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Top Mobile Payments Stocks to Buy Amid Rapid Fintech Growth

By Kaibalya Pravo Dey | September 03, 2025, 10:17 AM

An updated edition of the July 15, 2025 article.

Mobile payments cover a broad spectrum of financial transactions conducted through smartphones, tablets, and wearable devices, eliminating the need for physical cash or cards. These payments are powered by digital wallets like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal, alongside enabling technologies such as Near Field Communication (NFC), QR codes, and in-app checkout systems.

What began as a convenient alternative has grown into a full-fledged financial ecosystem, fueled by rapid fintech innovation and the widespread reach of smartphones. According to KPMG, global fintech investment reached $44.7 billion in the first half of 2025, even against the backdrop of elevated interest rates and geopolitical headwinds. The bulk of funding flowed into the Americas, though the EMEA region also attracted sizable deals. Emerging technologies such as blockchain and artificial intelligence are strengthening transaction transparency, speeding up processing, and mitigating fraud. Meanwhile, “super apps” like WeChat Pay, Alipay, and PhonePe are reshaping consumer habits by integrating communication, shopping, banking, and payments into one seamless platform.

The surge in e-commerce and stronger digital infrastructure is giving mobile payments a powerful tailwind. Today’s platforms go beyond simple transactions — they serve as all-in-one hubs that connect multiple cards, accounts and services in a single, cohesive interface. This convenience is driving adoption at scale. Companies including Capital One Financial Corporation COF, PayPal Holdings, Inc. PYPL, Marqeta, Inc. MQ and NCR Voyix Corporation VYX are aggressively innovating to expand market share, integrating deeply with banks, merchants and marketplaces. Our Mobile Payments Screen will help you uncover the most promising opportunities in this rapidly advancing industry.

The COVID-19 pandemic served as a catalyst, dramatically increasing demand for safe and contactless solutions. Regulators are also responding to the fast pace of change with new frameworks focused on data privacy, cross-border transactions and financial inclusion, like FedNow in the United States, India’s UPI initiatives and Europe’s PSD2 directive. Per Fortune Business Insights, the global mobile payments market stood at $3.84 trillion in 2024, is projected to reach $4.97 trillion in 2025, and is expected to surge to $26.53 trillion by 2032, reflecting a powerful 27% CAGR.

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4 Mobile Payments Stocks to Buy Now

Capital One is strengthening its mobile payments edge through a digital-first banking platform and expansive credit card network. Its Capital One Mobile app seamlessly integrates with wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay, letting users add cards with ease and make secure contactless or in-app transactions. By offering the same rewards and cash-back benefits as physical cards, Capital One ensures customers enjoy full value while encouraging loyalty to its digital channels.

The app goes beyond payments, featuring mobile check deposits, real-time account management, biometric logins, card lock/unlock, subscription tracking and instant Zelle transfers. Its AI-powered assistant, Eno, adds another layer of convenience by delivering fraud alerts and personalized insights, encouraging stickiness and a frictionless user experience.

This unified platform is paying off. Digital wallet-enabled card spend is climbing steadily, driving growth in interchange revenue and fueling a 20% year-over-year increase in overall credit card net revenue during the first half of 2025. Coupled with the Discover Financial acquisition and ongoing investment in AI-driven tools, Capital One is positioning itself as one of the most influential players in the U.S. mobile payments market — combining innovation, scale, and engagement to capture long-term growth. The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

PayPal remains one of the most widely adopted mobile payment platforms in the United States, serving 438 million active accounts across more than 200 markets as of June 30, 2025. Its unmatched transaction data enables merchants to analyze customer behavior in real time, offering sharper insights that drive loyalty and sales.

A major growth driver is Venmo, PayPal’s social payments app, which continues to scale rapidly. Per CoinLaw, Venmo users can now make purchases at over 3.75 million U.S. businesses, expanding its role as both a peer-to-peer payment tool and a retail checkout option. With AI powering personalized experiences, Venmo is becoming a key gateway for consumer engagement. Partnerships further strengthen its reach — Mastercard supports Venmo’s merchant acceptance, while PayPal’s alliance with Visa across the United States, Europe, and Asia-Pacific boosts consumer choice, point-of-sale coverage and instant withdrawal options.

Innovation also sets PayPal apart. Its “Tap to Pay” feature uses NFC technology to turn any smartphone into a contactless payment terminal, eliminating the need for extra hardware. Coupled with customizable checkout solutions, PayPal delivers frictionless mobile e-commerce at scale. Its expansive BNPL (Buy Now, Pay Later) portfolio is another growth engine, widely adopted for everyday purchases from groceries to electronics. PayPal, a Zacks Rank #2 stock, is positioning itself as a leader in the evolving mobile payments ecosystem.

Marqeta powers mobile payments through its next-gen card issuing platform, giving businesses the tools to embed digital payments smoothly into apps and wallets. Last year, it unveiled Marqeta Flex, a BNPL solution built with Klarna, Affirm and Branch, enabling personalized installment options to be integrated directly into consumers’ preferred payment platforms.

Its open API architecture is a major differentiator, allowing developers to design flexible and highly customized payment experiences. From real-time transaction processing and tokenization to contactless payments and peer-to-peer (P2P) transfers, Marqeta’s modular system helps partners stay ahead of fast-changing consumer expectations while delivering secure interactions.

The company’s growth story is reinforced by strong execution. In the second quarter of 2025, Marqeta’s total processing volume jumped 29% year over year to $91 billion. Expansion efforts are also gaining traction, with new products and global rollouts extending its reach. A prime example is the Bitpanda Card, launched across 26 European countries, which allows customers to use both crypto and fiat currencies in everyday transactions. By bridging the gap between digital assets and mainstream payments, Marqeta is carving out a leading role in the future of mobile payments. It currently has a Zacks Rank #2.

NCR Voyix is reshaping mobile payments for the retail and restaurant sectors with solutions designed to boost speed, convenience and customer experience. The company expanded its mobile capabilities through strategic partnerships with Glia and OLO, while also rolling out innovative products. A standout launch was Aloha Pay-At-Table, built with payment platform sunday, which lets diners scan a QR code, view their bill, split costs and pay in less than 10 seconds. This innovation not only accelerates table turnover but also drives a 10% boost in server tips by removing payment friction.

The company’s Aloha Cloud and Aloha Essentials POS systems further extend mobile functionality, serving both independent restaurants and major chains with flexible, modern solutions. In February 2025, NCR Voyix strengthened its ecosystem by integrating Worldpay’s advanced processing technology, delivering a unified cloud-based platform that combines point-of-sale and payments. This streamlines operations, reduces vendor complexity and supports transactions in 135 currencies across 146 countries — ideal for businesses pursuing global scale.

Momentum remains strong: by second-quarter end, NCR Voyix counted more than 78,000 platform sites and 8,000 payment sites, reflecting year-over-year growth of 16% and 3%, respectively. With global reach and streamlined payment innovation, NCR Voyix is positioning itself as a leader in mobile-first commerce. It currently has a Zacks Rank #2.

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Capital One Financial Corporation (COF): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
PayPal Holdings, Inc. (PYPL): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Marqeta, Inc. (MQ): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
NCR Voyix Corporation (VYX): Free Stock Analysis Report

This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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