How agents, digital wallets, and trust are rewriting checkout

Five vertical SaaS insights from Sessions 2026

Here are the five insights from the Stripe Sessions 2026 blog post: 1. **Expanding beyond software is key to differentiation**: Vertical SaaS platforms that embed themselves into customers' day-to-day operations through financial services like payments and lending can stay ahead of AI commoditization. Platforms like Toast and GlossGenius have seen significant increases in adoption and revenue growth by making payments a priority. 2. **Deepening operations integration builds a stronger moat**: By offering a multiproduct strategy, platforms can create a stronger financial moat that makes them harder to displace. Moxie's compliance tools and Slice's wholesale rates on pizza boxes are examples of services that are difficult for new AI-native competitors to offer. 3. **Vertical SaaS is finding success offering its own AI products**: 87% of SaaS platforms surveyed believe AI is an opportunity, and many are moving from experimentation to monetization. Platforms like Toast IQ, Quipli, and Clio are adapting to customer