Cross-border B2B payments remain one of the most complex and costly areas, but 2026 is set to bring meaningful improvements.
The pain points: high bank fees, long settlement times, and opaque tracking when money moves internationally.
We’re seeing the rise of solutions like multi-currency wallets, local payout networks, and alliances between banks and fintechs to create quasi-real-time cross-border corridors. A big theme is interoperability – connecting national faster payment systems and regional networks to enable smoother global transfers (for example, linking Europe’s SEPA Instant with Asia’s RTP networks).
Additionally, specialized B2B cross-border platforms now offer integrated services (like handling FX conversion at competitive rates and providing end-to-end payment tracking).
The goal is to make sending money abroad almost as easy as a domestic payment, with predictability on fees and timing. Progress is being driven by partnerships among banks, payment companies and even governments: the G20 has a roadmap to enhance cross-border payments, and private sector initiatives are already yielding faster, cheaper routes in certain corridors. Combining capabilities via partnerships can ease compliance and give customers a more localized experience while scaling globally.
By 2026, companies expanding to new markets will have better tools to pay vendors and receive funds across borders without the historical friction.
Import/Export and Global Trade: Companies engaged in international trade (manufacturers importing raw materials, exporters shipping goods abroad) feel a huge impact here.
Their pain has been the unpredictability of cross-border payments – not knowing when a payment will arrive or what fees will be deducted en route (the classic correspondent banking “fee mystery”).
Streamlined cross-border services that provide upfront transparency in FX rates and fees, plus tracking (like a FedEx package) are game changers.
The opportunity for these businesses is better cash flow planning and reduced buffer stock: if a supplier can be paid in 1 day instead of 5, they might be willing to ship faster or on tighter contract terms.
Also, reducing the cost of payments (say from $40 wire fees to a few dollars via a fintech) adds up on each transaction. Industries like textiles, electronics, and commodities trading, which typically operate on thin margins, stand to gain significantly by shaving payment costs and delays.
Digital Services and Freelance Platforms: Businesses that pay overseas contractors or freelancers (software companies, marketing agencies, freelance marketplaces) need efficient cross-border payroll.
The traditional method – international wires or using consumer remittance services – is often slow and expensive at scale.
New cross-border mass payout solutions (e.g., paying to local bank accounts in bulk through a single API) solve a big pain: ensuring people globally get paid on time in their local currency.
This fosters trust and loyalty in platforms – a freelancer in another country will gravitate to the marketplace where they receive funds quickly with minimal fees.
The opportunity for companies is access to a global talent pool without the headache of complex international banking; they can scale their distributed workforce or customer base knowing the “last mile” payment is handled via local rails.
E-Commerce and Marketplaces (Global Sellers): Many e-commerce businesses in one country are selling to customers in another, or operating regional marketplaces where currency exchange is involved. These sectors demand better cross-border payment collection and disbursement.
For instance, an e-commerce platform enabling US sellers to reach European customers needs a way to collect Euros and convert and deliver USD to the sellers efficiently.
Pain points here include double conversion fees (customer’s bank converts, then seller’s bank converts again) and customers being deterred by paying in a foreign currency.
Fintech solutions like presenting prices in local currency and doing a single conversion at a fair rate, or using local acquirers to process cards, are addressing this.
The opportunity is increased international sales – fewer barriers for customers – and higher seller satisfaction. Essentially, whoever can make selling globally as easy as selling locally will win this space, so marketplaces are heavily incentivized to adopt these streamlined currency and payment solutions.
Global Partnerships and Network Integration: Payment processors aiming to improve cross-border offerings often need to partner in regions where they lack coverage. This could mean integrating with local bank networks or e-money institutions in various countries.
Technologically, this implies building out a network-of-networks capability: a single platform that can hand off a payment to a partner in China for local delivery, another to a partner in Brazil, etc., all through API connections. Orchestrators are well-positioned here – they can route a cross-border payment to the provider that specializes in that corridor.
The roadmap should include adding more local payout methods (like UPI in India, Pix in Brazil) and ensuring compliance data (like purpose codes, tax IDs required in certain countries) flows correctly through these integrations.
In essence, tech teams are creating a mesh of connections and mapping logic to send payments efficiently based on destination.
HOW PRAXENT CAN HELP
Integrate local-rail networks and cross-border APIs
FX and Treasury Tech: A big component of cross-border transactions is FX conversion.
Payment companies may need to incorporate real-time FX rate engines and even predictive algorithms to batch or hedge FX if doing large volumes.
Some are building multi-currency wallets, allowing businesses to hold balances in different currencies to time their conversions strategically.
The technology roadmap might include standing up a treasury system that can automatically convert currencies at optimal times or offer customers a choice (pay now in your currency or hold funds).
For PayFacs, offering multi-currency settlement (paying their merchants in the merchants’ preferred currency) can be a competitive edge, but requires robust FX infrastructure. This likely involves partnering with banks or liquidity providers and integrating their rate feeds and settlement processes into the platform.
HOW PRAXENT CAN HELP
Launch multi-currency wallets and real-time FX engines
Compliance and Data Standards: Cross-border means navigating varying regulations and data requirements: IBAN formats, SWIFT codes, sanction screening, anti-money-laundering checks across jurisdictions, etc.
Payment firms must enhance their compliance tech – for instance, automating sanction screening on all international payments, capturing required information (like “reason for payment” codes) based on destination country rules, and adhering to data privacy laws when moving customer info across borders.
The roadmap should also track the rollout of ISO 20022 in cross-border messaging (SWIFT is migrating to this standard), ensuring systems can send and receive richer data messages.
Adopting standardized APIs (like SWIFT gpi for tracking payments) can give customers end-to-end traceability. Tech investments in this space pay off by reducing errors (and costly investigations) and by speeding up straight-through processing.
HOW PRAXENT CAN HELP
Automate regulatory and compliance workflows for cross-border payments
From a product perspective, simplifying the user experience of cross-border payments is key. That means abstracting the complexity (e.g., showing a business user “We’ll deliver 100 EUR to recipient, cost $5, arriving ~ in 1 day” in their interface, hiding the backend intricacies).
Many providers offer track-and-trace for customers now, often via a portal or API – expect this to be a standard feature in 2026, akin to tracking a package.
On the GTM side, payment companies will use metrics like how much faster or cheaper their cross-border solution is compared to traditional methods. For example, highlighting that a certain corridor now settles in 1 hour instead of 3 days, or that fees are 1% instead of 3-5%.
Partnerships are also a lever: processors might co-market with their bank or fintech partners in different regions to offer a unified service.
PayFacs serving globally-minded platforms should showcase that they handle all the FX and local payment details, enabling the platform to expand geographically without building local payments expertise.
In many ways, success here is about reducing friction – both technically and in perception. If a mid-market company feels confident they can pay anyone, anywhere, with certainty and ease, they’re more likely to engage in international business. Payment providers who instill that confidence (through robust technology and smart collaboration) will capture a growing share of cross-border payment flows.
Cross-border payments are entering a new era of transparency and speed. Partner with Praxent to simplify the complexity and scale of global operations. We build multi-currency wallet systems, link local rails across geographies and automate compliance so you can scale globally without compliance drag. Turn cross-border friction into a competitive advantage, delivering faster, compliant international money movement.
Learn more about Praxent’s B2B payments technology consulting and engineering solutions.
What are cross-border B2B payments?
Cross-border B2B payments are transactions where a business sends or receives money to or from a company in another country. Modern solutions aim to make b2b cross border payments faster, cheaper, and more transparent than traditional correspondent banking.
How do multi-currency wallets help with cross-border payments?
Multi-currency wallets let businesses hold balances in several currencies, time FX conversions strategically, and pay partners locally. This reduces FX costs and improves control over global cash management.
Why is interoperability important in global payments?
Interoperability connects local and regional payment rails into a single, smarter network. This helps cross-border and global payments move faster, with more predictable delivery times and fewer unexpected fees.
What role do payment processors and PayFacs play in cross-border B2B payments?
Payment processors and PayFacs provide the infrastructure to move funds, manage FX, and connect to local rails. The more partners and corridors they support, the easier it is for merchants to expand globally without building their own banking network.
How do track-and-trace features improve the cross-border experience?
Track-and-trace gives businesses shipment-style visibility into payments — where the money is, which bank or rail it’s on, and when it’s expected to arrive. This improves trust, reduces support tickets, and makes cross-border payments feel more like domestic transfers.