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\r\n\r\n\r\nThe post 61% of North America Middle Market Companies Use Cards to Speed Cash Flow appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "For many growth-company CFOs, working capital is no longer a back-office cushion, but a strategic lever.\r\n\t\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\r\n\r\n\r\n\t\nThat is a central finding from\u00a0\u201cThe 2025-2026 Growth Corporates Working Capital Index,\u201d a Visa and PYMNTS Intelligence report based on a survey of 1,457 CFOs and treasurers across 23 countries, five regions and 10 industry groups. The report shows that growth corporates, often described as middle market companies, are using external working capital tools to manage volatility, support expansion and build resilience heading into 2026. These companies generate enough scale to power local, regional and global economies, but many remain underserved by traditional financial providers.\nThe CFO angle is clear. Finance leaders are not only trying to cover shortfalls. They are trying to make cash flow more predictable. That means using working capital to fund capital investments, buy inventory, expand into new markets, upgrade systems and pay strategic suppliers faster.\nThe findings point to a more active model of treasury management, where liquidity is used with more precision.\n\n65% of European growth corporates use new forms of AI for working capital efficiency.\u00a0The report defines those uses as including financial planning, forecasting, scenario modeling, invoice processing, reporting and customer or supplier onboarding. LAC follows at 62%, APAC at 61%, CEMEA at 59% and North America at 42%.\n61% of North American growth corporates use card acceptance as a strategy to reduce days sales outstanding. Europe follows at 54%, LAC at 53%, APAC at 50% and CEMEA at 45%. For CFOs, that points to a practical way to convert receivables into usable cash sooner.\nGrowth corporates in LAC lose an average 5.0% of revenue chasing late payments from business customers.\u00a0The comparable figures are 4.0% in Europe, 3.6% in CEMEA, 3.5% in APAC and 3.0% in North America. That shows why payment speed and visibility remain high on the CFO agenda.\n\nThe positive read is that finance teams have more tools than they did a few years ago. AI can help forecast cash needs. Card acceptance can help shorten collections. External working capital can help CFOs act before cash pressure turns into a constraint.\nThe report also finds measurable benefits from using external working capital solutions. Average bottom-line benefits range from 3.1% of revenue in North America to 5.0% in LAC. In dollar terms, those benefits range from $13.4 million in North America to $24.1 million in Europe, based on the underlying revenue estimates in the report.\nThat does not mean every sector or region faces the same trade-offs. Agriculture, healthcare, manufacturing, construction, retail, travel and technology each show different working capital patterns. Some sectors face heavier late-payment costs. Others show stronger AI adoption. Still, the broader story is consistent.\nCFOs are being asked to do more than preserve liquidity. They are being asked to turn liquidity into an operating advantage. The data suggests many are already moving in that direction.\n\r\n\r\nThe post 61% of North America Middle Market Companies Use Cards to Speed Cash Flow appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2026-05-01T04:00:53-04:00", "date_modified": "2026-04-30T20:40:52-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/679fcf5c2ed5358e99e8e23b22e3b5d761e37bdb76fa7b0e13d8ecd9ff01bf88?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/679fcf5c2ed5358e99e8e23b22e3b5d761e37bdb76fa7b0e13d8ecd9ff01bf88?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/fast-cash-flow-1.jpg", "tags": [ "Benchmark", "cash flow", "CFOs", "corporate cards", "data point", "featured insights", "Featured News", "News", "Payments Intelligence", "PYMNTS Intelligence", "PYMNTS News", "The Data Point", "Visa", "Working Capital" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=3688409", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/consumer-insights/2026/only-25-percent-of-consumers-say-their-cost-cutting-plans-still-work/", "title": "Only 25% of Consumers Say Their Cost-Cutting Plans Still Work", "content_html": "The clearest sign of consumer strain may not be what households are cutting, but how many different ways they are trying to keep up.
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\r\n\r\n\r\nThe post Only 25% of Consumers Say Their Cost-Cutting Plans Still Work appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "The clearest sign of consumer strain may not be what households are cutting, but how many different ways they are trying to keep up.\r\n\t\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\r\n\r\n\r\n\t\nThat is the central takeaway from\u00a0\u201cGenerations Under Pressure: How Younger Consumers Are Coping With Higher Living Costs,\u201d\u00a0the latest PYMNTS Intelligence\u00a0Generational Pulse Report. Based on a survey of 2,747 U.S. adult consumers, the report finds higher living costs are a growing burden: 51% of consumers say daily expenses are difficult to manage.\nBut the more telling split is generational. Younger consumers are using more tools to manage cash flow, while older consumers tend to rely on fewer levers. The result: households adapting in real time, even as confidence in those strategies weakens.\nThe coping story starts with a shared baseline. Between 60% and 75% of consumers in every age group have cut daily spending. That\u2019s expected, given that grocery stress is nearly universal and housing, healthcare and savings pressures remain elevated.\nThe divergence is determined by age. Older consumers lean on restraint, cutting expenses, delaying big purchases and absorbing the pressure where they can. Baby boomers and seniors are also the most likely to report taking no action at all: 25% say they have no coping strategy.\nYounger consumers are building something broader. Bridge millennials, millennials and Gen Z consumers are more likely to combine spending cuts with gig work, borrowing from family or friends, bill negotiation, buy now, pay later options and shifts in savings behavior \u2014 a layered financial patchwork that signals resourcefulness, but also a thinner margin for error.\nKey Findings:\n\n50%\u00a0of consumers use two or three coping strategies to manage rising living costs, while\u00a016%\u00a0use four or more.\n23%\u00a0of bridge millennials,\u00a022%\u00a0of millennials and\u00a021%\u00a0of Gen Z consumers use four or more strategies, compared with\u00a08%\u00a0of baby boomers and seniors.\nThe share of consumers who say their coping strategies are extremely or very effective fell to\u00a025%\u00a0in January from\u00a034%\u00a0in October.\n\nThat last point is the warning sign. Consumers are not standing still. Many are taking action, and younger adults in particular are showing flexibility.\nThey are cutting spending, seeking extra income and using payment tools to match expenses with available cash. But effort is no longer translating into control at the same rate.\nFor banks, payment providers and FinTechs, the opportunity is practical. Consumers may not need another reminder to budget harder.\nThey may need clearer visibility into bills, better timing around recurring expenses, safer short-term liquidity options and payment plans that are easy to understand. Healthcare, groceries and housing are not occasional expenses. They are monthly cash-flow tests.\nThe positive reading is that households are engaged. They are watching expenses, changing behavior and looking for ways to adapt.\nThe challenge for financial services firms is to meet that effort with tools that reduce complexity, not add to it. As higher costs linger, the next stage of consumer finance may be less about encouraging people to do more and more about helping them make the moves they are already making work better.\n\r\n\r\nThe post Only 25% of Consumers Say Their Cost-Cutting Plans Still Work appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2026-04-30T04:00:34-04:00", "date_modified": "2026-04-29T22:28:18-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/679fcf5c2ed5358e99e8e23b22e3b5d761e37bdb76fa7b0e13d8ecd9ff01bf88?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/679fcf5c2ed5358e99e8e23b22e3b5d761e37bdb76fa7b0e13d8ecd9ff01bf88?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/consumer-finance.jpg", "tags": [ "consumer finance", "Consumer Spending", "data brief", "economy", "Featured News", "grocery", "News", "PYMNTS Intelligence", "PYMNTS News", "The Data Point", "Consumer Insights" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=3687332", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/bnpl/2026/49percent-of-gen-z-say-bnpl-shapes-where-they-book-travel/", "title": "49% of Gen Z Say BNPL Shapes Where They Book Travel", "content_html": "For younger shoppers, buy now, pay later is not just a way to split a purchase. It is often a factor in where they choose to spend in the first place.
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\r\n\r\n\r\nThe post 49% of Gen Z Say BNPL Shapes Where They Book Travel appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "For younger shoppers, buy now, pay later is not just a way to split a purchase. It is often a factor in where they choose to spend in the first place.\r\n\t\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\r\n\r\n\r\n\t\nThat\u2019s among the sharpest findings in\u00a0\u201cFinancing the Decision: How BNPL and Installments Reshape Merchant Choice,\u201d the latest PYMNTS Intelligence\u00a0Pay Later Ecosystem Report. Drawing on a survey of 2,763 U.S. consumers, the report finds BNPL carries the most weight when shoppers are comparing similar merchants and have room to deliberate. The effect is most pronounced among millennials and Gen Z, who are significantly more likely than older consumers to say financing availability shapes their decision on where to buy.\n\n62%\u00a0of millennials say BNPL influences their choice of merchant for travel, compared with\u00a037%\u00a0of consumers overall and\u00a05%\u00a0of baby boomers. Gen Z is not far behind at\u00a049%.\nIn food delivery,\u00a043%\u00a0of Gen Z and\u00a044%\u00a0of millennials say BNPL influences where they shop, versus\u00a010%\u00a0of baby boomers and seniors.\nIn healthcare,\u00a055%\u00a0of Gen Z say merchant-offered installment plans influence where they seek medical or dental care. According to the report, no other generation comes close.\n\nThe deeper point is that younger consumers are treating financing as part of the shopping experience, not as an afterthought.\nThe responses show that BNPL has the most sway in categories where people can compare providers, such as travel, events, home services and food delivery. In those situations, financing can help one merchant stand out from another offering a similar product or service.\nThat gives retailers and service providers a practical opening. Clear payment options at checkout can help them win business from younger buyers who are already inclined to use these tools.\nThe report also suggests that younger consumers are broadening where they use financing. For Gen Z, the influence of installment plans extends beyond discretionary spending and into medical and dental care, where 55% say financing availability affects provider choice.\nThe findings depict this as a distinct generational pattern, with younger adults approaching healthcare costs much as they do other major purchases by looking at both the service and the payment options attached to it. That points to a larger shift in consumer expectations. For a growing share of younger adults, flexible payment tools are becoming part of the standard package.\nOther data points reinforce that BNPL\u2019s influence is concentrated in groups already using pay-later products. Fourteen percent of consumers used BNPL in the last three months, and among those users the effect on merchant choice is far stronger than it is for non-users.\nThe report says non-users are largely unmoved, while existing users often let financing shape choices in the same categories where they already rely on it. That dynamic may be good news for merchants targeting younger consumers. It suggests that once shoppers become comfortable using these products, financing can help build repeat business and stronger loyalty over time.\nAt PYMNTS Intelligence, we work with businesses to uncover insights that fuel intelligent, data-driven discussions on changing customer expectations, a more connected economy and the strategic shifts necessary to achieve outcomes. With rigorous research methodologies and unwavering commitment to objective quality, we offer trusted data to grow your business. As our partner, you\u2019ll have access to our diverse team of PhDs, researchers, data analysts, number crunchers, subject matter veterans and editorial experts.\n\r\n\r\nThe post 49% of Gen Z Say BNPL Shapes Where They Book Travel appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2026-04-29T04:00:42-04:00", "date_modified": "2026-04-28T09:01:09-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/679fcf5c2ed5358e99e8e23b22e3b5d761e37bdb76fa7b0e13d8ecd9ff01bf88?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/679fcf5c2ed5358e99e8e23b22e3b5d761e37bdb76fa7b0e13d8ecd9ff01bf88?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/bnpl-travel-now-pay-later.jpg", "tags": [ "BNPL", "buy now pay later", "Consumer Spending", "data brief", "Featured News", "Gen Z", "News", "PYMNTS Intelligence", "PYMNTS News", "Retail", "The Data Point", "travel" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=3667532", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/artificial-intelligence-2/2026/43-percent-of-retailers-are-piloting-ai-shopping-agents/", "title": "43% of Retailers Are Piloting AI Shopping Agents\u00a0", "content_html": "Agentic artificial intelligence\u2019s first real test in commerce may come not as a flashy shopping tool, but as a trust exercise that could decide who leads the next phase of digital payments growth.
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\r\n\r\n\r\nThe post 43% of Retailers Are Piloting AI Shopping Agents\u00a0 appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "Agentic artificial intelligence\u2019s first real test in commerce may come not as a flashy shopping tool, but as a trust exercise that could decide who leads the next phase of digital payments growth.\r\n\t\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\r\n\r\n\r\n\t\nIn the Payments Optimization Tracker,\u00a0\u201cAgents of Change: How Agentic AI Is Redefining Commerce,\u201d PYMNTS Intelligence and Worldpay argue that autonomous AI is moving from theory into practical commerce.\nThe report frames agentic AI as a system in which digital agents can search, compare and make purchases based on a shopper\u2019s preferences, opening a large new market for merchants, banks and payment providers. The broader message: The opportunity is real, but adoption will depend less on novelty than on whether the industry can make the experience secure, understandable and easy to trust.\n\n45% of consumers\u00a0say they would be comfortable allowing AI agents to complete purchases on their behalf, and that rises to\u00a054% for Gen Z, suggesting younger consumers may help pull the technology into the mainstream first.\n43% of retailers\u00a0are piloting autonomous AI, while\u00a081%\u00a0say they trust AI\u2019s ability to operate autonomously when the right guardrails are in place. That points to a market that is still early, but no longer sitting on the sidelines.\n95% of consumers\u00a0report at least one concern about agentic commerce, and just\u00a05%\u00a0say they have none. At the same time,\u00a050% of U.S. consumers\u00a0say they would trust agentic commerce more if they knew fraud protections were in place. That gives the industry a clear signal about what needs to happen next.\n\nWhat stands out in the report is that the real commercial opening may not come from replacing people with machines. It may come from reducing the friction that slows digital commerce today.\nAgentic AI promises to shrink the work consumers do when they shop online, from product discovery to checkout, while helping businesses personalize offers and streamline transactions.\nThe report says the market could reach\u00a0$1.7 trillion by 2030, but it also makes clear that scale will not come from speed alone. Consumers remain uneasy about fraud, bad purchase decisions, identity theft and the difficulty of reversing unwanted transactions.\nMerchants are uneasy too, especially around liability, chargebacks and AI-driven fraud attacks.\nThat tension creates a more constructive story than a simple hype cycle. The report shows companies already trying to solve the hardest part of the problem. Worldpay is building an agentic commerce hub and partnering with identity specialist Trulioo.\nGoogle has introduced its Agent Payments Protocol with support from more than 60 organizations. Fraud firms are developing tools meant to spot and stop malicious agents before they can do damage.\nThe report\u2019s optimistic takeaway is that commerce may be entering a stage where the winners are not the firms with the boldest AI claims, but the ones that make autonomous payments feel safe, governed and useful in everyday life.\nFor all PYMNTS AI coverage, subscribe to the daily AI\u00a0Newsletter.\n\r\n\r\nThe post 43% of Retailers Are Piloting AI Shopping Agents\u00a0 appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2026-04-28T04:00:11-04:00", "date_modified": "2026-04-27T22:23:41-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/679fcf5c2ed5358e99e8e23b22e3b5d761e37bdb76fa7b0e13d8ecd9ff01bf88?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/679fcf5c2ed5358e99e8e23b22e3b5d761e37bdb76fa7b0e13d8ecd9ff01bf88?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/AI-commerce-xx1.jpg", "tags": [ "Agentic AI", "AI", "AI adoption", "AI commerce", "Benchmark", "data point", "featured insights", "Featured News", "News", "Payments Intelligence", "PYMNTS Intelligence", "PYMNTS News", "The Data Point", "artificial intelligence" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=3672608", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/real-time-payments/2026/63percent-of-firms-face-check-fraud-as-paper-payments-linger/", "title": "63% of Firms Face Check Fraud as Paper Payments Linger", "content_html": "The biggest obstacle to real-time payments adoption may not be fraud, but the fear of fraud.
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\r\n\r\n\r\n![\"fraud](\"https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/fraud-payments-stat.png\")
The post 63% of Firms Face Check Fraud as Paper Payments Linger appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "The biggest obstacle to real-time payments adoption may not be fraud, but the fear of fraud.\r\n\t\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\r\n\r\n\r\n\t\nThat\u2019s the central finding of \u201cReality Check: Fact vs. Fiction in Real-Time Payments Fraud,\u201d a PYMNTS Intelligence report produced in collaboration with The Clearing House. The report puts hard data against widely held assumptions, and the gap is striking: real-time payment rails carry substantially lower fraud rates than traditional methods including checks, wires and ACH. Yet many financial institutions remain on the sidelines, limiting themselves to receive-only participation.\n\nThe report\u2019s conclusion is pointed: misperception, not actual exposure, is the primary drag on adoption. Aligning perception with reality could unlock the full promise of faster payments.\nWhile many banks remain cautious, often limiting participation to receive-only capabilities, the findings indicate.\nFindings\n\n63% of firms report check fraud, compared with just 2% reporting fraud on real-time rails such as RTP and FedNow, highlighting a wide gap between legacy and instant payment risk.\n85% of U.S. payments professionals expect fraud to increase as instant payments scale, even as current data shows lower fraud rates on those rails.\n96% of banks support identity verification tools such as Confirmation of Payee, signaling broad agreement on how to mitigate fraud risk in real-time environments.\n\nBeyond those figures, the report points to a structural issue in how the industry approaches innovation. Many institutions are still calibrating risk based on the speed of transactions rather than the controls embedded in modern payment systems.\nReal-time rails operate in environments that emphasize push payments, tokenization and immediate confirmation, which can limit certain types of unauthorized activity. Yet those advantages are often overshadowed by concerns tied to scams and user error, particularly authorized push payment fraud.\nThat dynamic is shaping real-world behavior. A large share of institutions are opting to roll out instant payments with restricted functionality, delaying full send-and-receive capabilities. This approach may reduce perceived exposure, but it also creates bottlenecks that limit the network effects of faster payments. The report suggests that this cautious stance, while understandable, may slow the broader shift toward always-on money movement.\nAt the same time, the data offers a more constructive view of the path forward. Fraud on real-time rails is not only lower in frequency but often lower in impact, with most incidents categorized as minor. Financial institutions are also coalescing around a set of tools to address remaining risks, including real-time monitoring, multifactor authentication and AI-driven detection. Network operators are reinforcing these efforts with shared frameworks and collaborative data approaches, which can help identify and stop fraud before funds move.\nThe broader takeaway is that faster payments have reached a point where the technology and controls are largely in place. What remains is a shift in mindset. As institutions align their risk models with the realities of modern payment infrastructure, real-time rails could move from cautious adoption to a more central role in the payments ecosystem.\nEducation and coordination will determine how quickly that shift happens. Closing the perception gap between risk and reality could unlock broader participation, giving banks and payments providers a clearer path to scale real-time offerings while maintaining strong protections for consumers and businesses alike.\nAt PYMNTS Intelligence, we work with businesses to uncover insights that fuel intelligent, data-driven discussions on changing customer expectations, a more connected economy and the strategic shifts necessary to achieve outcomes. With rigorous research methodologies and unwavering commitment to objective quality, we offer trusted data to grow your business. As our partner, you\u2019ll have access to our diverse team of PhDs, researchers, data analysts, number crunchers, subject matter veterans and editorial experts.\n\r\n\r\nThe post 63% of Firms Face Check Fraud as Paper Payments Linger appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2026-04-27T04:00:30-04:00", "date_modified": "2026-04-23T16:56:38-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/679fcf5c2ed5358e99e8e23b22e3b5d761e37bdb76fa7b0e13d8ecd9ff01bf88?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/679fcf5c2ed5358e99e8e23b22e3b5d761e37bdb76fa7b0e13d8ecd9ff01bf88?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/fraud-checks-real-time.png", "tags": [ "checks", "data brief", "Featured News", "fraud", "News", "PYMNTS Intelligence", "PYMNTS News", "Real-Time Payments", "The Clearing House", "The Data Point" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=3677822", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/consumer-finance/2026/32-increased-spending-after-using-a-credit-card-app/", "title": "32% Increased Spending After Using a Credit Card App", "content_html": "A credit card\u2019s place in a consumer\u2019s wallet is now shaped as much by its app as by its rate, perks or brand, a shift that looks especially strong among younger cardholders and points to a more digital future for issuers.
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\r\n\r\n\r\nThe post 32% Increased Spending After Using a Credit Card App appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "A credit card\u2019s place in a consumer\u2019s wallet is now shaped as much by its app as by its rate, perks or brand, a shift that looks especially strong among younger cardholders and points to a more digital future for issuers.\r\n\t\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\r\n\r\n\r\n\t\nIn the April 2026 report \u201cWinning Top of Wallet: How Credit Card Apps Shape Choice,\u201d PYMNTS Intelligence and Elan Credit Card found that mobile apps are no longer a side feature for cardholders.\nThey increasingly help decide which card gets used most, how consumers manage payments and whether a card stays in regular rotation.\nThe report is based on a survey of 3,198 U.S. adult cardholders. While the broad takeaway is that apps now influence card competition, the deeper story is that issuers have an opening to turn mobile tools into a daily habit that strengthens loyalty and spending.\n\n69%\u00a0of cardholders said the quality of a credit card\u2019s mobile app influences which card becomes their most used, including\u00a087% of Gen Z. That suggests app design is now part of the product, not just the service layer around it.\n70%\u00a0of cardholders said they use their primary card\u2019s mobile app, including\u00a085% of millennials\u00a0and\u00a082% of bridge millennials. The report says the next opportunity is less about access and more about activation: getting people to install the app, use it often and build routines around it.\n54%\u00a0of app users said reminders or autopay helped them avoid late fees or pay bills on time, and\u00a046%\u00a0said autopay helped them stay current. Those findings give the app a practical value that goes well beyond convenience. For many consumers, the mobile experience is becoming the main tool for managing the account.\n\nWhat stands out most is how differently consumers use these apps by age. Baby boomers lean toward control and visibility. They are more likely to cite easy account access, bill pay and reminders as valuable features.\nYounger consumers want those basics too, but they also respond to tools that feel more personalized and more embedded in daily money management. Gen Z leads on budgeting insights, in-app support, personalized offers and even gamification. That suggests the strongest app strategy may not be a one-size-fits-all design but a cleaner split between utility for older users and personalization for younger ones.\nThe report also points to a positive business case for getting the app experience right. Nearly one-third of app users said they increased spending after adopting their card\u2019s app.\nFour in 10 said app features encouraged them to spend more, with rewards visibility and redemption doing much of the work. In a market where most consumers hold more than one card, that means issuers have room to win more usage from customers they already have.\nThere is risk here too. Nearly 1 in 4 cardholders said a weak app or poor digital experience contributed to them cutting back or stopping use of a card. Still, the stronger message from this report is constructive. Consumers are showing issuers exactly what they want: simple payment tools, clear rewards visibility and an app experience that fits how they actually use credit.\nAt PYMNTS Intelligence, we work with businesses to uncover insights that fuel intelligent, data-driven discussions on changing customer expectations, a more connected economy and the strategic shifts necessary to achieve outcomes. With rigorous research methodologies and unwavering commitment to objective quality, we offer trusted data to grow your business. As our partner, you\u2019ll have access to our diverse team of PhDs, researchers, data analysts, number crunchers, subject matter veterans and editorial experts.\n\r\n\r\nThe post 32% Increased Spending After Using a Credit Card App appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2026-04-24T04:00:59-04:00", "date_modified": "2026-04-23T18:50:25-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/679fcf5c2ed5358e99e8e23b22e3b5d761e37bdb76fa7b0e13d8ecd9ff01bf88?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/679fcf5c2ed5358e99e8e23b22e3b5d761e37bdb76fa7b0e13d8ecd9ff01bf88?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/credit-app-spending-1.jpg", "tags": [ "Benchmark", "credit card apps", "data point", "featured insights", "Featured News", "mobile apps", "Mobile Wallets", "News", "Payments Intelligence", "PYMNTS Intelligence", "PYMNTS News", "The Data Point", "Consumer Finance" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=3674625", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/smbs/2026/56-percent-of-smbs-want-more-flexible-card-programs/", "title": "56% of SMBs Want More Flexible Card Programs", "content_html": "For small businesses, the next credit story may not be about getting approved. It may be about finding a card that finally works the way the business does.
\r\n\t\t\r\n\t
\r\n\r\n\r\nThe post 56% of SMBs Want More Flexible Card Programs appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "For small businesses, the next credit story may not be about getting approved. It may be about finding a card that finally works the way the business does.\r\n\t\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\r\n\r\n\r\n\t\nThat is the takeaway from \u201cSMB Growth Monitor: Small Businesses, Big Credit Needs,\u201d a PYMNTS Intelligence collaboration with i2c. The report drew on a survey of 514 U.S. small- to medium-sized business (SMB) executives.\nIts broad finding is that small businesses still rely heavily on credit, but their priorities are shifting. Access matters, of course. Yet many firms now seem more focused on practical features such as installment options, dynamic spending limits, flexible due dates and card controls that reflect how money actually moves through the business.\nThat shift gives issuers a new opening. In a market where many SMBs already feel they can secure credit, product design may matter more than simple approval.\nThe report\u2019s fourth key finding stands out. SMBs are not spending much time worrying about whether they can get approved for a new business card. Instead, they are comparing options and looking for products that offer more value.\nNearly two-thirds of SMBs say they believe they would be approved for a new business credit card with their desired spending limit, and another 19% say they might be approved, though not for the full amount. Among high-revenue SMBs, that confidence rises even further, to 96.1%.\nThat changes the competitive landscape for issuers. Once approval stops being the main concern, features, pricing and flexibility move to the center of the sales pitch.\n\nEighty-three percent of SMBs think they would get approved for a new business credit card, underscoring that many firms see access to credit as attainable rather than out of reach.\nFifty-six percent of SMBs say they are very or extremely interested in a card that lets them choose between rewards and a lower APR each statement period, showing strong demand for more adaptable credit models.\nFifty-three percent of business credit card use is mostly or completely planned, suggesting that SMB card spending is often deliberate and tied to business operations rather than impulse purchases.\n\nOther findings reinforce the same theme. SMBs are willing to pay for flexibility, with the average firm saying it would spend about $126 a year for card features such as installments or dynamic limits. More than half also express strong interest in flexible due dates, customizable limits and virtual card numbers for specific uses.\nThe report also shows that larger and more confident firms use credit more often, while smaller firms are more likely to lean on personal cards, especially for unexpected costs. Still, the mood running through the data is constructive. SMBs are using credit with purpose.\nThey know what they want. For issuers that can meet those needs with clearer value and smarter tools, that looks less like a challenge than an opening.\nAt PYMNTS Intelligence, we work with businesses to uncover insights that fuel intelligent, data-driven discussions on changing customer expectations, a more connected economy and the strategic shifts necessary to achieve outcomes. With rigorous research methodologies and unwavering commitment to objective\u00a0quality, we offer trusted data to grow your business. As our partner, you\u2019ll have access to our diverse team of PhDs, researchers, data analysts, number crunchers, subject matter veterans and editorial experts.\n\r\n\r\nThe post 56% of SMBs Want More Flexible Card Programs appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2026-04-23T04:00:55-04:00", "date_modified": "2026-04-22T22:09:48-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/679fcf5c2ed5358e99e8e23b22e3b5d761e37bdb76fa7b0e13d8ecd9ff01bf88?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/679fcf5c2ed5358e99e8e23b22e3b5d761e37bdb76fa7b0e13d8ecd9ff01bf88?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SMBs-flexible-credit-cards-b2b-payments.jpeg", "tags": [ "B2B", "B2B Payments", "commercial payments", "data point", "Featured News", "News", "Payments Intelligence", "PYMNTS Intelligence", "PYMNTS News", "SMBs", "The Data Point" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=3670855", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/consumer-insights/2026/50percent-more-digital-shopping-days-put-parents-at-the-center-of-retails-shift/", "title": "50% More Digital Shopping Days Put Parents at the Center of Retail\u2019s Shift", "content_html": "Busy parents may be giving global digital commerce its clearest growth signal yet. The data makes a strong case for why merchants should pay attention.
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\r\n\r\n\r\nThe post 50% More Digital Shopping Days Put Parents at the Center of Retail\u2019s Shift appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "Busy parents may be giving global digital commerce its clearest growth signal yet. The data makes a strong case for why merchants should pay attention.\r\n\t\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\r\n\r\n\r\n\t\nThat is one of the more actionable findings in \u201cThe 2025 Global Digital Shopping Index: The Rise of the Mobile Window Shopper and What It Means for Payments,\u201d a PYMNTS Intelligence study commissioned by Visa Acceptance Solutions. The report documents mobile shopping as a mainstream retail behavior worldwide: 48% of consumers used a phone for their most recent purchase, and 60% browse merchant sites multiple times a week.\nThe more specific force shaping the market is parents. They engage in 50% more digital shopping activity days than the average consumer and shoppers with children under their care used a phone in 58.6% of their most recent purchases, compared with 40.7% for non-parents. Notably, the pattern holds across markets: even in countries where digital adoption is less intense overall, parents remain highly engaged mobile shoppers.\nThat gives merchants a concrete playbook. The research shows these consumers gravitate toward clear payment choices, rewards, coupons, product details and easy-to-navigate stores. The implication is pointed: the next phase of digital growth may come less from new features than from eliminating the friction that slows someone down between school drop-off, work and dinner.\nConvenience, the data suggests, is no longer an amenity. It is becoming the product itself.\nThree numbers stand out:\n\n59%\u00a0of the days parents shop digitally, they make a purchase, showing that this group is not just browsing more often. They are converting at a higher rate.\nShoppers with children under their care logged 63.5\u00a0digital shopping days per month, versus a\u00a050.9\u00a0average across the full sample.\n2%\u00a0of shoppers used or wanted to use their preferred payment method at the merchant where they made their last purchase, making payment choice the top digital feature globally.\n\nThe broader message is upbeat for merchants willing to adapt. Mobile shopping is growing, but physical retail is still in the mix, with 73% of purchases across the eight countries still involving stores in some way.\nThat gives retailers room to improve both digital and in-store experiences at the same time. The opportunity is especially clear for businesses that make it easier to browse on a phone, save payment credentials securely and move from discovery to checkout without extra steps. For time-pressed shoppers, especially parents, that kind of simplicity is not a perk. It is a reason to come back.\n\r\n\r\nThe post 50% More Digital Shopping Days Put Parents at the Center of Retail\u2019s Shift appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2026-04-22T04:00:32-04:00", "date_modified": "2026-04-21T15:57:08-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/679fcf5c2ed5358e99e8e23b22e3b5d761e37bdb76fa7b0e13d8ecd9ff01bf88?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/679fcf5c2ed5358e99e8e23b22e3b5d761e37bdb76fa7b0e13d8ecd9ff01bf88?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/digital-shopping-parents.jpeg", "tags": [ "data brief", "digital shopping", "digital transformation", "ecommerce", "Featured News", "Mobile shopping", "News", "PYMNTS Intelligence", "PYMNTS News", "Retail", "The Data Point", "Consumer Insights" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=3665426", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/real-time-payments/2026/37percent-of-businesses-say-instant-payments-strengthen-security/", "title": "37% of Businesses Say Instant Payments Strengthen Security", "content_html": "For many businesses, the story around instant payments may be shifting from fear to familiarity.
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\r\n\r\n\r\nThe post 37% of Businesses Say Instant Payments Strengthen Security appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "For many businesses, the story around instant payments may be shifting from fear to familiarity.\r\n\t\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\r\n\r\n\r\n\t\nThat is one of the clearest takeaways from\u00a0\u201cInstant Myths: Debunking Faster-Payments Fraud Fears,\u201d\u00a0the January 2026\u00a0Money Mobility Tracker\u00a0from PYMNTS Intelligence and Ingo Payments. The report shows that fraud concerns still weigh heavily on adoption decisions, but it also argues that many businesses may be worrying most about the wrong payment rails. Checks and other legacy methods continue to carry a larger share of fraud exposure, while real-time payments are increasingly seen as secure, practical and worth the investment. The more notable change in this report is not simply that fraud fears remain high. It is that confidence in faster payments appears to be growing as businesses gain more direct experience with them.\n\n37%\u00a0of businesses say enhanced security is a top benefit of adopting instant payments, up from\u00a025%\u00a0a year earlier.\nChecks are 16x more likely to be lost, stolen or altered compared with electronic transfers.\n76%\u00a0of organizations expect to update their payments strategy over the next three years as digital options expand.\n\nThat mix of caution and growing confidence runs through the report. On one hand, many firms still hesitate to move faster because fraud remains a real concern. The report says\u00a016% of businesses experienced payment fraud in the past year, while\u00a038%\u00a0avoid instant payments because they do not want to share account information and\u00a032%\u00a0cite direct fraud fears. Financial institutions are under pressure too, with many pointing to rising fraud sophistication, compliance demands and faster settlement speeds as overlapping strains.\nBut the report\u2019s more interesting point is that the market may be starting to separate old assumptions from actual performance. Checks remain deeply embedded in many business workflows, especially among smaller firms, yet they also remain unusually exposed to fraud. More than half of businesses hit by fraud still use checks, according to the report. By contrast, faster payment systems are posting a stronger record than many businesses seem to assume. Only a small minority of institutions report significant fraud impact tied to faster payments, and many organizations say digital payments bring convenience, security and less manual work.\nThe optimistic angle in the report is that trust appears to build with use. Businesses that work more closely with real-time payments are seeing the value of continuous monitoring, transaction-level visibility and automated screening. Those tools are helping shift instant payments from something firms worry about to something they increasingly see as a security upgrade.\nThis is a notable change in tone from the broader market discussion, which has often treated speed itself as the main source of risk. The report suggests the larger risk may come from clinging to slower, more manual systems that leave more room for loss, theft and alteration.\nThe report closes with a practical message. Fraud fears are unlikely to disappear overnight, and wider adoption will still depend on stronger fraud tools, clearer governance and better operational readiness. Yet the direction of travel looks more encouraging. As businesses invest in better controls and as real-time networks continue to mature, instant payments look less like a leap of faith and more like a sensible next step. Clearer evidence is starting to win.\n\r\n\r\nThe post 37% of Businesses Say Instant Payments Strengthen Security appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2026-04-21T04:00:45-04:00", "date_modified": "2026-04-26T22:43:26-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/679fcf5c2ed5358e99e8e23b22e3b5d761e37bdb76fa7b0e13d8ecd9ff01bf88?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/679fcf5c2ed5358e99e8e23b22e3b5d761e37bdb76fa7b0e13d8ecd9ff01bf88?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/middle-market-tech-cybersecurity.png", "tags": [ "B2B", "B2B Payments", "checks", "data brief", "Featured News", "fraud", "Ingo Payments", "News", "PYMNTS News", "Real-Time Payments", "Security", "The Data Point" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=3656641", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/consumer-insights/2026/90percent-of-millennials-feel-pressure-at-the-grocery-store/", "title": "90% of Millennials Feel Pressure at the Grocery Store", "content_html": "Millennials are learning to manage a pileup of costs all at once, and PYMNTS Intelligence data suggests that balancing act is becoming harder even during what should be their prime earning years.
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\r\n\r\n\r\nThe post 90% of Millennials Feel Pressure at the Grocery Store appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "Millennials are learning to manage a pileup of costs all at once, and PYMNTS Intelligence data suggests that balancing act is becoming harder even during what should be their prime earning years.\r\n\t\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\r\n\r\n\r\n\t\nThat is the central takeaway from the March 2026 PYMNTS Data Book,\u00a0\u201cThe Millennial Money Squeeze: Data Shows Rising Cost Pressures,\u201d\u00a0based on findings from a recent edition of the\u00a0Generational Pulse Report. The data indicate that millennials face more overlapping financial pressures than older consumers, use more tactics to stay on top of bills and see their confidence decline as those tactics deliver less relief. The picture may be one of stress, but it also shows a generation that is highly engaged with its finances, adjusting in real time as household costs shift.\nAmong the Findings:\n\nMillennials report 3.4 simultaneous cost pressures on average, compared with\u00a02.6 for baby boomers and seniors. That gap suggests younger households are not dealing with one isolated budget issue. They are managing several at once, from everyday spending to family-related expenses.\nGrocery stress among millennials rose to 90% in January 2026 from 79% in October 2025, an\u00a011 percentage point increase. That makes food and household essentials one of the clearest pressure points in the report and shows how even basic recurring purchases are forcing tougher day-to-day choices.\nTwenty-two percent of millennials use four or more coping strategies at the same time, yet the share who said those strategies were working well\u00a0fell to 32% from 47%, a\u00a015-point drop\u00a0from October to January. In other words, many millennials are putting in more effort without feeling more secure.\n\nWhat stands out beyond the top-line numbers is how broad the financial strain appears to be. This is not only a story about inflation fatigue or rising prices at the checkout line. The report shows that millennials and bridge millennials are also carrying some of the heaviest family-related costs, with\u00a046% to 52%\u00a0reporting pressure from childcare or daycare and\u00a046% to 50%\u00a0citing school-related expenses.\nThose are costs that tend to arrive during the same life stage when careers are expanding, families are growing and financial responsibilities are multiplying.\nThere is still a constructive signal in the data. Millennials are not disengaging. They are budgeting, adapting and trying multiple ways to keep pace.\nThe trouble is that the old playbook is not stretching as far as it used to. For banks, FinTechs and payments companies, that creates an opening. Consumers in this age group do not just need more credit. They need tools that make everyday money management simpler, clearer and more effective. The report suggests that the real opportunity may lie in helping this generation turn effort back into confidence.\n\r\n\r\nThe post 90% of Millennials Feel Pressure at the Grocery Store appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2026-04-16T04:00:22-04:00", "date_modified": "2026-04-15T17:55:19-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/679fcf5c2ed5358e99e8e23b22e3b5d761e37bdb76fa7b0e13d8ecd9ff01bf88?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/679fcf5c2ed5358e99e8e23b22e3b5d761e37bdb76fa7b0e13d8ecd9ff01bf88?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/millennials-BNPL-grocery.jpg", "tags": [ "consumer finance", "data brief", "Featured News", "Millennials", "News", "PYMNTS Intelligence", "PYMNTS News", "The Data Point", "Consumer Insights" ] } ] }