Credit Card Industry Insiders Descend on the Desert for CardCon 2026

Leaders from the credit card and payments arenas, as well as financial marketing professionals, will soon descend on the desert for CardCon 2026. The conference, which began in 2017 and in 2026 marks 10 consecutive years of bringing industry insiders together, takes place from April 21 to 23 in Phoenix, Arizona.

The three primary areas of focus for the conference this year are credit cards, consumer credit, and affiliate marketing. In addition to a full agenda, CardCon also provides ample opportunities for attendees to get to know one another better and exchange ideas.

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With the conference’s start date rapidly approaching, we sat down with CardCon’s Founder, Jason Steele, to learn more about what people can expect from this year’s event.

The CardRates team was on the ground at CardCon 2025, which took place in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. One of the first things that caught our eye about the plan for this year’s conference is that Steele has moved it to the other side of the country.

He told us that everyone is looking for a conference location that is both warm and fun, and he thought people from the northeast part of the U.S. would appreciate the relatively dry climate of Phoenix after enduring a long winter. 

Jason Steele, Founder of CardCon, held the first CardCon in 2017.

The venue for this year’s conference is The Wigwam, a hotel that is a short drive from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Steele told us that the hotel is a historic property he fell in love with during a visit.

Steele started CardCon as a conference for financial media, but over the years, it has evolved into a forum for financial marketers, he said. Attendees can expect to see credit card issuers at CardCon, but the conference’s diverse agenda attracts people from other avenues as well.

“You’re going to find the major financial affiliate marketing platforms [at the conference],” Steele told us. “You’re going to find other financial institutions and fintechs. You’re even going to find credit bureaus, credit scoring companies, and, of course, the media.”

Attending CardCon can be a great way to brush up on your industry knowledge. But those who’ve been to their share of conferences know they are great places to network.

Steele told us that around 200 people will attend CardCon this year. The first day of the conference includes a number of networking events that will allow participants to make new connections and catch up with attendees they’ve forged relationships with in prior years.

“It’s probably a challenge to meet 200 people in the course of two or three days,” Steele told us. “But to the extent that you can, you’re going to find a very large number of those people are the kinds of people you were hoping to meet.”

The conference wastes no time in bringing attendees together in situations that will allow them to build camaraderie. Meal times will allow people to mingle while fueling up for the events ahead, but Steele said the opening day of CardCon 2026 features a lot of activities for attendees.

An impressive group of speakers, including representatives from FICO and Deluxe, will present at CardCon 2026.

“We are going to have fun,” Steele told us. “In the morning, we’ll have your choice of golf, tennis, pickleball, or an easy hike. [That will be] followed by a lunch reception and a poolside reception and more receptions that evening. I recognize the balance between wanting to have great content and needing to have the opportunity to make the right connections.”

The conference agenda reveals that Steele will offer opening remarks to set the stage for day two of the conference, which also includes presentations by representatives from companies such as Bilt, Deluxe, and Frontier Airlines.

The final day of the conference includes more morning sessions before a keynote presentation from Jenelle Dito, VP of Consumer Empowerment Programs and Partnerships at FICO, wraps up the day’s agenda.

From a session exploring the changing role of debit cards to one that examines legislative issues that threaten access to credit, CardCon attendees have a wide-ranging menu of presentations they can attend. Steele told us that artificial intelligence will be a theme in many of the conference’s events.

He added that he hasn’t had to go out of his way to ensure that the technology will be a feature of the conference.

“Everyone wants to hear AI topics,” Steele said. 

For a conference to truly provide a comprehensive spectrum of ideas to attendees, it needs to offer not only a variety of session topics but also a diverse group of speakers. 

“I’m trying to get a very, very broad variety of speakers,” Steele told us. “I think the audience is going to come away impressed with all the varied backgrounds we have. I think you’re going to get a lot of different viewpoints out of [the conference’s presenters].”

The credit card landscape is shifting as newer competitors, including buy now, pay later providers, compete for a more significant share of the payments market. 

Attendees can gain a better view of emerging challenges facing the card industry at CardCon. But they will also walk away with a more complete understanding of how consumers are making decisions about payments in an era where people turn to AI tools and online influencers for financial advice.

The conference’s first day is just around the corner, but registration remains open. Though many attendees will be engaged in capturing insights and making new business connections during their time in Phoenix, Steele told us he hopes people carve out some time to enjoy themselves as well.

“We’re in one of the few industries that’s very, very profitable yet highly competitive at the same time,” he said. “And we all treat each other like colleagues, not competitors. I hope everyone realizes that we’re all really fortunate to be a part of this industry that continues to grow and prosper and has, I think, really great people.”