For decades, businesses in the B2B realm have relied on a tangled mess of legacy infrastructure when settling payments. These are characterised by delayed settlement times, unpredictable cash flows and friction from working with multiple intermediaries. But real-time payments (RTPs) are flipping the script. They offer a roadmap that is transforming how businesses move money across borders, industries, and time zones.
The stakes are high. According to GlobalData, the total global RTP transaction value is set to surpass a massive $700 trillion by 2028. No longer a futuristic abstraction, what the projections show – and the example of the B2C world highlights – is that the payment plumbing of B2B businesses needs an upgrade – fast.
A Prescription for Reducing Friction
RTPs have been the subject of financial industry chatter for years. At the heart of the RTP revolution is a simple idea: reduce friction. That friction – between banks, between currencies, between data silos – costs time, money and customer goodwill. As RTPs grow in scale and scope, the rest of the payments ecosystem is scrambling to catch up.
Authentication, long a pain point in digital payments, is witnessing parallel innovation. Biometric verification, dynamic CVVs, and tokenisation are now industry standards, bolstering security without compromising speed. These developments are making the rise of RTPs increasingly viable, heralding a new era of payment infrastructure that is both speedy and safe.
Simultaneously, embedded finance is pushing payments deeper into digital platforms. Super-apps in Asia, such as Alipay and WeChat, offer seamless RTP capabilities as part of broader ecosystems. Western firms like PayPal and Revolut are racing to replicate this model.
The B2B Angle
With the arguments for and infrastructure around RTPs becoming more concrete all the time, why is it so critical that B2B-focussed firms take note? One reason relates to speed. Traditional systems can be slow, costly and fraught with reconciliation headaches. Contrast that with novel payment processes from the likes of SWIFT and Mastercard, both of whom are setting new benchmarks for global B2B transactions. SWIFT gpi enables same-day cross-border payments with end-to-end tracking, reducing failure rates and fraud risks.
Mastercard Move Commercial Payments, meanwhile, offers near real-time, 24/7 cross-border settlement, and is custom-built to reduce counterparty risk and ensure outcome certainty. Able to access nearly 5 billion people, it is a powerful, instantaneous tool for banks and their corporate clients navigating global treasury flows – and integration is straightforward. In a world where cash flow is becoming a key competitive differentiator, the ability to settle transactions in seconds rather than days is game-changing.
This feeds into another key benefit: predictability, enabling revolutionised forward planning. Predictable cash flow allows firms to better manage inventory, pay down debt and fund innovation. For SMEs and suppliers operating on thin margins, faster payments can reduce the need for expensive credit lines or factoring.
Then there is the issue of transparency. Real-time payments eliminate much of the uncertainty that comes with batch processing. A payment sent is a payment received – immediately. That clarity enhances trust across supply chains and reduces the need for costly dispute resolution.
Large corporates and institutions are embracing the shift. UBS Digital Cash is one such example, enabling instantaneous settlement in cross-border contexts with a business-focussed bent. And, according to a recent GlobalData survey, nearly two-thirds of B2B professionals cited payment digitisation and automation as a top priority. RTPs are no longer a “nice to have” – they are fast becoming the bedrock of payments among the world’s leading B2B outfits.
The Way Ahead
All the indications suggest that B2B RTP activity is only set to skyrocket. Take the $300 million investments into Rapyd and Mercury in Q1 2025 – the two highest deals of the quarter – both of which boast a strong focus on digital B2B infrastructure as part of their offering. The world’s leading firms are looking to embed an RTP offering across their entire stack, from identity verification to settlement.
Legacy banks are also feeling the pressure to innovate. The adoption of technologies like open banking has removed some of the moats that previously protected incumbents. Seven years after PSD2, open banking users in the UK alone have surged past 12 million, and the next wave – PSD3 – could unlock even broader fintech participation in core payment systems. The role of B2B customers in this shift will only grow.
Regulatory clarity, interoperability across networks and cybersecurity concerns remain ongoing challenges in bedding down RTP infrastructure and usage. But the trajectory and predictions suggest RTPs are poised to stake an ever-larger claim in B2B transactions over the coming years. For businesses still relying on outdated rails, the time is now to either upgrade or get left behind.
But how can they best adapt? Drawing on the expertise of an experienced partner can make things smoother. Mastercard Business Intelligence offers powerful tools to help firms of all sizes stay competitive, make insight-driven decisions and thrive in a rapidly changing landscape. Log in with your Mastercard Connect credentials here to explore our full suite of business intelligence solutions. Or, if you don’t have access yet, request your credentials here today.
