Each month, regulatory change continues to test the operational resilience of financial institutions, payment providers and FinTech firms.
According to Vixio, using insights from its Horizon Scanning Regulatory Deadlines Calendars, February 2026 stands out as a particularly busy period for compliance teams. In total, 45 regulatory deadlines fall within the month, including 26 consultation response deadlines and 15 measures that will formally come into effect.
For payments, AML and customer protection teams, these developments span multiple jurisdictions and carry meaningful operational implications.
Poland is among the first countries to see a significant regulatory change take effect. The Act on the Handling of Complaints on Financial Market Entities by the Financial Ombudsman and the Financial Education Fund was published in November 2025 and formally enters into force on February 12, 2026. Complaints that were submitted but not reviewed before this date will continue to be assessed under the existing rules, creating a transition period for firms. Payments providers and financial institutions operating in Poland will need to ensure complaint handling processes are aligned with the new framework, particularly where consumer protection and dispute resolution are concerned.
China will introduce a new set of special preventative measures targeting money laundering and terrorist financing risks on February 16, 2026. These measures require financial institutions to continuously monitor sanctions lists published by the National Counter Terrorism Leading Group, the UN Security Council and the People’s Bank of China. Firms must verify customers and trading partners against these lists as part of customer due diligence and apply enhanced AML controls, including freezing assets or restricting transactions where necessary. Institutions are also required to report both identified customers and any special administrative measures taken to their relevant AML authorities. Notably, the framework includes penalties for non-compliance, with individual employees potentially held legally responsible, reinforcing the importance of strong governance and accountability structures.
In the United States, New York will see a major consumer protection development come into force on February 17, 2026. The FAIR Act, signed into law in December 2025, expands the scope of New York’s General Business Law Section 349. It explicitly prohibits unfair, deceptive or abusive acts or practices across all business activities in the state. For payments firms, this broadening of enforcement powers heightens regulatory risk around product design, pricing transparency, marketing practices and customer communications. Compliance and legal teams will need to reassess policies and controls to ensure alignment with the updated standard.
At a European level, the European Commission published Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/248 on February 3, 2026, updating the technical rules underpinning eIDAS. The regulation sets out new requirements for advanced electronic signature and seal formats, as well as alternative validation methods, while repealing an earlier implementing decision. Although most provisions take effect immediately, certain member state requirements will not apply until February 23, 2027, giving organisations additional time to adapt their systems. For payments providers relying on digital identity and trust services, this marks an important step in standardisation across the EU.
Norway will also implement updated AML rules on February 6, 2026. The amended regulations incorporate changes to the EU’s high-risk third-country list under Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1675 and subsequent amendments. Financial institutions operating in or through Norway must ensure risk assessments, customer due diligence and transaction monitoring frameworks reflect the updated list of jurisdictions with strategic AML deficiencies.
Together, these February 2026 deadlines underline the growing complexity of global payments regulation and the need for proactive horizon scanning. Firms that plan early, align controls in advance and coordinate across compliance, legal and operations teams will be better positioned to manage regulatory risk and avoid costly remediation.
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