FNA Wins Top Financial Crime Prevention Honor at London's Pay360 Awards

London's Payments Industry Gathers to Crown Its Best

On October 7, the Pay360 Awards 2026 were held in London, bringing together leading companies, innovators, and industry professionals for one of the key celebrations in the UK payments calendar. The black-tie ceremony was a showcase of how far the payments world has come — and a pointed reminder of how much work remains in keeping it safe.

Hosted by The Payments Association, the Pay360 Awards brings together more than 950 leaders from over 300 organisations to celebrate the achievements, innovations, and people setting the benchmark across payments. The evening featured a black-tie reception, a three-course dinner, and the presentation of awards across 21 categories. The Pay360 Awards have been recognising excellence in payments for nearly two decades, and this year's record entry numbers are a real statement of intent from the industry.

FNA Takes Home the Financial Crime Prevention Crown

As part of the ceremony, UK-based fintech company Sends had the honour of presenting the Best Financial Crime Prevention Initiative award, recognising excellence in developing solutions that help financial institutions prevent, detect, and combat financial crime. The award was presented to FNA, acknowledging the company's contribution to advancing financial crime prevention within the financial services industry.

The shortlist for the category included Lloyds Banking Group and Visa, Metro Bank, Ask Silver, Santander UK, Tunic Pay, AVIEL Intelligence, and FNA — a lineup that reflects just how seriously the industry is taking the threat of financial crime. That FNA emerged from such a competitive field signals the depth and real-world impact of its work.

The ceremony featured 21 award categories, with more than 90 organisations shortlisted. The breadth of recognition on offer underscores that the payments sector is no longer a niche corner of finance — it is a sprawling, high-stakes ecosystem that touches nearly every consumer and business on the planet.

Sends CEO Takes the Stage

Alona Shevtsova, CEO of Sends, took to the stage to present the award for Best Financial Crime Prevention Solution or Initiative — a category recognising innovation and practical approaches to tackling one of the most important challenges facing the payments industry. Her presence at the podium reflected Sends' broader commitment to the issue, not just as a sponsor, but as a company that sees fraud prevention as fundamental to its identity.

"Financial crime prevention is one of the biggest responsibilities we have as a payments industry. As technology evolves, so do the risks, and staying ahead requires constant innovation and collaboration. At Sends, we know how important it is to build trust into every part of the payment experience," Shevtsova said at the event. She added that it was "a pleasure to present this award and recognise the work being done to make financial services safer," offering congratulations to FNA on its "well-deserved recognition."

More Than a Night Out for the Industry

Beyond the awards ceremony, the event provided an opportunity to reconnect with existing partners, strengthen business relationships, and engage with potential new partners from across the fintech and payments sectors. That networking dimension matters just as much as the trophies — the payments industry's biggest challenges, including fraud, scams, and cybercrime, rarely get solved by any single company working alone.

The evening brought together representatives from across the payments industry to recognise outstanding achievements, technological innovation, and the organisations building the future of financial services. As financial crime grows more sophisticated — leveraging AI, synthetic identities, and global money flows — events like Pay360 serve a purpose beyond celebration. They create the connections and shared accountability that the industry needs to stay ahead of the threat. With FNA's win putting a spotlight on cutting-edge prevention tools, expect the bar for next year's competition to rise even higher.