Pinch Payments Announces $50,000 Hackathon for Australian Payments Innovators
Australian fintech launches national hackathon offering $50,000 prize for new payment technology
Pinch Payments, an Australian payments and billing platform built for service businesses, SaaS companies and ISVs, has opened applications for Pinch Me, I Want $50K, a national hackathon inviting developers, designers, founders and product thinkers to build practical payment technology on real infrastructure.
Applications close 22 July 2026. From there, teams have one week, 24 to 31 July, to build. Finalists are announced on 3 August, and the top teams pitch in person at a Demo and Pitch Night on 10 August.
How it works
There's no fixed brief. Teams choose their own problem to solve, as long as the build runs on the Pinch Payments API. Every participant gets sandbox access to Pinch's card and direct debit processing, billing automation, and embedded finance tools, so the output is a working product, not a mockup.
Entrants can build solo or as a team. If you don't have one, Pinch will pair you with other applicants before the build phase starts. The event is free to enter, and there's no restriction on using AI coding tools such as Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, Replit, or GitHub Copilot along the way.
Where to build
In-person hubs are running at Tank Stream Labs in Sydney and Melbourne, with a Brisbane venue to be announced closer to the date. Anyone not near a hub can join the remote track, which gets the same support and resources as the in-person teams. Hub spots are capped, so early applications get priority.
What's at stake
|
Placement |
Prize |
|
Winner |
$50,000 cash |
|
Runner-up |
$25,000 in free Pinch payment processing |
Finalists pitch to a judging panel of fintech founders, operators, and investors on Demo Night.
Key dates at a glance
- 22 July: Applications close
- 24 to 31 July: Build week
- 3 August: Finalists announced
- 10 August: Demo and Pitch Night
About Pinch Payments
Pinch was founded in 2017 by Ben Cull and Paul Allen and now processes payments for more than 4,000 Australian businesses. The platform handles direct debit, credit card, and payment plan collections, with direct integrations into Xero, QuickBooks, and MYOB. It's one of the top-rated payment apps on the Xero App Store, with no setup fees or monthly charges. Pinch also runs Glassbox, Australia's first PayFac-as-a-Service platform, which enables software companies to build payment processing directly into their products.
Apply here: getpinch.com.au/pinch-me-i-want-50k-hackathon
Entry is subject to the event Terms and Conditions.
