{"id":15827,"date":"2026-05-13T13:16:21","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T03:16:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.keeganadams.com.au\/?p=15827"},"modified":"2026-05-27T10:00:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T00:00:10","slug":"payments-in-anz-a-market-maturing-and-what-that-means-for-talent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.keeganadams.com.au\/market-insights\/payments-in-anz-a-market-maturing-and-what-that-means-for-talent\/","title":{"rendered":"Payments in ANZ: A Market Maturing –\tand What That Means for Talent"},"content":{"rendered":"

Payments in ANZ feels different in 2026 <\/strong>– and the recent RBA surcharge decision has only accelerated that shift.<\/p>\n

For years, the narrative was simple: growth, adoption, disruption. That’s still true \u2014 but it’s no longer enough.<\/p>\n

What we’re seeing now is a shift toward a more mature phase, where margin, regulation, distribution and execution matter just as much as innovation.<\/p>\n

From a recruitment perspective, the question has changed:<\/p>\n

It’s no longer “is payments growing?” \u2014 it’s: “who is actually set up to win from here?”<\/em><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Market Shift: Less Product, More Economics<\/h2>\n

Consumer behaviour has already moved:
\n\u2022 Mobile wallets now make up 40%+ of in-person transactions
\n\u2022 NPP is processing $6B+ daily<\/p>\n

Payments are becoming invisible<\/strong> \u2014 and that shifts value away from frontend experience toward:
\n\u2022 Infrastructure
\n\u2022 Cost efficiency
\n\u2022 Routing capability
\n\u2022 Distribution<\/p>\n

At the same time, consolidation is accelerating.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Shift4’s acquisition of Smartpay (40,000+ merchants across ANZ) is a clear signal: scale is starting to win.<\/em><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"Hiring: Still Active, But Far More Selective<\/h2>\n

Hiring hasn’t slowed \u2014 it’s sharpened.<\/p>\n

We’re seeing a split: some businesses reducing or restructuring, while others are hiring deliberately.<\/p>\n

Consistent demand remains for:
\n\u2022 Enterprise \/ mid-market sales
\n\u2022 Commercial product leaders
\n\u2022 Risk, fraud & compliance
\n\u2022 Multirail payments expertise (cards + A2A)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Broad hiring has dropped off. Every role now needs to directly impact revenue, margin or capability.<\/em><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

This shift is only accelerating post-surcharge removal, where businesses are placing even greater emphasis on roles that protect revenue, optimise pricing or improve efficiency.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"Churn: Structural, Not Optional<\/h2>\n

Churn is still high \u2014 but increasingly driven by restructuring, M&A activity, and margin pressure.<\/p>\n

Businesses are redefining what “good” looks like \u2014 and that’s creating movement.<\/p>\n

Retention now comes down to:
\n\u2022 Strategy clarity
\n\u2022 Leadership quality
\n\u2022 Confidence in where the business is heading<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Surcharge Decision: A Catalyst for Change<\/h2>\n

With the RBA confirming the removal of card surcharges, the impact on the payments market will be immediate – particularly from a talent perspective.<\/p>\n

This is effectively a margin compression event<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

In practical terms:
\n\u2022 Margins tighten across the board
\n\u2022 Pricing comes under pressure
\n\u2022 Consolidation likely accelerates<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

But from a recruitment lens, this doesn\u2019t reduce hiring – it changes what good looks like.
\nWe expect to see:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • increased demand for high-performing sales and account management talent<\/strong><\/li>\n
  • greater focus on product, pricing and payments strategy capability<\/strong><\/li>\n
  • continued investment in risk and compliance roles<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    At the same time, some businesses will restructure, while stronger players use this moment to scale.
    \nThe shift is clear: hiring in payments is moving from growth-driven to performance-driven.<\/strong><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Salary Expectations: Sales vs Account Management<\/h2>\n

    One of the biggest shifts we’re seeing is around commercial roles \u2014 both new business and retention.<\/p>\n

    Business Development (New Logo Focus)<\/h3>\n

    Still commanding strong packages, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • Sydney \/ Melbourne $120k\u2013160k base + commission (higher targets, more competition)<\/li>\n
    • Brisbane \/ Perth Slightly lower base, often more flexibility in structure<\/li>\n
    • Smaller markets \/ NZ Lower base, but broader roles and faster progression<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Increasingly, comp is tied tightly to proven revenue generation.<\/p>\n

      Account Managers (Growth + Retention Focus)<\/h3>\n

      This is where we’re seeing more variation \u2014 depending on book size, complexity and whether there’s an upsell component.<\/p>\n

      Market benchmarks (Australia):
      \n\u2022 $90k\u2013$110k base \u2014 typical mid-range
      \n\u2022 $110k\u2013$150k+ base \u2014 experienced \/ enterprise-facing roles
      \n\u2022 OTE can push to $180k\u2013$220k+ in more commercial \/ quota-driven roles<\/p>\n

      Across regions:<\/p>\n

        \n
      • Sydney \/ Melbourne<\/strong> \u2192 higher base, more defined segmentation<\/li>\n
      • Brisbane \/ Perth<\/strong> \u2192 broader roles, often hybrid AM\/BDM<\/li>\n
      • Smaller markets \/ NZ<\/strong> \u2192 lower base, more ownership and progression<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        \"\"<\/p>\n

        Key Shift: The BDM \/ AM Line Is Blurring<\/h2>\n

        More roles now expect retention + growth, upsell\/cross-sell responsibility, and ownership of revenue within an existing book.<\/p>\n

        Which is why we’re seeing:
        \n\u2022 Account Manager salaries are moving closer to sales structures
        \n\u2022 Variable comp is increasingly tied to account expansion, not just retention<\/strong><\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n

        What This Means Going Forward<\/h2>\n

        Payments in ANZ isn’t slowing \u2014 it’s maturing.<\/p>\n

        Over the next few years, we’ll see:<\/p>\n

          \n
        • More consolidation<\/li>\n
        • Structural pressure on margins (accelerated by surcharge removal)<\/strong><\/li>\n
        • More focus on commercial, pricing and optimisation capability<\/strong><\/li>\n
        • More focus on efficiency and scale<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          And from a talent perspective:<\/p>\n

            \n
          • Hiring will stay active \u2014 but targeted<\/li>\n
          • The bar for top performers will keep rising<\/li>\n
          • The gap between strong and average talent will widen<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

             <\/p>\n

            Surcharging was a lever.
            \nNow, talent is the lever.
            \n<\/em><\/div>\n

             <\/p>\n

            Final Thought<\/h2>\n
            The next phase of payments won’t be won by the businesses doing the most \u2014 but by those doing the right things, with the right people. The question is: Are you set up for that?<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n

             <\/p>\n

            Call our Fintech and Payments specialist Brad Johnson<\/strong> on 0482 088 632<\/strong> to discuss where your teams are underweight, where they\u2019re over-indexed, and what capability is actually needed to win from here.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            Payments in ANZ feels different in 2026 – and the recent RBA surcharge decision has only accelerated that shift. For years, the narrative was simple: growth, adoption, disruption. That’s still true \u2014 but it’s no longer enough. What we’re seeing now is a shift toward a more mature phase, where margin, regulation, distribution and execution…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":15830,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15827","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.keeganadams.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15827","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.keeganadams.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.keeganadams.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.keeganadams.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.keeganadams.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15827"}],"version-history":[{"count":28,"href":"https:\/\/www.keeganadams.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15827\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15879,"href":"https:\/\/www.keeganadams.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15827\/revisions\/15879"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.keeganadams.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/media\/15830"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.keeganadams.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15827"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.keeganadams.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15827"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.keeganadams.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15827"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}