Elevated Fraud Risks for Fans and Ticket Sellers as 2026 World Cup Begins
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 1 hour ago
0mins
Source: Newsfilter
- Fraud Risk Alert: ACI Worldwide's analysis indicates a significant rise in fraud risks for fans and ticket sellers during the 2026 World Cup, particularly before the tournament begins, with patterns resembling those seen in previous major events, expected to persist into the early stages across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
- Transaction Data Insights: Among 24.5 million transactions, card-not-present fraud attempts reached 4% of transaction value, averaging 3.6 times the 2023 baseline, indicating that fraudulent activities began weeks before the first match and will likely continue post-tournament, posing potential losses for fans.
- Payment Method Safety Discrepancies: Alternative payment methods recorded a mere 0.57% attempted fraud rate compared to 3.97% for traditional cards, highlighting the significantly enhanced security of alternative payment adoption, which rose from 7% of transactions in 2022 to 24.8% year-to-date in 2026.
- High-Value Transaction Risks: During the pre-tournament phase, the average fraudulent order value was $405, significantly higher than the legitimate average of $270, indicating that fraudsters are increasingly targeting high-value ticket purchases, raising the risk of genuine fans facing false declines.
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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: 45.500
Low
66.00
Averages
66.00
High
66.00
Current: 45.500
Low
66.00
Averages
66.00
High
66.00
About ACIW
ACI Worldwide, Inc. is a global payments technology company. The Company develops markets, installs, and supports a line of software solutions that deliver intelligent payment orchestration to banks, merchants, and billers. Its 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-sized 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.
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.
Rabobank Advances iDEAL Migration to Wero for Instant Payments
- Payment System Transformation: Rabobank is migrating the Netherlands' most widely used payment method, iDEAL, to Wero, enabling real-time account-to-account payments for over 70% of online transactions, with completion expected by the end of 2027, marking a significant shift in Europe's payment landscape.
- Technical Support: This migration is powered by ACI's Real-Time Payments Processing technology, ensuring the scale, resilience, and interoperability required for 24/7 clearing and settlement on SEPA Instant Credit Transfer infrastructure, enhancing payment security and regulatory compliance.
- Market Impact: As the backbone of Dutch digital commerce, this initiative by Rabobank will drive the transition to instant payments across Europe, reducing reliance on global card networks and facilitating cross-border payment convenience.
- Future Outlook: Through Wero, Rabobank is not only enhancing instant payment capabilities at checkout but also expanding use cases for bill payments, subscriptions, and merchant-initiated transactions, which is expected to significantly improve customer experience and market competitiveness.
See More
Elevated Fraud Risks for Fans and Ticket Sellers as 2026 World Cup Begins
- Fraud Risk Alert: ACI Worldwide's analysis indicates a significant rise in fraud risks for fans and ticket sellers during the 2026 World Cup, particularly before the tournament begins, with patterns resembling those seen in previous major events, expected to persist into the early stages across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
- Transaction Data Insights: Among 24.5 million transactions, card-not-present fraud attempts reached 4% of transaction value, averaging 3.6 times the 2023 baseline, indicating that fraudulent activities began weeks before the first match and will likely continue post-tournament, posing potential losses for fans.
- Payment Method Safety Discrepancies: Alternative payment methods recorded a mere 0.57% attempted fraud rate compared to 3.97% for traditional cards, highlighting the significantly enhanced security of alternative payment adoption, which rose from 7% of transactions in 2022 to 24.8% year-to-date in 2026.
- High-Value Transaction Risks: During the pre-tournament phase, the average fraudulent order value was $405, significantly higher than the legitimate average of $270, indicating that fraudsters are increasingly targeting high-value ticket purchases, raising the risk of genuine fans facing false declines.
See More
ACI Worldwide Joins European Payments Initiative to Integrate Wero Wallet
- Joining EPI: ACI Worldwide announced its membership in the European Payments Initiative (EPI), integrating Wero's wallet solution into its Payments Orchestration Platform, thereby enhancing its service offerings for consumers and businesses and increasing market competitiveness.
- Wero Wallet Service: Launched by a consortium of 16 European banks and financial firms, Wero is a digital wallet service operating on SEPA instant payment rails, currently providing instant account-to-account payments in Belgium, France, and Germany, which is expected to drive consumer adoption of instant payments.
- Expansion Plans: EPI plans to expand Wero into the Netherlands and Luxembourg in the coming months while exploring opportunities in other countries, a strategy that will help increase instant payment volumes across Europe and further drive digital transformation in the market.
- Global Payment Solutions: ACI currently powers 26 domestic and pan-regional payment services across six continents, including 11 central infrastructures, providing superior instant payment solutions to banks and payment service providers, thereby enhancing its influence in the global payment market.
See More
ACI Partners with EPI to Launch Wero Payment Method
- Strategic Collaboration: ACI Worldwide joins EPI as a principal member, integrating the Wero digital wallet into its Payments Orchestration Platform, which is expected to provide merchants and financial intermediaries across Europe with a new payment method, enhancing payment efficiency and user experience.
- Market Expansion: Launched in 2024, Wero initially covers Belgium, France, and Germany, with plans to expand to Luxembourg and the Netherlands in the coming months, anticipated to drive consumer adoption of instant payments and stimulate market growth.
- Transaction Volume Growth: According to ACI's report, instant payment transactions in Europe are expected to increase from 17.2 billion in 2023 to 38.6 billion by 2028, accounting for 13% of all electronic payments, indicating strong market demand and potential.
- Technological Innovation: Wero streamlines payment processes by eliminating intermediaries in the payment chain, expected to provide more convenient personal and retail payment services to 55 million users, further driving innovation and resilience in the European payments ecosystem.
See More
ACI Worldwide Partners with Kwik Payments
- Strategic Partnership: ACI Worldwide announced a partnership with Kwik Payments aimed at enhancing customer experience through integrated payment solutions, which is expected to strengthen both companies' competitive positions in the payment industry.
- Market Expansion Potential: This collaboration will allow ACI Worldwide to leverage Kwik Payments' customer base, further expanding its market share in the digital payment sector, particularly in the rapidly growing e-commerce market.
- Technological Integration Benefits: The combination of both companies' technologies is anticipated to improve payment processing efficiency and security, thereby providing customers with a smoother transaction experience, enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty.
- Future Development Prospects: This partnership not only complements existing business operations but also lays the groundwork for future innovations and product development, potentially driving further collaboration and growth in payment technology between the two companies.
See More
Kwik Payments Partners with ACI to Enhance Payment Efficiency
- Platform Launch: Kwik Payments has successfully gone live on ACI's Payments Orchestration Platform, reducing checkout friction and driving conversion uplifts of over 20%, which will significantly boost digital commerce growth in South Africa and the broader African market.
- Rapid Deployment Advantage: Unlike traditional multi-provider implementations that can take months, merchants can now go live within one to two weeks, accelerating speed to market and reducing operational complexity, thereby enhancing Kwik Payments' competitive edge.
- Enhanced Security: The platform's AI-powered fraud detection evaluates over 1,000 data points per transaction in real time, strengthening security without compromising customer experiences, ensuring merchants remain competitive in the fast-evolving digital payment landscape.
- Market Expansion Potential: Through its partnership with ACI, Kwik Payments can offer merchants flexible payment solutions that support diverse payment methods, improve authorization rates, and streamline operations, empowering them to compete more effectively on a global stage.
See More
Rabobank Advances iDEAL Migration to Wero for Instant Payments
- Payment System Transformation: Rabobank is migrating the Netherlands' most widely used payment method, iDEAL, to Wero, enabling real-time account-to-account payments for over 70% of online transactions, with completion expected by the end of 2027, marking a significant shift in Europe's payment landscape.
- Technical Support: This migration is powered by ACI's Real-Time Payments Processing technology, ensuring the scale, resilience, and interoperability required for 24/7 clearing and settlement on SEPA Instant Credit Transfer infrastructure, enhancing payment security and regulatory compliance.
- Market Impact: As the backbone of Dutch digital commerce, this initiative by Rabobank will drive the transition to instant payments across Europe, reducing reliance on global card networks and facilitating cross-border payment convenience.
- Future Outlook: Through Wero, Rabobank is not only enhancing instant payment capabilities at checkout but also expanding use cases for bill payments, subscriptions, and merchant-initiated transactions, which is expected to significantly improve customer experience and market competitiveness.
See More
Elevated Fraud Risks for Fans and Ticket Sellers as 2026 World Cup Begins
- Fraud Risk Alert: ACI Worldwide's analysis indicates a significant rise in fraud risks for fans and ticket sellers during the 2026 World Cup, particularly before the tournament begins, with patterns resembling those seen in previous major events, expected to persist into the early stages across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
- Transaction Data Insights: Among 24.5 million transactions, card-not-present fraud attempts reached 4% of transaction value, averaging 3.6 times the 2023 baseline, indicating that fraudulent activities began weeks before the first match and will likely continue post-tournament, posing potential losses for fans.
- Payment Method Safety Discrepancies: Alternative payment methods recorded a mere 0.57% attempted fraud rate compared to 3.97% for traditional cards, highlighting the significantly enhanced security of alternative payment adoption, which rose from 7% of transactions in 2022 to 24.8% year-to-date in 2026.
- High-Value Transaction Risks: During the pre-tournament phase, the average fraudulent order value was $405, significantly higher than the legitimate average of $270, indicating that fraudsters are increasingly targeting high-value ticket purchases, raising the risk of genuine fans facing false declines.
See More
ACI Worldwide Joins European Payments Initiative to Integrate Wero Wallet
- Joining EPI: ACI Worldwide announced its membership in the European Payments Initiative (EPI), integrating Wero's wallet solution into its Payments Orchestration Platform, thereby enhancing its service offerings for consumers and businesses and increasing market competitiveness.
- Wero Wallet Service: Launched by a consortium of 16 European banks and financial firms, Wero is a digital wallet service operating on SEPA instant payment rails, currently providing instant account-to-account payments in Belgium, France, and Germany, which is expected to drive consumer adoption of instant payments.
- Expansion Plans: EPI plans to expand Wero into the Netherlands and Luxembourg in the coming months while exploring opportunities in other countries, a strategy that will help increase instant payment volumes across Europe and further drive digital transformation in the market.
- Global Payment Solutions: ACI currently powers 26 domestic and pan-regional payment services across six continents, including 11 central infrastructures, providing superior instant payment solutions to banks and payment service providers, thereby enhancing its influence in the global payment market.
See More
ACI Partners with EPI to Launch Wero Payment Method
- Strategic Collaboration: ACI Worldwide joins EPI as a principal member, integrating the Wero digital wallet into its Payments Orchestration Platform, which is expected to provide merchants and financial intermediaries across Europe with a new payment method, enhancing payment efficiency and user experience.
- Market Expansion: Launched in 2024, Wero initially covers Belgium, France, and Germany, with plans to expand to Luxembourg and the Netherlands in the coming months, anticipated to drive consumer adoption of instant payments and stimulate market growth.
- Transaction Volume Growth: According to ACI's report, instant payment transactions in Europe are expected to increase from 17.2 billion in 2023 to 38.6 billion by 2028, accounting for 13% of all electronic payments, indicating strong market demand and potential.
- Technological Innovation: Wero streamlines payment processes by eliminating intermediaries in the payment chain, expected to provide more convenient personal and retail payment services to 55 million users, further driving innovation and resilience in the European payments ecosystem.
See More
ACI Worldwide Partners with Kwik Payments
- Strategic Partnership: ACI Worldwide announced a partnership with Kwik Payments aimed at enhancing customer experience through integrated payment solutions, which is expected to strengthen both companies' competitive positions in the payment industry.
- Market Expansion Potential: This collaboration will allow ACI Worldwide to leverage Kwik Payments' customer base, further expanding its market share in the digital payment sector, particularly in the rapidly growing e-commerce market.
- Technological Integration Benefits: The combination of both companies' technologies is anticipated to improve payment processing efficiency and security, thereby providing customers with a smoother transaction experience, enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty.
- Future Development Prospects: This partnership not only complements existing business operations but also lays the groundwork for future innovations and product development, potentially driving further collaboration and growth in payment technology between the two companies.
See More
Kwik Payments Partners with ACI to Enhance Payment Efficiency
- Platform Launch: Kwik Payments has successfully gone live on ACI's Payments Orchestration Platform, reducing checkout friction and driving conversion uplifts of over 20%, which will significantly boost digital commerce growth in South Africa and the broader African market.
- Rapid Deployment Advantage: Unlike traditional multi-provider implementations that can take months, merchants can now go live within one to two weeks, accelerating speed to market and reducing operational complexity, thereby enhancing Kwik Payments' competitive edge.
- Enhanced Security: The platform's AI-powered fraud detection evaluates over 1,000 data points per transaction in real time, strengthening security without compromising customer experiences, ensuring merchants remain competitive in the fast-evolving digital payment landscape.
- Market Expansion Potential: Through its partnership with ACI, Kwik Payments can offer merchants flexible payment solutions that support diverse payment methods, improve authorization rates, and streamline operations, empowering them to compete more effectively on a global stage.
See More
