Turning payments into strategy: The new playbook for finance leaders

Corporate payments have moved into the spotlight.

In 2026, the way you pay – and get paid – will affect how efficiently your business runs, how resilient you are to fraud, how easily you stay compliant, and even how you meet sustainability targets.

Finance leaders are under pressure to juggle multiple demands, and so their expectations are high. You need to be fast, secure, data-driven, and globally connected, all at once.

Suppliers expect quicker payments, regulators expect tighter controls, and stakeholders expect more transparency.

The upside? Payments are now a lever for strategy.

Here's our breakdown of how payments can be used as a source of competitive strength.

From transactions to transformation

With the right infrastructure, you can gain real-time visibility of cash positions, uncover insights from transaction data, build stronger supplier relationships, and demonstrate measurable progress on sustainability.

That is to say: When payments are designed strategically, they deliver clarity, confidence, and control.

And that shift is already underway.

Across industries, companies are rethinking their payment infrastructure to achieve four main goals: efficiency, resilience, visibility, and sustainability.

Automation is at the centre of this evolution. Intelligent systems are taking on the routine work of invoice validation, matching, and reconciliation, freeing finance teams to focus on forecasting and strategic analysis.

In a digital payments market expected to hit $20 trillion by 2025 ^[1], automation isn’t a nice-to-have – it’s the only way to scale without sacrificing accuracy. Mastercard now secures 159 billion transactions each year, using AI to improve fraud detection by up to 300%.

In fact, 79% of organizations experienced attempted or actual fraud, with business email compromise remaining the top threat in 2024.^[2] Rather than slowing payments with manual reviews, advanced systems now embed real-time fraud detection into every transaction.

For finance leaders, this means stronger protection and fewer disruptions – a balance of security and speed that keeps cash flowing smoothly.

The message is clear: Technology is not replacing people, but empowering them to think and act more strategically.

What this means for you:

You get back valuable hours that were once lost to manual checks and reconciliations.

Automation reduces human error, speeds up routine workflows, and ensures your team can focus on forward-looking analysis and decisions.

For fraud detection, it enables real-time, AI-driven monitoring that protects your cash flow and reputation while keeping processes smooth.

In the end, you’re left with cleaner data, better reporting, and more space to shape strategy.

Real-time liquidity and borderless business

The rise of real-time payments is reshaping liquidity strategy.

Whether you’re paying suppliers, reallocating liquidity, or responding to market changes, real-time payments give you the agility to act when it matters.

The real-time payments market will expand from $24.9 billion in 2024 to $34.1 billion in 2025, showing how quickly instant settlement is becoming standard. ^[3]

This agility allows finance teams to move from reactive cash management to proactive liquidity orchestration – making sure capital is always where it needs to be.

And cross-border payments are following the same trajectory.

Europe’s Wero wallet and the EuroPA alliance have made near-instant transfers across 15 countries a reality. That’s not to mention the many directives the EU are implementing to ensure better interoperability between the countries of the region.

For global businesses, this means cross-border transactions can now be as seamless and transparent as domestic ones. Reduced friction, clearer visibility, and lower costs make scaling across markets far easier.

What this means for you:

You gain agility in managing liquidity, stronger supplier relationships, and faster reconciliations. Real-time visibility into funds helps you act decisively, whether that’s seizing opportunities or mitigating risks.

And with cross-border payments finally becoming as seamless as domestic ones, paying a supplier overseas can feel as straightforward as paying one next door – saving you time and costs while providing clearer visibility over international transactions.

Compliance without compromise

Regulatory change is one of the few certainties in payments, especially as PSD3 and stricter AML/KYC standards take effect.

The most advanced payment systems are responding with compliance built into their core – think two-factor authentication and real-time transaction monitoring.

Empowered by rich data, this ‘compliance by design’ approach helps you meet evolving standards without slowing operations or adding manual overhead. Every transaction is verified, logged, and auditable by default.

In parallel, digital identity and biometric authentication are redefining how security feels. And as cybersecurity threats evolve, it’s never been more important to consider. These authentication tools strengthen protection while simplifying user experience and reducing fraud risk. Security, once a friction point, becomes invisible and intuitive.

What this means for you:

You gain peace of mind without sacrificing speed. Every transaction can be audited against regulatory requirements, reducing risk and eliminating the need for repetitive manual reviews.

Advancements in security technology also keep you covered when it comes to evolving compliance standards, allowing you to focus on strategic finance.

Payments as data engines

Every payment carries data. And that data holds immense strategic value.

From forecasting cash flow to negotiating better supplier terms, payment analytics can give you a new perspective on performance. For example, you can leverage your payment data to reveal inefficiencies, surface liquidity trends, and guide smarter strategic decisions.

But to amplify this advantage, your payment ecosystems need to be unified. Trying to manage separate systems for travel expenses, supplier payments, invoicing, and cross-border transfers

By consolidating fractured workflows into a single platform, you can achieve end-to-end visibility – transforming payments from a back-end task into a front-line enabler of efficiency.

What this means for you:

With strategic analytics, you can negotiate better contract terms, forecast cash flow with precision, spot inefficiencies before they bite, and unlock new levers for performance.

And when everything comes together in one place, you simplify operations, enhance visibility across spend categories, and scale without adding complexity. A unified payment ecosystem supports efficiency, oversight, and growth, all in one platform.

Payments become a powerful lens into operations, helping you make faster, smarter decisions and align costs with strategy.

Making payments your next competitive edge

Corporate payments are becoming smarter, faster, and more interconnected – but the true advantage lies in strategy.

The most forward-thinking finance leaders are not simply adopting new payment technologies, they’re designing payment ecosystems that support broader business priorities. Automation strengthens accuracy, embedded compliance reduces risk, and real-time data drives insight.

Payments are no longer an operational afterthought. They are a foundation for efficiency, resilience, and growth – and one of the most strategic levers available to finance leaders in 2026 and beyond.

[1] From fighting fraud to fueling personalization, AI at scale is redefining how commerce works online | Business Insider

[2] 2025 AFP Payments Fraud and Control Survey Report | Financial Professionals

[3] Real-Time Payments Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis | Fortune Business Insights