B2B payment transactions to exceed 612 billion by 2031, as fintechs challenge banks for business payment relationships
A new study by global tech strategists Juniper Research has revealed that the number of B2B payments made annually will surpass 612 billion globally by 2031, up from 532 billion in 2026; representing a 15% growth.
The report identifies a shift in how businesses access and manage payment services. As payments become increasingly embedded within procurement, payroll, and financial management platforms, specialist providers are gaining opportunities to influence payment decisions before transactions are initiated; challenging the dominance of banks in corporate payments.
“Businesses are no longer willing to treat payments as a separate, administrative process. Providers which integrate payment execution with spend controls, reconciliation, and cross-border capabilities are better positioned to capture growth. Competitive differentiation will depend on offering flexible payment terms and short-term financing solutions which enable businesses to manage cashflow effectively” noted report author Shane O’Sullivan.
New Players Disrupting the Market
The new research features Juniper Research’s Future Leaders Index; identifying the enterprises challenging the established competitive landscape. The top three most promising future leaders identified by the index are:
- Modulr
- Jeeves
- Spendesk
Their emergence reflects a shift towards integrated financial platforms which combine payment execution, flexible financing, and expenditure controls to address inefficiencies in corporate cashflow management. This enables challengers to expand their market presence without replicating the extensive infrastructure of established financial institutions. Juniper Research anticipates that competition will centre on ownership of payment relationships; placing pressure on banks to strengthen payment provider partnerships or risk losing direct engagement with business customers as specialist providers gain market share.
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An extract from the new report, B2B Payments Market 2026-2031, is now available as a free whitepaper download.
