Who Pays for a Better Payment? - Budapest Fintech Week 2026 Kickoff & Connect by Ergomania
Join us for the Opening Event of Budapest Fintech Week 2026, organized by Ergomania, for an evening exploring the changing economics and experience of payments.
A card payment may feel free to the customer, while merchants shoulder the transaction fees. Instant payments offer a different model. Hungary's Qvik, launched in September 2024, enables customers to pay directly from their bank accounts via QR code, NFC tap or payment link, at no cost to consumers.
We will open with the Qvik story from CIB Bank, followed by a panel bringing together perspectives from banking, the card industry and European commerce.
Programme
17:00 - Welcome
17:15 - Keynote: Building a National A2A Scheme: The Qvik Story
Zsolt Járó, Head of Cash Management Sales and Customer Service, CIB Bank
17:45 - Panel discussion: Who Pays for a Better Payment?
Which payment methods deliver the greatest value to customers and merchants? Who should pay for a better checkout experience: consumers, merchants, banks or the state? If instant payments offer a more cost-effective alternative, what advantages do card networks still bring, from buyer protection to international acceptance? And how will the rise of AI agents reshape the competition for the payment moment?
With instant payments, cards and AI-driven commerce evolving side by side, this discussion will explore what the future of payments could look like across Europe, and who stands to benefit.
Zsolt Járó – Head of Cash Management, CIB Bank
Ivo Apetauer – Senior Manager, Commercial Business Development, Visa
Niklas Sandqvist – Secretary General of ECIC
Dávidházy Gábor – EFISZ
Moderator: Dr András Rung, Founder and CEO of Ergomania
18:45 - Networking and drinks
This event is part of Budapest Fintech Week 2026, organized by the Hungarian Fintech Association and Ergomania - Fintech Product Design and HOLD Alapkezelő, in collaboration with Startup Hungary and KPMG, and Sponsored by Visa and Banking Circle.
The event is free to attend, but registration is required.