Stock Price Surge: OptimizeRx shares rose 5.9% to $7.18 in the last trading session, driven by impressive volume and reflecting strong market demand for its Dynamic Audience Activation Platform (DAAP), despite an 11.3% decline over the past four weeks.
- Customer Base Expansion: The company maintains strong engagement with existing clients while adding new customers, particularly in the mid-tier and long-tail life sciences sector, which management views as highly attractive and likely to drive future revenue growth.
- AI Opportunities: OptimizeRx positions AI as a tailwind rather than a disruption risk, anticipating that it will free up to 50% of marketing budgets currently allocated to content creation, allowing for reallocation towards marketing execution and audience reach, enhancing competitive advantage.
- Future Financial Outlook: Management projects 2026 revenue between $109 million and $114 million, with adjusted EBITDA expected in the range of $21 million to $25 million, although the upcoming quarterly earnings are forecasted at $0.02 per share, representing a 75% year-over-year decline.
See More
ACI Worldwide Wins 2026 Central Banking Award for Financial Market Infrastructure Services
- Transaction Volume Milestone: In just five months, the Bre-B system has processed over 500 million transactions and registered more than 100 million payment keys, establishing itself as a leading real-time payment system in Latin America, demonstrating its profound impact on the financial market.
- Award Recognition: ACI Worldwide received the 2026 Central Banking Award for Financial Market Infrastructure Services – Retail for the successful implementation of Bre-B, with judges highlighting the collaborative nature and rapid execution of the project, marking the company's innovative capabilities in fintech.
- Infrastructure Modernization: Bre-B aims to modernize Colombia's payment infrastructure and enhance financial inclusion by enabling instantaneous, interoperable transfers across all participating financial institutions, driving the digital transformation of the national economy.
- Cross-Border Payment Prospects: ACI Worldwide plans to discuss at Fintech Americas how Bre-B can interoperate with global real-time networks, positioning regional banks to compete in the fast-growing remittances and international payments market, further advancing financial innovation in Latin America.
See More
Bill Payment Industry Faces Critical Transformation
- Transformation Pressure: According to ACI Worldwide's study, 80% of bill pay organizations view modern bill pay solutions as critical for achieving business priorities, yet only 26% are confident in their current systems' future readiness, indicating a pressing need for investment in more resilient digital platforms.
- Wave of Modernization: 76% of bill pay organizations plan to evaluate new solutions within the next 12 to 24 months, primarily motivated by the need to improve payment resiliency, a trend that will drive modernization across the industry to meet evolving consumer demands.
- Security as a Priority: The survey reveals that security emerged as one of the top three attributes of an ideal bill payment technology provider, as rising fraud threats compel billers to rethink transaction protection without introducing friction, utilizing advanced fraud prevention solutions like biometric authentication and real-time transaction verification.
- Trust and Flexibility: The bill payment industry is navigating an increasingly complex environment where payment flexibility, resiliency, and customer trust are closely intertwined, necessitating a shift from reactive collections to proactive risk strategies to reduce missed payments and enhance long-term revenue stability.
See More
ACI Worldwide Launches Next-Gen Card Payment Solution
- Payment Technology Innovation: ACI Worldwide has launched ACI Connetic for Cards, which integrates account-to-account payments, card payments, and AI-driven fraud prevention, marking a modernization of payment infrastructure that is expected to enhance flexibility and innovation in retail payments.
- Significant Market Potential: Global card transactions reached 776 billion in 2024 and are projected to grow to 1.1 trillion by 2029, a 43% increase, with the launch of ACI Connetic for Cards aimed at meeting this rising demand and helping banks modernize their card platforms.
- Full Lifecycle Support: The platform supports the complete transaction lifecycle, including data capture, authentication, intelligent routing, and secure clearing, ensuring efficiency and security in payment processing, thereby enhancing customer experience and driving business growth.
- Cloud-Native Architecture Advantages: ACI Connetic for Cards enhances the integration of card processing and account-to-account payments through a unified cloud-native platform, providing greater resilience and operational efficiency, helping financial institutions maintain competitiveness in a rapidly changing market.
See More
ACI Launches Next-Gen Card Payment Modernization Suite
- New Payment Platform: ACI Worldwide has launched ACI Connetic for Cards, integrating account-to-account payments, card payments, and AI-driven fraud prevention, marking the industry's first unified cloud-native payments hub that enhances payment processing flexibility and security.
- Transaction Volume Growth: Global card transactions reached 776 billion in 2024 and are projected to grow to 1.1 trillion by 2029, a 43% increase, with the launch of ACI Connetic for Cards aimed at meeting this rising market demand and assisting banks in modernizing their payment infrastructure.
- Modular Architecture Benefits: The platform supports the management of the entire payment lifecycle, intelligently routing transactions and securely authorizing them, which enhances operational efficiency and business growth potential, ensuring financial institutions remain competitive in a rapidly changing market.
- Enhanced Customer Experience: ACI Connetic for Cards provides financial institutions with a future-ready foundation that allows them to quickly launch new services and payment types with low risk, thereby accelerating innovation and improving customer experiences.
See More
