In the past decade, there has been a significant influence of fintech companies on shaping the financial industry, particularly in the field of digital payments. Through their innovations and creative solutions, they have completely transformed the payments landscape. This paper presents a theoretical framework on digital payments and the impact of fintech on their development, highlights fintech-driven innovations, and explains the collaboration between fintech companies and traditional financial institutions, as well as the regulatory and legislative framework. Furthermore, examples of best practices from Croatian fintech companies are provided. The results of an empirical study conducted on a sample of 117 respondents who use digital payment methods in everyday life are presented, along with an analysis of the websites of five selected merchants and the possibilities of using digital payment methods in Croatia, focusing on the market application of the latest trends. Additionally, a market study based on the examination of available statistical indicators is included. Finally, based on all the aforementioned results and factors, conclusions were drawn about the role of fintech in the development of digital payments in Croatia and their use in everyday life.