ABOUT
The Global Transaction Banking Innovation Awards, organised by The Digital Banker, exist to honour, and celebrate the region’s preeminent banking institutions and their contribution to transaction banking. The Digital Banker Awards are accolades of excellence and distinction, attributed to outstanding players – they are held in high regard as unbiased benchmarks for the worldwide FSI industry.
Our accreditation programs exist to celebrate the world’s most cutting-edge banks that are pioneering unrivalled standards and capabilities – those that are transforming the industry by setting new milestones in service delivery, digital innovation, product development and customer experience. With this program, we assess banks that offer transaction banking services to corporate, financial institutions or public sector customers. These prestigious awards identify and distinguish best-in-class performance, innovation and execution across the transaction banking vertical.
WHAT’S NEW THIS YEAR?
New for 2026, the People Awards category recognises leaders driving excellence across transaction banking, clearing, custody, payments, treasury, and trade finance. This category celebrates individuals who combine people-centric leadership, innovation, and strategic execution to build strong teams and deliver sustained business impact in complex financial services environments.
WHY NOMINATE?
Transaction banking teams are presently operating in a challenging environment, which is marked by rising digitally based transaction volumes, cybersecurity risks, regulatory constraints, legacy systems, competition from FinTech companies, and changing client expectations. These difficulties are further accentuated in the backdrop of sluggish global economic growth, stubborn inflationary pressures, looming high-tariff environment and trade dislocation as well as continued geo-political risk factors.
Transaction banking teams are responding by leveraging new technologies to address the evolving and complex needs of corporates and institutions. Indeed, banks are prioritising the adoption of new infrastructures, processes and systems such as real-time payments, API integration, improved cybersecurity, and sustainability. These initiatives are instrumental in streamlining operational efficiency, elevating client satisfaction and remaining competitive within a rapidly evolving digital finance landscape. If you identify your organisation as an industry leader that is pushing the boundaries and pioneering unsurpassed innovation to overcome these challenges in the transaction banking space, then we welcome you to send in your nominations.
WHO CAN APPLY?
The Global Transaction Banking Innovation Awards is open to all transaction/wholesale banks and technology service providers operating in the transaction finance ecosystem. In particular, we welcome submissions from financial institutions that offer cash management, payments, trade finance, trade solutions, securities services, and clearing services. Awards winners will be announced and celebrated across The Digital Banker’s global media channels, magazine, and multi-media partner outlets on 23 July 2026.
JUDGING METHODOLOGY
Shortlisted nominees are selected on the qualitative and quantitative depth of their nominations. The Digital Banker research team will shortlist four institutions or individuals per category, which will then be put to our impartial panel of expert judges who will undertake a rigorous audit type process to carefully select the winners.
We use a proprietary, numerical and qualitative scoring methodology which is applied to all submissions and augmented by assessment in financial and market performance, client experience, digital innovation, and corporate strategy.
Email us at enq@digitalbankeronline.com to request a copy of the Evaluation Criteria.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Only projects that have been completed in H2 2025-2026 will be accepted. Initiation of the project can be earlier – The Digital Banker does not require a specific commencement date. If a project was completed prior to 2025, it will be accepted only if any updates have been made to it. We do not place a limit on the number of submissions per institution. Please be aware that multiple submissions by a single organisation for a single category will compete with each other. A separate submission is required for each category. Please submit all the entries on the platform by choosing the correct category and award title.
REMINDERS
Entries received after the closing date will not be accepted under any circumstances.
We may request a further interview with the executive managing the program or initiative that is being nominated. The objective of the interview is merely to gain deeper insights, (if needed) for the purposes of judging.
