A recent study highlights a growing trend among U.S. businesses toward enhancing payments processes by 2025, with a strong emphasis on automation. The findings underscore the importance of streamlined payment systems for fostering business growth, strengthening supplier relationships, and improving operational efficiency.
Key Findings
According to the study, 91% of business decision-makers agree that “easy, streamlined, and secure payments drive business growth.” Despite this realization, only 17% of businesses have fully automated their payments, while 15% have not implemented any automation.
Payment delays are affecting business relationships, as 26% of respondents noted that slow payments have led them to cease working with specific buyers or suppliers. Furthermore, 82% of business leaders believe that a single fraud incident could significantly damage trust within their business relationships.
The Benefits of Payments Automation
Automation in payment processing provides various advantages, including improved cash flow visibility, enhanced security, and increased operational efficiency.
“Payments optimization significantly impacts the relationships between buyers and suppliers, influencing overall business success,” noted a senior expert in corporate and B2B solutions. Automated payment options like virtual cards and digital push payments enhance cash flow visibility, secure transactions, and foster better relationships, while also providing businesses with greater working capital flexibility for future investments.
Many business leaders are aware of these benefits, with 29% expressing they would feel more secure if they didn’t have to worry about payment accuracy and timeliness. However, several obstacles still hinder full automation adoption.
Challenges to Automation Adoption
The survey identified key challenges, including cost concerns (45%), perceived lack of benefit (28%), and worries about security risks (26%), which prevent businesses from fully embracing payment automation.
“Transitioning payment processes from manual to automated can seem daunting, yet the transition may be more manageable and beneficial than anticipated,” stated a vice president in B2B product management. “The time and cost associated with automation can yield substantial short- and long-term advantages.”
Automation as a Growth Strategy
Notably, 95% of business decision-makers believe that “easy, streamlined, and secure payments create happy customers.” In 2025, 43% of those planning changes to their payments processes cite business growth as their main objective.
The study outlines several key automated solutions that businesses should consider for improving their payment systems:
- Automated Accounts Payable (AP) and Accounts Receivable (AR) software – Reduces errors and expedites financial processes.
- Straight-through processing for static and virtual cards – Enables fully electronic processing without manual intervention.
- Electronic Invoice Presentment and Payment (EIPP) – Enhances efficiency in invoicing and payment acceptance.
- Digital Push Payments – Provides payers with greater control over payment timing and distribution.
As businesses strive for greater efficiency and enhanced supplier relationships, automation is poised to play a pivotal role in future payments strategies. Despite existing challenges, the move toward automated payment methods could bring significant benefits in the coming year.
